Save yourself money and make your own book

Hi all

I just felt I needed to share this offer with you all, so please like David Rothwell Photography on Facebook and benefit from this Blurb

Blurb is a great way of producing your own photo book with a very professional outlook, if you have an Adobe account and use Lightroom 4 onwards you will know that you can then export your finished edits into the book making software and generate your own style of layout or use a template based version.

It really is that simple many people who use the photographic social site 500px will know of the high calibre and yes high contrast, vibrant photographs they have on the site. Those users including myself have produced books on blurb using the link through on Blurb with very interesting results whether you use Adobe In-Design or you use Blurb BookSmart® You will find the software relatively straight forward and not only that but when using  Blurb BookSmart®  your book is 'always saved' as when using the save prompt you will endeavour to find that out.

The site also has a blog for hints and tips about how to get to the best out of creating,  marketing and selling your very own book. There is also a handy link for  if you so require it, ISBN Container information this will enable you to sell your book in stores, with a scannable barcode. 

Blurb

So if you want to make a straight forward book here is the link for just that, online photo book or if you prefer Lightroom or if you are really savvy with the whole creative process, try this indesign-plugin 

Plenty to go at there but what about choosing your subject matter, or your speciality, well why not jot down what your favourite things in life are, i.e what do you like to do with your creative time? What do you prefer to photograph? 

Some people love to photograph food; some people love to bake their own cakes and photograph them too, so now you can see the limitless possibilities of photography and your own photographic processes. 

©David Talley Photographer 

365 Day Project

How about a project you may be working on or have just started shooting, if you cannot commit to a 365 day photo project, then maybe you would find it easier shooting a 52 week project or even one photograph a month. It's entirely up to you, but a twelve page book doesn't really seem to be worth all that effort, you may as well shoot double the amount of photographs to get different viewpoints.  

Remember its your book, you can do with it what you want the important thing is, you would have created something so much more meaningful than just an album with prints stuck inside, am not saying that's a bad thing,  but if you want to show your work to prospective clients someday then perhaps you should start thinking laterally about what you want from your photography. 

You may remember when I mentioned a certain photographer who had accomplished just that with a 365 day photo project. Amazing work really it is, and it makes me smile knowing there are like minded individuals who love shooting 'selfies' and being really creative when shooting them.  

It really is a creative world out there, on the right hand side of this very page, you will find my own creative work, a book I completed last year. The book We The People was a fantastic milestone to have worked on, I got great pleasure from shooting, compiling and editing all the images in the book. 

You could say it was my own 52 week project although it does have 157 pagination, the book focuses on Britain and a few seaside resorts and city centres. I gradually became aware that shooting landscapes with people in view was much more interesting than shooting a landscape without people, I had in fact crossed over a bridge in my photography, a stepping stone if you will. 

I had come full circle, I was now photographing people, and I was beginning to enjoy photography a whole lot more besides. So you like me can see your own potential when you achieve even the smallest of steps, it eventually becomes a big leap and you realise that you have made bigger waves too, people will become more interested in your work, the more you appreciate others who are doing the same as you. 

This is very gratifying knowing that if I appreciate someone else's photographic art, that they too, will appreciate mine, and so the circle of creative process, expands you learn more from your peers and you learn how to grow as an artist. 

Go ahead and try it! 

Why we should avoid Social Media...

Well put it another way, how beneficial is social media to your own art, your style or interpretation of photography or the medium in which you photograph your subject.

Whilst we are now evolving into yet another year, I cast my memory back to those heady days of glitzy colour, or rather the colours used to highlight the historical event known as the Millennium.

Many photographers or even graffiti artistes would of witnessed first hand the symbolic alphanumeric 'Y2K' emblazoned on many walls around the world, and to emphasise also that the new millennium was going to be impending doom for all of us.

Yet nothing has really changed, it is only the mechanical and kinetic perpetual workings of a clock that serve to remind us that we are not free of who we truly are or what we can be. Today I watched a documentary film about the work of Sebastiao Salgado with a very significant interpretation of the work by photographer and writer John Berger.

In retrospect we can ask ourselves a question, which could be construed as an rhetorical question, "Have we learned anything of ourselves, have we learned anything of humanity?"

