A photobook is an autonomous art form, comparable to a piece of sculpture, a play or a film. (Dutch photography critic Ralph Prins)
In this workshop, we will review classic photobooks and the photobook landscape today. Students will be led through the process of creating a photobook and self-publishing it. The resulting photobook may be a final product, a book dummy or first iteration of a longer project.
Students should come to the workshop with an idea for their book and a series of images they can use to develop their book concept. The number of images, which could range from 15 to 30 to start, will depend upon their concept. Through a series of assignments, we will work to refine ideas, edit and sequence images, identify text, make decisions about layout, design, typography and book size. We will review ways to get a photobook in print, both self-publishing and traditional publishing options.
An important goal of the workshop is that by the end of five weeks, students will be ready to order a book from the vendor of your choice. For the sixth class, scheduled approximately one month later, students present their book and describe what was learned from the choices made regarding vendor and elements of the final product.
Students should expect to spend at least six + hours outside class each week preparing for the next session and be familiar with using Dropbox to share files.
The student's additional cost for the print-on-demand book and shipping may run from $20 to $100 depending upon decisions made by the student.
Dates: Six Wednesdays - May 22, 29, June 5, 12, 26 and final class is July 10 ( no class June 19th)
Type of Class: Virtual / online, six session
Times: 5:00pm - 7:30 pm, ET
Participants: Maximum is eight
Course Fee: Members $545 / Non-Members $595 (non-member fee includes a one year membership to the Griffin Museum, a $75 value).
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
About the Instructor
Karen Davis of Hudson NY is a teacher, gallerist and photographer. For over 15 years she taught Photography Atelier, a portfolio development course and Marketing for Fine Art Photographers in the Boston area at Radcliffe Institute, Lesley University and, most recently at the Griffin Museum of Photography.
Karen is co-owner and curator of Davis Orton Gallery in Hudson NY, exhibiting photography, mixed media and photobooks of emerging, mid-career and established artists. She has been an invited reviewer of portfolios for the Griffin/CAA Portfolio Reviews, Photolucida in Portland OR, FotoFest in Houston TX and Critical Mass (online/Photolucida).
Her photographs are in the collections of the Center for Photography at Woodstock (CPW) at the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, the Lishui Museum of Photography (China) and the Houghton Rare Books Library, Harvard University and can be seen at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA).
Photo of Ms. Davis by © Sylvia Stagg-Giuliano