Al Weber
22 minutes …
13 minutes …
Down to earth perspectives from a veteran.
Read his remarks on creativity in his small book The Next Step.
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Gregory Heisler Speaks
Who Is Gregory Heisler ?
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Visit Gregory Heisler’s website here.
Watch more Gregory Heisler in the video series Life As A Photographer.
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How To Make a Gorgeous Photo Book – Audio Excerpts
I sat down and discussed many issues involving print on demand bookmaking with Brenda Hipsher of X-Rite before my recent Toronto Blurb Seminar – How to Make a Gorgeous Photo Book.
You can listen to three audio excerpts here on X-Rites blog.
Color Management and Bookmaking
Reproducing Black and White & Using BookSmart
Practical Uses for Blurb Books
Find books on bookmaking here.
Learn more about books with these online resources.
Learn more in my Fine Art Digital Printing Workshops.
A Little Stress Can Be Good for Your Images
Find out how in my new post on The Huffington Post.
Books With Topical Themes Enjoy Wider Appeal
One of the ways you can create a book that has wider appeal is to give it a topical focus. Books on well-known subjects (people, places, things, events, etc) have a built in audience – anyone interested in the subject. Comparatively few people know about and are interested in individual artists and so monographs focussed exclusively on an artist’s vision draw smaller audiences. Even books on a particular media process enjoy wider appeal.
It may be challenging to convince a major publisher interested in mass distribution to produce an artist’s monograph without a topical focus. This shouldn’t stop you from producing one yourself. Many artist’s self-publish their own books. In the age of print-on-demand services (like Blurb) the cost, time and expertise required to produce these kinds of books has been reduced dramatically. These types of books tend to be targeted to niche markets. Nobody knows your audience better than you. Nobody will give your work as much sustained attention as you will. Producing your own artist’s book can be extremely fulfilling, you’ll come to understand your work better and learn to make it more effective. The few people who enjoy the fruits of your labor will savor it all the more knowing that it’s a rare experience.
Find books on bookmaking here.
Learn more about books with these online resources.
Learn more in my bookmaking workshop.
My Alumni Placed in the iPhone Photo Contest
A couple of my alumni placed in the iPhone Photo Contest.
Find out more here.
Covers – People Do Judge Books By Them
One of the most important decisions you can make when you create a photo book is choosing an image for the cover. Choose cover images wisely. People do judge books by their covers. Images that tend to work best for covers share one or more common traits. They have strong graphic appeal. Bold color is a plus; it attracts a lot of attention. Images that tell a story draw people in; the more pieces of the puzzle they fill in the better. The format of the image fits easily within the proportion of the book; extreme panoramas (vertical or horizontal) rarely work well, unless the book’s format is also panoramic.
You don’t have to use the full image on a cover. Sometimes, cropping a cover image works well. This works best with full bleeds.
Usually, the cover image is repeated inside the book. It’s not uncommon for it to be the first or last image in the book, as these are the most prominent an memorable positions – except, of course, the cover.
The image you select for the cover of a book should be one of the strongest and most memorable images included in the book.
The cover of a book makes a first impression. Everything else is compared to it. And when the book is closed, you return to the cover. When is put down, what you see is the cover. Covers make a lasting impression.
Find books on bookmaking here.
Learn more about books with these online resources.
Learn more in my Blurb seminar.
Learn more in my Fine Art Digital Printing Workshops.
Free Online Webinar : Vincent Versace – Art of B&W
Thursday, May 13, 2010 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PDT
Log in anywhere you’ve got a web connection.
“This class is about how to make a Black White image that not only rivals Silver Gelatin images but surpasses them. Learn why you should not use every conversion approach and when you should! You will learn how to transform a RGB file to B&W replicating the physics of how it would have been recorded if actually shot on black and white film without ever leaving the RGB color space.”
Register here. It’s free!
Learn more about Vincent Versace here.
Blurb Offers Free Premium Paper Upgrades
Blurb is offering free upgrades to their new lustre finish Premium Paper (It’s 35% heavier.) for a limited time only. Order copies of existing books or make a new one. All you have to do is place an order with two or more books before the end of May. When you do, tick the Premium Paper box, choose lustre or matte finish, and apply the code below in the shopping cart.
• USD $ coupon code: MAYPREMIUM
• GBP £ coupon code: MAYPREMIUM1
• EUR € coupon code: MAYPREMIUM2
• CAD $ coupon code: MAYPREMIUM3
• AUD $ coupon code: MAYPREMIUM4
• * Offer valid through May 31, 2010 (11:59 p.m. PDT). A 15% discount is applied toward one order of two books or more. Maximum discount is USD $200.00, GBP £100.00, EUR €200,00, CAD $200.00, or AUD $300.00 off product totals. This offer is good for one-time use, and cannot be combined with other promotional codes, gift cards, or used for adjustments on previous orders.
• Note: Premium Paper is available on books with 160 pages or less, and on books made with our PDF to Book workflow created using our Premium Paper templates. Premium Paper is not available with our B/W Text option.
Find recommended reading on bookmaking here.
Learn more about books with these online resources.
Learn more in my upcoming Blurb seminar.
Learn more in my upcoming bookmaking workshop.
Use Text To Enhance Your Photo Book
Photography books are often greatly enhanced when text is included. There are many types of text that can complement your images. Here are a few classic examples.
– facts about a subject
– history of a subject
– placing the images in an art historical perspective
– tracing influences
– appreciation expressed by an authority
– process descriptions
– project development
– thematic essay
– interviews of authorities
– interviews with the artist
– personal memoir
– excerpted texts with relevant themes
Include more than one of these types of text and you’ll offer a reader a more diverse perspective.
Whether it’s a little or a lot text complements photographs, making a presentation more powerful.
Next time you make a book of your images, ask yourself, “What kind of text would enhance this book?”
Find recommended reading on bookmaking here.
Learn more about books with these online resources.
Learn more in my upcoming Blurb seminar.
Learn more in my Fine Art Digital Printing Workshops.