Chasing Light

Chasing Light: From Falklands to Svalbard is a photographic journey across the extremes of the modern world, capturing twenty years of travel through some of the planet’s most remote, fragile and visually arresting landscapes.

From the windswept plains of the Falkland Islands to the frozen deserts of Svalbard, from the rainforests of Borneo to the ancient streets of Damascus and Aleppo, Dan Bernard uses light as both subject and guide. His images explore how subtle shifts in tone, shadow and colour transform ordinary scenes into moments of quiet revelation.

Rather than chasing spectacle, Bernard searches for detail: the way late afternoon light falls across a market stall, the geometry of Islamic architecture against a vast sky, the texture of weathered walls in a forgotten alleyway. In landscapes that at first appear empty or monochrome, such as Arctic ice fields or desert plains, he reveals an unexpectedly rich palette of blues, greens and subtle tonal gradations. In bustling markets and crowded streets, he finds order, balance and fleeting human stories.

The book moves fluidly between environments and cultures: Buddhist temples in Burma, rain-soaked jungles in Sumatra, the ruins of Palmyra before their destruction, Bedouin families in Morocco, orchid gardens in Singapore and wildlife encounters in Canada. These images are not only records of place, but documents of time, preserving moments that in some cases no longer exist.

Interwoven with the photographs are Bernard’s reflections on the craft of photography itself. He writes about the discipline of analogue film, the rituals of the darkroom, and the importance of patience and restraint in an age of digital abundance. Limiting himself to simple equipment and a small number of lenses, he argues, sharpens the eye and deepens the connection between photographer and subject.

Chasing Light is both a visual travelogue and a meditation on seeing. It celebrates photography not as a means of accumulation, but as an act of attention: slowing down, noticing the play of light and shadow, and finding beauty in the overlooked corners of the world. Whether depicting Arctic ice, tropical foliage or the quiet geometry of urban life, Bernard’s work invites the reader to experience these places not as tourists, but as careful, patient witnesses.
This is a book for lovers of photography, travel and visual storytelling, and for anyone who understands that sometimes the most powerful images are found not in the grand gesture, but in the smallest, most fleeting moments of light.

About the Author :

Dan Bernard is a British photographer and publisher whose work spans more than four decades of travel, observation and visual storytelling. Trained originally in the darkroom, he developed his craft through the disciplines of analogue photography, learning the chemistry, patience and compositional rigour that continue to shape his work today.
His photographic journeys have taken him across five continents, from the frozen expanses of Svalbard and the Falkland Islands to the rainforests of Borneo, the ancient streets of Damascus and Aleppo, and the vibrant markets of Southeast Asia. Whether working in remote wilderness or dense urban environments, Bernard is drawn to the subtle relationships between light, texture, colour and form, seeking beauty in moments that often go unnoticed.

Working primarily with Leica rangefinders and a deliberately minimal kit, his approach prioritises intimacy, patience and quiet observation over spectacle. His images frequently explore the poetry of everyday life: a shaft of light on a wall, a face in a market, a landscape reduced to tone and geometry.
Bernard is also the founder of Tricorn Books, an independent publishing house based in Portsmouth, dedicated to producing high-quality illustrated and photographic works. Chasing Light brings together twenty years of his travel photography into a single, deeply personal visual journey.