Dear streettogs,
I am excited to announce that I (finally) published my first paper-back book: “Street Photography: 50 Ways to Capture Better Shots of Ordinary Life” in collaboration with DEXT; my Swedish publisher.
Story behind the book
This book has been a long time in the making. I first got contacted by DEXT a few years ago, and it was quite possibly one of the most exciting things. Publishing a (paper) book was one of my dreams — and the chance to collaborate was exciting to me.
Little did I know how difficult it was to write a book. Even though I had great editors and guidance, putting the words to paper is always frightening. There is a sense of “permanence” with print media which makes the whole process quite scary. Whereas with blogging– I can always change what I wrote in the future.
Anyways, I was able to distill everything I learned about street photography into about 50 principles. Funny enough– even though I wrote the book around 3 years ago, all the principles still hold strong.
Who this book isn’t for
A lot of what I write about in the book are the basics and fundamentals of street photography. This book is not for those of you who are intermediate/advanced street photographers.
However if you are new to street photography, or if you just want a handbook for inspiration, this book is for you.
Also this book would be great as a gift to friends of yours who are interested in street photography, and prefer printed material.
The joy of print
I am from the “digital generation” — I got my first computer and internet connection (AOL 3.0) when I was in the 5th grade. My childhood is mostly playing video games (NES, Super Nintendo, N64, Playstation) with my friends. I spent a lot of my time in my teens chatting on AIM (Aol Instant Messenger), in “chatrooms”, and playing computer games (Counterstrike, Starcraft).
My position is a bit weird– I still remember growing up before there were smartphones and wireless internet. I still read a ton of books as a kid (I remember reading 400+ Star Wars books from the library when I was in the 4th grade). I also loved going to the park with my friends, playing handball, baseball, soccer, and tag.
In recent years, I’ve been reading a lot of things on digital mediums (Kindle, smartphone, laptop, iPad) but I have always felt there was something missing with electronic media. There isn’t the same romanticism of paper. Not only that, but I love the physicality of paper books. I love how I can hold the books in my hand, turn the pages, mark passages I like with a pen, and also the ability to give the book as a present to close friends.
I’d also credit all the photo books I’ve bought over the years to helping me the most in improving my photography. Seeing photos in print feels so much more personal and “real” than just seeing them online.
Have this book travel with you
The size of the book is slightly smaller than an iPad mini– which means it will be easy to put in your camera bag wherever you go. The book is a good source of inspiration. If you just want a few tips to inspire you here and there, just open the book to a random page, and use it as an impetus to go out and shoot.
Thank you for the support
Publishing this book is extremely exciting for me. It has re-verified my love of paper and print media. Although I am still committed to putting out free e-books and articles on the blog, I think my ultimate goal is to put out more printed media.
I also get a cut out of every book sold; so your purchase will directly help me pay rent, groceries, and (lots of) good coffee. Thank you again so so much.
Order the book on Amazon
The book run is limited to 1,000 copies, so make sure to pick one up before they sell out:
Or if you prefer a digital version, you can order the Kindle version below:
Currently the book is only available to order in the states in America on Amazon. If you want more information on how you could order the book internationally, contact Tobias at: tobias@dext.se
Learn more about the book
Tobias, my publisher from DEXT, put together a pretty nifty website as a preview of the book. You can also learn more about the book here.