#photobook

Photo Book Update! Book Signing and Second Order…

/ kallitypegirl

Hey!

I’m making a second post this week because I can’t sit on my news!

First, on Wed, April 3, I held a ‘book signing event’ at the Printing and Book Arts Center (PABA) at the Flower City Arts Center! My photo book order had come in the previous week, and there were about 10 local people who purchased copies, so I thought, why not make up a little party and get everyone together? I could distribute the books, plus sign them and/or inscribe them, and we could have some treats!

Book table

With my books, ready for signing

Mitch at the PABA offered that I could use the PABA space for my event, since the Photo Dept was in the midst of a construction project to improve/enhance the Digital Studios, and Artist-in-Residence Megan Joy May was in the process of installing her ‘Myths of the Sacred Wound’ show in the Sunken room (her exhibit opening and performance are this Saturday, April 6!). And since this was a BOOK signing party, it seemed like a great opportunity!

I made a few gluten-free, sugar-free, vegetarian breakfast treats:  egg ‘cups’ with zucchini, tomatoes and cheese; chocolate chia-pudding cups with red raspberries; and  banana nut muffins with zucchini, almond butter and oats….despite how that sounds they were all delicious and there were only a couple muffins left over!

Breakfast treats 1

Gluten-free, sugar-free, vegetarian breakfast treats

Breakfast treats 2

Gluten-free, sugar-free, vegetarian breakfast treats

The ‘party’ was held at 10 am because I’m working the late shift at work this month, as I roll out training to my customer in Guam. That means I have mornings free for other business. And it seemed to be a good time for most of my friends who bought books.

Signing books1

Talking about how the book turned out

I’m really happy with how the books turned out, and we had fun looking at them together and visiting.

Signing books2

With friends who bought copies

with Janice

With Janice Gouldthorpe, Executive Director at the Flower City Arts Center

with Jennifer Banister

With Jennifer Banister, my first photo friend in Rochester, who introduced me to the Center

I wish everyone who bought my books could have been there!

But anyway, on to my second piece of news: Blurb is offering a ‘This is not a hoax’ 41% off coupon right now, which means I could put in a second order for more books WITHOUT needing the volume discount! So, if you were on the fence about buying one before, but now that you see how they look and how happy their new owners are, you want to get in on this action, please let me know!

Unfortunately, it’s another short window where the discount ends TONIGHT (Fri, April 5), so I need to know ASAP if you would like one. But, it’s an option!

Thank you to everyone who bought a book, to those of you who made it to the party, and for all of you who have been supporting me and my work. Have a great weekend!

Photo Book Update

/ kallitypegirl

I’m back! Picking up this blog where I left off with the posts that were part of my artist residency at the Flower City Arts Center.

For this first post of my new site, I figured I would end the suspense and tell you about where we are with the Photo Book!

On Feb 8, I submitted my ‘first draft’ and ordered a proof, something which is recommended by Blurb, and which you have to pay for (it’s not free). It was expected to be delivered by Feb 25, but actually arrived on Feb 19.

I was so excited to open it! And then so totally disappointed as I thumbed through the pages full of dark, muddy and yellowish images. Just to be sure I wasn’t overreacting, I showed the book to several friends, and all agreed with my assessment. This version wasn’t good enough.

The problem was most likely personal user error: I didn’t pay attention to the fact that the images I used were all RGB color profile, while Blurb uses the CMYK profile (which can be warmer with different representation of blacks and grays); and even though the brightness looked OK on the screen, I didn’t compensate for the luminosity that would be lost when the images were printed on paper.

So I had to do some editing. When I compared the physical book to the digital book on the computer it actually looked really close. This was both a pro and a con. Pro: this meant the screen calibration was pretty close to the real thing; Con: this meant that what I was seeing on the screen, which looked OK to my eye, would be really hard to adjust.

I spent approximately 4 more hours and did the best I could: first, converted all the images from RGB to  CMYK; second, cooled the images off by reducing the yellow tones; third, reduced the saturation of the images in the Vegetation series; fourth, increased the image brightness for all the images. I also reduced the text size of my artist statement, added some content to the insides of the book jacket, and changed the color of some of the pages (from a straw-yellow to white).

I uploaded the updated version and ordered proof #2 on Feb 25. It is expected to be delivered by March 12, but fingers crossed it will come a little earlier. And that this one will be good.

I’ll make another post when I receive it, and assuming it is good to go, will start taking pre-orders. The Blurb bulk discount varies based on the number of units: between 4 and 9 books is 30% off; between 10 and 19  books is 35% off; and 20 or more books is 40% off.  So far I have 10 pre-orders….but I’m still not sure what the price will be.

Stay tuned !

 

PS Click here to see my older blog posts which were written during my Artist Residency at the Flower City Arts Center