As I mentioned in a previous post I had found some inspiration for a photography project that morphed into a small photobook. To recap the book will be hardcover in A5 (210mm x148mm) in landscape orientation. I am publishing this at Mixam my favorite photo-book publisher.
I received my softcover proof copies the other day and they came out nicely. I substituted one photo that I decided didn't look so nice. Since they were black and white images, I opted to print a monochrome book. The images came out nicely. I updated my minor changes and reformatted it for hardcover. This involves changing the number of pages and reshuffling a little to make sure the pages I wanted to land across from each still do. I use softcover to save a little money on the proofs before committing to the more expensive hardcover run. I have found with these softcover books with 32 sides (internal pages) 8 copies cost as much as one. So I order a batch of proof as they usually turn out well enough to give to friends.
The book format is simple and formal. I have an introduction, a small piece of text to recreate the mood at the time some of the photos were taken and then each photo on one page centered with ample border on white pages. I complete it with some photography notes about how the photos were taken and what choices I made for the few who are interested.
Below are some photos of the proof book.
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| Cover |
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| Examples Internal Format |
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| A little text... |
I now have the hardcover versions as well. They came out very nicely. The hardcovers are more substantial and as such don't feel trivial. The images are the same, so I am not certain if the difference in expense is worth it.
Color Version
Since I started this, I have purchased a digital camera that I have confessed to in nearby posts. One of my first forays with this camera resulted in some nice images of the same meadows. I immediately thought I should make a color version to complement the black and white version. I also like the analog/digital pairing. I collected a few more photos over the next two days and the result is a color draft and now the hardcover is at the publishers.
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| Cover of color version. |
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| Typical layout |
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| More words... |
The print quality is excellent as usual. The colors on the HP printer they use can be a little hot/saturated, so I toned that down slightly as the film simulation I was using was 'Velvia'.
For the next phase I made a few prints from the black and white series which could accompany the books. I plan on 5 1/2" x 8" print sizes. I should consider some color prints to accompany the new color book as well.
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| Untrimmed prints |
With my hardcover black and white Volume complete I added the silver gelatin prints in the back. The hardcover has an advantage where it is about 1/4" (6mm) wider on three edges than the printed pages. This allows my prints to fit when trimmed.
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| Hardcover version |
The pocket to hold the prints I kept very simple. I had some old envelopes that were perfect at 4 1/2" x 5 1/2". I merely glued them to the inside back cover with some Nori rice adhesive with the opening facing left and the flap folded inside. The prints slip right in and because of the way the envelope faces when the book is closed the prints cannot slip out.
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| Back cover prints in pocket. |
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| Prints extracted. |
Finally, I cut a strip of Japanese end paper and wrapped the two-book set in it to bind them together.
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| Bound two-book set |
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