I thought I'd do a bit of a "catch up" for people on some of the reading material I/we've recommended in the past here and other places. By the way the best books on the list are the last two. They are AWESOME.

<b>Photography:</b>
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/mattantocom-20/detail/0817442278/104-4434644-3665564">Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait - Michael Grecco</a> - this book helped us just today on a shoot where the couple wanted us to "conceptualize something different" in the lighting. Grecco's examples and photos are amazing and worth checking out.

<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/mattantocom-20/detail/1584281340/104-4434644-3665564">Posing for Portrait Photography - Jeff Smith</a> - definitely not for the advanced photographer, but for those still needing to learn posing basics and how to make someone look their best, definitely start here with Smith's book. He's great.

<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/mattantocom-20/detail/1585421464/104-4434644-3665564">The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity - Julia Cameron</a> - like the book Thinkertoys but with workbooks and journals to keep you going through the dry creativity moments. We all get "writers block" through the lens sometimes and this book helps break it.

<b>Advertising & Marketing:</b>
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/mattantocom-20/detail/1400046831/104-4434644-3665564">Love is the Killer Ap - Tim Sanders</a> - the book wedding photo guru David Jay always refers to as the work his business is built around. Guy charges $10k basically to show up. You can bet I read this. lol

<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/mattantocom-20/detail/0793155614/104-4434644-3665564">Creating Customer Evangelists - Ben McConnell</a> - another "defining book" for the wedding & portrait photography industry. This is on more people's lists that I know than any other book on creating loyalty in your customers.

<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/mattantocom-20/detail/047174719X/104-4434644-3665564">Naked Conversations - Robert Scoble and Shel Israel</a> - THE book on blogs by THE best-known blogger (Scoble). Well worth a read if you have a blog (and if you don't, WHY NOT?!?)

<b>Small Business Management/Branding:</b>
<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/mattantocom-20/detail/158115206X/104-4434644-3665564">Business & Legal Forms for Photographers - Tad Crawford</a> - yep, a good ole necessity.

<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/mattantocom-20/detail/0814406815/104-4434644-3665564">Brand Aid - Brad VanAuken</a> - I can't tell you how this changed our business, I can only say if you choose one book on this list to start with, make it this or the next one.

<a href="http://astore.amazon.com/mattantocom-20/detail/1400102197/104-4434644-3665564">Primal Branding: Create Zealots for Your Brand, Your Company and Your Future - Patrick Hanlon</a> - Hands down the best book I read on branding and marketing yourself in the last 3 years. If you don't understand the stuff in this book, you're going to struggle and not know why. You either know it instinctively (like the very best businesses) or you HAVE to learn it.

Happy reading - and if you have suggestions for reading please list them!

So weird! I was reading this month's Professional Photographer magazine & they had this book in it & I looked it up on Amazon & here you are mentioning it and all this in one evening. Someone's telling me to buy it!

Some people LOVE the Grecco book, some hate it. Personally, I don't get a lighting book to be taught *everything* about lighting - I want ideas, inspiration and even just bits & pieces to steal and apply to my own situations. Grecco's book isn't a "Lighting Bible" but it's really good for the stuff he does get into. I think if you analyze what he does rather than expect a full meal on a spoon it's a fantastic book!

Thanks Matt. You are such a valuable resource to our community. I really appreciate it.

a great list, im going onto amazon to see if i can get some! thanks matt

Grecco is amazing. He's in my Top 5 favorite photogs. But, as much as I do enjoy his book, I have to say that it was a bit of a letdown.

Still worth picking up, but not what I expected I guess.

your avi is still killin me scoot.

Matt good lookin' out on the book list. I'm always trying to decide what book(s) to read next, and which ones will benefit Brandy(wife) and I the most. Thanks.

Creating Customer Evangelists gets my approval.

LOL. Old school, brotha. That's me. Circa 1997. Rockin out with my bag of skittles!

Two books to add to this list:

How to win friends and influence people
How i raised myself from failure to success in selling

Amazing book on how to sell.

Do you know what selling is all about?

"Finding out what your client wants and help him to get it":-)