Chasing the Light – Improving Your Photography With Available Light by Ibarionex Perello – Book review

Chasing the Light – Improving Your Photography With Available Light by Ibarionex Perello. Published by New Riders

Chasing the Light is not just a ‘how-to’ book, it’s an inspiration!

I became familiar with the author, Ibarionex Perello, while listening to hours of his podcast The Candid Frame. Thanks to him, I discovered dozens of amazing photographers, some famous and some unknown. Ibarionex is also a published photographer, as well as an instructor at BetterPhotos.com and at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

Through this book, the author takes you on an adventure of discovery. His approach is quite personal in the way that each aspect of photography covered is illustrated with an image and the story behind it. His ability to convey the unmistakable feeling photographers get when they know they captured something truly special transpires throughout the book.

Right away, after reading the first chapter titled Beginning to See, you will undoubtedly look twice at the quality of light the next time you step outside with your camera. The author describes how the light directs him where to look; and his passion for his craft is evident in the first few words.

In the following chapters the author puts on his photography instructor hat and explains the elements of exposure, the importance of the color of light, and white balance. He will then take you step by step through the five visual draws as you learn how to “build visually”. His love for portraiture and street photography is also an important element in the book. The author gives easy-to-apply tips and techniques on lighting, from direct sunlight to open shade, from window light to the use of reflectors, flash and diffusers. His point is to get the “gear out of the way”, to learn your camera functions in order to use them efficiently to capture the feeling of the moment.

Chapter 7, my favorite, is titled Light and the Small Details. With examples of close-up photography and minimalist images, the author explains how he composes his shots according to his emotional response to the scene or object.

As Ibarionex Perello puts it so well: “The true value of photography becomes the appreciation and satisfaction of being in the moment.” No matter what level you are, or whether you shoot landscape, close-ups or street photography, you will learn something in this book. Reading Chasing the Light will inspire you to get out and make pictures in your own neighborhood. I can assure you that you will see the most mundane things around you in a whole new light!

Chasing the Light – Improving Your Photography With Available Light is listed for US $44.99 and is available at a discounted price on Amazon. If you want to know more about the author, I would highly recommend listening to The Candid Frame podcast!