"On the Jakobsweg"

During our absence, the hard copy of my latest book arrived from the publishers, Blurb. It's more ambitious than others I have done on similar lines: it purports to be a lightweight guide to the pilgrimage route I walked in April - approximately 500 kms. from Nürnberg to Einsiedeln. I have included maps and a page of resource information, as well as a brief diary - and of course some of my photographs.

The book's aim is to encourage others to think of trying this Camino, one that is little-walked by the English (from what I gather), but particularly rich in Christian associations. Quite apart from these, it passes through some majestic scenery, and the natives are extremely friendly! You can see the whole book via its free online preview.

My photograph shows the front cover: the photograph was taken approaching Steinhausen, known as the most beautiful village church in the world.

Adult content

For the recent sixth birthdays of our two younger grandchildren, I put together a book of weather vanes. This has now evolved into something a bit more grown up, with others' poems to complement my photographs.

It was interesting, finding out something about the subject. A wind or weather vane pivots, as I say in my brief introduction, so the pointer can move freely, the surface area being unequally divided: the side with the larger surface area is blown away from the wind direction, so that the smaller side, with the pointer, faces into the wind. For example, in a 'Nor-Easter' (a wind that blows FROM the North-East), the pointer points TOWARDS the North-East.

The word "vane" derives from the Anglo-Saxon word "fane”, meaning "flag". Originally, fabric pennants would show archers the direction of the wind: the cloth flags came to be replaced by metal ones, decorated with the overlord’s insignia, and balanced to turn in the wind.

Sometimes they are called weathercocks. St Gregory the Great having described the cock emblem as a suitable Christian identifier, churches often displayed (as many do to this day) the rooster symbol. It serves as a reminder of the Maundy Thursday prophecy, recorded by all four Evangelists, that before the next cock crow, Peter would three times deny knowing Jesus. A weathercock still describes someone changeable or fickle, tending to go whichever way the wind blows.

In April 2010, when walking in Spain on the Via de la Plata through the Province of Salamanca, I noticed a rash of varied scenes portrayed on weather vanes. It made me pay more attention to examples of our domestic tradition: it seems no less rich and varied. However, of the weather vanes I have photographed so far, only the Spanish ones incorporate an anemometer, to indicate wind speed.

As with most of my books, "The Weather Vane" is available print-on-demand. This is the link to the paperback version: it's also available in hardback.

More photobooks

It's no doubt sad to admit it, but this retiree looks forward keenly to the courier's arrival with a package containing photobooks. Four of them were for the inaugural Transylvanian Book Festival: it starts on 5th September. Having repacked them for Romania, I trotted along to our post box, but the opening was too small. And so, to the post office, where I was asked, "What's in this then?". Well, we are after all in Cheltenham, home of GCHQ.

The other photobook that came this morning was my seventh volume of blogposts (cover as above). But I'm not too happy about the reproduction of many of the photographs. Hmmm, I'm reluctant to change publisher (from Blurb), but may just look into the alternatives.

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I had been photographing churches: that was on my Wednesday circular walk, which started at Nympsfield. Clockwise, we followed a path down and then up into Uley, climbed steeply from St Giles' Church to Uley Bury, and then back through the woods above Frocester. Six of us this week. A lovely day for it - no rain. No landscape photography as I'd forgotten to charge my camera battery.

Sławomir Mrożek died a week ago: his obituary is in today's paper. The RSC brought to the Aldwych his play Tango, "a modern-day Hamlet", as described by Michael Coveney. It followed the playwright's exposure in the same theatre with his double bill in Peter Daubeny's 1964 World Theatre Season. (I remember those long thin instruments with earpieces we were given in order to hear the translations.) The image of Michael Williams and Robert Eddison tangoing as the curtain fell still remains with me even after 47 years.

Blurb's best customer?

Another of my photobooks has now arrived, from blurb.com. I designed this to give a copy to each of those who walked with me in Romania last month, as a souvenir; and I have now prepared a somewhat fuller version of the book for - hopefully - public purchase. The image above is of the cover of the (rare) first edition, and here is the link to the Blurb bookstore for the revised edition - its cover subtly different for ease of recognition by me.

