Masterclass with Gerhard Steidl | Paradise.pdf
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Transcript of Masterclass with Gerhard Steidl | Paradise.pdf
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MASTERCLASS WITHMASTERCLASS WITHGERHARD STEIDLGERHARD STEIDL
November 9, 2013
It is not too far-fetched to say that every photographer wishes to
be published by Steidl. So when the chance came to attend a
masterclass by the master himself, I jumped on the opportunity.
Even though my book was already at the binders, it was
undoubtedly the lesson of a lifetime. To listen and learn from the
master book publisher in person, is to be soaked in inspiration
itself.
Master book publisher Gerhard Steidl was in Singapore to conduct a free
masterclass about book publishing.
“To create a photo book, you have to think theatre. Think about
how the curtains will open… and it is important not to lose the
attention of your audience.”
These were the words of renowned book publisher, Gerhard Steidl,
as he shared tirelessly with a roomful of twenty plus masterclass
participants in Singapore. In the four hours of intensive discussion
and reviews, Steidl shared his experience, know-how and even
philosophy behind his work.
Steidl publishes more than 200 books every year, and more than
2,500 in his career. Each book is a work of art, sought after by
collectors all over the world.
For me, it came as a surprise that Mr Steidl decided to stopover
at Singapore, and even conduct a masterclass free-of-charge. But
once you come into the presence of Gerhard Steidl, you can
immediately understand why this man is a master.
The night before, many of us had turned up at The Substation to
watch a 90-minute film called “How to Make a Book with Steidl”,
and were given a preview of the man and his ideas.
Master book publisher Gerhard Steidl was in Singapore to screen his film “How
to Make a Book with Steidl” at The Substation.
During the masterclass, Mr Steidl proved to be the same man we
saw in the film – full of passion and bursting with boundless
energy. Although he was due to catch a flight back home that
night, Steidl took his time to go through each of the participant’s
book mockups and prints with care and attention, as if each one
of us was in Steidlville, getting ready to go to press. He even took
time to share his views on books with the class.
“Books are democratic objects,” he said. And then he would go on
to inform us about how Johannes Gutenberg changed the world by
introducing the mechanical movable type printing. Prior to
Gutenberg, Bibles were handwritten by monks and very expensive,
and hence, only the rich could afford these books, we were told.
Despite having published the most renowned names in the
photography world – William Eggleston, Robert Frank, Andreas
Gursky – just to name a few, the master publisher remains down-
to-earth, and was most earnest in sharing his knowledge. No
question was too silly not to be answered in a detailed,
meticulous manner.
It is clear that Gerhard Steidl is a man on a mission – to save the
world from the onslaught of iPads and smartphones and all things
backlit. As the book publishing world cuts corners and profits fall
in the digital age, Steidl remains a stalwart of book publishing and
is confident that the future lies in a select group of discerning
publishers who see the importance of quality printing.
“Books are objects of art that are relatively inexpensive,” he
proclaims.
“The industry does not love art at all. It loves its profits,” Mr Steidl
said, referring to how publishers usually try to keep costs low by
cutting corners – from paper choice to colour separation
techniques. For Gerhard Steidl, cutting corners is blasphemous
and unthinkable, because each book is an object of art, and
deserves a unique treatment that is best kept away from mass
market methodologies.
One of the first things Mr Steidl does when handed a book, is to
smell the paper it is printed on. While he laments the closure of
good paper mills throughout the world, Mr Steidl was clearly
excited when he ran his fingers over a Korean-produced paper
used in one of the participants’ book. He made it a point to obtain
the name of the paper, because good paper is so hard to come by
these days.
Still, his choice of paper is not a closely-guarded secret. For
instance, when I quizzed him about the paper he had used for
Josef Koudelka’s Gypsies, he readily shared that it was printed on
“Fly” paper from Schleipen mill in Germany, using the tri-tone
process.
And if one thought that making a quality photo book is about
buying the most advanced technologies and expensive equipment,
Steidl will prove you wrong. For one, he uses only one press for all
his books. And the way he stress-tests his products? A cheap
tungsten bulb.
“Always look at your own book in the worst possible light: does it
still look good?” To make his point, he took one book from a
masterclass participant and placed it under a table.
“If the book and images still look good, then it is really good.”
6 STEIDL TIPS MAKING A6 STEIDL TIPS MAKING AGOOD PHOTO BOOKGOOD PHOTO BOOK
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← HOW IT ALL BEGAN: A
BOOK MOCKUP
A WHIFF OF PARADISE →
1. To create a photo book, you have to think theatre.To create a photo book, you have to think theatre.
2. When sequencing a book, constructs an untoldWhen sequencing a book, constructs an untold
storyline inside your mind.storyline inside your mind.
3. Decide on covers last, when minds are sharpenedDecide on covers last, when minds are sharpened
after layout is completed. Do not be afraid to tryafter layout is completed. Do not be afraid to tryunexpected pictures – always surprise theunexpected pictures – always surprise thereaders.readers.
4. Form should follow function.Form should follow function.
5. It’s better to live with a fine art print than aIt’s better to live with a fine art print than a
badly printed book.badly printed book.
6. Always look at your own book in the worstAlways look at your own book in the worst
possible light: does it still look good?possible light: does it still look good?
I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Gwen Lee and her
team at Singapore International Photo Festival (SIPF) for making
the screening and masterclass by Mr Steidl possible.
Posted in Uncategorized / Tagged book, book making, book publishing, gerhard steidl, josef koudelka,
master book publisher, photo book, printing, singapore, SIPF, steidl / Leave a comment
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