Last year I participated in a bookmaking workshop with Joseph Wright and whilst I subsequently made a couple of books using spare images from the workshop, I had yet to go through the process of printing the images directly onto the paper, something I was keen to do.

The Images

A few days before Christmas a cold frost descended on Glasgow and I found an opportunity to spend an hour on Glasgow Green with my camera. After processing the shots there were 12 images I liked and felt would work well together as a small series.

The first step was to print a contact sheet of the images on my chosen paper, Fotospeed Matt Duo 240. This allowed me to see how the images printed on the paper and importantly to see how they worked together.

I was pleased with how they came out on paper but I discarded 3 images as they didn’t work as well as the other images. I then cut the paper to the required size, 21cm x 14.5cm, and set up a template in Lightroom with the right border sizes for printing the individual images.

The next step was to get the images into the best sequence and it took me a while and multiple tweaks to get an order that I felt worked well from front to back. The three pictures show some of the steps taken in finalising the running order.

Needle and Thread

With the order sorted and the book clipped together (this always takes me time!) it was time to get the Japanese punch out. Having made some errors in previous attempts I was particularly careful as any error would result in me having to reprint a page.

I had, a few months ago, acquired some waxed threads from Bound by Hand and this would be my first opportunity to try them out… after selecting a colour. I opted for a white thread, which I felt worked well with the cover, and decided to use the same stitching template I have used in my other books. I was immediately impressed with the thread and found it much easier to get a tighter stitch. Definitely my best sewing effort to date.

The Result

The video below is a quick flick through the finished book; Mist on the Green.

Producing this small book has been a enjoyable and satisfying process. From taking the pictures with a form of output in mind, to maintaining a consistent approach when processing and then spending time sequencing the images in different orders to understand how the flow and feel of the book changed.

It has again whet my appetite for bookmaking and I already have a couple of other projects in mind which I will try to transform into finished books over the next couple of months.

It is also changing my approach when I am out with my camera as I am not necessarily set on the single wow shot, rather I am giving consideration to how I might build up a series of shots from that trip that compliment each other.