Book Explains How to Publish a Photography Book

PHOTOGRAPHERS. If you have an idea for a photography-book project but aren’t sure whether to self publish or seek a publisher, read the new book “Publish Your Photography Book” by photography-book-industry insiders Darius D. Himes and Mary Virginia Swanson. In addition to explaining the process of publishing a book of your photographs, the book highlights avenues you might not have considered and points out potential pitfalls.

It also suggests that a photography book can help enhance your visibility and career. Himes and Swanson note that a well-executed photography book can provide you with a passport to the international photography scene and lead to exhibitions, talks, gallery walks, press interviews, and other opportunities.

The book is divided into six sections.

Section 1: The Photography Book Phenomenon
Here, the authors explain why interest in books as a means of photographic expression is rising (and isn’t likely to be disappear any time soon). They point out that a photography book is more than a simple collection of printed photographs. It is often regarded as an autonomous art form.

Section 2: The Nuts and Bolts of Publishing
Whether you plan to self-publish or submit a proposal to a trade-book publisher, this section emphasizes the importance of clearly understanding your goals and developing a solid and engaging concept for your book.

The authors recommend examining your favorite photography books in more detail: What is the book about? Can you summarize the subject in one clear sentence? Is there a singular artistic vision? How is the cover designed? How are the pages laid out? How are the images sequenced? How much does the book stick with you after you’d viewed it?

Section 2 also talks about how publishers work, explains how to approach a publisher, and suggests things to look for when reading a publishing contract.

You’ll also learn how and when it makes sense to use print-on-demand technology to publish a book yourself and when you’d be better off going through a publisher.

For example, working with a publishing company involves collaborating with experienced professionals. This means you must be prepared to compromise in certain areas because the book is not just yours alone, but is also part of a company with a brand and a mission. When you self-publish, you must take on all steps of the process yourself, including hiring individuals who can help you execute your vision for the book and help market it.

The authors write that: “Successful self-publishers are those who are organized and entrepreneurial at heart, who know their audience, can effectively reach that audience, and have the financial and labor resources available to take on numerous roles.”

Section 3: The Making of Your Book
This section walks you through the three main stages of making a book: determining and shaping the editorial content, creating a design that enhances the content without overwhelming it, and working with a printer. Many of these decisions will be based on the concept you have developed and communicated for the book.

Section 4: The Marketing of Your Book
No matter whether you self-publish or have your book published, expect to play an active role in marketing and promoting your book. And you don’t wait until your book is printed to begin thinking about marketing. The first phase of your marketing strategy should begin well before your book is ready to ship. The second phase will be designed to extend the life of your book beyond its publication date.

“Publish Your Photography Book” provides tips for building mailing lists, creating a budget, maintaining a consistent brand identity, working with a publicist, mailing publicity packets, and using the Internet.

The authors also talk about opportunities for cross-marketing. For example, “If the photographs featured in your book can be acquired as limited-edition prints, or are available to be presented as a collection in a traveling exhibition, it is wise to include that information in all formats of your press materials.”

Section 5: Case Studies
Throughout Sections 1 through 4, you’ll find insightful interviews with publishers, editors, designers, photographers, and self-publishers that reinforce some of the advice presented in the book. Section 5 profiles seven photographers who have published one or more photography books:

  • Alec Soth, “Sleeping by the Mississippi” and “The Last Days of W”
  • Paula McCartney, “Bird Watching”
  • David Maisel, “Library of Dust”
  • Lisa M. Robinson, “Snowbound”
  • Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb, “Violet Isle”
  • Sean Perry, “Transitory and Fairgrounds”
  • John Gossage, “The Pond”, and “Stadt Des Schwarz”

One of the profiles quotes McCartney as saying, “It is very important that my books are artworks in themselves, not merely portfolios of my photographic projects…I think of books as a medium—like painting, photography, or sculpture—where all of the elements, including form, content, and materials are in dialogue with each other and are meaningful to the finished work.”

Section 6: Resources, Appendices, and Worksheets
This section includes 24 pages of helpful resources. For example, it includes: a diagram of the anatomy of a photography book; timelines for design, production, and marketing activities; a worksheet for preparing for your book; and guidelines for submitting a proposal to publishers. Also included are lists of: publishers; distributors; independent bookstores and dealers; festivals, awards, and trade events; blogs and book art resources; and online marketing resources.

About the Authors
Darius D. Himes was a founding editor of photo-eye Booklist and is a cofounder of Radius Books, a nonprofit company publishing books on the visual arts. Himes is a lecturer, consultant, and writer who has contributed to numerous publications. PDN magazine named him one of the fifteen most influential people in photography book publishing. For the past four years, Himes has been the lead judge of Blurb’s Photography Book Now Competition.