Though I say it myself (I would, wouldn't I?) I think it's my most successful print-on-demand book yet.

HB2

The photographer Henrietta Butler has moved to live near Cheltenham in recent years. Yesterday, she kindly gave me some of her time (and the benefit of her considerable experience). Nothing is more enjoyable than talking to an expert in what is purported to be one's own field!

Henrietta's one-off photobook - made up of her portraits of performing and other artists over the years, taken mainly for the Guardian - puts my efforts in that line to shame. Extraordinary that she has yet to find a "proper" publisher for it! "Too old fashioned!", she calls it.

Talking with her made me think of the importance of knowing what one's aiming for. "Free range photography" is all very well: targeted photography might get me further in the long run.

Tetbury Music Festival

Last year’s festival at Tetbury took place during a freeranger downtime:this is the back story. I was asked by its Directors to take photographs during the 2010 festival that could be exhibited this year in the little gallery (once a pub) along the road from the church, used for festival exhibitions in recent years. This turned out to be something of a challenge: clearly the visual artist-in-residence was deemed in some significant eyes as of very secondary importance. I was put in my place more than once, and that place was not such a comfortable one to find oneself in.

However, a body of work emerged, and tonight it’s being hung in the gallery – a dozen or so framed photographs and more than twice as many mounted. I wonder how many will be sold during the next four days? Oh, and there’s another photobook too, which I have published via the reliable Blurb once more: the above shows the front cover.

"With an eye on the Via de la Plata"

Happy St James' Day! It also happens to be the day when I've put the finishing touches to my new book about our month on The Way of St James in April - from Seville to Salamanca.

As reported here at the time, Caroline and I went by train from Cheltenham to Seville, arriving on Maundy Thursday, and walked the first half of the Camino de Santiago which starts there, the Via de la Plata - I with my camera. The resulting photobook with the above title can now be seen here: click and you'll see that its 90 pages (with my 325 photographs and 11,000 words of commentary) are all available to view free online - if your eyes are good enough!

The book is also available for sale - print on demand; but as it's in the style of a coffee table book, it is, I fear, rather expensive: for further details see here.

All feedback extremely welcome!

More on photobooks

A few months ago, I reported my delight at receiving through the post the first book I had had published by myphotobook.co.uk. Another book arrived today, and I experienced a similar frisson when opening the package. In some ways, this is a more ambitious effort: the format is enormous - 12" x 12" - and I have taken more trouble over the narrative.

As you can see from my picture - I could only scan part of the front cover - the book records my walk in April this year from near Nogaro to St Jean-Pied-de-Port along one of the ancient routes which lead eventually to Santiago de Compostela. Soon after my return, I posted a brief report about my experiences, but this is a fuller version, running to 48 pages, with more than 200 photographs.

Unlike some print-on-demand publishers myphotobook.co.uk don't allow just anyone to examine or order the book by going straight to their site, but if you should wish to have a look at it online, I can arrange that: just put a private comment on this blogpost with your email address, or do so by saying hello via my visitor's book.

Photobooks

If you google "photobooks", you come up with approaching five million results! A bewildering choice exists, and I have not made any sort of proper survey. I did however look into it a bit after our InterRailing last Autumn. It seemed clear that, whilst expensive against the sort of book you can buy in a shop, a photobook was a worthwhile investment compared to the normal album: first, you have to buy your album: cheap ones are a false economy; and secondly you have to buy or print the photographs to go in it. Added up, it's cheaper to have a photobook made any day.

I only received my finished InterRailing book - the photograph is of the front cover (showing our route) - the other week: it took ages, first of all because my broadband connection wasn't adequate for zapping the data up to the publishers: the disk I sent was then lost in the post etc. etc. The saga is too long to bore you with. However, I am delighted with the eventual result, which looks most professional.

I used a company called myphotobook.co.uk, which is of course their web address. Despite appearances, they operate from Germany, but email communication (in English) went smoothly, and as I say the necessary troubleshooting was at length successful.

The book (132 pages all told) incorporates quite a bit of text, which I found easy to manipulate when putting it all together. You can have pictures of all sizes, with different backgrounds for variety. The colour reproduction is pretty faithful: the finish is lustrous, not glossy. The pages feel nice and thick!