Great Photo Book: Be A Ruthless Photo Editor

Using as many images in your Great Photo Book maybe your first inclination; this is the absolutely wrong approach.

You MUST be a ruthless photo editor! Focus on quality over quantity.* 

Image from http://www.tokyojinja.com/

As you review your big pile (or folder) of images, ask yourself repeatedly:

• Does the image support my theme?
• Does it add visual interest to the message?
• Is this image the BEST quality?

Every image selected must have purpose to the theme.

Intuition plays a huge role and powerful role. Removing your own emotions from your review process will allow you focus on quality and the image(s) contribution to your book.

Conduct research at the library and/or local bookstore, I find used bookstores have fabulous stacks of photo books. Observe the sequencing of images and how each leads you through a process of the visual story. What story are your images telling?

* Select images that express concepts and support the main story or theme of the book. 

An introduction to self-publishing techniques to create your own amazing book using your photographs or illustrations.

Download Free eBook 

Discover techniques to create and publish of your own photo book, plus an introduction to self-publishing options (print and digital formats). Ideal for photographers, illustrators, architects, chefs, historians and many more.

Topics covered:
Image Sequencing & Storyboarding
Page Layout and Structure
Cover Design
Image Preparation
Overview: Shutterfly, Lulu and Blurb

Start Creating Your Own Photo Book

Create Your Own Great Photo Book

Create Your Own Great Photo Books

• Have you ever wanted to create your own photo books?
• How do you start?
• What are techniques to make it look professional?
• How do I get it printed?

Download Free eBook 

Just released a few days ago to select list of followers, now available for you.

An introduction to self-publishing techniques to create your own amazing book using your photographs or illustrations.

Discover techniques to create and publish of your own photo book, plus an introduction to self-publishing options (print and digital formats). Ideal for photographers, illustrators, architects, chefs, historians and many more.

Topics covered:

• Image Sequencing & Storyboarding
• Page Layout and Structure
• Cover Design
• Image Preparation
• Overview: Shutterfly, Lulu and Blurb

Start Creating Your Own Photo Book

* eBook format is 21-page PDF, compatible on desktop and mobile devices.
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Dancing In The Dark

Wow, it's been a couple of months since I've posted anything new for you.  Frankly, I've been immersed in some very exciting projects.

Don't let the title of this post send you looking for Bruce Springsteen on iTunes. 

Can you deliver your speech/presentation in the dark? 

Without the support of visual aids? Ditch the PPT?

Image courtesy Choose Chicago

Many of you know that I'm a docent with the Chicago Architecture Foundation, and this year I'm 'sponsoring' a trainee. One of my responsibilities is a walk through or demonstration of one of the core tours. 

Due to scheduling, my trainee and I could only agree to meet after work. This is Chicago, it's dark by 6 p.m. and this week it's been cold (again) and damp. Not the best conditions to display my expertise. 

Midway through the two-hour tour, Ben, docent-in-training, complimented me on the descriptive speech I used to describe details of buildings on the Chicago Old & New Tour.

After I thanked him, I was surprised when I realized that the darkness added a new and highly disciplinary behavior to my tour. A way to reduce and eliminate some bad behaviors and crutches. 

I wasn't relying on the illumination of daytime, as I usually do. Instead, recalling specific details expressed with highly descriptive language. Clearly articulating the core concepts, coherently making comparisons to describe details that are seen vividly during the day.

Plan B–No Crutches
This exercise recalled the disastrous and feeble attempts I've witnessed over the years when technology fails. You know what I'm talking about: microphone cut outs, the presentation file doesn't load, the computer shuts down, the projector lamp burns out, you don't have the right cable, its the wrong file/version, etcetera, etcetera.

A Challenge
I challenge you to deliver your speech or presentation without the use of visual aids. Take it further and step away from the lectern and turn off the microphone. 

Can you express the core message(s) and support it with details to your audience coherently? Delivered with passion and confidence? 

Here's the link to your 80s rock-n-roll fix, "Dancing in the Dark" by Bruce Springsteen.

Season's Greetings from Joann Sondy

Wishing you and your family a joyous holiday and Happy New Year!
Joann

Great Photo Books Holiday Schedule–There's Still Time

Just did a quick check on the delivery dates for Blurb, Lulu and Shutterfly for photo books and calendars.  

Good news: There's still time to publish your photo book or calendar.

Bad news: Drop dead dates are fast approaching!

Blurb Holiday Schedule

December 11, 2014* is Blurb's date for books (less than 30) delivered via USPS in U.S.the target date to order and take advantage of standard shipping in order to have your book order delivered in time. Blurb is offering discounts of bulk orders until December 9, 2014.
Check the Blurb holiday page for all the details.

