January 14, 2010

A Book of Photographs


after clicking "preview" under photo, it takes several seconds to load


A few weeks ago after I posted "Festive Agriculture", friend and reader rappel, who has made many artist books, suggested that I put together a book of the series of photos that I took on Vermont farms in 2004 and 2005. The twenty-five images are of farm machinery and buildings, cropped closely to highlight abstract qualities of design and color, though narrative and humor creep in too. (and do you notice the color relationship with Ellsworth Kelly?)

It's now very easy to self publish a book with print on demand technology; using InDesign, I did a page layout with the photos, then made a PDF which I uploaded to lulu.com. The cover was made separately in Photoshop. Then I waited for 10 days after ordering a book, which came yesterday. What a treat! it came out looking very good, which was a bit of a surprise to me.

There's something wonderful about holding a book in the hand; an image inside it has more visual weight than when it is online. I love the digital universe and love blogging, but it is a different form from a book, just as a book is different from a magazine. There is immediacy in blogging; you write a post, then another, and as you write new posts previous ones recede in time and in memory. A book approaches timelessness, and a pile of books on a shelf is a gathered treasure.

4 comments:

  1. How wonderful Altoon!
    It is absolutely true what you say about a book that can be held in one's hands -and how the images can resonate across time and come to life in a way that the wonderful digital universe does not.
    What a wonderful project and so good to bring these images together in this format.
    best,
    S

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  2. Oh Altoon, I'm so pleased for you that you have gathered together a grouping of your wonderful images in book form. Hurrah! Maybe you might bring the book to show tomorrow when you come visit my studio? I'd love to hold it in my hands and see with eyes pausing on paper.

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  3. Fantastic!
    Just ordered 4 copies.

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  4. thanks to you all for the support in my new little project.

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