PhotoBook
I made my little princess 40 pages for upcoming birthday. I
did some research prior to making it, to make sure that I got the most out of
it. I carefully touched up and adjusted many of the pictures and spent a long
time getting it all organized.
Here, I include the step necessary to create a photobook.
Hopefully these tips will guide you through the decision-making process and set
you on your way to creating your first photobook.
Step 1 - Motive
First up, you need to work out why you'd like to put together
a photo book, as this will affect how you progress with the project and layout
of the book. Is it going to accompany a body of work that is to be exhibited?
Are you planning on selling it? Might you want to send it to potential
publishers or galleries? Or are you simply just looking to share it with
friends and family?
Step 2 - What Type of Book?
Traditionally, photobooks are hardback and come with a slip
cover, but there are no constraints, it's your book, so feel free to present it
how you wish, whether that be A3 hardback or A5 paperback. Think carefully
about the type of photos that you want to include, whether they'll be better
suited to a larger layout on fewer pages, or whether you want a pocketsize
collection of work.
Step 3 - Themes and Content
The best photobooks have a cohesive theme, they are not just
a 'best of' collection of photographs by a certain photographer. A body of work
taken with a specific motive or subject matter will work well, or you could
work with shots taken within a specific time frame, for example, a shot a day
for a year. It's important that the photography included has this restriction
upon it in order to give it structure and coherence. It will force you to work
more carefully and will create a more considered finished product.
Step 4 - Image Selection
Careful image selection is absolutely vital when putting
together your first book. The inclination is to include all your best work in order
to produce a book of the highest standard, but it is important to remember that
as a book, it needs to have a rhythm and completeness that tells the whole
story.
If you just include your best shots, it's likely that a lot
of background will be missing from the book. It's important to build up a
context for the stronger images by including what you may regard as slightly
weaker images. However, I'm not saying just to include anything and everything.
It's right to be selective and critical of the work you are considering for the
book.
Step 5 - Image order - Telling the story
So once you've selected the images that you want to include,
you now need to consider the order in which they are to be presented. As I
mentioned before, the book should almost tell a story, so consider the flow of
the 'narrative' that the pictures offer, don't just stick all the landscapes at
the start and the macro shots in the middle, you need to construct a balance of
images that will inform and engage the reader and pull them into the scenes.
Step 6 - Layout
Next you'll need to decide on your two page layout.
Traditionally, the image will be on the right hand page, leaving the left hand
page blank with space for a small caption if required. By no means do you have
to adhere to this, you may well want to have images on every page, but whatever
you decide, keep it simple and be consistent. An amalgamation of shot sizes and
layouts with a book makes for a very unsatisfying read!
Step 7 - To Include Text, or Not To Include Text?
Captions are by no means compulsory within a photobook, it
is only necessary to include them if you think they will add something that the
photograph does not already offer. These details may be a location, name, date,
details of the event or the type of print. Don't repeat what is already obvious
from the photo. If you do decide to include captions, make sure you incorporate
it within the layout, don't just stick it in wherever it will fit, it needs to
be discrete and understated using a font that suits the style of the book as a
whole.
Step 8 - The Cover Shot
The image that you choose to put on the front of your book
will be the first point of contact for any reader. It needs to be an engaging
image that invites the reader in. It should also be of high enough quality in
order to excite them enough to want to see more. If you can, find an image that
most fully represents the theme of book so that it is obvious from first glance
what the book is about without the reader having to read any blurb or captions
on the back.
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Step 9 - Convert It To An Ebook?
First and foremost, you are creating a book that will be
printed, that you can hold in your hands, that you can give to friends, family,
photography enthusiasts who can behold your work in all it's visual glory
presented as it should be, on paper. However, with today's modernity being
dictated by technology, you do of course have the option to present it online
as an ebook.
For the purists this will be a major faux pas, this will be
significantly cheaper as there are no printing costs and has the potential to
reach far more readers than a print version. So by no means am I suggesting
that you should only create an ebook, your photographic work deserves to be
printed, but it is an option which may expand your horizons and make your work
more accessible to many.
Step 10 - Give it a try!
So there we have it, a simple guide to putting together your
first photobook. It may seem like there are a lot of processes to go through,
but the careful consideration required will be all the more rewarding once you
have your first collection of work printed and in your hands. I strongly
encourage you to try and collate your work in a photobook. It will document the
work that you are undertaking and mark significant points in your photographic
journey.
If you know of any other tips or resources for creating
photobooks, please share them in the comments!
Enjoy Your Photobook..
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