Cheap Chased By The Light, A Video Journey With Jim Brandenburg (Video) (Jim Brandenburg, Robert Foucault) Price

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Customer Reviews of Chased By The Light, A Video Journey With Jim Brandenburg

I need not have worried. After a narrated introduction to Brandenburg's work and the reasons behind his 90-day quest (from the Autumnal Equinox to the Winter Solstice) for just a single exposure each day in the northern Minnesota woods around his home, the film focuses on Brandenburg himself almost exclusively, letting him tell the story of his pictures and his journey in his own words. He speaks humbly, yet with assurance, seriously, but with humor, and his quiet words carry the film with effortless grace.

Each of the 90 pictures he took during those three months are shown individually, at a leisurely pace for viewing, and after several have gone by, the camera returns to Brandenburg, sitting or walking in the same places he shot his beautiful pictures, telling us what happened before or after a particular shot, sharing what he felt as he was making it, what "trick" he used to get a certain effect, and how difficult - and ultimately rewarding - it was to pass up some lovely pictures to get the one that really captured the day, the season, and the nature of the northwoods.

In the background, ambient music composed specifically for this film adds to the sense of quiet wonder inspired by Brandenburg's deeply spiritual connection to and exploration of the Boundary Waters area. It is of the variety that might be titled "new age," which makes it a potential annoyance for those who dislike that "genre," but for the most part, I found it a nice addition to a well-executed documentary of one amazing man's journey into what one commentator in the film terms "his own backyard" - not to mention his own heart and soul. Reading and viewing the book, I knew that those 90 images were the product of an incredibly personal and spiritual experience - one that humbled and exalted, asked much and gave much in return -- but in watching the film, I came to understand that experience with new clarity, and my own experience of an already transforming work of art was given new power.

It is easier to see the deepest beauty of my own backyard when I have as my inspiration someone like Jim Brandenburg. I offer my thanks to him, and to the people at Aurora Productions who made this film, for fresh eyes to look upon the natural world. Chased by the Light can be a life-changing book if you let it, and this quietly powerful exploration of its making is an immensely valuable and enjoyable companion piece. I cannot recall ever seeing a more moving documentary film.

(As a lovely bonus, the 94 shots from the sequel volume Looking for the Summer -- just recently published, as of this review -- are presented in a slide show with optional commentary. They are, as expected, gorgeous - and I can't wait to see them in book format.)

Chased By The Light
This video is outstanding and draws you back for repeat viewings. The lush videography fits perfectly with Brandenburg's impressive photographs.

Brandenburg's "one picture a day" project resulted in an incredible book. This video tells the story behind the book. Actually, it allows Brandenburg to tell the story by revisiting many of the locations of his photographs. It's a perfect compliment to the book.

The video has several elements that make it much more than a "nature video" or a "photography video". While it includes beautiful and artistic nature photographs and videography it also tells a compelling story about personal renewal that is inspiring and motivational.