Reflected Light - Volume One by Ben Horne | My Photo Bookshelf
If you weren’t already aware, Ben Horne is a large format landscape photographer from the United States, best known for his beautifully composed, carefully crafted images captured on 8x10 film.
I’ve followed Ben’s work for a few years now, primarily through his YouTube channel and website, and I’m a big fan of both his photography and how he approaches his craft. I’ve already bought one of his books with my own hard-earned cash — Between the Wind, published by Kozu Books, but, Just to be fully transparent, I received volume one of his Reflected Light series as a gift, along with a book by Guy Tal (another one to read and review here), as a competition prize from a podcast Ben used to host called Creative Banter.
Author’s Synopsis
Included in this zine is my favorite work from 2023, spanning my two winter trips, my spring trip, and my fall trip. Each photo is accompanied by text, along with information about the film, camera, and lens used.
My thoughts about the book
First of all, the zine itself. Printed on satisfyingly heavy, uncoated recycled paper, it feels great to flick through, and the photos, with their matte finish, look fantastic on the page. It’s a perfect example for anyone who doubts the quality of lower-cost zines compared to traditional photo books.
Inside, the zine opens with a short introduction by Ben and then goes straight into the images. Presented in various orientations and sizes, he’s done a great job adding variety to how the photos appear on the page, which makes the book flow beautifully. I particularly like the full-bleed portrait images; printed at 8x10 inches, they’re shown at their native size, so I get to experience them much like viewing the original film.
Alongside each photo are technical details like the film used and exposure settings, and nearly all are paired with a “behind the lens” story. These add great context, offering insight into what drew Ben to the scene, how repeated visits paid off, and the subtle compositional choices that made the final image work.
I mentioned above that I received this zine as a gift from Ben, but I strongly believe that artists should be supported, and alongside buying his first book, Between the Wind, I have since purchased a copy of the sequel to this Reflected Light zine, and will post my thoughts on that one at a future time.
This edition is now sold out, but if you’re only just discovering Ben’s work or this zine series, I’d recommend subscribing to his newsletter and keeping an eye out for the next release.
Book Details
Soft cover zine
Size: 8” x 10”
Pages: 32 (18 images) - 100% recycled uncoated paper stock
Availability at the time of writing: Out of stock, but in the unlikely event this zine is reprinted, it will be available on Ben Horne’s website here: https://www.benhorne.com/store
Until next time.
Trevor