These are some of the books that I've read over the years and continue to keep in my reference library. They've helped my photography improve by leaps and bounds, and made me a stronger photographer in one way or another. This page will be a continual "work in progress" as I plan on adding new material that I find worthy of recommendation.

General Photography

National Geographic Photography Field Guide: Secrets to Making Great Pictures, Second Edition - Very thorough overview of photography, although now a bit dated, and possibly out of print. Does a fantastic job of covering all the bases.

Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3 - Good "recipe" style series by Scott Kelby. Basic "if you want your photo to look like this, do this" setup, although it doesn't explain the "why".

The Moment It Clicks: Photography secrets from one of the world's top shooters - Fantastic book by Joe McNally that focuses on "seeing" like a photographer. HIGHLY recommended.

Photography Concepts

Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera - A MUST READ book for any photographer, in my opinion. Conversationally-written, yet concise, with excellent examples that really help to convey a complex topic in an easy-to-learn format.

Composition

Photography and the Art of Seeing: A Visual Perception Workshop for Film and Digital Photography - Presents photography as the visual medium it is, and has great insights as to how to see the image with your mind, then creating that vision in your photograph.

The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos - Focuses on making you think about the visual elements in a scene, and how to highlight or minimize them for powerful effect. HIGHLY recommended.

Within the Frame: The Journey of Photographic Vision - A book on composition that not only discusses the process of envisioning your image, but encourages interaction between photographer and subject. This is a book that will change the way you think about photography, for the better, and will help to transform photography from a technical mindset to an interactive one.

Macro Photography

John Shaw's Closeups in Nature (Practical Photography Books) - Good introduction to macro photography, including the technical differences and challenges compared to regular photography.

Workflow and Post-Processing

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Book: The Complete Guide for Photographers - Thorough Lightroom guide by Martin Evening. Very detailed on all aspects of the software.

The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) - Thorough Lightroom book by Scott Kelby. Equal to the Evening book, though more conversational in tone.

Lessons in DSLR Workflow with Lightroom and Photoshop - Outdated now from the software perspective, but a good book that not only discusses the technical aspects of the software, but organizes things into a coherent workflow to allow you more efficiency and, more importantly, more consistency when post-processing your images.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 for Photographers: A professional image editor's guide to the creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC - Incredibly solid compendium on Photoshop CS5 by Martin Evening. Explains many options and settings in great detail.

The Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)- Another great volume on Photoshop by Scott Kelby. Slightly more "recipe" format than Martin Evening's version, but much more thorough in the "why" aspect than his Digital Photography series. Slightly pared down compared to the Evening book, but focuses on specific tools and commands that you'll use more often.

Lighting

Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers - Good guide for lighting setups for portraits, although a bit advanced. The novice might find themselves slightly lost.

Portrait Photography: Secrets of Posing & Lighting - Another good guide for portraits, but this one focuses more on posing tips, with a little bit of info on lighting.

Minimalist Lighting: Professional Techniques for Location Photography - Focuses on location shoots, using portable lighting. Useful info, not just for lighting tips, but also for ideas on portability.

The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes- Another great book by Joe McNally, this one has fantastic information and insights from a respected pro about using standard shoe-mount flashes for lighting, in place of large strobes. HIGHLY recommended.