In the film we hear the descriptive introduction of the photographer, and we learn that he trained as an economist,  this raised my eyebrows somewhat, I was intrigued how someone who was obviously well educated could turn to art and in particular photographic art, the transition was certainly on a par with how Joel Meyerowitz came into photography by following Robert Frank on an assignment around New York.

In all honesty I have learned about this through the medium of literature, but what about digital media, if you want to improve your skills on subject matter and composition should we stay away from social media.

That very point was raised by my own tutor, before the Christmas break, try and read more about photographers in books rather than use the Internet to grab a few pointers, however I follow another photographer and blogger who also touches on this very subject.

He also shoots a lot of street photography, Eric Kim is certainly known to those in the know of the very fine art, we indulge in. His unique informative style of blogging helps us to learn and to grow as photographers; we should be doing this all the time.

I love a challenge as a street photographer, I have come across those that would argue what your doing is not right why photograph the street. I was challenged by such a man outside a restaurant one time in Liverpool, was by all accounts a complete and utter fool.

By suggesting I cannot photograph in a public place, was ridiculous. We live in a democracy; Don't we?

They're those would disagree, in a film I have also watched the photographer Joel Meyerowitz openly talks about the fact that the then Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani had ruled and had ordered New York's finest to stop anyone taking photographs of one of the most horrific events in human history, 9/11.

Of course the photographer, smiled back politely realising that this decision was absurd. How could we not record history, in a ways looking into that very book of the 9/11 aftermath, I remember a decision by one Americas' Presidents that would blow Mayor Giuliani's decision out of the water.

Dwight D. Eisenhower could not believe his eyes when he witnessed the horror of the holocaust and so with that ordered many to document the event so as to prove to the world, that the horror of the second world war had truly happened.

Those events or rather the images of those events have inspired many photographers amateur and professional alike to go and hunt for a story, to create a new perspective. To document world history, or to document your local town or city, in the belief that something no matter how insignificant or extraordinary should be photographed.

The Internet is a great tool for finding out about human history, it's just such a shame that some of it becomes distorted and meaningless. People nowadays or I should say those who were born in the new millennium would have been taught a different history than the one, I learned when I was at school.

Certain factors are kept a secret, so by that statement we should ask ourselves, why was Mayor Giuliani, trying to prevent people from photographing the aftermath of such an horrific event in Americas' history?

I would like to know why, as would others. Is this why we should avoid the Internet as photographers so we can learn from books? The Internet is there for everyone, we do learn from social media too. We learn of how someones time-line can become an incessant noise of "oh silly me, I tripped over my husbands arse, as he playing blind drunk yet again", to "my cat died and am so sad". These events become futile and meaningless, but to those involved it can be something which defines their very existence.

I have become bored of Facebook purely because that incessant noise, is just that incessant noise. However, sometimes we discover such events that can lead to a full blown story, take for example the scathing attack on the outstanding British diver Tom Daley; who was attacked online after the loss of his father.

He was also the subject of yet another hate campaign when he came out, shame in reality. But that is just the point the social media outlet has become just that, it is a vile and disgusting place for anyone.

So that brings me to the point of exercise, as photographers should we avoid social media, I don't think so it's a great way of getting your work out there. However do try to get your work into an exhibition, or even create your own book.

For now though am going to leave with this piece of music, I love the rhythm of the guitar and the kick of the drum. Great for listening too on your way to a street shoot.

Bad River; Endless Boogie

See ya laters!

A new order...

Well that was very brief indeed...just picking up where I left yesterday. I mentioned the two books that I have been reading so far, with regards to photography and visual language. One point I should of also mentioned is this Susan Sontag has also written books on the subject, so for those that follow me, that may or may not have access to John Berger, can pick some valid points from work of Susan Sontag.

So if your into photographic literature and you want to know more here is a link to another of her works, entitled Against Interpretation The more I read on the subject the more I seem to absorb more creativity, the more creativity I seem to find and absorb my own mind begins the creative process all over again.

Do you ever get those sudden urges to do something radical...to do something really positive in your day with the time that you have to be more creative, to get away from the dull grind of life, the daily toil on the soul and just be...YOU!

Of course you do, your human after all...

Creative Process

I attend another class, one that is more involving with an artistic technique; one that I have to apply by a free hand to draw. When am drawing the first thing I notice is how relaxed I feel, am a practical person and I like to be free from the distraction of life once in a while, just so I can get put down on paper how I feel or how I perceive life in the street or farther away in the wilderness of some far distant land. 

