Posting Photography e-Books

P

Peter

Guest
Dear All,

I was talking with some rangefinder users in another forum and we wondered if any forum would allow posting of e-books in PDF format on photography. We could use programs like Microsoft Publisher to make the e-book and convert it to PDF format. The e-books could also be downloaded by interested party for viewing at their leisure and even be printed. The beauty of e-books is that they allow annotation and background informations of the photos. Just imagine, e-books on street, documentary, travel, landscape, portrait etc. We would have a small on-line photography library in a short time? Any comments on this idea?
 
It's an interesting idea Peter. Did you guys at the other forum work out the details and actually create and post some samples?
 
rsilfverberg said:
It's an interesting idea Peter. Did you guys at the other forum work out the details and actually create and post some samples?
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Goodness! I was a bit surprised when I see a reply in this thread! It is like almost a year ago! Anyway, the technical part of creating a PDF e-book is not a problem as I created one with Powerpoint and converting it to PDF format. But because the resulting PDF is so large (70 MB) the only way is to post the file in CD-R to the webmaster. Hence after a while the project just died quietly. But is is a good and economic way of making your own monograph. :D
 
Powerpoint isn't the way to go, IMO. You'd be better off to write seperate chapters in Word or such with a minimum of formatting (no need for 7 different headings, tons of frames, loads of tables, etc.), add the photos, and convert the chapter in a PDF-file (though I'd be interested in MS Reader-files as these will run perfectly on my PDA). A single chapter is smaller than an entire book, even if all the chapters together make a larger total.

I already have a few files that I converted into MS Reader e-book files just so I can use them as reference on trips, or so I can read them while travelling.
 
Actually I did try Word before but after PDF conversion the photos are not as sharp as those in Powerpoint. Furthermore, Powerpoint has all those nice backgrounds and colors to choose from.
 
Peter said:
Actually I did try Word before but after PDF conversion the photos are not as sharp as those in Powerpoint. Furthermore, Powerpoint has all those nice backgrounds and colors to choose from.
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Who needs background colours? They only add to the pdf file size.

I can't imagine why the photos would be less sharp after conversion from Word compared to PP but I'll take your word for it. But... the shots in the first place won't be print quality, and IMO an e-book shouldn't pretend to of the same class as a printed book. I use e-books solely as I would use pocket print: read and abuse, and ditch (though the abuse part has no effect on an e-book). I want an e-book to be useful, as small as possible, and I don't need all kinds of nice formatting, coloured backgrounds, fancy borders and lay-outs, etc. Just straight formatting, straight lay-outs, straight pictures, and in easy-to-read B-on-W.

I tried to upload an MS Reader file that I made from text I found on the internet but it can't be uploaded. Anyway, the file is a conversion of Oscar Fricke's The Dzerzhinsky Commune, Birth of the Soviet 35 mm Camera Industry. It's only about 500kb in converted form. The original should be available on the internet.

I also have Frank Dabba Smith's Ernst Leitz of Wetzlar and Altruism During the Holocaust (2002) as a Word file, and I'm thinking of converting it in MS Reader format, just for my own convenience.

All these files are plain texts, with very little formatting and such. This really works best, and converts well. For my MS Reader files I could just write the text in Word, edit the photos in PSP, and add it all together in ReaderWorks Publisher (the program to make MS Reader files).
 
RML said:
Who needs background colours? They only add to the pdf file size.

I can't imagine why the photos would be less sharp after conversion from Word compared to PP but I'll take your word for it. But... the shots in the first place won't be print quality, and IMO an e-book shouldn't pretend to of the same class as a printed book. I use e-books solely as I would use pocket print: read and abuse, and ditch (though the abuse part has no effect on an e-book). I want an e-book to be useful, as small as possible, and I don't need all kinds of nice formatting, coloured backgrounds, fancy borders and lay-outs, etc. Just straight formatting, straight lay-outs, straight pictures, and in easy-to-read B-on-W.

I tried to upload an MS Reader file that I made from text I found on the internet but it can't be uploaded. Anyway, the file is a conversion of Oscar Fricke's The Dzerzhinsky Commune, Birth of the Soviet 35 mm Camera Industry. It's only about 500kb in converted form. The original should be available on the internet.

I also have Frank Dabba Smith's Ernst Leitz of Wetzlar and Altruism During the Holocaust (2002) as a Word file, and I'm thinking of converting it in MS Reader format, just for my own convenience.

All these files are plain texts, with very little formatting and such. This really works best, and converts well. For my MS Reader files I could just write the text in Word, edit the photos in PSP, and add it all together in ReaderWorks Publisher (the program to make MS Reader files).
Click to expand...

Just tried attaching photos on Word and convert it to PDF. In terms of sharpness it is acceptable and you are right about the lack of colored background, it makes B&W photos more simple and elegant looking. Black captions on white background make reading easier on the eyes. :D
 
taffer said:
Link to Oscar Fricke's article

Maybe we could use a specific forum/thread here to post these kind of references. I'm sure there's a lot of information available out there, books, book chapters, articles, etc.
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In fact we should have a reference links for photography related articles. Much simpler than looking for it on cyberspace! :D
 
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