Table top photo gallery

pbmaniac2000 · Post by **pbmaniac2000** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 9:20 pm

This is just kind of a general discussion of an idea I have. I'm not sure what to call them, but i see them all the time. Photographers publish large books with many beautiful pictures in them. They normally end up sitting on someones coffee table. They all have a central theme. (i.e. colorado, out houses, mountains, etc.) So now thats out of the way.

My idea was why couldn't artists do a collabrative project where they publish a book like this every year. So you would have incredible pictures of the years burning man event. I would love to have one of these for all of the years that i have gone to burning man. You would not really be able to go back and make them for previous years, but for future years. I know that the bmorg has put this sort of thing that covers 10 years. I just want one that covers the year.

So here is the problem. How do you sell the books without someone making money off of them. Would it be ok for some thing like this? The other problem i was thinking about was screening the photos. How to you prevent someone from being in the photos who didn't want to be. I know there is always the ask first thing, but you know someone whould recognize themselves WAY WAY in the back ground and freak out.

So i was wondering what everyones thoughts were.

Dr. Pyro · Post by **Dr. Pyro** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:08 am

My good friend Barb Traub has published her book "Desert To Dream: A Decade Of Burning Man Photography" [www.desert2dream.com] but her experiences with her editor and/or publisher has been something less-than-thrilling. Also at least one person (whom shall remain nameless though I know she peruses this forum) was upset at her for using her image without a signed release, not to mention that she was not exactly overdressed if you catch my drift. My point is, that to undertake something like this, especially without compensation, would be a headache beyond all belief. You need someone, and some capital, in order to advertise, promote, display, publish, and jump through the legal hoops required when publishing this kind of material. Not to pour cold water on your vision, but I would leave the photography book publishing to those already in the know. But your mileage may differ.

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:32 am

Doc, I would realy like a book like this. Have mixed feeling of "for profit" That could make for a long thread.

MikeVDS · Post by **MikeVDS** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:30 pm

I think something like this would be great. Having talked to people who've published their own books I'd estimate the cost of printing one of those books would range from $10 to $30 dollars. That's printing, not the materials and effort put into the creation of it.

When asking "for profit" you have to define that. If you charge for the books, unless you do everything from scratch and donate your time, someone is profiting. If you charge people for these books, you are paying the people who print the book, make the paper, etc. In that case do you pay the photographer for the film, developing and their time. What if the photographer is you? Does that really change anything?

I don't know the legal aspects at all. I've seen some people selling prints of their BM photos, I've seen photos from BM used on commercial websites.

pbmaniac2000 · Post by **pbmaniac2000** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 4:15 pm

[quote="MikeVDS"]When asking "for profit" you have to define that. If you charge for the books, unless you do everything from scratch and donate your time, someone is profiting. If you charge people for these books, you are paying the people who print the book, make the paper, etc. In that case do you pay the photographer for the film, developing and their time. What if the photographer is you? Does that really change anything?

I don't know the legal aspects at all. I've seen some people selling prints of their BM photos, I've seen photos from BM used on commercial websites.[/quote]

Well for profit means a lot of things. Someone is making money. So it would be the publisher, etc. Do people think that it would be ok for someone non-bm to make money off of it.

I personally wouldn't be the photographer. My idea is kinda like the bm gallery. I want people to send me a few of their pictures that they took. So it becomes a huge collabrative project. So its not one photographer. I would like to do the project as a non-profit. Just enough money to pay off the publishers.

What is the policy on using the burning man name? Obviously some where in the book it would say burning man.

Post by **mdmf007** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 4:58 pm

I know that there is a project already in the final stages of publishing and approval by BMORG, and the various photographers that were invited to submit.

Ill keep you abreast if I hear of anything new.