Prairie Light

Hans B. Neumann is a history lecturer at Scarborough College, University
of Toronto.

Courtney Milne has put together a visually stunning book dedicated to the vivid and dynamic interaction between prairie landscapes and light. He takes the reader on an exhilarating excursion through the vast sweep of the Canadian prairies. In over 120 color photographs printed on high-quality paper, Milne displays his immense photographic skills and artistic sensibilities to open the reader’s eyes and mind to the beauty of this often (especially photographically) neglected area of our land.

The collection of photographs is imaginatively divided into three major sections, each introduced by a brief explanatory text. Each section corresponds to one of the dominant light cycles in a typical prairie day: sunrise, mid-day, and sunset throughout the seasons of the year. Visual appeal is enhanced by the display of only a single photograph per page, giving the collection a neat, orderly, coherent appearance. Each photograph is accompanied by a capsule of information identifying type of film, lens, and exposure setting used for the particular picture. In addition, each photograph is underlined by individual title and by a more or less lengthy caption. In the latter, the author combines in an almost inimitable manner photographic details and expertise with vivid personal descriptions of the circumstances leading to the genesis of each photograph, or perceptive insights into the subtleties of the prairie environment. Overall, the selection of the pictures is well balanced and of almost uniformly high photographic as well as artistic quality. Absolute highlights — to name just two of many — are “Autumn Gold” (p.92) and “Salamander Sunset” (p.119).

Throughout, the author conveys a deep love, appreciation, and respect for his native prairie homeland. This warm tone quickly makes the book seem not only like an old friend, but also like a magic carpet upon which the reader is vicariously transported along with the author in his sojourns through the prairies. This rich and eloquent homage to the immense sky and the seemingly endless horizons of the Canadian heartland undoubtedly deserves a reserved place on every Canadian’s bookshelf.