The past few years have seen an incredible rise in the range and relevance of the photography book. Thankfully. And when I say “book,” I don’t mean JUST the expected, beloved, hardcover behemoths we have come to know and love but the fluid, personal, art publications ranging from the handmade to the zine to the print-on-demand to the boutique-published, small-run gem that sells out in eight minutes leaving you feeling spent if you weren’t fast enough. One of the best places to get a look at books is at Ampersand Gallery and Fine Books in Portland. Walking in, to the book lover, is like being released from San Quentin for the criminally challenged. It’s pure joy people. My first thought is always “What bag do I have with me, and how much can I carry?” This wonderfull bookshop and gallery are brought to you by mastermind Myles Haselhorst. And hey, guess what? I interviewed him. Look down. Ya, right there. Myles is such a nice guy, and does a wonderful job of combining exhibitions and books. He created a space that screams for repeat visits because you just never know what you are going to find. Very unlike say….a chain store, or even a single publisher store where you know what you are going to get before you get out of your 1982 Camaro Uber experience. Many thanks goes to Myles for allowing me the time and interview.
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So I jumped on kickstarter and I searched for “photo book” and then I sorted by “Most Funded” to weed out the projects that aren’t getting funded.
Holy crap. It’s a whole crazy world out there. Small edition publishing (from editions of 1 to editions of 500, say) is *exploding*. And the Internet Photography Community(tm) hasn’t the slightest inkling.