The hardest thing to do is to start.

Sometimes I feel like I have all this energy and ideas, only to pull out a piece of paper and realize it’s blank.

Purpose gives you direction

In the case of this project, I knew what I wanted to do, but not what I was going to do.

Let me explain.

I had the day off of work and needed to run some errands, so I had the idea a few days before to bring some cameras along and see if I could somehow make a small zine from the trip. I knew what my end goal was, but I did not know what I was going to actually capture to fill those pages or if there was a story to tell.

The morning just happened to be -22 here in Minnesota and a huge sun dog was in the sky. I didn’t know until that morning what my focal point was going to be until then.

I zig zagged back roads for a few hours and took around 100 photos from film to digital. I let the images sit for a while before developing my rolls and downloading any digital files.

This breathing room helps eliminate any biases from shooting and helps you see things you may have overlooked.

The whole start to finish process is a mix of storytelling, graphic design and sequencing. If you have not worked on putting a spread together of images, it makes you change how you photograph in the field the next time you go out. You start looking for images that compliment each other, colors that match or textures you know would look good with text overlayed.

Besides sequencing your book and the design, the most difficult part is what to not include. In the end, less is more and you have to make some tough decisions to cut images you like, but may not fit the overall layout.

When you feel good about your project, order a couple test books. It is very rare you nailed it on your first print. Using places like blurb or mag cloud, you can make test books for a reasonable price and this can save you a lot of money from ordering a bunch only to realize there is something you need to change or wish you would have done different.

Technology can be a blessing or a curse. I remember this interview with Ralph Gibson from over a decade ago on the Candid Frame podcast where he was asked if he missed the old days. His response was really profound. He said, “There is no longer any excuses today. We control our entire destiny. There are not the same barriers for entry. We can make the book. We can record the album. We can be the editor, publisher, printer, artist all in one.”

There are no more excuses

We do not have to wait for someone to do the thing for us. We can now just make it. I think this gives the creative so much more power now.

As the first line said, the hardest thing to do is start, but seeing your project go from a blank page to a completed print or book is very rewarding. You can share it or just keep it for yourself. There are no rules for your art.

I have released a limited copy of these for sale at:

https://ko-fi.com/homeontherangefinder