After reading and writing about the first volume of Ben Horne’s Reflected Light series, it probably won’t come as much of a surprise that I also picked up volume two (and three) when they were released.
As a quick recap, Reflected Light is Ben’s annual zine publication showcasing his favourite 8×10 large-format landscape film photographs captured during seasonal wilderness trips across locations like Zion, Death Valley, and southern Utah.
I covered the format and presentation of the series in more detail in my post about Volume One, so I won’t repeat all of that here. Volume Two follows a very similar approach, bringing together another year of Ben's large-format landscape photography, along with the stories and technical details behind each image. So, rather than going over familiar ground, I thought I’d keep this one a little shorter and simply share what it was like returning to the series for a second time.
Author’s Synopsis
Included in volume two of my zine is my favorite work from 2024, spanning my two winter trips, my spring trip, and my fall trip. Each photo is accompanied by text, along with information about image.
My thoughts about the book
There’s something quite nice about returning to a photobook series when you already know what to expect. Albeit tweaked for the better, the format that I enjoyed in Volume One is carried across to Volume Two, and I’m glad Ben hasn’t felt the need to change things simply for the sake of making each edition different.
Like in Volume One, what I particularly enjoy is the combination of the photographs and Ben’s accompanying words. I love the fact that the text is all handwritten and scanned, providing a very personal and hand-crafted feel to the book. Having followed his work and watched his in-the-field videos for several years, I’m familiar with the way Ben approaches his photography, but I still enjoy reading the story behind making an image and getting a little more context than the photograph alone provides.
Individually, each volume is a relatively small collection of work from a particular year. Together, though, they are beginning to feel like a cohesive series rather than a set of separate zines. Part of the appeal is the familiarity of the format and being able to return to it each year for a new collection of photographs and stories.
Having enjoyed the first two volumes, I'm already looking forward to spending some time with Volume Three (which is already waiting patiently on my photo bookshelf).
Book Details
Soft cover zine
Size: 8” x 10”
Pages: 30 (16 images) - 100% recycled uncoated paper stock
Availability at the time of writing: Out of stock, but in the unlikely event that this zine is reprinted, it will be available on Ben Horne’s website here: https://www.benhorne.com/store
Until next time.
Trevor