First Light: A Landscape Photographer's Journey - Hardcover

Drawing on decades of 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 stunning selection of his photographs.

From his beloved North Yorkshire, to the rocky canyons of the Colorado Plateau, the photos in First Light have been chosen to reflect the breadth of Joe’s work and to illustrate how he puts his working philosophy into practice.

Each picture is accompanied by text describing the conditions that must be taken into consideration before taking a photo; the composition of the image, including viewpoint, selection of film and filters; and post production treatments.

First Light is replete with supporting technical data and Joe’s own explanations of the thought processes that lay behind the creation of each of these wonderful photographs. These fluent and very personal accounts are full of practical advice on subjects ranging from anticipating changes in the weather or lighting conditions, to the relative advantages of using colour filters.

For all photographers, whether amateur or professional, First Light is a source of on-going inspiration and advice. With a foreword from renowned landscape photographer Charlie Waite, it will also appeal to anyone who appreciates natural beauty and loves landscape for its own sake.

JOE CORNISH is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest contemporary landscape photographers. He has lectured and exhibited in Britain and overseas, led workshops and written a number of successful books, including Scotland’s Coast and Scotland’s Mountains, both published by Aurum, and The Northumberland Coast with Frances Lincoln. His first job for the National Trust was the 1990 book In Search of Neptune and he has continued to work freelance for the Trust ever since. In 2006 Amateur Photographer honoured him with their annual Power of Photography award, and in 2008 he was made an honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.