The inside counts, too :)
Don’t simply judge a book by it’s cover…
…the inside counts, too :)
“How do you figure out what to shoot inside the books you photograph?”
I was recently asked this question by an author looking to get some #bookboudoir photos to help promote his upcoming book.
I told him the first question I ask all the authors before they send me the books is if there is anything in particular that they’d like to have photographed.
I figured that’s always a good place to start.
In some cases, there are certain elements that authors definitely want in their image portfolio, but for most, they just want to make sure there is a variety of cover and spine shots, and the rest is up to me.
That’s cool, I don’t mind taking the wheel :)
In this instance, I start by scanning the book and get a feel for how it’s put together:
Title pages
Overall typography
Pull quote format
Section headers
Illustrations
Exercise sections for readers to fill out
Other graphics
Once I’m familiar with the overall layout, I create a mental shot sheet to ensure that all of the interesting visual elements are accounted for in the image portfolio.
The next step gets a little tricky.
I select which pull quotes, section headers, illustrations and other graphics are to be photographed.
Before I hit the shutter button on a particular element in the book, I ask myself two questions:
1 - Will this element make for a visually interesting photo?
2 - Can the author write a compelling and relevant post that compliments the words and visuals within this photo?
While this may seem pretty straightforward, the reality is that it’s a bit of a dance to find an element that leads to a YES to both questions.
Not all books are laid out equally, and as a result, each one comes with its own set of advantages and challenges.
But that’s what makes the process fun for me in a very selfish way :)
Regardless of the challenges, the results are all that matters, and it’s an honor to be able to serve folks who’ve spent god knows how long working on this transformational piece of work.
It deserves to be put out into the world and have a chance to change people’s lives.
And I’m grateful to be able to become a small part of the process.
Curious to see some of the book photography work I’ve created with the over 20+ authors to date?
If you’re interested in chatting more about how I can help create an image portfolio of book photos for your upcoming launch, schedule a time to chat with me here and let’s see if we’re a fit to work together.