Mary Virginia Swanson is a consultant in the area of licensing and marketing fine-art photography. Swanson frequently lectures and conducts seminars and educational programs for photographers. She is a respected judge of competitions and awards as well as frequent portfolio reviewer.

If you want guidance about how to proceed with a specific book idea, Darius Himes and Mary Virginia Swanson offer one-on-one in-person or Skype consultations. To schedule a consultation, visit: http://www.publishyourphotographybook.com/

LINKS

Publish Your Photography Book

 

 

 

 

E-Book Lists Seven Essential Practices for Professional Artists

ARTISTS. “Seven Essential Practices for the Professional Artist” is a 20-page e-book that can be downloaded free from the website: www.themindfulartist.com.

The book was written by Michele Théberge, an exhibiting artist who has spent the past 20 years developing effective practices to sustain a balanced and thriving art career.

“Before things started to happen for me, I suffered from enormous self-doubts and questioned my work constantly,” says Michele. “I knew I wanted to make art my life, but I had no idea how to approach an art career.”

She says she read books and took courses with advice about being a professional artist, but “What I didn’t get was the confidence or a clear strategy to follow through on much of it.”

Over the years, Michele began to fuse what she had been learning from decades of meditation and spiritual growth with the basics of making and showing art. Her techniques began to bring results. She grew more confident and was invited to be in shows and was sought out by residencies and galleries rather than having to pursue them.

The seven essential practices outlined in the book involve consistency, awareness of your thoughts, creativity, connection, well-being, organization, and clear intentions.

The seven practices form the basis of an eight-week Artist Mentorship Program Theberge has developed to help artists create their own studio habits. The next eight-week program begins June 15, and includes nine recorded seminar modules and weekly assignments to help you gain momentum. During the three live group calls, you can ask questions, get feedback, and share victories. In the private, online forum, you can connect with other artists in the program, chat, post your artwork, get feedback, and share resources.

“Artists who have worked with me in the program have reported feeling more confidence and clarity in the work as a result of establishing a regular studio practice,” writes Theberge.

She says many artists mistakenly measure their success by focusing on whether their work is getting outside recognition: “That kind of outward focus is a creativity squelcher. If you are looking toward something outside of yourself to validate your work, such as a sales, exhibitions, or accolades, it will be hard to maintain your creative practice during the inevitable up-and-down cycles of your career.”

She says her own career started to turn around when she recognized how her negative thinking patterns were holding her back: “I started to think differently about my work and its place in the world. I began to embrace the value of my work and ceased to worry about those who weren’t interested in it. This new attitude prompted intelligent, heartfelt action.”

Theberge says, “I want emerging artists, budding artists, even people who are afraid to call themselves artists to know that someone cares and that their work is valuable and it matters. It makes me sad when someone gives up on their dream because they don’t have the wherewithal or the support or mindset to keep it going. When you are creative, it’s not just for you. It helps lift everyone around in ways big and small.”

LINKS

The Mindful Artist E-Book: Seven Essential Practices for the Professional Artist

The Mindful Artist Mentorship Program

About the Artist: Michele Thebérge

 

Site Helps Educate Potential Users of Stock Photography

The growth of blogging, self-publishing, and content-marketing means that more people than ever before are involved in producing online articles, e-books, webinar presentations, and publications. Many of these new content publishers haven’t been schooled in journalism, graphic design, or photography and aren’t aware of copyright laws that protect images on the Internet. Even if they are aware of copyright laws, some people believe that the Internet is public domain and that all images can be used for free.

A new website called StockPhotoSecrets.com intends to clear up some of this confusion, while teaching both new and seasoned buyers about their options for buying stock photography. StockPhotoSecrets.com is designed to be an international, comprehensive guide that connects new users, industry professionals, and stock photography agencies.

“Stock photography and the buying stock photos has been complex for years, and it is our goal to make it user-friendly for all stock photo purchasers,” says StockPhotoSecrets founder Amos Struck. He is also the founder and editor of Stock Photo Press, a publishing company that operates several German and international magazines that teach people how to buy and sell stock photos.

Screen shot of StockPhotoSecrets

Some of the articles on StockPhotoSecrets.com explain:

  • how to pick the right photo for your blog or website
  • when you can use editorial image licenses
  • how to purchase photos from Flickr
  • how to order the right size for printing posters

Other features on the site include reviews of various stock-photo agencies, special offers, and video tutorials on working with stock photos.