The land doesn't even have to be exotic it could be cold for all I care, it just needs to be relevant to how am feeling, when that relevance hits me, I begin to explore my mind and conjure up all kinds of creative thought process, and just sometimes that process enables me to be free of my ties, in other places. 

I like to challenge myself, the one aspect of my very nature is to evolve, like other people around me they evolve too. We are constantly moving forwards. I will be posting some new work of my own, which has focused on the street, to try and portray a portrait of life.  As am trying to hone my own photojournalism skills, of finding or rather capturing a story. I have been watching films of photographer's, and those which are featured from LIFE magazine.

I have also been watching photographic films too:

I have been shooting over the last few weeks, and I hope you all had a festive and merry Christmas. We are now looking in to 2014, with renewed hope; hope that will also evolve into reality and help those less fortunate than ourselves; this film which was created for the work of renowned photographer Sebastiao Salgado is truly a unique perspective on the world and supported by the eloquence of John Berger.

A truly fascinating insight in to one of the world's most revered photographers.
So do please enjoy this film, and I wish you all a happy new year and a brighter future. 

Back in the saddle...

Listening to Endless Boogie...

viewing countless photographs from street photographer Bruce Gilden and I can feel the energy pulsing through me. This guy is fucking awesome! So much energy...so much going in the frames, and his humanistic approach is not too dissimilar from Dougie Wallace, aka (Glasweegee). 

They both use off-camera flash and if you have seen neither photographers' work, well you should get yourself out there and start looking! If your into street photography, you probably have heard of these guys before. Let me tell you Dougie Wallace travels around a lot he's a proper photo-journalist with a very humanistic approach, it may seem agressive like Gilden's but that's because you have never tried that style, and you really should get out there and photograph some more...

For the past few weeks I have been a very busy guy with avoiding floods...engine dying...crappy trains, assignments, assignments...let me tell you trying to sort things out whilst holding a job down and going for a degree in photography, not to mention still the possibility of finding a great deal more material for a new book; yeah I been busy alright.

Alas though it will all be worth it in the end, cos the one thing I do believe in is hard work equals big rewards...ten fold!
So what exactly have I been shooting then? Well apart from some graffiti backdrops and listening to umpteen John Cooper Clarke poems and reading them of course and the latest book from John Berger which looks at visual language and photographic work by photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and W. Eugene Smith, through the eyes of award winning author Geoff Dyer.

If your studying photography as an art form, this book; is well worth the investment. it helps move on from Berger, John Ways of Seeing (London: Penguin Books 1972). And if you have read that then you will have an idea of where I am going with this, it looks at the one aspect of photography few beginners will understand, unless your an avid reader of photography literature. 

It's a great tool for those who are looking at the art of photography as a visual language, for those who are really wanting to learn more about the art from an academic perspective. 

  Now that I have shared that with you, I thought I would share some photographs of Bruce Gilden and other New York street photographers and a link to everybody street. Great film if you have not seen the piece.

Enjoy viewing!

Sleeper noun (person) ˈsliː.pər

My current project is a study of the person asleep; I have collated a series of images through a series of trips around the city centres in the UK. The majority of the images were taken during an exceptional warm summer, not just that but the images were shot on separate occasions.

 

I shoot street photography around the UK and through careful editing and assimilation I noticed a pattern emerging from my work, and I was intrigued by what I had actually recorded that I then decided to focus my attention on just that subject.

 

What became apparent was certainly the temperature was a key factor in all circumstances, not just that but the time of the day these photographs were actually taken.

 

I was quite astounded at what I had actually found, I found that these people seemed so far removed, displaced from their natural surroundings that they became comatose in appearance. For all intents and purposes they were asleep, but why?

 

Why were these people asleep openly in public, was it the heat? Was it alcohol induced or a combination of both? I have witnessed people travelling fall asleep especially on a long journey, it seems quite acceptable to see this as a journey on a plane, ship or even a train can induce a relaxed state of mind as to the point of restlessness and so the body begins to shut down essential motor behaviour’s and further induce sleep.

 

So I understand how this can happen but openly outdoors and in the full glare of the sun, surely this factor would prevent you from falling asleep in such a hot heat outdoors.

