Rating: 
Summary: I normally hesitate to use this word, but...profound.
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: A Nice Conceit
Review: It's a nice conceit. A great outdoor photographer sets for himself the task to taking one, but only one, photograph each and every day for an entire season.
One can see all kinds of implications. Once the photographer finds a subject he must get it right the first time because he isn't allowed a second chance. Exposure, focus, composition - everything must be right and as good as he can get it. Moreover he is continually in peril. Should he pass by a good shot in the morning in expectation of a better shot in the afternoon? And what happens when no better shot is in the camera as sunset approaches? We can easily believe Jim Brandenburg when he says that the exercise was a transforming experience.
But the question for viewers of this book is whether the pictures are a transforming experience for us. Unfortunately, they were not for me.
I understand that some of the pictures were bound to be underexposed or out of focus. Plants blow in the wind; animals move. But while I examined the photographs in this book, I also looked at other work by Brandenburg. These other collections were always quite impressive, providing new ways of looking at the world. Many of the pictures in "Chased by the Light" showed a keen sensibility for the light. The silhouettes of loons and a small island with trees against the backlight of a clouded dawn were breathtaking. The photograph of a raven's feather against a lichen background with a few beaded drops of water on the feather caught my eye.
But for every great photograph, there was one that was pedestrian and one that was discardable. I certainly didn't need to see an out-of-focus mink or trees in the forest with no true subject.
To be fair to Brandenburg, this project was apparently not undertaken for publication but rather as an exercise for his own development. It was his editor who wanted to publish after seeing the photographs. To the editor's eye, at least, the pictures were enlightening and well worth the effort.
The greatest value of this book was not in the photographs but in the speculation in which I engaged about why this book was not outstanding. Is photography a stochastic process with each photograph taken possibly leading to an even greater photograph? Did forcing himself to elect when to take his daily picture cause Brandenburg to sacrifice opportunities, or even limit his willingness to take risks. Does the order of presentation of photographs have synergistic effects, which were lost, because this book almost demanded only chronological order? Does forcing the viewer to look at pictures that would otherwise be discards detract from the impact of good pictures?
For me this book was conceptual art. I found the idea of the task transformed my view of photography. The pictures themselves did not.
Rating:
Summary: Old fashioned and wonderful
Review: It's so more agreable to have this engagement calendar on your desk than a modern and dull looking electronic device. Use an old fountain pen to take your notes, and wait till the ink is dry before turning the page! Wonderful pictures under your eyes every day of the year! You can escape and image yourself so far from the busy and noisy modern world. I'm waiting for the 2003 edition.
Rating:
Summary: Simply amazing, on many levels
Review: Jim Brandenburg has been among my favorite photographers for years, and I've always been overwhelmed by his ability to capture a moment in time so perfectly. _Chased by the Light_ definitely didn't disappoint me at all; in fact, it gave me an entirely new respect and admiration for this amazing man.Most folks know that published photographers often shoot dozens or hundreds of rolls of film for every shot that is published, and Jim is no exception to the rule. What he's done with this self-assignment, only one frame per day for 90 days, shows his courage as well as his commitment to his art. I can't imagine the number of beautiful scenes he must have passed up, perhaps in anguish, knowing he could capture it, if only he broke his own rule "just this once." But, he pressed on, searching for His Perfect Moment of the Day. Truly remarkable. Some of the photos presented in this book are less than perfect; Jim's willingness to publish them as is (apart from a bit of cropping, tone and color correction, he says) demonstrates his love of photography, his humbleness, and his human-ness. Most of the shots are better than many of us could take on our best days, with a full roll - that he is able to take only one picture, and come up with something like his 'Maple leaf in pond" piece is beyond amazing. His narrative is really what makes the book, though; read any of his books, and you'll find yourself drawn onward by his voice as well as his photos, because he gives you a peek of what goes on behind the lens, who the person is who takes the pictures, and why a particular shot appealed to him (or how he stumbled upon it completely by chance.) Jim's photos makes it look easy, but his words let us know his struggles as well as his passion for his subjects. It takes remarkable skills to find the wildlife shots he has - his abilities as a tracker must be absolutely incredible. Most of us will never see the animals shown here in their natural, undisturbed settings. Fortunately for us, Jim brings back some of his experiences by which we may experience a vicarious thrill. I have only a few people in this world whom I call "role models," but Jim Brandenburg is among them. Thanks to this book, I now have even more reason to love this man, his devotion to nature, and his photographs.
Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous and thought provoking
Review: Jim Brandenburg has stepped beyond the comfortable environs of the successful photographer and created a true work of art. The premise is audacious... take only one photograph per day for ninety consecutive days and set them in order to illustrate the minimalist way of thinking so often absent in photo assignments. With typical photo-journalism assignments for publications such as National Geographic resulting in up to tens of thousands of photos, the presentation of ninety varied and spontaneous images exposed Brandenburg to the very real possibility that the result might be unwieldy and chaotic. The genius in this book is the way the images, supported by a gentle and well written narrative, weave a seamless tapestry of a three month journey. Lest one think this book is simply pretty pictures, look at the photograph of a poacher's kill... haunting, visceral and yet not gratuitously graphic. Images such as this give this book an edge that is gripping and very meaningful. Brandenburg is a "wolf person" extroardinaire... but here he expands his subject matter while paradoxically stripping his assignment down to the very barest of essentials. He presents some of the most flatly beautiful images I have ever seen in print. Lake Superior is not only a national treasure, it is Hiawatha's water... haunting, ethereal, powerful and fundamental. Brandenburg shows us several of the great lake's moods. The Boundary Waters area is a primordial wilderness still relatively unmolested. Brandenburg brings the delicate tracery of these waters and the winter's embrace alive. The Aurora Borealis is vivid, the midnight sun is brooding and the frozen waterfall speaks of latent, pent-up power awaiting spring's release. This book almost talks. Impressive, beautiful, moving and pretty amazing.
Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous and thought provoking
Review: Jim Brandenburg has stepped beyond the comfortable environs of the successful photographer and created a true work of art. The premise is audacious... take only one photograph per day for ninety consecutive days and set them in order to illustrate the minimalist way of thinking so often absent in photo assignments. With typical photo-journalism assignments for publications such as National Geographic resulting in up to tens of thousands of photos, the presentation of ninety varied and spontaneous images exposed Brandenburg to the very real possibility that the result might be unwieldy and chaotic. The genius in this book is the way the images, supported by a gentle and well written narrative, weave a seamless tapestry of a three month journey. Lest one think this book is simply pretty pictures, look at the photograph of a poacher's kill... haunting, visceral and yet not gratuitously graphic. Images such as this give this book an edge that is gripping and very meaningful. Brandenburg is a "wolf person" extroardinaire... but here he expands his subject matter while paradoxically stripping his assignment down to the very barest of essentials. He presents some of the most flatly beautiful images I have ever seen in print. Lake Superior is not only a national treasure, it is Hiawatha's water... haunting, ethereal, powerful and fundamental. Brandenburg shows us several of the great lake's moods. The Boundary Waters area is a primordial wilderness still relatively unmolested. Brandenburg brings the delicate tracery of these waters and the winter's embrace alive. The Aurora Borealis is vivid, the midnight sun is brooding and the frozen waterfall speaks of latent, pent-up power awaiting spring's release. This book almost talks. Impressive, beautiful, moving and pretty amazing.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, Great Man, and Great Photographer
Review: Last summer I spent a week with Mr. Brandenburg at one of his seminars. Not only is 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.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, Great Man, and Great Photographer
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Text&Photos top-notch; his talents proven polished and pure.
Review: Read initial article re 90 day journey in National Geographic, which mentioned book forthcoming. His text was excellent; photography incredible and exquisite. An "ordinary guy" searching nature and being frustrated, tired, cold - but awakened and awed by the wonder he stumbled upon. Every nuance of his life's training in photography and nature put to the test and found consummate.
Rating: 
Summary: Chased by the Light: A 90-Day Journey: 2001
Review: While it is true that Brandenburg is a tremendous photographer and the majority of photos are simply breathtaking. I returned my copy because the datebook also contained disturbing photos of dead wildlife. I'm very tender when it comes to wildlife, and while I know that death is a natural part of the life cycle, I am disturbed by dead wildlife and would never chose a book or datebook containing such pictures. For anyone who is animal sensitive and dislikes any death photos, then this IS NOT the book for them. Otherwise, I would recommend it.
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