man & nature # 85 ~ it's the real thing
Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 10:27AM 
6003 • click to embiggenThere have been a smattering of articles recently - on blogs, on online editions of magazines and newspapers, and even in actual print - that in one way or another are all basically touching upon the same topic/issue. That same topic has been on my mind for quite some time. I have mentioned it here on The Landscapist a number of times in the past and have, on occasion, even tried to do something about it but few seemed interested in my ideas.
However, the recent spate of articles on the subject have rekindled my interest in attempting, once again, to address the topic/issue - that topic issue/being the demise of the printed picture.
To be precise, I am writing about the printed photograph as Art or, for that matter, as art. And, by "printed" I meaning the printed page (in a book or periodical) as well as photographic prints (originals or reproductions such as posters, postcards, etc.). Consider this excerpt from this article:
...the color print has evolved from an expensive novelty into an affordable, nearly ubiquitous object. What used to take specialists many painstaking hours can now be done by machine in a matter of seconds; 30 cents now buys an accurate, glossy color .... As an object, the color print has finally been perfected. And yet, the 100th anniversary of Kahn's project isn't so much a triumphant moment as an elegiac one. Like the shepherds, the color print has nearly vanished. Today, you get some glossies sent out as holiday cards, and some lucky ones get matted and framed, but the vast majority of color photographs now taken - and there are countless millions of them - pass before us, just briefly, on a screen.
Some might ask if millions of pictures passing before us on a screen is not a good thing. Assuming that you can get by the effects of information overload (in this case, picture overload), there is something else that is very important to consider / understand about the screen/online picture viewing experience, even if you are selective and discriminating viewer of online pictures, what you see is not necessarily, in fact, most probably, what you get -
What you see online is (typically) not what you get when you see an actual photographic print ... In reality, what you get after seeing it online might not only look different (colours and contrast shifted, enhanced, etc.), it might look better, or it might look worse. ~ from Jörg Colberg's Conscientious blog
Now I, for one, am growing ever weary of only being able to see pictures online. Sure, sure, I go galleries in NYC whenever it is possible, but the visits are relatively few and far between. What I long for most is to be able to hold printed pictures (of one kind or another) in my hands and be able to possess them so that I can view at my discretion. And sure, sure, I do have an ever-expanding collection of photography books which does allow to indulge some of my picture viewing desires, but ...
Here's the thing - the good thing about online picture viewing is that you can discover a real treasure trove of "undiscovered" body-of-work gems. The bad thing is that so few of these body-of-works are available in any form whatsoever other than online.
Indeed, some offer prints for sale and I have been tempted but, to be frank, I only have so much wall space and much more important to me, it is, more often than not, the body of work I am most interested in or, at least, a sampling of a body of work. That, of course, would be known as a book and books by the "undiscovered" are as rare as hen's teeth.
So, to get to the point, why is it that in this age of readily available and reasonably priced printed books-on-demand, so few have them available? Why? I really want to know why?
Why can't I buy a book of, say, Mary Dennis' Nature/Discordant series, or, the previously mentioned Noon series by Tom Gallione? To name just a few of the Landscapist "regulars" whose work I would dearly enjoy having in book form.
And, make no doubt about it, I have asked myself the same question - why is it no one can by a book of my pictures? The answer is probably similar to that of many of yours in as much as I can come up with 2-3 reasons why that is so, but, I have finally come up with a response to my own answer (and by extension ...) -
"Bullshit! Just suck it up and get it done."
I want to make it clear that I will, within 3 weeks time, have 3 books of my pictures available for purchase: 1)ku - A Sense of Adirondack Place; 2)Picture Windows; and, 3)Decay/Vanitas. They will be priced to move - I am not interested in profit, I am interested in distribution. And, even if there are no sales, at least I can state, as I talk the talk, that I have actually walked the walk.
Not that I don't already have about a dozen POD books of my own pictures hanging around the house. Books that have seen by many and used to show clients and such. But, I have never considered them quite ready for ... wait ... what's that I hear?
"Bullshit! Just suck it up and get it done."
I also want to make it clear that my previous invitation / offer still stands.
Here I am. You know how to reach me. What help can I offer to you to "get it done"?
Reader Comments (9)
When you say "books," what do you mean? The giant obstacle in the way of printing books for those of us who are picky, is there isn't a print-on-demand option in the sub $40/book price range that meets my quality standards.
Excellent idea. If the quality would be good, this kind of concept should spread around. There are a lot of photographers whose work I would be interested to have in book form. (But alas, so little shelf space left. --- Bullshit?)
I, too, don't know of good options for POD books. I know they're out there, but it seems that it's a matter of trial and error to find the best way to print books. I, admittedly, have just been too lazy to try any so far.
You're right, I am not getting any younger and I don't want to think anymore of the "what if", why should I screw around and worry what others think. Everyone here who reads and comments on the Landscapist marches to the beat of a different drum.
I think the gallery my wife and I have is just as good as others I have seen. We all have our likes and dislikes but there is a market out there for everyone.
I am interested in this project. If there are 10 to 15 interested any idea of a cost and how many images would be needed?
Our gallery can be found on a link from our blog.
Thanks for the spark Mark.
I am trying to crack on. Just one page of text to finish off my latest photo book. Some issues for me:
- Why can't the reasonably priced services print from a pdf? Anyone that will seems to pricey to me.
- It takes time if this is to remain an enjoyable activity. If I keep feeling pressed to get it done in a time frame, it'll start feeling like work.
- Would folios work better than a book? I reckon I put a decent one (quality at least as good as POD) together far cheaper and easier than a book. Or are there any folio POD services?
I can strongly recommend SoFoBoMo as an effective way to "just suck it up and get it done". I cranked out my first book that way. There was lots of good advice from the other participants, as well as a sense of camaraderie, as well.
Looking forward to it again this year, with a different subject in mind.
I'd agree with Joe. I'm looking at publishing a book for a second year project at Uni and find the quality of the POD's leaves a lot to be desired. So I've gone down the route of looking at printing and binding my own but the danger here is of it looking like a school project - a fine line to tread. But then Duane Michals comment always comes to mind. "It's the message not the medium" and I wonder if I'm just been too 'fine art' and precious about it.In the end though I suppose it comes down to: "Bullshit! Just suck it up and get it done." :-)
Hmmmmm. Perhaps something to consider. I've poked around the POD sites but it always seemed a bit overwhelming to me and I have wondered if it would be worth all the time and effort. You do inspire me though Mark....
I'm working towards a POD book right now, collecting together my photos of Central Europe taken over the last few years. However, it's going to take a month or two, as they're all either silver prints or colour transparencies, so I have quite a bit of scanning and tweaking ahead of me!
I have had some very positive experiences with Photobox, especially having prints made from scans of colour negatives. As has been said, the quality is very dependant on the preparation of the files before they are uploaded.