As more people learn about the benefits of buying stock photography, the market will grow and photographers will have to worry less about having their copyrighted images used without their permission.

LINK

StockPhotoSecrets.com

 

Helpful Resources for New Bloggers

Whether you publish a blog to build a following,  attract traffic to your website, earn money, or simply express yourself, blogging involves more than selecting a template and uploading a few posts. Success in blogging requires a commitment to the project and knowledge of tools and techniques that can help you be efficient and productive.

Here are some resources that can help you get started or refine your approach.  If you
have other resources that might be particularly helpful to authors, designers, artists, or photographers, please let us know.

101 Essential Blogging Resources

If you’re assembling a blog on your own, you might be surprised to see how many options are available. A post on Blogtrepreneur.com currently lists 122 resources, including 5 domain registrars, 6 different hosting services, 7 content management systems, 6 services for competitive analysis, 9 feedreaders for blog-post research, 11 sources for monetization and advertising , and 12 resources for customizing the look of blog. The list
also includes resources that can help you get statistics and promote your blog online. (The post started out as a list of  101 resources, but has been expanded to include resources suggested by readers.)

LINK: 101 Essential Blogging Resources

ProBlogger’s Guide to Your First Week of Blogging

Cover of book of First Week of BLoggingDarren Rowse, who publishes the most popular site about blogging (www.problogger.net), has published a new guide for anyone who is either starting their first blog or wants ideas on how their second or third blog can get off to a faster start than their first blog.

In seven practical chapters, he presents 32 achievable tasks that can get your blog moving forward.

Day 1: Set solid foundations.
Day 2: Publish and build presence.
Day 3: Concentrate on content.
Day 4: Understand your blog as a product.
Day 5: Put yourself out there.
Day 6: Define and demonstrate quality.
Day 7: Strategies for success.

The book assumes that you already understand the technicalities of setting up a new blog and focuses on what steps to take after the blog has been set up. He explains systems for planning content, building a social media presence, establishing a workflow, and maintaining quality.

The ebook is one of three that Rowse has written.

ProBlogger’s Guide to Your First Week of Blogging

31 Days to Build a Better Blog

Copywriting Scorecard for Bloggers

The Photography Blog Handbook

PhotoShelter Photography Blog Handbook CoverBlogs can be a terrific way for photographers to their websites, deepen relationships with customers, and build a bigger following. But some photographers wonder if a blog is really worth their time. PhotoShelter’s 35-page Photography Blog Handbook presents strategies and tactics that can make blogging worth your time.

The 35-page e-book demonstrates how to use a blog to attract new visitors to your website and connect with existing clients. It explains elements that can make or break a photography blog, and includes case studies and examples of smart blogging tactics used by photographers from different specialties.  The guide also shares content ideas that will attract more visitors, influence social sharing, and boost search engine optimization.

Also included are tips on choosing the best blogging platform, designing your blog, and outfitting a blog with features that will make photos look outstanding.

LINK

Photography Blog Handbook

 

Blurb ProLine Improves Aesthetics of Photo and Design Books

DESIGNERS. PHOTOGRAPHERS. If the generic look and feel of many photo books have kept you from seriously considering producing a brand book, client presentation, or personal portfolio, check out the new ProLine of books from Blurb.com. The line was specifically created for creative professionals who to distinguish themselves not only through the content of their books, but also in their choice of materials.

With ProLine, you can customize your book with heavier, better-quality papers, more distinctive covers, and a choice of end sheets.

Fine Book Papers and End Sheets

The first two ProLine papers (Pearl Photo and Uncoated) are produced by Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc.

Blurb’s Pearl Photo paper is a rebranded version of Mohawk proPhoto paper. The 140 lb (190 gsm) semigloss paper is slightly heavier and glossier than the Premium Lustre paper used in other Blurb photo books. The Pearl Photo paper emulates the traditional photographic papers, enabling your books to resemble collections of custom photographic prints.

Blurb’s Uncoated paper is the popular Mohawk Superfine Ultrawhite in Eggshell finish. Blurb CEO Eileen Gittins noted that “Mohawk’s rich, heavy uncoated paper with its organic texture is hot in the design community right now.”

Blurb ProLine books can be created with Mohawk Superfine and proPhoto papers.

The ProLine end sheets are 80 lb. (115 gsm) papers that are currently available in five colors: charcoal grey, dove grey, warm grey, black, and white.   

According to the Blurb, the two new ProLine papers from Mohawk are just the beginning. They plan to expand the creative range with additional professional-grade papers, more end-paper choices, and the ability to design books with more than 160 pages. 

