I am starting to organize photos made for a photo project I have been engaged in since I started doing photography 2.5 years ago. I am hopeful that I can finally complete it by the end of this year.
I am thinking of doing something like a zine or small photobook format, but primarily as a learning experience and not as something I will be trying to market. My impression is that a lot of time, energy, and thought goes into zines/books, given how professional photobooks are discussed and evaluated, and it occurs to me that I have no idea what I am doing.
Any recomendations on videos, websites, books, etc that deal with basic concepts/theories regarding sequencing, pacing, and all those other fancy words used by artists and critics?
I made a small zine for myself over a year ago using Scribus. Most of the videos I found on YouTube were specifically about using Adobe Indesign, but many of the technical concepts apply regardless of the software used.
For the less technical aspects, Ted Forbes often does reviews of user-submitted zines and photo books. He’s generally not very harsh in his critiques but will point out areas where the sequencing could be improved, or even things like how different paper could affect the outcome. https://www.youtube.com/@theartofphotography
Back in 2017 while I was still a LR user (and still willing to put up with anything Adobe), I created a couple of books in Blurb. I was very satisfied with them, but now that I am no longer a LR user (but a Raw Therapee user), I am not sure I would use them again.
You might also want to look at Lens Work (magazine), as they sometimes have ideas for this type of thing. You might even try to submit a portfolio to them for consideration.
You are right about the time, energy required. I have done several calendars of various trips we’ve taken–Ireland, Spain, Russia, France–and they are a LOT of work, especially when you get into doing composite plates for some of the months.
@raublekick I am tenatively planning on using Scribus already, in part because of the plethora of posts here on pixls about it!
Also, I loved Ted’s old videos but had fallen off watching his channel for some time. I only know terms like pacing and sequencing because he used them in talking about stuff from the mailbag. It was never clear to me what he actually meant by those terms though. Obviously for these things to be good (or bad) means there is some criteria upon which such judgements are made. I assume that is informed by some tradition,theory,etc. That is what I am trying to learn atm.
I went back last night to see what I could find and, funny enough, he is teaching courses on exactly this kind of thing. If I were a wealthier individual I would seriously consider taking it.
@Kadsura Thanks for the Lens Work reference. I will see what I can dig up there.
If you are doing this for your own enjoyment, I would advise against investing too much in the technical part.
We put together photobooks about our travel photos and also about the family (eg family photos spanning my daughter’s pre-kindergarten years). We have done both ends:
CEWE, using their own editor (non-free, but runs on Linux). This is a friendly if occasionally clunky GUI you can operate with essentially zero learning. I am satisfied with the outcome: it is not “professional” by eg art gallery standards but the paper is pretty good quality and the color rendering is nice.
Edit the whole thing in Scribus, which I had to learn, find a digital printer, print proofs and evaluate them, have the book printed & bound. This took about 10x the effort and 5x the money compared to CEWE, and I like the result less. It is not the fault of the printer, it’s just that they do no handholding and assume you know what you are doing, which I don’t.
It was a learning experience, mostly about myself; similarly to knowing that if I have a 2-kilo DSLR camera kit it gets left at home eventually, now I know that if I have to invest so much into making a photo book then I don’t do it. So I am back to CEWE, last year I noticed that they improved their glossy paper even more, meaning less glossy (but still smooth) and nicer colors.
I don’t know of any particular theories or firm criteria for judging something like a photo book. It’s basically an artistic/critical judgement that relies on having been exposed to lots of books and having had the opportunity to discuss and consider them + some graphic design knowledge.
Sequencing and pacing are simply words that describe how the viewer subjectively experiences leafing through the book. Each photo relates to a page a spread and what pages comes before it. The goal is to create a sequence where the content, order of images and layout contribute to a strong experience.
Is the book a relentless forward movement, an experience that suggests slow considered looking, a collection of “chapters” with changes in pace and experience similar to the dramaturgy of a film. Etc etc
It can reinforce or contradict the content, whatever works best with the authors intent and character.
I am far from an expert, but I think there’s some simple things you can keep in mind for sequencing. It’s probably harder to say what’s right than it is to see what’s wrong though.
The direction a subject is facing, or where leading lines go, can direct the eye either toward the next page or away from the next page. This can be used to nudge the viewer through the book or to create tension. Think about how these might draw your eye a certain way as opposing pages: | | |
Balance applies similarly to how it would apply to a single photo’s composition. A small photo on one page and a photo taking up an entire opposing page would create an imbalance. Not a right or wrong thing, it just depends on what you’re trying to evoke.
Contrast in the visual qualities of the images could be part of your sequencing. Opposite or similar colors, or dark vs light images, can change the vibe of the pacing. | | |
Or maybe the contents of the images are something you use to contrast ideas. Man-made things vs nature could be one contrast of ideas. Or buildings vs people. | | |
I would start with the obvious, either chronological or by related contents, and maybe some ideas will come to mind. One tip I’ve seen before is to print out your images (they can be small and low quality) so you can move them around easily and see what kind of things might work. Obvious and straightforward doesn’t necessarily mean bad or boring.
@raublekick Thank you for this. It was quite helpful! I think the stuff you talked about coiincides with @nosle comment regarding graphic design.
I have a vague memory of watching a video on graphic design principles back when I first picked up the camera. I remember thinking that it was kind of interesting, but I couldnt really see how it would be of concrete benefit for me at that time. That, I fear, was an error.Fortunately, introductory texts on graphic design are plentiful and I can leverage those to find more resources.
I’ve been told for exhibitions that one cannot have images with much impact all the way, but there needs to be something of less weight in between, to give viewers some reprieve at times. I guess this also falls in under “pacing” and ought to be applicable to books also.
DISCLAIMER:
The message above should in no way be construed as me having an extensive portfolio of hard-hitting photos …
Eliminate or at least mark redundancies (see below for collages).
Involve another person. This is the most important part. Have them say what they like about the photo and help reduce the number of images, ideally below 50 unless the topic is really varied and interesting.
Classify photos by viewing size. Some photos can fill a whole A4 page without margins (usually landscapes), some are better at smaller sizes, especially if a grouping presents itself. Some, especially redundant ones, can be part of a collage of smaller photos.
Do a preliminary arrangement and write the preliminary accompanying text (as most of my albums are about travel, I always note the location, write a text like a travelogue). Forget about it for at least two days and then do a revision.
Generate a PDF and ask the nice person in 2. to help again. Which pages are interesting? Which photo would be better at a larger size? Discuss and make these changes.
Print a BW copy on paper and proofread it multiple times.
At this point you will be sick and tired of the whole thing, so send it to the printer.
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