Life Library of Photography: The Great Themes

Great selection of example photographs. Less technical discussion, so has aged better in that regard than other entries in this series. Of course, the text is horribly dated in patriarchal attitudes, especially in the section on the nude. Not sure I'd consider war photography to still be a "Great Theme."

This compendium of great photos is divided into six “themes”: the human condition; still life; portraits; the nude; nature; and war. Within these sections, the editors explain how such pictures are composed, and the role of tone, composition, light, camera angles, choice of lens, choice of colors, and so on. In the section on “portraits” they discuss how character can be captured on film, sharing some guidelines used by professionals. Occasionally biographical information about a photographer is included. But the biggest appeal of the book is the collection of photos itself - they are remarkable, and revealing, and stunning.