Product Description

Drawing on 20 years' experience, Joe Cornish, one of Britain's most distinguished landscape photographers, has distilled the key elements of his craft into a collection of thought-provoking essays accompanied by a selection of his photographs. The subjects range from his beloved North Yorkshire, where he now makes his home, to the rocky canyons of the Colorado Plateau and from the rugged Cornish coast to the rainforests of New Zealand's Fjordland. They have been chosen to reflect the enormous range of his work and to illustrate how he puts his working philosophy into practice. The text accompanying each photograph describes how the picture came to be taken and the considerations - light, weather, timing, composition - which dictated the choice of viewpoint, the selection of film and filters, and so on. Smaller images illustrate alternative shots, or other, less successful treatments, of the same subject or theme. Although full technical data for each photograph is given, the real fascination of the book lies in Joe Cornish's explanations of the thought process that went into creating each of the photographs, many of which were captured after careful planning, while others were created by taking advantage of an unexpected opportunity or a moment of sudden inspiration. These very personal accounts are full of practical advice on subjects ranging from anticipating changes in the weather to the use of filters in order to capture colour as the eye sees it when, unfiltered, the film might show something very different.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5358 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 160 pages

About the Author
Joe Cornish is one of Britain's best-known landscape photographers whose work has been an inspiration to a whole generation of enthusiasts. His work in Britain for the National Trust has made his photographs familiar to millions of Britons and visitors, but he has also worked in many other countries throughout the world, especially the United States.

Customer Reviews

A true masterpiece.
This is not the usual coffee-table book of inspirational, technically perfect, evocative photographs. Neither is it an effective how-to manual full of tips and tricks. This book is both! Page after page of fantastic photography, accompanied by thought provoking text. The text is not simply dry, technical detail, rather a more mental approach to mastering the craft. Joe explains how knowledge of timing, light and composition, can aid in capturing the feeling experienced at the moment of taking the photograph.
This book will be a great inspiration to the both the expert and the novice. It will help you capture mood rather than just images.

Inspirational work
First Light is not only an inspiration to all budding landscape photographers but is a beatiful record of the wonderous world around us. It screams quality when you hold it, from the heavy paper, the luxurious binding and the superb print quality - Joe Cornish's obvious demands for perfection can be seen throughout.
It is written in an enjoyable, conversational style which encourages you to continually turn another page. The author's comments serve to add context to the already stunning photography as well as the occasional touch of humour. If you like the natural world, enjoy photography or simply enjoy seeing the work of a true master - First Light is a must for your bookshelf.

Awe-Inspiring
This is an absolutely inspiring book by, I believe, Britain's finest landscape photographer. So many of Joe Cornish's photographs have what I can call that 'extra element' or 'other dimension' - almost impossible to define - which makes them not just beautiful, but transcendant. Through his viewfinder a landscape is transformed from the merely 'pictorial' into what we recognize as ART. The book is so wonderfully well produced in every way, and out of the fifty or so glorious images the unforgettable ones, to me, are: all the Antelope Canyon ones(the striated rock seems to flow, like Fortuny silk in a wind machine) Paria-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness (also in Arizona), Falling Foss, North Yorkshire Moors, Dunraven Bay (the contrast of the blue stone and pools of golden water!)and the shells of Clifton Beach. In addition to the wealth of wonderful images, Joe Cornish's text is lovely to read, informative and clear. Whether or not you take photos yourself, this is a book to treasure.