Blog post 3: Designing and creating a photobook
For my independent practice I made a photobook for my project 44a.
I designed the book on InDesign and got test prints at multiple printers – RePrint Brighton, Stampa, and the Print Lab at Grand Parade. I decided to print the entirety of my book at the Print Lab. My next step was speaking to Highdown Bindery about how I may want my book to be bound together and the colour and material of the book cover and end papers.
I learnt a lot about the process of designing and making a book, which has made think about the ways I can take these skills and build on them during my course and after I graduate.
I intend to make a photobook after I graduate, which led me to think about how I could publish myself.
https://www.1854.photography/2017/05/how-to-publish-a-successful-photobook/ – this article tells us how one artist decided to self publish his photobook by using crowd-funding platform, Kickstarter – https://www.kickstarter.com/?country=GB
https://www.1854.photography/2017/06/onphotobooks3/ – although this article looks at a book design company called Bob Books, that gives you book designs and templates; something that I wouldn’t use, it gives information on how to promote your work, especially when self publishing.
“Thinking about your goals for the book, which include knowing exactly your raison d’être for making it in the first place and target audience, is a given, says Swanson, but there is no getting away from the financing side of things – something that should be thought-through from the outset. Unless you have significant personal savings or have been given money from a family member, you’re likely to be heading in the direction of crowdfunding. Even if you are working with a publisher, most will expect the photographer to put up a significant proportion of the costs of making the book”.
Looking at jobs involving photobooks and the design process – entry level jobs.
https://mackbooks.co.uk/pages/job-vacancies – Editorial assistant. This job is suited to a recent graduate, working directly with the Publisher.
MACK is a global publisher of award-winning art and photography books and work with renowed photographers, artists, and creators.
Screenshot from their website 19/02/24 – new books and editions that will be released soon.
https://www.caferoyalbooks.com – make weekly publications based on documentary photography from around Britain and Ireland.