 

The people in the photographs amazed me as they were totally immersed in their sleep, for myself as a photographer I decided to explore more, and apparent states can be recognised for what they are.

 

The subject of photography is always a topic of conversation where ever I go; I meet people from all walks of life, though it does make me more attentive when I do meet like-minded people who are into art whatever form it takes, people in everyday situations influence my own state of mind and so I begin to document these ‘events’ and capture some essence of the human spirit.

 

Photography has opened up an amazing world for me, and for like-minded individuals it can be very exciting and is a unique way of meeting people, I enjoy meeting people from other cultures and finding out what makes these people tick.

 

Those people have influenced my work over the past two years or so, and I have moved away somewhat from just shooting landscape photography, though I do like to shoot this from time to time.

 

It is actually people who I now prefer to capture on digital or analogue format, shooting film is a fantastic way of capturing the world, the cities and its streets. There is so much to capture, so from reading this blog hopefully you will gain some inspiration and go out and capture people going about their business in an extraordinary way.


 

Recommended Reading

The List

So your first day back at college, and your given a recommended reading list for the next two years to ingest literally, so at first glance here is the list:

Barthes, Roland. (1984) Camera Lucida. London: Fontana

Berger, John. (1972) Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin

Diprose & Robins. (2012) The New Basics, Principles, techniques and Practice. London: Thames & Hudson

Hedgecoe, John (2006): The Art of Digital Photography, London DK Publishing

Hedgecoe, John (2003): The New Manual of Photography, London DK Publishing

Jeffrey, Ian. (1981) Photography: A Concise History. New York and Toronto: Oxford University Press

Kobré, Kenneth (1996): Photojournalism: The Professionals' Approach. Oxford, Focal Press

Newhall, Beaumont. (1982) The History of Photography New York: Museum of Modern Art.

Peterson, Bryan (2003): Learning to See Creatively. New York, Amphoto Books.

Phaidon (Ed) (1997): The Photo Book. London, Phaidon Press Ltd.

Scharf, Aaron. (1974) Art and Photography. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Sontag, Susan. (1997) On Photography. London, Penguin.

Semiotics in Photography

So this is a great list to begin with and am doubtless that they're others that can be added by myself and my peers as we move through the new academic year; our first proper lecture looked at signs and in particular semiotics in photography. 

I know from coming from an advertising background this is an interesting subject, it looks at history of signs in humanity and communication in photography. Signs appear in every day life, from information informing us what is happening around the world (a technique used in guerrilla  advertising) to signs urging us to purchase products used in every day life. 

For instance in the example below we see the signifier in a term and the signified in the overall sentence: 

The social media (signifier) website Facebook (signified) 

So by that statement we can see that our mind is cast straight away to a physical representation; although the signified is almost certainly not a substance. 

So for this past week I have been reading a lot and viewing art and its interpretation; Ways of Seeing by John Berger is a fascinating insight in to painting and art criticism, and shows the reader how we perceive the world through the eyes of art, exploring the meanings of paintings, photographs and graphic art forms.



It is a brilliant book and do watch the BBC documentaries too, if your studying photography as an art form and would like to know more subscribe to my blog.

Language of Art

Why is it that art really does speak to us regardless of the language we speak, whatever your mother tongue; you are always going to perceive art or a form of art as a language that provokes emotional response to the viewer, whether as a reader or something much more physical like a sculpture.



However what about paintings and photographs they're physical too, but the interpretation of physical is so far removed from an actual presence as in the form of a sculpture, but paintings and photographs do capture a sense of a physical form, from a moment captured in time or rather a moment captured or re-imagined in a physical sense painted with oil or painted with light.



In both forms composition is implementable to the message or sign being conveyed, so in the painting the message can be altered at will, in the photograph it can be in a digital sense.



However if your referring to an organic sense then the photograph or the memory of what was captured, will be ever infinite.

The one aspect about photography is that it really is organic, the moment is captured and it is developed by chemicals and yes more light, it is tangible product.



So too is a painting, the energy that goes in to a painting is much like that of composing a photograph, we want the viewer to be hooked, we want the viewer to ask questions of the piece and we want to provoke a human response, much like the cave paintings, in Lascaux, Southwest France, we want to signify how we perceive the world through our own eyes, through a shared experience.