Lulu Holiday Schedule

December 11, 2014 is the order date for paper back books and December 10, 2014* for hard cover and calendars shipped via mail with estimated delivery before the 25th. (I don't see a discount promotion, check your email, if you're on their list.)
Check the Lulu holiday page for all the details.

Shutterfly Holiday Schedule

For December 24, 2014* Economy delivery of photo books and calendars, you must order by December 17th. Last day to order is December 19th.
Check the Shutterfly holiday page for all the details.

*Options for Priority Mail, Expedited and Express options are available.
__________________
I have a client last year come to me the first week of December with her sketches and copy with the goal of turning it into a holiday gift for your family. We made it!

I can help you make your book a reality. Drop me an email or give me call to discuss your project.

Start With A Vision of End Product

Recent activity a LinkedIn self-publishing group caught my attention.

Someone asked for a recommendation about the best production method to publish their own book. There were several replies and counter replies. Group members offered testimonials about their own experiences with major players in the self-publishing industry, as well as links to their own services.

No one asked "What type of book do you want to produce?"

The author's answer to this question would have provided much needed information to provide some direction for the the project.

Instead many self-publishing consultants ASSUME that everyone wants to publish a text-only book and recommend that it be published via Amazon's CreateSpace for hardcopy and digital versions.

That's fine, but not all book projects are text only. Other genres include:

• Photo essay
• History of (subject)
• Family genealogy
• Cookbook
• Poem
• Mystery novel
• Business-related

Your book is a product and how it is produced and distributed should be considered in the early stages. 

• Is your book filled with full color images?
• Do you need a fixed layout or fluid layout?
• Hardcopy, softcover or both?
• Will it be available for purchase?
• Are you familiar with printing terminology? 

My ebook "Self-Publishing: Navigating the Process" goes into this topic and provides an introduction to service providers to navigate the process of publishing your book.

Self Publishing: Navigating The Process from Creative Aces

Everyone Has a Story, We Need to Discover It

This year's Chicago Ideas Week was filled with superb speakers, workshop and IDEAS. Unfortunately, my budget would only allow a small sampling of the seven day schedule. Choosing wisely.

A must see, for me, was Bruce Weindruch's presentation/workshop "Start with the Future and Work Back." I had the pleasure of participating in the workshop earlier this year and enjoyed it so much that I had to attend, again. Mr Weindruch is the CEO and Founder of The History Factory, a different kind of creative company that leverages an organization's history to tell a new story.

Working with historical content is nothing new for me; the joy and tedium of shifting through archives–cataloging, tagging and sorting to find the most relevant material for the project connects me with the past. Everything from film, newspaper/magazine clippings, photographs and even audio can contain some very surprising details about people, places and organizations.

Begin with a few simple questions:

• What's important NOW?
• What do you want to HAPPEN?
• What INVENTORY do we need to get from the archives?

Here are a few takeaways from the "Start with the Future and Work Back" workshop.

• Look inside the organization to support today's message.
  European luxury fashion companies due this elegantly to highlight heritage, craftsmanship and creativity.
• Pull the right story for the right moment.
  One example that comes to mind is from one of my architecture tours when we site the energy efficiency of 110 year old building connecting it with a contemporary issue.
• Tag (meta tag) the historical material.
  Select keywords that connect with today's message. This is truly an art form and should be well thought and systematized. 
• Look for significant threads or commonalities in the inventory.
  Years ago, I was researching and designing a 75th anniversary event magazine for a private golf club. The archives were NOT organized. It's almost like putting a puzzle together.
• Ask "what's important?".
  The historical matter must be credible.
• Find an iconic image and shape your story around it.
  As a designer this is one of favorite aspects of any project; if you're lucky enough to find it. 
• Create compelling stories using the "threads" customized for your audiences.
  Working with the writer to create the language that will bring it all together; adding the emotion, passion and persuasion to the story (stories)
• Measure the impact of the story. Marketers will do what they do best to track and measure the effectiveness of the advertising and/or PR campaign. See what's working. 

Case studies referenced by The History Factory to illustrate these concepts; these included Brooks Brothers, Inland Steel Building and Boeing. Check out the company's video library for more nuggets about storytelling.

These tips and strategies have proven very useful, recently, on some personal projects and the research for some architecture tours. Simply stated...how can we make history fun and relevant for today's audience? 

An example is the History Channel's 10 Things You Don't Know About show, the host uses a contemporary approach to uncover ten little known facts about a topic–stuff we may have slept through during high school history class.

Remember, everyone has a story, we need to discover it.

PS: There were three Chicago Architecture Foundation docents in the audience, including myself. Watch out... our storytelling skills will only get better!