Chased by the Light: A 90-Day Journey

I'm a verbal type; I'd rather read a beautifully written description of a frozen lake than stare at a picture of it anytime. Even knowing that, my mother gave me this book several years ago, and I fell in love. I sat with it for hours, seeing, dreaming, and I still take it down often to do the same again. The photographer, Jim Brandenburg, set himself the challenge of taking only one photograph each day for three months, in the boreal forest where he makes his home. The result is a portrait of life as many of us can never experience it: not just "calendar shots," but pictures that show the cruelty of man, the certainty of death, the very simple beauty of a single bright leaf burning on the dark, still waters of an evening pond. Some photos are amazing in themselves and some seem ordinary in the extreme, but it is important to take them as a whole, and see what you learn from the journey.

Being from Minnesota and a lover of nature, the subject matter of this book intrigued me. Having done photography as an advanced amateur most of my life, much of it in the same areas Jim shoots, I am completely awestruck at his ability to capture such a sense of the northwoods with only one frame a day. Besides being a visually stunning work, it gives us "wannabes" food for thought. Maybe hunting that perfect frame would help us capture the essence we want, instead of firing off a whole roll of film. Myself, I know that if I ever encounter a wolf in the wild up close, I won't remember this advice but will take a whole roll, but maybe after my first encounter, the next one will show thought, inspired by this book.

Brandenburg's Chased by the Light is a great book. It is like walking into a virgin forest untouched by man and experiencing nature for the first time. A must have for all nature enthusiasts.

I stumbled across this book completely by accident. The photographs are exquisite, and the text is both spare and lyrical. Every time I re-read the book, I see something different. "Chased by the Light" is a stunning achievement. I can't recommend this book highly enough-- buy one for yourself, or give one to a friend. It's a present that will last a lifetime.

Last summer I spent a week with Mr. Brandenburg at one of his seminars. Not only is he a great photographer, but a great man. This book is filled with pictures that only Jim could take, and make so meaningful to so many people. I know this all came as a challenge to himself, and yet it became so much more to so many people. We should all be thankful he chose to share this work with us. We look forward to more Jim.