Looking at the list above, another aspect of art and its interpretation is that of philosophy, yes art is philosophical, it makes us look at ourselves through the eyes of others, the irony is we are all the same in a physical sense, we are born with a brain, we ingest information and somehow this information is scrambled through a series of significant events that happen during our own lives cycle, we begin with a sense of needing stimulation to kick start the psyche in to wanting to ingest knowledge, and that knowledge is always shown with signs or symbols associated with words whatever the language they mean the same thing, much like the Swiss linguist and semiotician Ferdinand de Saussure, we are shown the signifier and the signified.



We learn through a series of signs and those signs are in a sense very physical to a growing and curious child, we are taught through a series of events in a social sense how our lives are cataloged, through experiences except in the real world, those events don't always play out the way the world or rather the elder members of your family would wish for you.

So you see art is interpreted through differing experiences, how I experience a visit to the museum might be completely different to your experience of a visit to a museum. We all differ from one another what one person likes, another may dislike. We are different and yet we are the same, that is the most interesting aspect to the art form of a being and that being human, human differences are shaped by culture and the very surroundings of their habitual life, a tribe member living in a remote village in or another continent, will interpret life differently to someone who may have been born in a war torn suburb of Israel, and so too the interpretation would be a very different but yet organic experience.

Images, paintings and photographs are man-made; we all want these interpretations to be reciprocated by some human response whether that is in a metaphorical or literal sense. That is the beauty of the intelligence of the language of art, it can be taken in either of those interpretations; early painters used certain references to mortality in their paintings, one example is Caravaggio and his painting of St. Hieronymus Writing, 1605-1606. The human skull signifies the signified (St. Hieronymus) that death comes to us all, much like that of William Shakespeare and the play in which evokes a monologue from a young Prince Hamlet and the vile effects of death. The signifier and the signified.

Two very different interpretations but none the less, the very same message questions our own existence why are we here, what are we doing, what do we want to accomplish in our own existence. The signs are there and we can make a difference, we can inform and we can educate through the medium of art and in many forms.

Art and Design

Design is an art form associated with everyday things like words or the font or typography to create that word, or more so to actually write it, we design and we create. Creating something is the art of creating something which is beneficial to our world and our lives, to mankind. We create to stimulate use, we create to evolve.

Evolution in design has taken much the same growth rate, as we ourselves have taken in our existence, mankind has evolved at an alarming rate, we think of ourselves having lived for a long period in time, however time only exists in a relative sense say the length of time it takes to travel a distance from point A to point B.

Much like time then we create a series or parallels of linear composition to create form, this can be interpreted in the form of a shape, or a tempo in a musical piece or in a language. In a shape it could be closed much like that of a triangle, circle, square or hexagon or so on. In music it could be the repetitive beat of a drum or in language it could also be that of a sound, that sound could be signified by a signifier, so for instance; if I say wood, it could be interpreted as a series of trees in an landscape or it could be a piece of wood for a fire.

The signifier remains the same; the interpretation of the signified always changes. So by design we can change the way we interpret the design by a series of communicative sounds or words or shapes. We can change the way a message can be conveyed in this manner.

As a photographer starting out I shot a lot of landscapes hoping to try and capture those moments which were signified by those historic painters, like Constable, Turner or Vermeer. I wanted to capture an emotion being portrayed in a landscape, if I were born in Sao Paulo, Brazil; how would I interpret a painting by those aforementioned?

Sao Paulo is a densely populated city whose inhabitants live close to the coast and yet their skyline is adorned by so many skyscrapers, residential blocks that convey a surreal world of concrete trees. Not the very green, idyll to speak of. It is constructive, much the same and further inland we witness lush green forests.

In stark contrast, we too see these examples in the design of paintings by J M W Turner, in his paintings of The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons we see the forms breaking down. In that interpretation we can suggest that the buildings are like fires man-made and encroach upon the lush green land of Brazil, eradicating the landscape form and replacing it with one that is neither attractive or environmentally beneficial, but is beneficial to a living sense of habitual longing to exist.

