Just curious if anyone who has taken an academic photography course has any favorite textbooks they have used in their course work. I am looking for this kind of info (as opposed to commercial "idiot" guides), and suppose others might be too. Any names?

Thanks,
Glinda

Richard D. Zakia's "Perception and Imaging" subtitled: "Photography - A Way of Seeing"

Glinda you might want to be a little more specific in what area you are looking at. Are you looking at digital processing, lighting, compositions?

For digital processing I am finding the dvd tutorials the most helpful.
Lighting: Light, Science & Magic

for general photography, not sure if they have an updated version with digital but definitely a must have beginning book would be Upton & Upton's "Photography" I would pick up an old one and just ignore the chapters on the darkroom

And of course there's Ansel's "Negative" "Camera" & "The Print"

jeff

Back in the late 1970's I had two - I believe they were called Basic Photography and Advanced Photography (or similar), edited and printed in England, about 400-500 pages each. Excellent books covering everything from specular reflections to judging true resolution. I haven't seen anything as good since, as most of what gets recommended here are highly specialized texts.

Thanks, everyone. I already found Hortenson's B&W book. Will look these up on Amazon.