A self-published photobook starring the Puffin and the Gannet and the islands they live on; Skokholm Island (Wales) and Helgoland.
Both the Northern Gannet and the Puffin live their lives at sea and only come on land to bread. Driven by my fascination for them, I decided to undertake several phototrips (to Helgoland and Skokholm Island) in order to observe these iconic seabirds in their natural habitat.
The results of these phototrips are displayed in this photobook. It’s a collection of portraits of these magnificent and impressive seabirds showing their character, elegance and beauty. Together with extensive background information (in English and Dutch) it has become a coffee table book for you to enjoy.
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For the past 5 years, I’ve been focussing on nature photography. The comments I’m receiving on my photos are very positive and with some of them I even won awards. People have been telling me for quite some time now that I should do more with my pictures, that there is a larger audience interested in them. Therefore I decided to make this photobook.
What started as a solo project became an interesting journey during which I met a lot of enthusiastic people willing to support my project. Support with text writing, the translation of text from Dutch into English, graphical design. So a terrific team emerged, enabling us to create this quality photobook and ensuring this project will be managed and finished at an excellent level. At this moment all the preparations are done and the layout has been finalized. The printer has been selected, we are ready for print.
The aim of this crowd funding campaign is to raise part of the book’s production costs and to get an idea of how many copies will be needed.
This project will require a total of 6.000 euro which is the stretch goal of the campaign. With the 3,750 euro pledged I feel confident to start the production and cover the gap with the sales of the remaining books.
The printing of the book will be done in offset printing, a high quality print. This means that we have to make an accurate estimation of the quantity of books required in case we will be exceeding the minimum order quantity. And of course I hope we will.
A high end table photobook for people to look at and read over and over again. Enjoy the amazing pictures, the beauty and character of the iconic sea birds and the islands they live on, also the beauty of nature in general.
98 Full-page pictures are telling a story, but not the whole story. People often ask me questions about those islands, about my encounters with the animals and the circumstances in which I take my pictures.
There’s a story behind each picture, so I decided to tell these stories as well. Apart from the pictures, the book also contains a text part (in two languages; English and Dutch) explaining the animals, the islands and some phototips. No boring technical information, but practical photograph and travel tips, which will turn your photography trip into a true success story especially for those who want to have a go for it themselves. They also picture a very clear image of life behind the camera and the photographs for the non-photographers amongst the readers.
(Please be aware that all images show a dummy and not the final book. It’s taken from layout file.)
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– A total of 152 Pages
-98 Full page (full color) pictures. Starring the Puffin and Northern Gannet Book
– Background information in Dutch and English (separate sections)
– Dimensions: height: 255 mm, width: 305 mm (10×12 inch)
– Offset printing, printed in Belgium
– Planned retail price: 39,50 Euro in bookstores
The book contains 4 award winning photos. Three photos have been published in the National Geographic calendar 2016, one photo was part of an exhibition held in various locations in Belgium.
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Prints can be selected out of this range of photos:
After the campaign we ask you by mail which photo(s) you prefer.
Timing:
I graduated as a photographer at the IKA in Mechelen 25 years ago. After completing my studies I decided to put photography on hold. In 2009 I picked up a camera again and decided to combine my passion for nature with my renewed urge for photography.
To me, nature photography is all about two things: enjoying nature around me and getting in touch with the animals.
I will often literally spend hours and days on the exact same spot and simply look around, searching for surprises which our beautiful nature often miraculously puts in front of my lens. Observing animals is absolutely fascinating. Who fights with whom? Who is the most coveted female? Who’s macho and who’s a misfit?
Animals are my central focus point. I’m not looking for that one spectacular photograph for which everything needs to be disturbed, but I always approach the animals and their environment with the utmost respect. I may well thus miss a photo opportunity, but undoubtedly there is always another fantastic opportunity right around the corner.
You can see more of my work on www.blog.sobry-fotografie.be
If you can’t contribute, doesn’t mean you can’t help:
One of the objectives is to reach a larger and broader audience for my photography. This means spreading the word. And that’s where you can help
Please share this campaign with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or send the info to your email contacts who you think might be interested in this project.
The Kickstarter share tools on this site can help you getting the word out!
All the preparations regarding the book have been done. The layout is finalized and is ready for print, two Belgian printers have been selected (final choice still to be made), an appropriate packing has been developed for the book to reach its destination without any damage. So the majority of the work has been done. The remaining risks and challenges in this project are print quality and on time delivery.
-Print quality. The selected printers have an outstanding reputation regarding quality. The paper selected is a high grade, high quality paper ensuring the best print quality. My team has the knowledge of printing artwork and books. This means that we are able to monitor the process and have in depth discussions with the printer ensuring the best printing quality possible.
-On time delivery. The selected printer has an excellent track record. Not only as far as print quality is concerned but also for respecting the delivery date. The fact that they are located nearby enables us to react quickly in case problems might occur. The packaging process will be done by ourselves with a focus on delivery performanc