Linen Covers

The first new ProLine covers are linen hardcovers. You can choose from two colors: Oatmeal or Charcoal. Both are uncoated, giving them more of a natural feel. You can also choose to have your book produced with the Standard Black Linen cover.

LINKS

Blurb ProLine

Mohawk Fine Papers

New Book Explains Virtual Reality Photography

Cover of Virtual Reality BookPHOTOGRAPHERS. Virtual reality (VR) photography provides a powerful way to deliver useful information to website visitors. By enabling viewers to interact with panoramic photography in a 360-degree circle or spherical views, a website can offer “virtual tours” of a site or facility.

VR photography is a popular way to showcase tourist destinations, real-estate developments, hotels, museums, convention-center facilities, college campuses, and medical, health care, and fitness centers. High-quality VR photography can give viewers a sense of being there.

If you have considered adding VR imaging services to your photography business, check out the new Virtual Reality Photography book by expert Scott Highton.

The richly illustrated 320-page book includes 24 detailed chapters on both the artistic and technical aspects of VR photography. The four main sections cover the basics of photography, panoramic and object VR imaging, and business practices.

Peter Skinner wrote a detailed review of the book in April, 2011 issue of Rangefinder magazine. You can also learn more about the book and the field of VR Photography on Highton’s website: www.vrphotography.com

LINKS

Book: Virtual Reality Photography

 

New Resources Help Photographers Become iPhone-ographers

The fledging iPhoneography movement is a perfect example of what can happen when technology developers make it easy for artists and other creative pros to experiment with new hardware and software.

Imaging-industry analysts have long believed that smartphones would someday replace point-and-shoot cameras as the primary tool for taking snapshots. But these analysts probably never imagined just how wildly enthusiastic photographers of all skill levels have become about the artistic potential of the Apple iPhone camera and its ever-growing ecosystem of apps.

Some iPhoneography evangelists are long-time photography pros who have extensive experience with darkroom processing and fine-art photo printing.

The Advantage of iPhoneography

Photographers coined the term “iPhoneography” to describe the art of capturing and creatively processing images with the inexpensive apps available for the camera built into Apple iPhones

iPhone image ©Teri Lou Dantzler

Professional iPhoneographer and teacher Teri Lou Dantzler still uses her DSLR camera to shoot portraits for clients. But carrying an all-in-one camera, darkroom, and social-communication device in her pocket has opened her eyes to limitless possibilities for creative expression and fun.

“Since I always have my iPhone with me, I have captured images that I would have passed by before,” says Teri Lou. “I have processed images while waiting for appointments, while snuggled into a chair at the coffee café, on top of a 10,000-ft. peak, and at bedtime.” She publishes her work on photo blogs and for the Facebook iPhoneography group she started last fall.

Another benefit of iPhoneography is the simplicity of converting a basic camera and processor into a device that can shoot HDR or panoramic images or mimic the look of vintage cameras. Anyone can produce Photoshop-like effects without enduring a painful learning curve or continuously investing in new gadgets or full-featured editing software. For less than $5, you can buy a new app that performs only the tasks you need to create the type of art you envision.

Where to Start?

Because so many iPhoneography apps exist, it can be hard for novices to know where to start. And in fact, many apps do similar things, some better than others.

To help guide and inspire novices, there has been an explosion of iPhoneography books, courses, and tutorials. To decide which resource is right for you, check out the instructor’s background, images, blogs, and the content of the course or book.  Here’s just a sampling of what’s available.

Online Courses

Teri Lou Dantzler offers four-week online courses, supplemented by one-on-one critiques over the phone. When you register, she asks what type of imagery you would like to produce, then modifies the course accordingly. Her iPhone-Ography 101 course helps beginners focus on learning those apps best suited for their artistic goals. Her iCreativity course covers a variety of blending, brushing, and masking techniques.

For more information about all of her upcoming courses and workshops, visit Terri Lou’s blog: http://iphoneographywithterilou.blogspot.com/

Live Workshops

iPhone image ©Harry Sandler

Chances are your local photography-learning center will be offering iPhoneography courses sometime this year. But if you want to learn how to convert your iPhone images into gallery-worthy art prints, check out the workshops offered by Harry Sandler and Dan Burkholder.

Harry Sandler is a former music-industry tour manager and rock-concert photographer whose images have appeared in Rolling Stone and Circus magazines. He has been taking iPhone pictures of his travels for over two years. Some 17 x 22-inch prints of his iPhone images have been displayed at the Renaissance Fine Art and Design Gallery in Carmel, Indiana and he has another gallery exhibit scheduled this fall.

