Publish or Die

See some of Pete's books here:            https://petedavisphotography.bigcartel.com/ 

More information on YouTube:                               https://www.youtube.com/@pete-davis-photography/videos

Probably one of the most important ways of getting your work seen by a wide audience is through the book form. A very long time ago when I was a very young photographer, photo books, in the U.K. at least were rare and relatively expensive. In the U.S.A. they were far more common and it took a while for them to bee seen in the U/K. I have been buying photo books for as long as I can remember and they are a constant source of ideas and inspiration. Not that I copy the work, but the breadth of the subject matter and the many ways to approach projects is always a stimulus for one's own work. 

A bonus today, which makes small runs of books economically possible is digital printing over the old, photo-mechanical, offset litho process. This only made economical sense, per unit, for long runs into the many hundreds, if not thousands. Now, it's possible to make photo books affordable with short runs, even in the tens and low hundreds. Making them affordable means more people see your work and there's no point in making work unless its seen.

The new 'Great Little Tin Sheds of Wales' catalogue. 

It's also a great way to revive older work that is still of interest or maybe the original publication is now out of print. My 'Great Little Tin Sheds of Wales' work was from 1984 and the original little catalogue that accompanied the exhibition at the time sold out very quickly. Reprinting this not only prompted a new exhibition of the work but allowed more images to be included than in the original and new essays to be commissioned which contextualised the images in an up to date manner in addition to reflecting on the impact of the work over the years. It also satisfied a demand from many individuals who had regretted not having the original catalogue. 

'Innocence of Eye' book

It also allows work to be published that might not have been seen in an exhibition
or maybe not a particular single project but a collection that, nevertheless, can sit together as a coherent whole. My 'Innocence of Eye' collection reflects many of my interests and what catches my eye as I travel around, maybe on other projects and work. It's an opportunity to collect all this together and make it accessible at an affordable price allowing folks to expand their photo book libraries without spending a fortune. Photography is a very democratic medium so this is another way to extend that. 'Innocence of Eye' has over 60 images taken 'off assignment' while on my travels in the U.K. & Europe. 

'The Expressive Land' book

'The Expressive Land' book was an opportunity to gather together a lot of work from several major projects into one volume. A hundred images from three separate major bodies of work made over a thirty year period. The original book was a limited edition hardback, this new one is a slightly smaller paperback but with more images than the original and being a paperback and not limited, much more affordable. 

More information on how I put these books together is on my YouTube channel. 

 https://www.youtube.com/@pete-davis-photography/videos