While a photography student at Santa Monica College, I had the privilege of hearing photographer Matthew Jordan Smith speak about three ways to enhance your life :

1. The people we meet

2. The places we go

3. The books we read

Today, I share with you 3 books that have enhanced my life as a photographer, 2 of which are a direct result of a place I went and people I met while there.

During SMC photography department 's annual camping trip one semester, I was one of a select few fortunate enough to be invited to the Kim Weston 's home. After touring the home, enjoying a presentation of his work, and hearing personal stories about his grandfather and the Weston legacy, we were then invited to hear photographers Al Weber, Ted Orland, and Huntington Witherill speak. It was here that I was introduced to

1. Advice for Photographers: The Next Step by Al Weber- a book that I return to again and again when I need a “verbal kick in the pants.”

and

2. Art & Fear: Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by Ted Orland and David Bayles- an exploration of the way art gets made, the reasons it often doesn't get made, and the nature of the difficulties that cause so many artists to give up along the way.

Another great book that I return to often is

3. 100 Ideas That Changed Photography by Mary Warner Marine- this was given to me as a birthday gift this past March and is a great resource of innovation, technology and movements that have influenced the way we make photographic art today

What’s the best book on creativity you’ve ever read ?