14 Best Travel Photography Books to Inspire You
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Written by Jenifer Sako
Want to know the best travel photography books available so you can learn to take the same Instagram photos that make you drool?
You know the ones—lush landscapes with crystal blue waters cascading off a cliff into a heart-shaped pond. These are the ones that make you pull out of your bucket list and log in to your favorite fare finder. Many amazing photographers who take those photos are more than happy to share how they learned their skills.
The best ones have books with tips, tricks, and full-on lessons. Or maybe you’re happy to collect them and use them as part of your wanderlust-themed home decor.
Whatever your goals are, our list of the best travel photography books will steer you to the ones worthy of your time, coffee table space, and Instagram dreams.
TL;DR: Our Favorite Options
| Category | Product |
|---|---|
| For Inspiration | Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places |
| For Astrophotography | Nightsky Photography: From First Principles to Professional Results |
| For Beginners | National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Great Photography |
| For Advanced Photographers | Understanding Color in Photography: Using Color, Composition, and Exposure |
Best Travel Photography Books
1. Nightsky Photography: From First Principles to Professional Results
Photographer and teacher Adam Woodworth wrote the best book for learning travel photography, specifically for night shots.
Nighttime will give you a fine art feel you can’t achieve with sunlight at any angle. But there are tricks you need to learn for clear, starry results.
In Nightsky Photography: From First Principles to Professional Results, Woodworth’s fantastic landscape photography is a testament to his skill.
Aesthetics aside, though, Nightsky Photography is a technical manual. In his book, he shares his methods and preferred equipment so you can create your dark pieces of art.
This book is best for those with a moderate amount of experience with a camera and who are ready to learn the art of Astro landscape photography.
2. Light & How to Photograph It: The Professional Approach to Capturing Every Type of Light
Travel photography books will tell you good lighting is essential for good photography. In Light & How to Photograph It: The Professional Approach to Capturing Every Type of Light, photographer Michael Freeman shows you the techniques for working with light.
The book is divided into three sections: Chasing, Waiting, and Helping. Each section takes you step-by-step on how to use these actions in your travel photography.
Patience is the first quality photographers need to master, then waiting for the right moment to get the best-lit shots.
Finally, Freeman explains the tools he uses to make light work for him. It’s more philosophical than a how-to manual and aims to change your relationship with light.
This book is good for photographers with moderate experience in how the settings on their cameras work.
3. Understanding Color in Photography: Using Color, Composition, and Exposure to Create Vivid Photos
This is our choice for the best book to learn travel photography, focusing on how color can be used to take the most striking photos. Peterson’s signature style uses the color of his surroundings for bold photos, and you can do that, too.
Understanding Color in Photography: Using Color, Composition, and Exposure to Create Vivid Photos will explain award-winning photographer Bryan Peterson’s technique for using color to create travel photos that jump off the screen.
He’ll tell you how to use light, exposure, external flash, and other tools to harness the color around you for the same vibrant results.
This book is good for all levels of photography experience and those traveling to bright, colorful locations.
See Related: 7 Amazing 7-Star Hotels Around the World
4. How to Photograph Food
Books on travel photography don’t always address food. But part of what makes us want to go to different places is to explore the area food culture.
In How to Photograph Food, food photographer Beata Lubas coaxes out your particular artistic style so you can craft delicious-looking foodscapes.
Tell visual stories of the food you find as you travel using Lubas’ techniques working with natural light.
Learn how to style the physical properties of main courses, appetizers, and desserts to bring emotion to your food photography.
Lubas included interviews with her peers so you can get different perspectives and insight into the food photography community.
This book is good for all skill levels, but especially beginners.
5. Underwater Photography Masterclass
Underwater Photography Masterclass is an adventure travel photography book for divers wanting to capture their interpretation of life under the sea.
Marine biologist Dr. Alexander Mustard teaches you the techniques for taking magnificent images of underwater creatures and plants.
Dr. Mustard shares his recommendations on diving equipment as well as cameras. He will also help you overcome any lighting issues you’ll encounter in the depths, so your shots are always bright and interesting.
You’ll enjoy his stunning, award-winning photography while learning from his workshop-in-a-book.
Contains practical, actionable lessons for all skill levels, especially beginners, although readers should be familiar with some technical terms.
6. Digital Photography Complete Course: Learn Everything You Need to Know in 20 Weeks
One of the most trusted and best travel photography books is Nita Patel’s classic Digital Photography Complete Course: Learn Everything You Need to Know in 20 Weeks.
If you don’t have access to or the time to take a photography class, this book is an excellent alternative.
It’s a course-based manual that transforms novice skills into professional quality. Tutorials and assignments encourage practical learning and engaged learning.
Work at your own pace, but within 20 weeks, you should master the techniques to create professional-looking landscapes.
