Essential Photography Resources for Learners

Take your learning to the next level

As a consistent learner, I keep reading books and articles and watching educational videos. I also attend a lot of workshops and listen to podcasts and talk shows to sharpen my photography skills. This page is dedicated to the learning resources I found quite useful and firmly believe, would be extremely helpful for anyone who wants to learn more.


I’ll be honest — I had no clue these festivals even existed until last year. But once I discovered them, they completely changed how I look at photography and art in India.

So here it is — my honest list of the most inspiring and a few internationally acclaimed photo and art festivals you must know (and maybe even be part of).


Looking to enhance your photography skills? Here are a few courses I’ve personally taken and found truly rewarding for the time invested—perfect for taking your craft to the next level!

Offered by Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York on Coursera

Explore the art of photography: delve into creative processes, understand the impact of context, uncover the meaning behind images, and build confidence in analyzing and discussing photography.


Stay ahead in photography! Explore these top blogs I frequently visit for expert insights, latest updates, and invaluable learning to refine your skills and stay inspired.







UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM BOOKS

Photography At The Dock
Over Exposed: Essays on Contemporary Photography
Art After Modernism: Rethinking Representation
The Postmodern Arts: An Introductory Reader
Sticky Sublime
Beyond Recognition

ARTICLES

A Letter from My Camera to Me
My Most Favourite Quotes on Photography
How to Avoid Cliche in Photography
Golden Words from Expert Photographers
Analyzing Someone’s Artwork

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

The Only Way to Find your Photography Style
Brooke Shaden: Finding Inspiration As a Photographer
Secrets of Edward Weston’s Photography

COLLECTIONS/ ARCHIVE

The Thomas Walther Collection
The Alfred Stieglitz Collection

Educators to Follow: Sarah Meister

University Recommended Photo Artists to Follow: Julie Cockburn, Sigma Polke, James Welling, Walead Beshty, Olivier Richon, Mel Bochner, Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin, Andy Warhol, Maurizio Anzeri, The Atlas Group, David Birkin, John Burke & Simon Norfolk, Wolfgang Tilmans, Rut Blees-Luxemburg, Brassai, Eugene Atget, Nadav Kander, John Stezaker, Catherine Yass, Helen Sear, Eugene Meatyard, Sophie Calle, Allan Sekula, Corinne Day, Victor Burgin, Joseph Kosuth, The New Topographics, Jessica Eaton. Mark Borthwick, Adam Fuss, Susan Derges, Royal Academy’s Artist’s Laboratory

Peter Lindbergh
Ansel Adams (American, 1902-1984)
Annie Leibovitz
Steve McCurry
Henri Cartier Bresson (French 1908-2004)
David LaChapelle (American)
Richard Avedon (American, 1923-2004)
Edward Weston (1886-1958)
Man Ray (1890-1976)
Mario Testino
Dorothea Lange
Harold Edgerton (1903-90)
Gordon Parks (1912-2006)
Helen Levitt (1913-2009)

MOVIES / DOCUMENTARIES

Minamata (2020) on W. Eugene Smith
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens (2008)
Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters (2012)
Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)
William Eggleston: In The Real World (2005)
Helmut Newton: Frames from the Edge (1989)
The Life and Works of Gordon Parks (2000)
The Salt of the Earth (2014) on Sebastião Salgado
Eloquent Nude (2007) on Edward Weston & C. Wilson
What Remains (2005) on Sally Mann
In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons in Life with Saul Leiter
La Jetée (1962)
National Geographic: The Photographers
Daido Moriyama: Stray Dog of Tokyo
Visual Acoustics (2008)
Year of the Nail (2007) 
Salvador (1986)
City of God (2002)
Blow-Up (1966)
Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Impassioned Eye
War Photographer (2001)
Trent Parke – Dreamlives (2002)

TV / WEB SERIES

Contacts (IMDb)
The Genius of Photography
Master of Photography


Unlocking the Invisible: A Journey into Abstract Photography by Creative Genes

Photographers to Study: Man Ray, Minor White, Aaron Siskind, Wolfgang Tillmans, Carlotta Corpron

Photographers to Follow: Michael Kenna


The Resource list is updated regularly to keep readers informed about the latest educational materials and trends in photography.