Creative: Morocco Zine, Philipp Erkert

Let me introduce you to a beautiful Zine. For those unfamiliar with Zines, know they are an “informal” or “underground,” magazine. There are nearly 10,000 Zines printed each year in the United States alone. They can be handmade, or made with a copier, printed print-on-demand, or through a classic offset method. Zines are a truly Democratic print object. Over the past decade, my book love has transferred from the classic coffee-table book to the Zine-style publication.

And now, even the best photographers are creating Zines.

Philipp Erkert is a new friend. We had one Zoom call and exchanged emails. That’s enough for me to slip him into the friend category. Philipp produced the beauty you see here. He has a real job, is completely put together in the way only Europeans can pull off, and loves North Africa. And we are the beneficiaries of this love because like all good photographers, he took the time to print his works.

This publication feels real and personal. This also makes me feel like Philipp didn’t press too far. Sometimes when we go abroad, especially in the Show Me Age, we feel an intense need to perform for the audience. This is what allows Instagrammers to slip and fall to their death, and it’s the same pressure that makes photographers think they can summarize a country in a ten-day visit and then attempt to get a book deal upon returning home. Pure crazy, and it sucks most of the joy out of just being somewhere new.

I can also feel his travels through the pages of his Zine. I don’t need a hundred images of the medina in Fez. I don’t need the classic Morocco images people seem to think they need. I need only one look at each moment that triggered his eye. And I need to know what’s going on in Phil’s head. (Shortening his name out of pure laziness.) The writing is on par with the images. Picture books and Zines are fine, but my love of picture books is waning because I’ve seen so many average photobooks. Zines feel more visceral, fractured, damaged, and imperfect. Zines feel real.

This reminds me of Cherie Nutting’s book, “Yesterday’s Perfume.” I love Paul Bowles, so perhaps I’m jaded, but what I love about Nutting’s book is the feeling of it still being a work in progress. Philipp’s book feels like the kind of book you can produce no matter where you are or the circumstances. It feels like the perfect one-camera, one-lens experience. (The best kind.) And if you don’t know Paul Bowles I’m never speaking to you again.

I also feel Philipp is a fine photographer. He’s got good composition, an understanding of light, and makes quiet pictures without intruding on the scene. If I remember correctly, he was on a tour, so limited time in each location, making this Zine even more impressive. Morocco gets sizable European and international tourism, making it a tricky place to photograph. This is why as photographers we must adapt. There is no other way. Could I make New Mexico-style imagery in Morocco? Yes, most likely, but only after spending far more time than I currently have. This means I need to adapt my work to what Morocco offers. This could mean shifting my focus from portraiture to landscapes, or from street photography of people to the incredible detail of Moroccan architecture.

And this is where stories come to be. New Mexico and Morocco share much in common. I even know of a North African-built structure hidden in the hills of Northern New Mexico. I photographed there, so combining existing work from New Mexico with new work from Morocco is possible. Not a picture book. A book with narrative because I want to tell you a story.

Are there things I would update on this Zine? Yes. I feel the final spreads are too busy creating a feeling that he was trying to squeeze in too much, and there is also a section at the end that shows his Xpan panoramics. It’s not that I don’t like the images, but it feels like adding a new format disrupts the beauty of the first two-thirds of the Zine. I would tell Philipp, “Less is more, less is more.” The Xpans could be their own Zine.

You should take two things from this post. One, he printed his work. Two, you should be asking how this was printed. I’ll share that at the end. I have not visited Morocco since 2000 when my soon-to-be wife and I, along with another photographer and his wife, rented a Fiat Uno with no air conditioning and drove 4,000 kilometers through the dusty folds of Morocco. (I proposed to her on that trip!) I didn’t shoot much on that trip. I wrote daily, shot one Polaroid per day, and exposed maybe ten rolls of film during the entire trip. But the cities and countryside left a lasting impression. I will return to Morocco this fall. Co-teaching another class with Elena. My fourteen-year-old niece is interested in photography. This is the kind of publication and story, I would love to show her.

Print-Info:

Print-Company: Bookfactory. It’s Swiss.

Product type: Booklet

Paper: X-Per 120 g/m² (it’s a satin-type finish, quite durable, deep blacks and slightly warm white)

Size: A5 (5.8 x 8.3 inches), 64 pages, Stitched binding