I chose Blurb for my print on demand book. I had used it before and was comfortable with the software, Bookwright. I chose the images I wanted to include and the size of the book I wanted to make:
I settled on the 6x9 inch (15 x 23cm) trade book option with standard colour. I also selected the hard back with dust jacket option. I liked the idea that my book could be stuffed into a pocket or bag really easily as an accompaniment to an urban stroll, but that it also was resilient and had a physical weight and solidity.
I began designing my cover and then laying out the pages. The initial title, 'Paradise Gardens', was taken from a sign in a Southwark park called Old Paradise Gardens. I have since changed the title to 'Savage Gardens', again a reference to a street sign in EC1. I settled on 72 pages since the total needs to be a multiple of 12.
I began designing my cover and then laying out the pages. The initial title, 'Paradise Gardens', was taken from a sign in a Southwark park called Old Paradise Gardens. I have since changed the title to 'Savage Gardens', again a reference to a street sign in EC1. I settled on 72 pages since the total needs to be a multiple of 12.
Here is my first attempt at the layout of the whole book.
Version #1:
All of the pictures were taken on the various dérives in London over the last few weeks. Only one image from outside London was used in this first edit. Having looked through the pictures again, I noticed that many featured trees, plants and organic shapes juxtaposed with the straight, hard edges of buildings. London is known for its high proportion of green spaces (mainly its large parks) and I read recently that the famous American photographer, William Eggleston, always thought of England as a huge garden. My walks through the city occasionally included parks (like London Fields in Hackney) but most of these pictures document the trees and plants that appear in liminal spaces. Some are weeds - unwanted, self-seeding, colonising plants. Others have been planted deliberately but have grown into commanding presences - leaning, twisting, obstructing. Some are artificial, commemorative or temporary features of the urban landscape. Some of the trees are generations old and may have 'memories' longer than the people who live nearby. The city is always changing and some trees are uprooted in the process or urban regeneration. However, many remain and contain within them the history of the area.
Another theme that appears is the idea of social housing as an idealistic (often flawed) project - a kind of paradise, if only in the mind of the planners and architects. Many of these pictures document large blocks of flats. The alternative dream to this is, of course, the semi-detached suburban house, a kind of retreat from large-scale urban living. Often these dwellings have gardens of their own - mini parks - and these can be glimpsed behind protective fences. The sequencing is an attempt to weave together the urban and the natural, colour and black and white, the large and the small scale. I have tried to vary the viewpoints and scale of the images to create a pleasing rhythm like the experience of drifting aimlessly through an urban landscape, drawn by the quality of the light or by something interesting in the corner of your eye. People only appear in one of the photos, near the middle of the book, although traces of human presence are everywhere.
Another theme that appears is the idea of social housing as an idealistic (often flawed) project - a kind of paradise, if only in the mind of the planners and architects. Many of these pictures document large blocks of flats. The alternative dream to this is, of course, the semi-detached suburban house, a kind of retreat from large-scale urban living. Often these dwellings have gardens of their own - mini parks - and these can be glimpsed behind protective fences. The sequencing is an attempt to weave together the urban and the natural, colour and black and white, the large and the small scale. I have tried to vary the viewpoints and scale of the images to create a pleasing rhythm like the experience of drifting aimlessly through an urban landscape, drawn by the quality of the light or by something interesting in the corner of your eye. People only appear in one of the photos, near the middle of the book, although traces of human presence are everywhere.
Book Dummy #1:
I decided to make a quick dummy version of the book, just to see if the sequencing and scales of the pictures worked and to get a sense of what it might be like to flip through the book. I took screenshots of the first draft of the book using the Blurb preview function. These were then printed A4 at 70%, folded and bound together. I also attempted to make a mock-up of the dust jacket.
I was relatively pleased with the dummy version, but I have chosen to replace some images in Bookwright and to redesign the cover slightly. I've also changed the title of the book. It's now called 'Savage Gardens', a reference to an old street in the City. A photograph of its street sign is included in this version of the book. I hope that this change hints more at the tumultuous history of these city streets - plagues, fires, bombs, poverty, malnutrition and successive resettlements caused by urban development. The street in question was named after a famous resident which suggests themes of historical power, wealth and status. I like the poetic quality of the phrase. We don't normally think of gardens as savage? This is how I feel about a city like London. It can be extremely beautiful, peaceful and nourishing but, simultaneously, it can be overwhelmingly bleak, bitter and dangerous. A garden is often highly manicured, carefully designed and lovingly nurtured. But all gardens contain weeds and, if you don't pay attention, the brambles and bindweed will soon begin to take over.
Here is the final sequence:
Here is the final sequence:
Book Dummy #2
I adapted the first dummy so I could see the new cover design and selected spreads.
I was pleased with these small adjustments and ready to print. I uploaded the file to the Blurb servers and ordered a copy of the book. Here is the public listing on Blurb. I've made the book available to purchase via the Blurb website at £22. A preview of the book is also available.