Are you a photographer interested in making the most of your marketing efforts? Publishing your own book is a great way to spread the word, to generate interest in the work you do. A book can be a great leave-behind for your clients, a thank-you present or an effective way to get more clients via selling direct!
Now, if you haven’t heard of Blurb, do check them out, because they really have made self-publishing easier and more accessible than ever before. No need to worry about distribution or printing costs here, or all that accounting and inventory associated with the book-business past.
If you already know of Blurb, there’s something new. They have just announced their PDF to Book option. For the non-designers out in the world, this may seem more complicated (special software, templates, etc.) but for designers (like me), this option makes designing and producing a book through Blurb (for people like you!) even more appealing and much more streamlined.
When I helped to design and produce Dirty Pictures by pdxcross.com, I did the work – put all the book together in Blurb; exported PDFs; imported the PDFs to Photoshop; exported the PDFs as PNG files, then imported the PNGs into Blurb’s software, BookSmart.
Did you get that? Whew!
Plus, there was always a chance that the typography could be pixelated. There is less chance of this happening with a PDF, if at all. Typography may not seem a big deal, but when you are in the business of communication, typography is a major player and cannot be dismissed, no matter how stunning the photography maybe.
My suggestion as a professional in the business of photographic book and layout design – definitely give self book publication a look. Keep in mind too that as an independent photographer, you now more than ever need to think “business.” And in this business role, self-promotion and effective marketing need to sit “top-priority” in your overall plan for success. Hard thoughts? For sure! But if you don’t make the effort, you won’t be in business long. It’s that competitive in today’s photographic marketplace. And even if your aspirations as a photographer don’t run the career-track, you still want to take your passion for photos and their presentation to that ever-desirable, next creative level.
But how do you design a book, construct a killer portfolio or create a photo presentation that will place your work in the limelight? “Craft Your Photo Presentation – Elevate Your Work and Its Message” will show you how – a 4-week online and personally interactive course that will give you what you need to know for consistent results.
Professional graphic designer Deb Pang Davis is no newcomer to layout and design of photographic publications. She has been Associate Art Director for National Geographic Traveler Magazine in Washington, D.C., as well as Art Director and Photo Editor for Virtuoso Life, a bimonthly luxury travel magazine.
Taking place at the chic Pier59 Studios in Santa Monica, the event commenced with a preview party on Friday April 24th. Wine and cocktails flowed whilst the collectors and industry professionals chatted to the photographers about their eclectic works of art. The party was a benefit for the Focus on Aids foundation and a slideshow projection showed images, which were kindly donated to FOA for their impending auction. 
The AGE OF THE FEMININE 2010 Calendar will feature PIN-UP styled photos of English teachers living and working in Taiwan. The pin-ups featured are from archetypes of women from 1900 to 2010.
Kara is looking forward to returning to America to further her studies.
