Available Light

by Nicholas Sumner

Nicholas Sumner is a photographer whose work has been published in twenty nine travel guide books. This, his first travel narrative, recounts the story of a seven-year journey across Asia in pursuit of beautiful pictures. "Before I left home, I thought that I knew something about photography, but I found that what knowledge I had was more hindrance than help and I had to admit, that really, I didn't know anything at all. This was humbling, and a little frightening, but it was also the beginning of a process of discovery in which my expectations as a photographer and as a traveller were constantly challenged, reassessed and revised. "I experienced moments that were terrifying and sublime, hilarious and tragic. I was mugged, threatened with guns and arrested; I journeyed among mountains, through jungles and cities, I encountered deserts both spiritual and physical, saw things so beautiful that they moved me to tears and received kindness so absolute that I can never repay it. I knew both joy and despair, I ate kangaroo pie, discovered the exact monetary value of my eyebrows and I fell in love. Twice." His journey became much more than a quest for great images. Travelling and photography are pursuits of the curious, they complement and sometimes conflict with one another but both are driven by a desire to observe and a hunger for insight. Both can touch the spirit, move the heart, and both can reveal truth.

416 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable travel memoir by a professional photographer, with some colour illustrations (though not as many as I'd have liked in a book this length). I like the way he makes the most mundane incidents interesting - excellent writing.

[Charlotte Mendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this evocative book - the reader feels like they are travelling with the author to these far, exotic lands. If you like to travel - or like to read about it - this would be a fantastic book to read.

[Phil Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Maria Herring · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Available Light" is a seven-year global journey of professional photographer, Nicholas Sumner, which captivates from the very first word. He started his journey with the hope of finding the perfect picture, but he found and learned more than he could have imagined.

Quite simply, this book is exquisite. His writing transcends the page and carries you to host of wonderful, scary, alien places so that you don't even know that you're reading. I was entranced from the very beginning, and saddened when I finished - I didn't want my own journey to end!

Nicholas's use of language and metaphor, rhythm and wordplay will give all writer's something to aspire to. It's a real lesson in how lucky we are to have such a descriptive, rich and flexible language in English, and I heartily recommend that you treat yourself and by a copy!

[Ts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Available Light is a not just a great read, but a great journey. Nicholas Sumner takes you with him on a seven year odyssey that discovers much more than the original intent of photography.

The best description of this book (and the highest compliment) is that you experience disappointment when you reach the last page. It is one of those books. Highly recommended.

[Hayden Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING BOOOK 10/10