Daily Archives: November 2, 2024

A photo book on childbirth might be too much for some publishers, but Blurb provided a solution for award-winning photographer

Art photographers now hold the power to publish their own work, and there are good reasons to – even someone previously published and exhibited in Parliament and the Saatchi Gallery can find that they face an uphill struggle when they present something that challenges the art world’s sometimes negative assumptions – but there are solutions!It’s hard to imagine why a photographic ode to the simple glory of wild birthing – a series which has won two awards – wouldn’t be of interest. It is controversial (there’s a nativity setting) and there is no AI going on; this is real photography.Natalie Lennard – with a number of works under her name, including two books published internationally by major publishing houses, found that her latest project – Birth Undisturbed – was, at the very least, going to suffer a pretty slow process. In her opening salvos for her recent projects with major publishers she tells me that it wasn’t unusual to hear that publishers are “Busy for the next few years.” Add a publishing cycle to that (anything from six to 18 months, in my experience), and an art project might well have moved on, so you can see why Natalie Lennard would look to a self-publishing service like Blurb.”You get complete control – as fast as you’re willing to work. That’s huge for me because I want to seize the moment to promote my projects when I’m in the heat of passion for them. Years later, my energy will likely be centered on something else.”It’s also true that it’s possible to start with something physical if you’re aiming to reach a wider world.All of which explains why Natalie has self-published her own book of Birth Undisturbed (indeed many books that start this way are eventually picked up by smart commissioning editors at traditional publishers) showcasing the series with breathtaking close-ups from the 100MP camera she shot them with. Using Blurb has allowed her to list the book on Amazon, which she has found from no other print-on-demand company that also offers its own design software.The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!Lulu, a more cost-efficient platform that provides a template for users to create their book in InDesign, doesn’t currently allow Natalie’s 134-page art book Surreal Fashion to be placed on their Global Distribution program – for now, limiting it to Lulu’s own bookshop.Her Birth Undisturbed book made on Blurb is pricier, even more so after adding Amazon’s commission, but she’s offered two sizes both on Premium Lustre paper and is upfront to her audience about the reality of costs in 2024.Laying the book out using Blurb. (Image credit: Natalie Lennard)”I won’t bullshit – the price of my book on Amazon is eye-watering” she admits, but “This is just what it costs in 2024 for an independent.” To be fair, it seems price-competitive with some of the best coffee table photography books, where it’s fair to say it’s harder to find a “beautiful birth philosophy and the insights of an artist who’s long given up being a pretentious prig.”You can see Birth Undisturbed on Amazon.com, or UK readers are better off checking  Blurb.If your creative interest has been piqued, you can look into building your own book using the Blurb platform; you can keep them for yourself or give them as gifts as well as publish more widely.Full disclosure – I’ve worked with Natalie (I was one of those professional publishers, before my time at Digital Camera World), so I can say just how good her books were, and I know just how well they sold – in multiple languages. I can also understand why modern print-on-demand holds so much more appeal for a working artist – who wants a book to come out years after your photo series was taken?See our guide to the best photo books, if you fancy taking your first steps in self-publishing

Letter: Concerned about library books

One of the most important roles of public servants is timely communication with their constituents. They should show they care by responding to their concerns and promoting the democratic process.I asked Commissioner Bell a month ago to contact me about the library issue and books of a sexually graphic nature in our children’s/teen section, and I still haven’t heard from her. I sent a letter to the library director and board, and I appreciate that the library director contacted me. I’m still waiting to hear from the board chair. These voluntary board positions are supposed to serve as checks and balances. Many of us can’t attend board meetings, and the county commissioner meetings are during the day when most people are working or don’t live in the area.

Author’s children’s book highlights the loss of an African language

Being the only person in the world that can do something is a trait one could assume many wish they had. The downside to being so special is: Who will carry on this legacy once you are not there to fulfill it?
Nonagenarian, Katrina Esau, is one such special individual. Author Lorato Trok wrote a book, which was recently launched in Melville at Book Circle Capital, to bring awareness, not only to Esau’s individuality but to her importance too. Esau is the last remaining fluent speaker of the critically endangered N|uu language, one of the Khoi San dialects, and Trok’s children’s book, Golden Girl, tells the story of this Northern Cape native.
Read more: Author unravels Africas complex past
For the author, writing this book was important in order to document African stories from a non-Western gaze, “But as a celebration of Ouma Katrina’s resilience amid the apartheid regime which tried to make her invisible.” Another salient point was to make people aware that languages can go extinct if not written, read, or spoken. It’s the language’s extinction that Trok meets with sadness. “No one should be deprived of speaking their language as it is their identity as humans.”
It’s Trok’s belief that people, like Ouma Katrina, as she is affectionately known, are a testament that anyone can be a hero. “It can be your neighbour, who doesn’t know how to read and write but still starts a school, like Ouma Katrina,” she shared. They are such a vital part of the community as they stand up for change, and their good deeds can be emulated by members of their communities.
Also read: Author Angelo C Louw breaks barriers with exploration of systematic oppression and intersectionality.
From this book it’s her wish people understand the resilience of the human spirit and also have pride in who they are, without fear. Telling stories which help her get into the hearts of the people she writes about is something loves. When it comes to children’s picture books, she loves taking those children to a different world with her words.
Though she knew she wanted to be around books, and reading, growing up Trok never entertained any thoughts of being a writer. “I read books, but I never thought they were written by normal people, or even people I could ever relate to. I loved reading and writing, but I never thought it was something I could do professionally.” Her first book was a children’s picture book she co-wrote 15 years ago.
Writing children’s books challenges her to get into the world of the child, to put stars in their eyes. She loves it when children tell her how much they love her books, as they are a very honest audience and never lie about liking stories. Even so, it’s also the most difficult genre to write, and she has to dig deep to get through to the story.
Trok is currently writing another biography of a well-known musician which she says is going to be very interesting.
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Related article: Local book author, Sewela Langeni wins Pendoring Award

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