A Fine Art ‘Golf’ Chronicle..
A few months back I sent a very special coffee table book to the Printer for printing and binding. With a 7 week production time, my anticipation was at an all time high when I finally received a call letting me know a courier would be dropping the completed books off.
I could not wait to open the box and after getting a book out of it’s protective packaging, was blown-away by the quality of the workmanship.
Needless to say, I was ecstatic with the end result.
Canon EOS 7D at f/3.5, 1/1250 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
So here’s the deal, as much as I would love to showcase the book in its entirety, my agreement does not allow for this. Thus I had to blur out a few things and limit what I could show. But no matter, this is still an excellent overview..
For non-golfers, the Course was of course Bethpage Black. This is immediately evident (to golfers) by the copy on the cover; here’s a full frontal.
Canon EOS 7D at f/3.5, 1/1250 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
“The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers”.
This copy is actually a photo of sign that hangs on a railing just above the tee box of the first hole. See more on Bethpage Black in wiki if you are interested.
Since I judge books by their covers, I wanted something truly unique and eye-catching.
I started with a simple photo I took of the sign…
Orig.
And after a serious bout with Photoshop, came up with this…
Photoshopped
In terms of construction, think tri-fold, where the front cover folds over and clasps onto the inside cover via a hidden magnetic enclosure.
The cover material is a heavy duty scuff resistant laminated matte.
Canon EOS 7D at f/3.5, 1/1250 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
Here the inside cover is front and center and then connects with the rest of the book.
Canon EOS 7D at f/3.5, 1/1600 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
From the opposite angle, front cover (plain black) is just above my logo.
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/1000 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
The pages are bound using a method of sewing called “Smthy sewing”. Smyth sewing is used by professionally binderies in the creation of fine art / museum quality coffee table books.
Everything is done by hand and involves taking several sheets of paper, folding them in half, and sewing them from the middle fold through the rest of the pages into the binding.
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/1250 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
This bunch of paper is called a ‘signature’ and books are made up of several signature all sewn together. Did you get all of that?
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/1000 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
In short, all of this means the workmanship of the book is guaranteed for life. Just take a look at this strength and flexibility! And yes, the book lies flat beautifully!!
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/1000 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
The paper is a specialized archival linen paper (50% recycled). Hopefully you can make out some of the detail in these photos; it has a great texture to it.
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/800 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
And most importantly, the printer uses archival inks and prints on traditional Presses (not digital); the richness of the colors and ink saturation into the paper is amazing..
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/1000 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
Total Book Size: 10×10, about an inch deep, weighs 2lbs and contains 94 pages…
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/1000 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
Unfortunately I can’t get into the design/layout with the exception of a few pages. Here’s some detail on the history of Bethpage State Park and the Black Course. I included bits on the 2 US Opens (2002 & 2009) as well as holes and routing…
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/1250 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
PS: The duplicate image is covering something I could not show.
For some of the holes, I mocked-up pages from the yardage book with warnings and skull-and-crossbones instead of the boring, “stay clear of trees on the left” crap .
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/800 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
The last page contains a short bio and a personal photo from my archives.
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/1250 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
As I was wrapping up, my little man came outside and decided it was time for me to play with him and put away my book…
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/640 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
We are trying to pick a color for the house.
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/800 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
He has been dutiful in trying to help. Thanks Coop!!!
Canon EOS 7D at f/2.8, 1/640 sec, 300mm, 200 ISO, Manual
Photographers:
If you are ready to ‘graduate’ from digital and glue-bound photobooks, you NEED to checkout Couture Books (www.couturebooks.com). A big thanks to Rodrigo and Dave for all of their help!!!
As mentioned prior, I did all of the design and layout in-house, then based my cover on one I saw in their amazing collection. FYI: They do offer design/layout services if you are so inclined and can make anything (seriously). Even better, they are a super cool company with fantastic Concierge (aka. customer) service.
Just in case you need more proof…
- They donate a portion of proceeds from all book sales to charity. You actually get to select the charity through their “Build a Better World” program as you go through checkout.
- At minimum, their paper is at least 50% recycled. They even have a set of 100% recycled paper called the “Earth Collection” that contains the world’s first ‘green’ photo books. These books are printed on 100% post-consumer recycled acid-free archival paper and utilize environmentally sensitive materials, like hemp, from conscious suppliers. The entire process is powered by Green-E Certified Windpower and carbon offsets and trees are planed with a portion of the proceeds from each book.
- For my next book, I’m planning on going with their Lokta paper. Check this out, “Lokta paper is made from the bark of the Daphne Cannabina bush, which grows naturally in the Himalayas at altitudes of 6500 to 9500 feet. After harvesting, the bush naturally regenerates, reaching full maturity again in 6-7 years. The paper and the process of making it are completely natural, posing no threat to the Himalayan ecosystem. The bark is gathered at high altitudes and then carried down to villages, where local paper makers clean and boil the bark. The boiled bark is beaten with wooden mallets, producing a pulp, then poured over screened wooden frames.
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Play well!
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