REVIEW

Book Review: Waiting for the Light by David Noton

Written by T. Michael Testi
Published May 11, 2008

Waiting for the Light is not only a collection of images by David Noton, a highly skilled and highly successful landscape photographer, it is an also insight into the mind of a professional who has won numerous awards and has been working freelance since 1985.

Waiting for the Light is a visual journey of David Noton's work to date. It is an exploration of his images and it showcases some of his very best work. It contains many items from his portfolio which include photographs from every continent around the world. It is highlighted by the accompanying text that places an emphasis on his use of light and his ability to capture the essence of a place. The book is 160 full color pages divided into an introduction and four parts.

"The Waiting Game" reflects on the fact that there is some luck to get the right kind of light, but if you haven't put in the preparation you will not get the perfect shot. Just showing up does not mean you will get great photos. In fact, if you just show up and shoot, all you will be doing is "taking" pictures, not "making" a photograph.

Part one covers "Vision." Before a camera is even touched there is a lot of work to be done. You must first pre-visualize, compose, and plan your photo. These are all things that can be done with only the eyes of a photographer. Being in the right place at the right time is essential. Being there is all about finding, visualizing, and planning an image before shooting the picture. It is about finding a starting point, imagining how it could look, and then being in the right place at the right time.

Here you will explore light; the most fundamental part of photography and a photograph made in the wrong light is worthless. You will see about composing a photograph. This is about arranging shapes in a frame. You also have to take into consideration color; here you will see the five options for color. How you use it will be somewhat dependant on the light, but it will also affect the effect your image will have on others.

Then you will see how distance will give your image scale. Will it be big and majestic, or will it tower and encompass you? Time dominates you as a photographer. If you are doing landscape photography, then you need to be in the right place at the right time. This usually means out before dawn, and out before dusk. These two times of the day are when the light is most vibrant and gives the best shows. These are considered "Happy Hour" for the photographer.

Part two "Environments" cover subjects that are different, giving a photographer their own challenges. The light in a rainforest is different than the light in a desert, and different yet again is the light in the arctic. Whether it is rock, sand, ice, water, wood, or concrete, the author takes you through these subjects and more, showing both the work he has done and the challenges he has faced when working with them.

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T. Michael Testi is a photographer, writer, software developer and ardent fan of fantasy football . He also blogs at PhotographyTodayNet and at All This and Everything Else.
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Book Review: Waiting for the Light by David Noton
Published: May 11, 2008
Type: Review
Section: Books
Filed Under: Culture: Photography, Books: Arts, Review
Part of a feature: The Enlightened Image
Writer: T. Michael Testi
T. Michael Testi's BC Writer page
T. Michael Testi's personal site
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