Please rate my revised book: if

[NY_Dan]

It was hard selecting my favorites from 10 previous Blurb books. I had to go through over 1,000 images -- including some new ones. Yesterday, I finally got it right -- I hope.

Full Book Preview: http://www.blurb.com/books/5634318-if

My revised version of if has 55 photos. The previous version had over 200. Many RFF'ers wrote they would like to see the number reduced. So please vote 1-10 -- 10 being the best, 1 being the worst on what you think of my revised book. Thank you.

 

[geetist]

I like it! Why is it called "If"?

 

[grdglass]

A better word would be "worse" rather than "worst" in your poll.

I seem to remember juxtapositions of photos on facing pages. I found that format much better. It made the book come alive and gave a better sense of time and place.

 

[danielsterno]

Dan-all the selected images work for me regarding consistency of image quality and content. I do not remember a prior format. I also get "if". keep it. D.

 

[MrFujicaman]

Dan, can you post a link to the book ?

 

[Out to Lunch]

Hi Dan, I like many of your pictures but I'm not smitten with this outlay. Too much randomness in my opinion. And I don't like the cover shot. 'If' and a police man walking under a cup of coffee? There are better 'if's' than that. I'd recommend a return to the drawing board.

 

[NY_Dan]

Dan, can you post a link to the book ?

http://www.blurb.com/books/5634318-if

 

[siracusa]

I really like the images...

 

[cz23]

Hi Dan. I like it very much also. Quite a different book from the prior versions. I recall the others being much lighter in subject matter. This seems overall more serious in tone. I like that. Nice job.

John

 

[jesse1dog]

I'm not completely happy with the juxta positioning of the photos either - some pages seem to flow easily, and then suddenly there is a photo that seems to have no connection to the previous. I like all the images but find a certain sameness with camera angle and subject matter - but that's probably just me again! LOL.
I think that for the quality of the book production, paper, cover, there needs to be a better beginning with at least a fly leaf. Also I wonder if you have considered including an introduction because I think this would set the scene for non NYers.
Cover is eye catching and powerful but I need convincing that it fairly represents the contents. I don't think your book design has evolved from previous publications.
I'm trying to be constructive - I do know how difficult it is to produce a really top rate book. It takes a lot of time and effort and when you have finished and published there is always something you wish you had done, or done better!

 

[williams473]

Beautiful work Dan - I get a strong sense of you in the choices that you make and present for us here. Your images accentuating gesture and the repetition of figures are really well seen.

But what's really, really difficult in a book is bringing it all together. I think you're really close - I noticed as I was "thumbing" through the book I became oddly entranced. I am aware you're in NY - possibly one of the most photographed cities in the history of cities - and yet, I was completely into your work and aware of the location but not really caring... kind of like the way someone's ethnicity or gender recedes in our consciousness once we get to know them intimately. I had a truly engaged visual experience - time slowed for the minutes I was in your book and in your world. Good choice to exclude words...glad there was a lack of captions or text. This is unapologetic-ally visual, and that's gutsy.

I guess my main criticism would be that the only images that broke the trance for me and caused me to disengage were the "visual puns" in which you rely on signs to make a point and to play with your subject. There were just a couple of these but this is a tired technique that sort of broke me out of this world you had me in most of the time. You don't need these couple of gimmicks for the rest of the book to work. You clearly have a very sensitive eye and I really enjoyed how much you got out of your simpler subject matter using subtlety of timing and framing. Nice work!

 

[Silva Lining]

Hi Dan, I really enjoyed looking through the book. I love New York, and for me this showed a very different side of it than you usually see as a visitor. It captures some of the lesser seen elements of New Yorkers that make New York what it is. I found the photos visually intriguing, wanting to know the story behind them, more of a 'Why?' than an 'If'. I think it works with the number of photos you have, leaves me wanting more, which is a good thing!

Great work !

Cheers

Phill