Book Project is Back on Track!

The Spring semester is quickly coming to a close and in-between getting my final exams ready (among a deluge of other things) I actually carved out some time this weekend to work on my book project.

Yes…that book project I was so excited about a few months ago. As usual it stalled due to the constant demands of teaching, freelancing and my DL duties.  I always had the project in the back of my mind, working it out conceptually. I was initially inspired to revisit it by an all day Adobe Creative Suite workshop that I attended this past Friday. The new applications I learned in the seminar got me thinking about innovative ways to organize and prioritize my hundreds of photographs in a program called Bridge.

Andei at the Beach and Posing for the Camera

Anyway… I started laying the book out and designing the template in In-Design and Photoshop two different times and couldn’t decide how I wanted the overall design to be for the photographs and journal entries. Since that time however, I discovered Blurb an online Book Publishing company with excellent and nicely designed templates and advanced layout features for someone with design skills. I also decided to start small in order to learn the Blurb software and see how a finished book looks from this company.

My darling daughter Andei’s 16th birthday (Yikes I feel old) is in June so I’m doing (and dedicating) my first book for her. It’s essentially a series of black & white photographs and journal entries I took of her since she was born. I’m also laying out a second book with all the best photographs she’s taken since she has been interested in photography. So I have my work cut out for me, but it should go fast because Blurb is very user friendly and has a relatively quick turn around time.

Andei in late afternoon light with Globe and Silly Expression

Once I get these two projects finished I’ll be ready to work on the bigger BOOK project that will include a cross section of photographs juxtaposed with my  journal writing over the past 25 years.

Andei and I in New York City 12/07

It’s always a great feeling to actually see some progress on a major creative “personal” project - I feel confident I can get these first 2 books out by the middle of May and mailed to my daughter in time for her birthday. I am envisioning laying out an entire series of photo books in the coming years.  You gotta LOVE  technology!