Interpretation

Interpretation is the key to our existence we suggest how to interpret in language and art is a language in a different form, but it is an accepted form of language, the photographer Cristina De Middel shot a series of photographs that portrayed Africans in a different light, one that engages the audience with reality and myth. The concept of a nation after gaining independence gains leadership in a race to space with a collective aptly titled The Afronauts Zambia gains recognition in developing a space program to send the first African astronaut to the moon.  

The series of images some depicting traditional dress interleaved with a space suit against the backdrop of an elephant does certainly evoke a human response. Is the photographer showing signs of racism to prejudge an African, or does the photographer want to convey a message "Why not?"

Controversial aspects in photography seem to go hand in hand, is it art to engage the viewer in awe or to engage the viewer in shock. Whatever the interpretation and no matter what side if the fence you are on, art is not without its sense of irony.

I will be looking at this subject again, so for now keep photographing and documenting the world with your own eyes, and you will begin to find your inspiration through your own interpretation.

Jump!

Okay all, well I had such a great response to my last piece which was a black & white landscape shot of a lone tree. I have sent a copy to Black+White Photography magazine it is the champion of this genre of photography, so who knows I may actually receive a 20x24in print!

I have to say its one of my own personal favourites I have ever taken, every time I look at the landscape though am always thinking about those iconic street shots taken by the past masters, I know I have some great material in my street photography back catalogue, and if you have not yet seen my work from my latest book then check out We The People for those interesting street shots from around the United Kingdom.

Looking at the book itself, I was very impressed and even more impressed at how great it looks on retina display on a Mac. The high definition is very sharp, so obviously sharp pictures please people. Even so I know from experience that shooting film can be a truer representation of a moment captured. Many of you who follow twitter and in particular that celluloid stalwart Ted Forbes, will know this on his show and regular podcast the art of photography that they're many who do prefer film to digital for so many reasons, however if any of you have ever had the opportunity to hold let alone use a Leica or other range finder, will know yes they can be accurate but looking through the viewfinder on a DSLR is like seeing what your actually seeing!

FED 4

I recently purchased a mint condition FED 4 Rangefinder, so far so good am impressed by using this seemingly compact camera and the lens is a superb Industar f/2.8 55mm So I have bought several rolls of film, some from Ilford and others from the lomography guys. So am buzzing with the thought of getting out there with this camera and shooting some fantastic street shots like this one here entitled Jump!



Jump!

I had been watching him and his friends leaping into the air off a slackline, he jumped from one to another he had an incredible sense of balance, I was fixated and I shot a couple of more shots; but this one really captured his sense of control and belief in what he was doing the concentration on his face was electric.

Capturing this has given me renewed focus too, I have now got some great ideas for a few more books solely focusing on a particular subject.

Renewed inspiration couldn't come too soon either, as I'm back at college next week. That's right the holidays are well and truly over and I guess so is summer. No more scantily clad females out come the scarfs and woolly hats...bah!  Though fall does bring some colour out so the next few months may see new material even though am going for mainly social documentary, those other ideas are still on the back burner.

Those guys over at Blurb have other photographers and artists alike, that produce books, eBooks and know a thing or two about art to boot, I realised that not much social interaction happens on their own site, however on their Facebook page it's totally the opposite, they're a great bunch. I came across some work by a photographer who has travelled extensively and has captured some amazing photographs, actually it is photographic art, the photographer is Michael Forbes, his resumé  speaks for itself as does his work.

Coney... the summer of love

I have spoken about other photographers and of course that is what I like to do is research other photographers' so that you the reader / follower can be inspired to shoot and create your own art. It is our cultural existence that inspires us to create and innovate, his latest book Coney... the summer of love is so very inspirational from a social documentary perspective, I do ask though is it as in your face as the work of Dougie Wallace? Probably not but that's what street photography is all about when you take yourself back to the words of Henri Cartier-Bresson who was quoted as stating that the camera is an extension of his eye, he was shooting in places like Paris, France and in stark contrast Russia. Not only considered the father of photojournalism, but also one of the greatest photographers of all time, so the likes of myself, Forbes and Wallace are following in Cartier-Bresson's footsteps for sure, differing styles yes, but the composition is there for all to see.

Where to now?

So over the next few months I will be sharing with you a diary of what I am shooting, and your very welcome to comment on my work, I do like it when some one makes a comment on my blog, even more so when someone comments on my photography.

After all feedback is important to a photographer it is how you hone your craft, so keep reading...

So long

David