PhotoBook Press is proud to have been a partner in creating Tim Corcoran’s latest photography book: “Mt Shasta the Beautiful”.

This stunning collection of Tim’s photographs salutes both the majestic landscapes of the Mount Shasta bioregion- and its inhabitants.  Corcoran’s book explores the volcano and its surroundings as only a local resident (and very talented photographer) could.

Take a closer look at the limited-edition book here, or visit Tim Corcoran Photography Gallery online.

Details about the structure of Tim’s Book:

• Dimensions:  10” x 10”
• Bindings:  Signature Sewn Binding
• Cover:  Black Leather with Custom Foil Stamp
• Protection:  Custom Graphic Dust Jacket
• Paper:  120 lb. Coated, Archival
• End Papers:  Black Moire
• Pages:  204

We have published a lot of memoirs, but this recent one of a WWII aviator really stood out for its story and design.  Michelle Nahom, one of our MemoriesShared Affiliates, compiled and designed this retrospective of one hero’s experience. The story is compelling, and the design absolutely fits the subject.  Even the “bomber jacket” brown leather finish, the custom dog-tags foil stamp and custom end papers were chosen to complete a book that is a tribute to a great man’s life and an heirloom for his family.

Take a look…

Fine art books quite often showcase work other than photographs.  We just finished a book of stunning watercolor paintings by Troy Crowder. Click on the cover image to look inside.

Watercolors Revisited by Troy Crowder

What Troy describes as a “pleasant distraction” and “experimenting with the transparent colors”, has clearly turned into beautiful paintings by a very talented artist.  This is a great example of “hanging your art” on the page of a book as well as on a gallery wall. Complete with titles, commentary and a nice biography, Troy says this book has impressed his friends.  He said in an email to us, “Thank you all again for turning out a book of such high quality, and one that presents my watercolors so well.”

Thank you, Troy, for sharing your art with us.

We recently posted a short movie showing the steps required to make our fine, sewn signature custom books.  Take a look, and then let us make one for you.

We recently completed an amazing and original book for Bjorn Meisner. It is a beautifully illustrated children’s book that illustrates and preserves an inspiring story that family members had heard from a beloved elder.

Bjorn says about the book…

The writing has been retrieved after grandma Ann’s passing in December 2009. Her daughter, JoAnne (my mother in law), reflected on how important family has been to her mother and how she always loved to tell stories to her grand children. She hired an illustrator with the purpose of providing the visual elements that bring the story to life. The craftsmanship of the rendering as well as the simplicity of the story, the setting and the universal theme of friendship and overcoming adversity connect on a level that is touching and inspiring for children and adults alike. The quest for craftsmanship and relationships has been extended by choosing the best-in-class printing, binding and designing – Photobook Press – to pay tribute to the loving mother and grandmother we are keeping in our loving memories.

What a beautiful story and a great memory to share with family and friends!

Rebecca Field, photographer and author of The Great Blue Heron in the Rookery and Beyond sent us a very sad email yesterday.

In her email, Rebecca reported…

It was a very sad day today.  The North Mississippi Regional Park island heron rookery that was the subject of my book took a direct hit in Sunday’s tornado.  I was there today representing Audubon MN along with a few members of the National Parks, DNR, Animal Humane Society, and Watershed Dist.(with boats).  It was billed as a search and rescue mission, but in reality we knew it was pretty hopeless. More of a public relations effort and an assessment.  Nearly all the trees on the island, all full of nests with young chicks, were either blown over or stripped of branches and foliage. What was left standing was not much! There were 5 dozen dead heron chicks on the ground on the island, a few dead adults, an adult with a broken leg, and an adult with a broken wing. Since herons with broken legs and wings cannot be rehabed we did not try to rescue them. Great Blue Herons have bills that can be lethal if approached. We loaded two young chicks and one juvenile in crates into a car to be taken to the rehab center in Roseville. They appeared to me to be nearly lifeless, but we’ll see what can be done.

Rebecca’s photography and book are a wonderful documentation of these magnificent birds and their habitat.  We are lucky to have her beautiful images and descriptive commentary to remind us of what a wonderful wildlife refuge this was.

Those of us who live near the Mississippi River marvel at the size and wonder of these birds when we see them on or around the river. We can only hope that nature will rebuild and that some day we will see these fabulous birds back in the park.

You can read more about the Great Blue Heron and the impact of the tornado on the rookery at:

U.S. National Parks Service

National Parks Traveler

Cathy and Beth create exotic custom jewelry.

