Reading Response One

Stephanie Scott ART 333 – Photo Book January 30, 2013 Response Paper

During this reading, we were exposed to the changing world of publishing. Digital publishing has reduced the covers of various items, such as CDs, videos, and books, so a small square or rectangle. No more plastic, cloth, or paper; the amount of text outside of the product is reduced. However, the digital production is usually cheaper than their physical counterparts, and their ability to travel is spectacular. The articles Hack the Cover and The Photo Book Will Rise Again are two articles that examine the changing effects of digital publishing and how they are changing the photo book.

Hack the Cover by Craig Mod was an eye opener to the change undergoing books and their covers in the digital age. When one looks up a book in the App store for the IPod or IPad, or the market for Kindle, they simply see a rectangular image with the title of the book. With captions and summaries, there is no need for a back. Without physical pages, there is no need for a spine. Illustrators are limited to that small rectangle, the only space that they can visually describe the content for the book.

Personally, I prefer the physical book. I love the texture of the pages and the smell they acquire after years on a shelf. I enjoy the combined weight of the pages and cover and can enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when I finish reading. However, I enjoy the portability of carrying my treasure trove of two-thousand songs music, dozens of movies, and numerous books around with me in an object only three-by five inches which weighs less than an apple.

The Photo Book Will Rise Again by Alan Rapp was a description of the peril of book publishing, specifically the publishing of the photo book. With the cost of reproducing photographs, the cost of the paper, ink, and size (‘coffee-table’ book), makes a photo book a high retail product, so purchasing a photo book ends up being a very large financial decision. With the availability of independent publishing websites, “the independently published photo book is flourishing.” With Lulu, Walmart, Shutterfly, and other self-publishing services, self-published books cost less and anyone, both amateur and professional photographer, has the ability to take their work and give it a front and back cover. Photography blogs also reduce the need for physical photo books, as they are constantly changing through constant additions being made on a daily basis.

With the rise of digital publishing, books are less space consuming and easy to access.

However, I think that there will still be many who prefer the physical form of the book, CD, or movie, and thus physical publishing will continue. But with the technological advancements of the future and a technologically-obsessed audience, preferences may continue to change and the physical form of the photo book could eventually become obsolete in its entirety.