From constitution to completing
This article is the third time of the, “How to make a photo book that may sell well”
Notice: The text on this website is a Japanese text translated into English by automatic machine translation. Because I’m not good at English. I’m sorry, but it may be a strange sentence.
When I made my first photo book, I made the composition in a way that I decided later. For the time being, I decided on the overall plan and subject only and started shooting. That way, I was able to make a book and reprint it, so there was no problem, but when I composed it later, “Oh, it’s better to use a different photo here,” or sometimes “ I need a descriptive photo! ”, And since then, I started shooting after thinking about the composition in advance. In my case, even if there are not enough photos, I cannot easily take additional shots.
When thinking about the composition, first write down what you have come up with in your notebook. I keep using the sketchbooks that are sold in the art supplies corner and assign numbers in order so that I can understand what I was thinking about later. If you don’t write down your ideas, you’ll forget them, so leave everything in this sketchbook.
Below, I would like to introduce the process of making a photo book at a steelworks where preparations were extremely difficult. The content is in the middle of the course, so there are differences from the actual book. There are illustrations for graffiti that I must ask the designer later.
Once I’ve written my ideas and put them together in my head, this time I’ll make the right things for editors and designers to see. First, let’s summarize the overall flow. However, at this stage, there are no photos, so I may be the only person who knows the content.
In the next stage, I will specifically consider what kind of photos should be included for the expected number of pages. In the first stage, the photo is a dummy or a picture. The picture is also used when explaining to the people on the spot, “I want to take it like this.” Even though I have never been there, I’m worried about being asked where I want to take a picture, but I’ll cover it with imagination.
As shooting progresses, the number of photos increases. I will continue to replace dummy pictures and pictures. By doing this, I can visually grasp the missing photos, so it is very important for shooting with limited shooting time. Also, even if I am planning, it may be different from the actual shooting, but it is also interesting to photograph because it is not as planned, so I think flexibly. When I arrived at the site, the work sometimes stopped, and sometimes they took me to an unexpectedly good place. In addition, if shooting progresses to some extent, the editor may consider the number of pages in the entire book, considering about 2 proposals. In this plan, the interview article is compiled at the end, and the budget is reduced by printing it in one color.
In the shooting of this steelworks, I wanted to show the process from iron ore to steel and finally come out as a product and the shooting time was very tight, so it is necessary to set the composition very finely was. However, I think that the details of the composition will vary depending on the contents of the photo book. Actually, even when I was writing this, I was shooting for the next work, but it spans multiple interviewees, I can not grasp the overall volume and I have not made such a detailed composition plan. The necessary items, page distribution, and order for each interviewee are simply written on the sketchbook.
It is important to incorporate the opinions of editors and designers when creating a photo book. But you are the only person who really understands your photos. Editors and designers don’t even think about your own branding. If you have a clear intention of “I want to do this!” And I think that it is important to stick to your will if you can explain the reasons for choosing each photo.
Now, after taking a picture, writing a commentary and composing it, it’s a little more to completion. The next process is printing, but it is not easy. Naturally, it will be left to the printing company, but even if you give a color sample, the color will not match. By the way, I develop photos in the following environment. The monitor is calibrated using EIZO CS2420. Light from the outside is cut with a blackout curtain and screen. Lighting is set up using a fluorescent lamp for color evaluation so as not to hit the monitor directly. The desk is gray and I wear black clothes. Working in such a working environment, so the output of the printer is roughly the same, sometimes I just need to adjust the brightness. However, the color of printing does not match. I always go to the printing company to attend, but the range that can be adjusted during printing is very small. The problem is plate making (conversion work from RGB data to CMYK data), but I can’t be there. So just pray for a good person. Well, I think that other people don’t care so much. I just have a strong commitment.
This is how the book is completed, but the work of the photographer is not the end when the book is made. You also have to sell books. At the same time you know the most about the photo, and you know the book best, so you selling it is the most efficient. So don’t leave it to the publisher, and sell as much as possible. For example, when a book is completed, the editor will contribute to the media, etc., but I will send it directly to the person who I know. This is because I feel that there is a high possibility that the person will appear in the book review column. In addition, it is important to get to know first, so if there is a request for a lecture, I will actively participate. I wasn’t good at the beginning, but I’m getting used to it and I think it’s a good opportunity to meet the readers directly.
