Of Light

Of LIGHT teaches by example. It builds upon the premise that camera technology is so good that concerns about technology (exposure, aperture, depth of field, f-stops etc.) are no longer impediments to great images. The book is a series of conversations which build in four parts. The first sets the context: storytelling. What is it to tell a story in images? In the exciting world of the visual imagination, how does one see something and build a pictorial story about it? The second articulates the basic building blocks of an image: line, colour and form. The third takes those building blocks and adds perspective, mood, mystery and revelation as the softer but defining qualities of the memorable image. At this point the concept of 'resonance' is introduced, that quality that suggests the image maker is so in tune with the story when the shutter opens, that he or she is totally connected, "channelling" the moment. The fourth returns to the storytelling theme. We talk about building stories over time, and the challenge of summing up a total experience in one image. Each chapter is accompanied by a series of exercises to build creative skills. Scattered through the book are brief introductions to technical terms, designed to be easily understood and incorporated.

Here's what reviewers are saying about Of LIGHT

"For anyone who really wants to understand the difference between snapshots and fine-art photography, this book is a must-read. In a world of imaging overtaken by the digital revolution, we can easily forget that making fine photographs remains an important and rewarding justification for all the investment we make in gear and technique. In an easy-going but focused style, Harvey so well explains in words and imagery the fundamental artistic components and creative thinking underlying fine photographs, that I consider this book an important contribution to the literature on fine-art photography."

Mark D Segal Author: "Scanning Workflows with SilverFast 8(c), SilverFast HDR 8(c), Adobe Photoshop Lightroom(c) and Adobe Photoshop(c)"

"I have admired Harvey Schipper's marvelous images for years. He has a great eye, but most important, he's a gifted visual storyteller. This inspiring book can help anyone, even complete amateurs, turn ordinary snapshots into something magic. He is a wonderful teacher--practical, clear, insightful, and wise. "A really marvellous book, both text and pix. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I really am inspired to take my camera out and start roaming around."

Margaret Wente, Columnist The Globe and Mail

"Every once in a while a book comes along that matches the tempo of the times. Such a book is Of Light by Harvey Schipper. The photographic community is in the midst of a major transition, with more photographs now being uploaded to the Internet in a day then were ever taken during the entire prior 150 year history of photography. More people are now taking more photographs that ever, and for many people its with a camera that is always in a pocket or purse - their smartphone.Whether you use a DSLR, a Compact System Camera or a smartphone, the reader of Of Light will find within inspiration and examples that will likely make them better photographers. The book is about creating images, not just taking pictures. This is a book about seeing; a book about the mental and emotional processes of creating a photograph. Of Light is a book to be read and reread and should become the cornerstone of most photographer's libraries about the art and craft of image making."

Michael Reichmann Founder - The Luminous Landscape Founder - The Luminous Endowment for Photographers