They needed a LookBook to show buyers this week in Manhattan.  Last Monday, they designed the layout using the PhotoBook Press Design Tool; and we printed, bound, stamped with a custom die of their logo, and delivered their books in less than 4 days.

WoW!!

To take a look, click here, or on the image below…

Pages from the CatherineBeth LookBook

On their website, www.catherinebeth.com, Cathy & Beth describe their concept…

It’s earthy and edgy. It’s classic and clean. It’s the kind of line that appeals to a variety of clients because the pieces are so versatile. They can be worn separately or layered, long or short, with jeans or a cocktail dress. Somehow the jewelry takes on the personality of the person wearing it and looks good on everyone. From sandalwood to ebony, rose gold to pave diamonds they are not afraid to combine textures and metals with leather and gems. And they are constantly evolving so one never feels as if they’ve already seen that before.

This beautiful jewelry has already caught a mention for its “new direction” in Elle magazine, March 2011 edition.

They certainly caught our attention!

We were pleased when Vance Gellert, Photography Curator of the IFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts asked us to create a gallery book to accompany the  opening for A View of the Vernacular, photography by Eric Ruby and Lex Thompson.  The show opened last night, Friday, May 20th, and runs until July 30 at 2446 University Ave W, Suite 100, St. Paul.

Take a look at the book, click here, or on the image below.

Albany, MN 2009, Eric Ruby

IFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts’ mission is to advance a vibrant and diverse community of independent film and media artists through networking, education, funding, and opportunities for showcasing their work. Curator Vance Gellert assembles five exhibitions a year, thematically relating two photographers work in each presentation. All work is Minnesota based emerging photographers of promise and projects by mid career artists that have not been shown.

From the IFP MN web site, Vance says about this show,

By definition, the vernacular is the language of the ordinary, the everyday. In photography, it refers to amateur snapshots, but it is also a strategy used by photographers to show the beauty and depth of the banal that is usually dismissed as too common to have visual significance. The vernacular reveals our history and how we relate to it, both individually and as a culture.

A recent transplant to the Midwest, Eric Ruby seeks to explore this region as an idea rather than a place. In searching for these images, he has come across rather bizarre situations that have inspired an eclectic potpourri of photographs.

The photographs of Lex Thompson’s All Our Pleasant Places are of ruinous landscapes, amusement parks, museums, zoos, and private homes, exploring the American myth of Manifest Destiny and its seemingly endless horizon of optimism and possibility. The images depict the construction of fantasy and desire in our landscape while revealing the frailty of the hopes we bring to the world.

These photographs are anything but banal!

Make sure to stop by IFP MN and see the photography for yourself.

Jack Nelson, a friend and great sculptor, has been creating catalogs of his art that he distributes to his gallery customers.  These beautiful photo books are a key part of his marketing effort since they make it possible for a gallery to showcase all his pieces, while only having one or two on the show room floor.

The most recent soft cover catalog is almost as beautiful as his cast resin works of art.

Take a look…

These unique pieces are the result of a complex creative and production process. Photography captures the reflected light in these pieces in a unique way.

Jack describes his inspiration and art :

The way the sun plays on the water, the way the wind fills a sail, the way the water carves a stone — all inspire me to create shapes that move, dance and play. I have chosen resin casting as my medium because of its unique ability to capture light — which is, after all, the essence of what we see. Because of this quality, the pieces I create are always alive — the light sparkles and moves over the curves and throughout the whole form to remind me of the way sunlight dances on the water, or ice crystals float on the wind. My work connects me to the natural world that I love.

You can see more about Jack and his work at www.jacksartwork.com

Artists often need portfolio books to supplement a gallery showing. PhotoBook Press fine art photo books in a catalog or portfolio presentation format are perfect for photographs, but are equally wonderful for any fine art that can be captured in a digital image, such as paintings, ink drawings, and sculpture.

We just finished a beautiful photo book of a trip of a lifetime for Lauren Posner.  Lauren won a spectacular long weekend in Paris with her husband Mark, and documented it perfectly with a custom photo book that she designed using our PhotoBook Press Design Tool.

Click here to flip through Lauren’s book, or click on the image below.  We liked her beautiful design sense, that the flow of the book captured the essence of that special weekend, and the great images of Paris.

We were thrilled with the book.  But, so was Lauren…”PhotoBook Press exceeded my expectations. Their books are of a suburb quality and their customer service is excellent. I can’t wait to start designing my next book… ”

Lauren is the creative force behind Create LP,  specializing in custom photo book design.  Make a book about Travels, Events, Weddings, etc., and let her transform your images and give them new life!  You can find her at www.createlp.com