Three quick messages:
1. All orders placed at the EStore after Thursday February 12, 2009 will not ship until February 27, 2009.
2. The reason is that I will be in Italy shooting and scouting for a workshop I will be teaching next fall… so if you live in Italy around Manciano or Rome and would like to get together to talk photography please contact me before Friday 13, 2009.
3. The Figital Revolution just passed over 150,000 hits!
Viva la Revolution!
Stephen
I decided to have Blurb print and bind a second copy of A New Eden Volume 1 for two reasons…
Some More Thoughts:
THIS JUST IN- I like the Image Wrap cover with the premium paper as the best-of-all option- the dust jacket keeps falling off the book and drives me nuts. The dust jacket does have a better range of color than the image wrap, and is glossy but there is something nice to the look and feel of the image wrap, and on a small book with only 38 pages- like mine- as the extra material of the image wrap makes the spine look and feel nicer…the book just feels more complete. The premium paper is way nicer than the standard (I tried both) and really worth the few extra dollars. With regards to printing consistency… seems OK to me so far but I will continue to monitor and keep you posted if my thoughts change.
Biggest question: does this process make sense if you are selling your books? Services like Blurb are much less expensive than some other online publishing companies… that being said, the per book cost for my Eden project is now at almost $40. When I compare this to my similarly-priced second book Through A Glass Darkly -which is in a league all it’s own and beyond compare to anything Blurb or any online service can print or bind- it does give one pause. Once again, I think you need to think of a book like this as a very nice promotional piece, that you will at best maybe make a few bucks on… but ultimately with the ulterior motive of greater visibility for your works which will hopefully translate into print sales and other good things. I’d suggest a markup from Blurb’s cost at around 10%, it’s a fair percentage and at the same time keeps your per book cost at a point that is still marketable.
LINK: Publishing Your Own Photography Book, Part One.
Viva la Revolution – Stephen
The first installment of the One Minute Rant. Each audio is one minute or less and focuses on a very specific topic to engage readers here on the FR to comment and start a dialog! Just click on the RANT logo to listen.
The Olympus XA 4 is a wonderful merger of Zone / Scale Focus, sophisticated photographic creative control and an amazing 28mm macro lens… released in 1985! In a previous video blog I compared the Olympus XA to the LOMO LCA and LCA+ for the purposes of pointing out strengths and weaknesses to both systems- the Olympus XA 4 strikes the perfect balance between these two very different cameras and has now found itself as my everyday carry camera.
VIDEO:
IMAGE:
TEST EXPOSURE…Olympus XA 4 focused at 1′. Exposed on Kodak Ektar 100… exposure was hand held at under 1/30th of a second (interior light glows at exposures under 1/30th) at F5.6 (at the 1′ focus setting the minimum f stop is f 5.6. Note the nice crisp detail and beautiful out of focus (OOF) rendering. Yes I know it is not “Leica Sharp” but damn it is really good for a Point and Shoot from 1985! One additional thought… I love the new Kodak Ektar 100!
LINK:
Fantastic sites with lots of information on the XA line…
In this very quick video I give two examples of creative solutions to enhance the metering capabilities of the LOMO LCA and the LOMO LCA Plus.
Having published 4 books in the last 10 years and seen radical transformations in not only the printing process but also in the selling of art books I decided to record this audio blog for anyone considering publishing their own book whether using a full scale fine art press, publisher or an online printing service. See the example images below for specific examples that are mentioned in the audio. Also, please comment on printing services you have used with your thoughts as well as suggestions that may be of interest/ help to our community.
Here is a nice online marketing badge provided by Blurb, for Free, so people interested in your book can have a direct link to its page on Blurb (note that I have one here in the right side bar and also on stephenschaub.com. Included are book specifications, cost, delivery options and a 15 page book preview (this is an option that you can decide to do or not do…you should do it) that I feel really helps sell your book.
In this audio blog I give examples of multiple options for the display of photographic artworks beyond just a frame and glass. Given the current economic crisis, the tightening of clients budgets, and the ever-increasing cost of materials, these alternative print display solutions are a great option to consider for any fine art photographer requiring a modern presentation and an affordable price tag.
IMAGES:
LINKS:
T- Pins… available at most craft stores.
A quick video on how to vignette the LOMO LCA and LCA+ using the mechanics of the camera to produce repeatable results!
You knew all along that your comments count… but NOW, here at the world headquarters of the FR we’ve come up with a unique way to show it…
(drum roll please)…the Offical Figital Revolution Hat! This hat is very high quality, is custom embroidered, and IT IS NOT FOR SALE!
That’s right! The only way to get one is directly from Our Fearless Leader (you know- me) so bring on your comments and article suggestions. I will select comrades who post great, interesting, dialogue- inspiring thoughts and ideas to be recipients of this great and noble honor… And hey, in all seriousness, it is a nice hat!
Viva la Revolution- Stephen
Figital Revolution 