It’s also periodically updated to include the latest equipment. And it would make a thoughtful gift for the travelers in your life.
This is good for beginners who need to learn their way around a camera and how to set up all the elements needed for amazing travel images.
7. National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Great Photography
The original travel media company has also produced the best book to learn travel photography for beginners who dream of being as good as their photojournalists.
National Geographic Photo Basics: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Great Photography is the definitive how-to for users of digital cameras and smartphones.
Here, Joel Sartore, a National Geographic photographer, spills his secrets to getting the perfect shot. Learn to frame, edit, and preserve your photographic creations, as well as camera fundamentals.
The short lessons contain basic information about focus, composing, and exposure. Satore also has specific tips for travel photography using his own for illustration. The assignments will help you put his techniques to work.
This book is good for beginners and those who want to master using a smartphone as a travel camera.
Best for Travel Photography Coffee Table Books
Sometimes, you just want to leave the photography to the pros and hobbyists and enjoy the view. These best travel photography coffee table books already have the inspiring travel pics you want without the fuss.
And they sit prettily in a little pile on your coffee table for everyone to enjoy.
8. Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places
Natgeo comes through again with their books on travel photography and this tour of incredible destinations. Destinations of a Lifetime: 225 of the World’s Most Amazing Places will have you filling up your travel wishlist fast.
Some featured places are off the well-traveled path, making it even more interesting. It’s a guidebook with real travel, dining, and lodging advice. Learn to travel like a National Geographic photojournalist with this gorgeous book.
This book is good for people looking for travel inspiration and those who like staying close to home. The pictures of these spectacular places are enjoyable for all.
9. Accidentally Wes Anderson
If you love the quirky worlds filmmaker Wes Anderson creates, you will love Accidentally Wes Anderson, filled with Anderson-esque destinations.
Part adventure travel photography book and part ode to Anderson’s whimsical sense of place, Accidentally Wes Anderson brings you to 200 fabulous places worldwide.
And the narratives are as unique as the photos. Find inspiration here to let you see the world through a more imaginative lens the next time you travel.
Accidentally, Wes Anderson is good for both travelers and Anderson fans.
10. Escape
Fine art photographer Gray Malin’s Escape is one of the best travel photography books of exotic locations worldwide.
Malin’s talent lies in revealing what makes each place unique. Inside, you’ll find more than 22 gorgeous sites in 11 countries.
You will also get a behind-the-scenes look at how he captured such alluring shots. This book is page after page of pure travel inspiration.
Just the simple, moving cover will make you smile. Pull it out with your seasonal spring decor for instant fresh air in your living room.
This book is good for luxury travelers and those who enjoy fine art photography.
11. prettycitynewyork: Discovering New York’s Beautiful Places
Not only is prettycitynewyork: Discovering New York’s Beautiful Places a decorative book, but it’s also the best book to learn travel photography in cities for Instagram.
Instagram star Siobhan Ferguson takes you through one of the most dynamic cities in the world and reveals the little visual treasures within. You may not even recognize New York City as presented in prettycitynewyork.
Yet, nestled amid the glittering skyscrapers and busy streets are the small, quaint, quiet spaces ready for their closeups and a spot on your Instagram feed.
Ferguson shows you how to find them. This book is good for travelers beckoned by urban landscapes and those who love New York City.
12. Vogue on Location: People, Places, Portraits
Travel photography books often intersect with other visual arts. Vogue on Location: People, Places, Portraits shows you beautiful corners of the world through a fashion lens.
Famous for fashion photo shoots from around the globe gracing its glossy pages, Vogue brings the best in one travel photography book.
This inspiring book is filled with mesmerizing travel stories and exciting fashion photos. People who are passionate about fashion and travel will love this book. There’s a good mix of both here.
13. America the Beautiful: A Story in Photographs
Produced by travel photography coffee table books experts National Geographic, America the Beautiful: A Story in Photographs features the best of the USA.
From coast to coast, north to south, the places and people who infuse America with energy and beauty are featured in these pages. See spectacular images of well-known national treasures, as well as inspiring portraits of everyday Americans.
And all presented with National Geographic’s dramatic flair for visual storytelling. This book is perfect for travelers who appreciate what can be found within our borders.
14. Epic Journeys: 245 Life-Changing Adventures
Books on travel photography don’t get much more inspiring than Epic Journeys: 245 Life-Changing Adventures. No adventure is off-limits, whether it’s white-water rafting in some of the world’s grandest rivers or exploring volcanos miles from civilization.
Find your next adrenaline rush in this guide to the world filled with hundreds of vivid photographs and little-known travel tips.
Scour its top-ten lists and essays and start planning the trip of a lifetime. This book is great for folks who like to live life to the fullest.