Roughly twenty-five-years ago I made the fateful decision to pick up a camera with intent on becoming a full-time, professional photojournalist. At the time, being young and exuberant, I had little knowledge of what my life would become. I was simply driven to understand photography, how it worked, what it meant in the scale of human society, and most importantly, what delicate parts comprised a great image.
Disclaimer: In 2007 I made my first Blurb book, but it wasn’t until 2010 that I was approached to work for the company. After twenty-years of working as a pro I had made the decision to stop working as a photographer . Blurb approached me and asked if I was interested in working for the company and I jumped at the chance. I spent five years as the “Photographer at Large,” but am now working as the “Creative Evangelist.” My job is basically a link between the company and the professional photography, illustration, design and education fields. I teach, lecture, do workshops, create content and help with larger projects. I’ve published over 200 unique titles with Blurb.
Even before I left photography school my work was in print. My first job was at a small community paper where I not only made photographs, but also helped with the design and mock-up of the entire paper. I was unskilled, unprepared, but was intent on getting better. While in school I began working for the college newspaper, The Daily Texan, and was introduced to the pressure filled world of the daily deadline. I became addicted to the sound of the newsroom, the frantic last minute calls to cover breaking news events, and I also became very aware of the power of having your work in print. Being in print gave validation to the work, at least to those viewing the images, and also came with a quality barrier that forced me to make tough decisions about my photographs. If a picture wasn’t good enough it simply had no chance of making those precious pages.
I eventually left newspapers and turned my attention to the magazine world. Freelancing for five years I learned the different editorial policies that came along with each assignment. I learned how to light portraits, fill out expense reports and argue for extra days, assistant fees or more expenses. It was during this time I also began to experiment with making books, magazines and putting my own work in print, in my own style, rather than waiting for the traditional outlets to publish me.
Self-publishing, for me, was love at first sight.
My first “real” publication was an oversized color copy, laminated, bound and cherished beyond anything you could imagine. Seeing my own work in my own publication lit a fire under me that still burns strong after all these years. I had little money at the time but managed to print ten copies of my colorful beast, and managed to buy the postage to ship them out.(This was pre-Internet, pre-mobile phone, pre-computer.) Anxious weeks went by, then slowly the books began to trickle back. I sent copies to all the clients I dreamed of working for; The New York Times Magazine, German Geo and The National Geographic. Inside my beloved book/portfolio/magazine were letters of encouragement but also letters of praise for the object itself. Apparently, I was on to something. What the kind editors shared with me was the power of them being able to see MY view of the project through MY publication.
Fast forward several years and numerous publications. My wife, who is also in the photography industry, attended a trade show in New York and came home with a flyer from a new company called Blurb. I immediately made a test book using the Blurb software, sent it off and promptly forgot about it. Ten days later the book appeared on my doorstep. Hardcover, photo-paper, dust jacket. Check, check, check. All good.
At the time I was doing mostly portraiture. I would do a commissioned assignment, do my edit, make prints then I would design and sell a book from the work. Blurb was the perfect fit. The books were inexpensive, offered the paper I was looking for, and most importantly offered a backend bookstore where I could send clients who wanted to buy more books. Gone were the days of me having to act as shipping and receiving. Over the following few years I created and sold over 120 different books to clients and those interested in my work.
The Blurb of 2017 is far beyond anything I could have imagined back in my early career. Still to this day, I find the introduction of print-on-demand technology to be the single most important aspect of the “Digital Revolution.” And after 200+ books with Blurb alone I’m still learning as I go.
X100T
For those of you who don’t know, Blurb is an independent publishing platform that allows users to create books, magazines and Ebooks in single copies, meaning one-at-a-time, or in as high a volume as needed. Blurb does both print-on-demand and offset printing and offers a wide range of paper, software options and even the ability to make books via your mobile phone. Yes, the world has become a very friendly place to those wanting or needing to put their work in print. But why is print so important?
I have many theories about this, so I’ll start with a few brief points. First, creating books or magazines forces you to make decisions about you work, decisions that can ONLY come from applying critical thought to your photographs. What is the single best image? Does that image need to be on the cover or does it work better inside? Or as the last image? How many photographs do I actually need to make a book? Does my work tell a story or do I have gaps in the narrative? Simple put, in my opinion, bookmaking makes you a better photographer. Next, putting your work in print shows that you mean business. It’s VERY easy to throw images around in cyberspace, or create online galleries, emails, etc., but when you create your own book or magazine it shows your audience you took the time to curate the work, that you are serious about your craft and that you possess additional skills. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, bookmaking is incredibly entertaining. It’s fun! And it’s addictive.
Blurb products can be used for portfolios of your best work, catalogs to accompany a gallery exhibition, books to capture and reflect on your travels, adventures, family outings, camera club meetings or personal inflections. Blurb not only allows for the classic photo-book style publication but also premium magazines, trade books and Ebooks that can be sold in the Apple iBook store. Software options include everything from Adobe InDesign plug-in’s to Adobe Lightroom and Blurb’s free, downloadable software Bookwright. There are a multitude of options for a multitude of users at a multitude of price points.
How do I use Blurb in 2017? Good question. I am a tester, a tinkerer and find myself creating a nearly nonstop flow of exploratory publications. My current project is new magazine series titled “ESSAY” which is my own little tribute to the original Life Magazine. I’m publishing this series in two different formats, just because I find it entertaining and because it’s easy to do so. The series is a “for sale” publication, but I have no dreams of selling massive numbers of copies. I am using the series as justification for a real edit of the work, which helps me encapsulate what I’ve done over all these years. I also use Blurb every time I create a new body of work. I create small books of the work just for myself. Lastly, I use Blurb to collaborate with other photographers and artists that I find inspiring. I reach out to creatives and ask if they want to collaborate on a small publication. Also, to let you in on a little secret, I’ve even started a new publication that is all about the work I’ve created using the Fujifilm x100T. I find this a camera that allows me to create a certain type of image that I can’t get with anything else. The PERFECT makings for another book!
My final piece of advice is this. If you are a photographer you are firmly planted in the creative life. As a member of the creative world you have liberty to take chances, be eccentric, dare to fail, experiment and blaze your own path to creative nirvana. Bookmaking is a blank canvas for your photography. Perhaps the single most important piece of advice I can give you is to just get started. Test it, try it out, make a sample, create a test book and get the bookmaking ball rolling. There are always reasons NOT to do something but as a creative you must toss those rules and regulations aside and allow your precious images to experience the merger of ink and paper, an amalgam that holds a special place in human history. With the tools at your disposal there is no better time than now.
