Interior, IT University, Copenhagen. 2006. Hasselblad H2D39.

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Stephen Johnson Photography News, Events & Info June 2006
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Birth of a Photography Book

Producing a fine photography book is expensive, demands the highest quality printing available, and is always at odds with a real ability to sell and make money from them. Mass market "How To's" seem to be the successes of the moment, while high quality books of images are increasingly impossible to economically produce.

Perhaps this is as it should be, given our electronic age of the internet and DVDs. But I mourn the rarity of a truly beautifully reproduced book of remarkable images. It still happens, but publishers are gun-shy and artists often have to borrow money to help produce such work, with no sure return of even their investment.

It's true, that as books get out there, peripheral outcomes of increased print sales and better workshop enrollments might also come, but might not. It might also be true that the internet is a great equalizer and democratizer, but it has also become a great confuser and bastion of mediocrity. I see much good photographic work on the net, but tons more poorly imitating others aesthetics and not challenging their own imaginations or hearts. So far, the electronic age has not been a substitute for a fine book in hand.

I realize that my own prejudices toward ink on paper has roots in the world of my youth, in which books somehow became sacred tales of worlds I didn't know, and change I needed to imagine. That sense of preciousness alone makes me feel privileged to have made books. There is the tactile, the holding in your hand, the desire to witness the artists vision, although usually far short of an original print, in an affordable form, all of this makes me still love a bound book.

Photography books are not only expensive to produce, they are a considerable amount of work. Whether preparing for traditional offset printing, or hand printing your own in a very small edition, the time it takes to prepare or print the files can be daunting.

On hand-bound portfolios, the best way is to start small, letter-sized, a few photographs and simple pre-made binding from inkjet or album suppliers. As you become seduced by the results, gradually make the images bigger, put more design work into the presentations, write about the process and your motivations, even seek out a custom bindery to assemble your loose sheets into a beautiful clothbound edition.

On printed books where hundreds or thousands of copies are involved, a publisher and an offset or direct digital press need to be involved. Traditional roles in this process are shifting all over the place. Photographers are often now the designers, color separators, proofers and reproduction clients. This can be empowering, and overwhelming. These new roles also can be a threat to those that have traditionally done such work, and a disaster if the photographer doesn't really know what they are doing. Publishing contracts can be very complex and are quite naturally designed to benefit the publisher. There are a number of good resources to aid you through this process, including the Authors Guild.

Stephen Johnson on Digital Photography
going to press mid-June, release mid-August 2006, finally.

• Fully equipped lab
• Make your own printer profiles
• Finally have access to the equipment you need
  

-Susan Beveridge