I got the prototype for my new book yesterday, and I couldn't be happier! The book I put together last year required some tweaking, but this year's looks fabulous from the get-go, if I do say so myself. Maybe I was more careful in my layout and assembly. I showed it to Dave and some of our coworkers and everyone was enthusiastic.
You can preview it here if you'd like to take a look. Only the first 25 pages will show in the preview, but the book is 144 pages, and it's coffee-table sized -- larger than my previous books. I was a bit concerned about how well the larger format would work, but the photos look crisp and Blurb's print quality is great.
I plan to buy one for the library, but I haven't figured out yet how I'm going to distribute them for the holidays. I'm toying with the idea of giving my family members gift cards, so they can buy the book if they want to, or they could get something else. I feel a little guilty showering them with my own photography year after year.
Putting these annual books together is always an interesting exercise. It gives me a chance to survey everything I've done during the past year, and to gauge my own evolution (hopefully!) as a photographer. This latest book seems so different from the earliest two. In fact, I may take those first two off the market, because they look a bit amateurish to me now.
Onwards to another year as a shutterbug!
(Photo: At the Library of Birmingham. How great is it to have a library with a ping-pong table in the courtyard?)
What a FANTASTIC photo! Love, love, love it!! The light at the corner fanning out is incredible. This one is one for your next book for sure!
ReplyDeleteThe new book looks great!
What a truly cool thing to do! It looks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteBigger is better! And yes please - another year of photography please!
ReplyDeleteWonderful! Heading over to take a gander right now! And that photo from above, the composition is really just perfect.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting! I've toyed with the idea of putting a book together of my work but I've lost so many of the large format images due to crashed hard drives (and do I ever learn my lesson and back up?) well, actually, I have started saving my images on a thumb drive.
ReplyDeleteWOW! The first pages look amazing- beautiful book.
ReplyDeleteThe book is gorgeous! And the cover, just breathtaking.
ReplyDeleteOh, Steve -- it looks remarkable! The ping pong photo is, too. I have so loved looking at the evolution of your eye, your photos over the years I've been reading your blog. I might just have to splurge and buy your book!
ReplyDeleteLynne: Thanks! I love this one too. I had to lean waaaaaaay out over a balcony railing at the library to get it. I kept thinking the security team was going to come after me!
ReplyDeleteMs Moon: It is a satisfying annual exercise in self-editing!
Reya: Bigger IS better!
Angella: Thanks! Glad you took a look and liked the book!
Ellen: I store everything on Flickr, as well as burning it to CD-ROM. It's nice to have the pics out on the web, in case the house burns down or something! (And you can make them private on Flickr so no one else can see them, if you wish.)
Linda Sue: Thank you!
Elizabeth: Thanks! I know it IS a bit of a splurge. Blurb is a good-quality print-on-demand publisher, but they are not particularly cheap. Obviously it would make me very happy if you decided to get one. :)
How excellent is this ! Right now I'm on a notebook and Can't see all the photos - cannot wait to get to my laptop! Congrats !
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