Guilty.
I’ve done it again. I’ve spawned another publication. This particular item from a brief encounter with White Sands National Monument, which is one tiny piece of my New Mexico opus. I can’t really call this a magazine, but I can call it a magazine format, which it is.
There was some confusion about this, but what I do is open InDesign and under the file menu you will see “Book Creator.” This allows you to punch in relevant information about specifics and then the plugin generates your files automatically, complete with bleed and trim lines. In short, if it works for me then it HAS to work for you. My design skills are puny, something I acknowledge up front to set the appropriate expectation levels.
Am I selling this little beast? No. Am I professing it’s beauty? Only it’s size, shape and material. Am I claiming it makes a profound statement? No. Am I claiming it forced me to edit my day’s take? Yes. Did creating this force me to think critically and make decisions? Yes. Am I going to make more? What do you think?
Over the past two weeks I’ve created at least three magazines, several books, a few letters and an assortment of handmade objects, both from the road and from here at home. It’s been a strangely productive time, but the pull of the unknown is creeping into my subconscious once again, which can only mean one thing. I must make more images. The monkey on my back is undeniable, insatiable and can’t be reasoned with.
hi dan, no need to be a visible comment but the video is set to private. otherwise your productivity is amazing those days. continue the good work. thanks, jeff
Jeff,
Sorry, it’s fixed now. Thanks for that.
I like the images. All of this only challenges me to break the ice. I hope to get my own visual omelet together soon.
Harold,
You already have it. It just takes sitting down and making decisions.
Yeah, I really need to dive in. btw they weren’t kidding about the white sands. That cover is compelling. The bare feet provide the perfect contrast to the sand.
Harold,
It was strange asking someone I didn’t know if could photograph their feet in the middle of white sands.
Although the plugin is free, InDesign itself weighs in at a terrifying £660 ! Impossible to contemplate, ever. In principle though the format is a very interesting idea.
Lionel,
It depends. If you are using these for your career then it makes all the sense in the world. I want, and need, magazine format, so for me it’s like buying a lens, just cheaper. Plus, if you want to work with designers it is their DNA. Do I get a thrill from buying software? Not even close. Do I get a thrill from buying a shovel? Nope. They are the same to me.
Lionel,
Oh, you can lease now too, for like $25 per month!
Lionel,
You can get a free 30 day trial of InDesign (or the other Adobe programs) then decide to buy or rent for a year or month by month for a particular project.
The year rental is OK compared to buying the full licence.
Brendan,
That’s right. YOu can lease these things now, which is a great way to go.
Of course! Creative Cloud membership is available now…doh! Thanks for the reminder.
I’m with Lionel on the $$ factor. I’m sure it’s not the first time you’ve heard impoverished nomads crying poor… well here’s another one (however temporarily) doing the same thing. Would you know if Blurb is contemplating adding the magazine format to Booksmart?
Charlene,
Depends on your goal. If you are going to work with designers and want to really make publications to sell then you might have to invest. No mention of Booksmart at this time.
yep that was the big game changer for me, i dont like any adobe products ( partly due to their pricing structure for australian customers http://delimiter.com.au/2013/02/14/farce-adobe-ceo-flatly-refuses-australian-price-questions-video/) but after downloading the blurb software and hunting around in futility for the magazine option i was very disappointed. Seems like some shady deal to funnel customers through adobe.. sorry blurb, maybe later.
Cam,
Yes, no magazine format in Booksmart as of yet. As for shady deal to get people to use Adobe, well that is one way of looking at it.
Love the idea but what about that center gully? On 2-page spreads? It broke my heart when my ONE image published in a magazine was a huge, 2-page spread, but with the damn center gully (whatever it’s called) –as in your last image. With books, the center is generally much less constricted. (I know, I don’t HAVE to use the magazine format…)
Nancy,
You will lose less with a magazine than a book, and if it bothers you then just build in a small 1/8 inch black border that runs through the center of your images. Me personally, doesn’t bother me at all. The double truck is one of my all time fav things.
it’s pure beauty.