Sandler will lead an iPhone-Ography Workshop May 14 and 15 at the Peters Valley Craft Center in Layton, New Jersey and a day-long iPhonography class June 4 at Foto-Care in New York.  From November 4-7, he will team up with Teri Lou Dantzler to teach an iPhoneography workshop at the Pacific Northwest Art School on Whidbey Island near Seattle 

During his May workshop, Sandler will explain how to: capture an image with the proper resolution, work the various apps, figure out a personal workflow, create panoramas right in the phone, and process and print your iPhone images with good color, resolution, depth, and texture.

Sandler regards the iPhone as an extremely versatile tool in his artistic arsenal, offering a marriage of painting and photography. Initially, the iPhone camera reminded him of the Polaroid camera his father gave him as a child. Now he uses the iPhone in a variety of ways, including as a viewfinder for his 60 MP digital camera. Sandler is currently experimenting with compositing iPhone imagery and may try painting some of his iPhone photo prints.

To see some of his iPhone images, visit Harry Sandler’s blog: iPhone-Antics with Harry Sandler. (To see some of his images of rock concerts, visit: http://hsandler.blogspot.com)

Book Cover iPhone ArtistryDan Burkholder was one of the first photographic artists to embrace digital technology in the early 1990s. He will be presenting iPhone Artistry workshops at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops (April 29-May 1 and October 12-15), Freestyle Photographic Supplies in Los Angeles (May 14), the Connecticut Media/Photo Workshops (June 25-26), the Center for Photography at Woodstock, NY (Aug. 13-14), Maine Media Workshops (August 21-27), and in his own studios in Palenville, NY (Sept. 3-4 and Oct. 8-10).

During his workshops, he will teach camera capture techniques that are exclusive to iPhoneography and provide advice on which apps are best for contrast, color, and sharpening.  He will demonstrate how certain apps can be combined to transform your images into fine art. Dan will also explain how to make stunning prints of iPhone images on art paper or canvas and show how the iPhone and iPad can work together to form a photographic dynamic duo.

Dan is widely known for both his vision as his artist and his mastery of the wet and digital darkrooms. His platinum prints are included in many museum and private collections. Dan’s groundbreaking book “Making Digital Negatives for Contact Printing” helped black-and-white photographers take advantage of emerging electronic technologies.  His forthcoming book on “iPhone Artistry” is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

To sample the type of advice Dan has to offer, download one of Dan Burkholder’s Tiny Tutorials to your iPhone. The tutorials explain how to organize your apps, streamline your image adjustment workflow, stitch and retouch iPhone images, and use basic masking and curves in Filterstorm.

Interactive Book with iPad Companion Edition

iPad Companion Edition of iPhone ObsessediPhone Obsessed: Photo Editing Experiments with Apps” was written by photographer/designer Dan Marcolina. Dan’s design firms are at the forefront of integrating design for print, video, and interactive media and designing publications and catalogs for touch-enabled tablets.

In his interactive print book, Dan shows how different iPhone camera apps can be combined to create artistic effects such as blurs and vignettes, high-dynamic range, and black-and-white imagery.  After you download the free Microsoft Tag Reader onto your iPhone, you can scan one of the 75 tags printed throughout the book to watch Dan present pop-up video tutorials.

Dan was one of the first to use Adobe’s new Digital Publishing Suite to create an iPad Companion edition of his book.

Print and E-Books

Book Cover Create Great iPhone PhotosThe book “Create Great iPhone Photos: Apps, Tips, Tricks, and Effects” was written by Allan Hoffman, who has spent 15 years as the technology columnist for New Jersey’s largest daily newspaper. He explains how to produce stunning panoramas, vintage-style photobooth strips, and super-saturated Polaroid® photos with a hip, 1970s look. The book also explains how to unlock the power of your iPhone’s camera with burst mode, high dynamic range (HDR) effects, exposure and focus controls, and more.

In “The Art of iPhoneography: A Guide to Mobile Creativity,” award-winning documentary photographer Stephanie C. Roberts urges you to use your iPhone to loosen up your traditional approach to photography and become more spontaneous in shooting how you feel.

Book Cover Art of iPhoneography

She emphasizes that, “photography is less about the camera, and more about the vision of the person behind the lens.”  While the book explains how use various apps to stretch your creative boundaries and make art with your iPhone camera, many of the techniques in the book could be applied to shooting with any other type of camera. Stephanie will be presenting one-day Art of iPhoneography workshops at the Showcase School of Photography in Atlanta in May and June.