This is a great book, it has pretty much anything that a new photographer could need to know about the basics of photography. It has sections on cameras, technical jargon, composition, colour, you name it, it's probably there. Comprehensive is the word. In addition to being packed full of useful info it looks great, very pleasant design. If you're a new photographer looking to learn a lot then this is probably the book for you. Incidentally it also has a really cool cutaway view of my camera on page 20.

This one actually has pretty much all the same stuff as the previous book. The design is adequate, I suppose, but quite lackluster compared to Hedgecoe's offering. That said, it's half the price and a lot lighter, Hedgecoe's book is a veritable textbook, whereas you could put this in your camera bag if you were so inclined.

The bulk of this book is about the history of photography. Having never taken any sort of art history course I found it very interesting to read about the past of the medium I love. Obviously there are excellent example photographs to demonstrate what the text is talking about as you progress through the book. Coupled with a beautiful design it makes this a very good book if you want to learn about the history of photography.

Very simple, just 500 photographs by 500 great photographers, accompanied by a sometimes annoying description of what the photo is meant to mean, in the humble opinion of Phaidon Publishing. I'd rather not be spoon fed so I just spend a minute looking at just the picture then move on to the text. You get a lot of photography for your dollar with this book.

I really have no idea what Communication Arts is all about, but fellow photographer Shaun told me to pick one up, and hoo boy! A cheap magazine full of shiny professional photography! There's editorial, advertising, all sorts of stuff. Again, a great buy if you want to just look at pictures. I'm getting the next one when it comes out.

When designing a magazine for artists, one would think you'd make it aesthetically pleasing! Most photo magazines aren't, but this one sure is. Not only that, but it's full of great photography instead of pointless equipment reviews. Don't get me wrong, the reviews in this magazine are about as useless as everywhere else, but at least there's only one! If that wasn't enough, Photolife has a very inoffensive content/ad ratio. Just look at the cover compared to the others on the rack. Easy choice.