I have been reading with some interest, about the way in which people interact with the web. One of the fundamental issues is trying to use a 1 dimensional medium ( a screen) to convey depth, texture and light. To that end I have been experimenting with Adobe Flash CS3 and 3D modeling with regard to the project I undertook in Rhossili.
My aim was to give the viewer the chance to get the feel of what the finished book could look like. Whilst Amazon has proven to be a successful business, there are many who still find great pleasure in browsing a book shop – it is a tactile and sensory experience.
The difficulty comes when individuals want to take the first steps into publishing a photography book. You need to be a master of all trades:
- Think of the Idea
- Have the equipment to capture the Idea
- Know how to use the equipment!
- Go to a location and photograph the Idea
- Know what to do with the images when you have the images…learn Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom!
- Tweak them in your favourite software
- Learn Adobe In-Design and create a book (!)
- Output in proper colour space…understand colour space (!)
- Then decide what to do with the finished item
- Print it yourself at home and put it into one of the binding processes that are appearing (low volume)
- Publish it as a PDF and send a disc to everyone you know (lowish volume and you require everyone to actually do something with it)
- Put it on the web (opportunity for limitless distribution)
The crucial question to be answered is how will people interact with your finished item.
My response was to utilise Adobe Flash and Photoshop to try and give the book a presence on screen that was as near as possible to a book. I’m pleased with the first results and you can take a look at it here
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