Hello.
As I prepare this newsletter I have
in my ears. She’s amazing. It’s great music for photo editing. It occupies my busy mind while leaving the visual processing aspect of my brain free and uncluttered for photos.
Some years ago I had an idea for a bi-annual publication I was going to call The Photohumourist. I readied vol1 as a test. But I didn’t follow through. Didn’t have the confidence. Thought I’d struggle for content over time. That there wouldn’t be enough interest. All sorts. Then I revived the idea when Fujifilm launched the X100 line of cameras in 2011. This camera shook up the photography world, particularly those of us practicing street photography. So I figured I’d play with the camera and set up a website for a periodical called The X100 Files. See what I did there? Feckin’ daft.
I even printed a one off.
At the time, however, I had no social media presence to speak of and was still something of a photography lone wolf. Still am, I suppose. But I do have an audience now. And it’s growing.
I’ve also been struggling to find work as so many of us have been. Had a few recent nights of interrupted sleep as I tried to figure out my next steps as a photographer.
Yesterday, after meeting with a friend for coffee and delivering a book, I was feeling the photo mojo kicking in so I took a long walk. I do my best thinking while walking. I was starting to see good pictures.
I could feel a clarifying of thought and sure enough the periodical idea took hold again. I knew it had been progressing as an idea over the last several months in my subconscious.
As other photographers and artists around me have been moving to platforms like Patreon for monthly subscriptions and other financial support, I knew I was not a good fit for such a thing. Doesn’t sit right with me.
During the pandemic I made and sold handmade books and got lots of very encouraging feedback. I continually developed and improved my book making techniques. I made a batch and sold them. Then I made them to order. This was often a bit slow. Sorry about that.
But with all of this activity and my growing presence on social media and the emergence of various facilities online, I have decided to launch a subscription for a monthly book, a hodge podge of pictures made in a given month. These could be on the streets. Of a particular event. At home. On travels. Whatever I’m doing. Wherever I am. Whomever is with me. It’s all potential fodder. Occurrences of mediocrity will be kept to a minimum. Hopefully each month there’ll be a gem or two. Such as this green beamer.
Or these atmospheric willows here in Sydenham late one night recently.
There’ll likely be no sequencing, just a collection of pictures. Every so often I’ll throw in a print or a promo piece or whatever. Mix it up. Have fun with it. Hopefully it’ll be quite a freeing project. There’s always something of interest to be discovered here in London, like Little Amal’s recent visit to Deptford.
An annual subscription will be £80 for 12 little books posted every month. This will allow me to bulk buy materials and keeps costs down. I’ll be able to make work secure in the knowledge that I’m being supported and will be less impacted by the constant worry I feel at present. Subscribers will also get discounts on prints from my new shop at Big Cartel. A4, A3 and A2 size museum grade giclee/pigmented ink prints prepared under my supervision at Flow Photographic. These are expensive to produce but will last for generations if well cared for. Each print will have a small white border to facilitate framing. They’ll be signed on back with image and print details.
Framing is left to the buyer to sort out, hopefully supporting a local framer in the buyer’s area. For my colour work I recommend a white matte and frame. When you walk into a room with photographs, it should be the photos that impact right away and not the framing. If the frames are dark or black they will be the first graphic element noticed and the photographs will be secondary. Another reason I don’t offer framing is because of interior styling and design. Each space is different and the buyer may have specific requirements. Plus it gets very expensive to insure and ship.
Might such a subscription be of interest to you? Drop me a line if so at photo@paultreacy.com. I often hear that prints are too expensive, particularly during this difficult time. Small books are affordable, collectible and tangible. And these will be expertly handmade using archival materials.
Once I settle on a name I will immediately set it up, hopefully in time to get November’s book out for Christmas.
How does Solivagant sound? A solitary wanderer, which is what I am when exploring. This was also the name of my collaborative book with Eoin.
Yesterday I saw alpacas going for a walk in Crystal Palace Park. A rare sight indeed. This could be a contender for this month’s book.
Thank you for your time.
All images © Paul Treacy 2021.
Perhaps not Solivagant. It has already been applied to another project which some of the readers of this blog have in their collection. And which will likely be expanded eventually. I'm thinking instead of Passerby. Simple.