BEHIND CURTAINS - PRINTING III

at WestPhoto

Printing is never easy. Anand is very helpful, however, the paper was quickly used up due to some mistake. Then I have to compromise matt paper. The colour is very dull, especially for the night image dark colour tone. I clearly see the difference between a few prints same paper same image with different colour profiling.

The other difficulty is the centre alignment for front side and back side. I would like to create two double sided pages to create some filmic feel for the images shot during 2:00-6:00am. The narrative is that I am sleeping, image is static, so without words, it is self evident. However, Anand and I can not make it happen. Andrei helped by recommending using Indesign. Then the image final print size can not be perfectly matched to previously printed ones, as previous ones were printed by Photoshop. As it is for a book, so any minute discrepancies in image will be very obvious after book binding. So I have to make another compromise.

Took at least ten hours to print off everything, but with imperfections which I have to make do accept them, due to time constraint. The next step is binding.

BEHIND CURTAINS - PRINTING II

at Silver Print

So I went to Silverprint (www.silverprint.co.uk). They have enormous range of papers, and not only papers but also any thing I can imagine for photography. I was baffled by the different types of papers but eventually I chose Photospeed double sided luster (£40.99 per 25 pages). Ideally I would like to try to print my image on all kinds of paper to see how they all look like. Image has to be printed out on different paper to see the physical effect. This is verified by the ‘matt’ print yesterday! Hopefully this paper will work all right...

BEHIND CURTAINS - PRINTING I

at Harker Photography Centre

I first used matt double sided paper for printing as there are two double sided pages, but I don’t know if the paper is old or what, the colour is very dull. So I went for single sided satin A3 ink jet paper, one side for image and the other side for text. The text on the back is flowing... Anyway, not the best experience. On top of this, the position of the text on the back of the image is wrongly printed. I marked it so hope it should be done in a correct way next time. Failure today for printing. Paper, back side layout and direction are the things need to overcome.

BEHIND CURTAINS - PRE BINDING

I went to see Rob in Bookworks to get some information on printing and advices for binding. Printing has to be planned well so that it suits the binding afterwards. He told me if I go for the current Blurb edition full bleed double page hard cover, then 20mm has to be considered as the image has to be this bigger to get folded to the hard cover. Then this decides the inner pages. I then just factor this into my consideration when printing. I told him that I am going not to use the double page presentation inside the book, and use text on the left side instead. He said he likes my current presentation, and the images actually are very self evident, indicating a story is going on. He might be right. This is the thing, there are so many decisions to be made, and sometimes it is not easy to find the ‘right’ one. I, myself, changes as well, as time goes by..

BEHIND CURTAINS - A TOUCH OF PHYSICALITY

More ideas…

As the title is ‘Behind Curtains’, as each room is of the same curtain and blinds, as curtain is such a conceptual object, I suddenly realized maybe to use it in the book. The initial thinking is to crop two blinds to the book size and include them one in the first page and the other one before the back cover. So the viewers can touch them feel the physicality of the curtain getting more engaged with this project...

The other idea I am considering is that the opening pages. I am thinking maybe to use black paper first, then grey paper, then white paper. The idea is to slowly unveiling the story, from dark side to bright side, from inner to outer... I am not sure, but this is just an idea.

BEHIND CURTAINS - NEW LAYOUT

More ideas...

After drafting the text and I realised that 2-6:00am I was sleeping. Text is the same, and the scene does not change much. Rather than make single page image, probably better to make 2 images double pages. It gives some freshness and make the viewing less boring. And it will make sense, I was sleeping, and the other block is quiet, times elapse unconsciously...

BEHIND CURTAINS - TEXT

23:00 In pyjamas, behind the camera. ‘Click’, another photo is taken.

24:00 In bed, insomnia. Another ‘click’. Thinking to get up to see what’s photographed but didn’t bother.

01:00 Asleep.

06:00 Alarm ringing. I hate to get up early, yet another day.

07:00 At the gym working out – challenging my previous result.

08:00 Dressing up. Which shirt shall I wear today?

09:00 A black Mercedes stopped in front of me downstairs at the gate. The car arrived just in time.

10:00 In client’s office. My mind is wondering off their presentation. I realise that I need to concentrate.

11:00 I am thinking that I could not work these people. I have a funny feeling towards them.

12:00 Meeting finished. Calling Faith to confirm our rendezvous tonight.

13:00 At a restaurant, looking out of the window. It is a sunny beautiful day. I wish I could get away from everything, sitting somewhere doing and thinking of nothing.

14:00 I feel a little sleepy with the sunshine over me after finishing the lunch… waiting for Edward.

15:00 Having a cup of tea with Edward. I have not met him for years. We are chatting the good old days.

16:00 At my room, behind the camera looking out. Who’s the one looking out behind the curtains? Is she looking at me as well? Who are all those people in the rooms with curtains on?

17:00 Half asleep and half awake in my sofa hearing another ‘click’.

18:00 A house maid came saying she could not clean my room due to the ‘no disturb’ sign I marked this morning. She also said that I was the only one staying on this floor last night.

19:00 Having a light dinner with Faith in a trendy restaurant. There are only two of us in this spacious place. I can feel waiters’ gaze towards us.

20:00 I come to like the ambience after a few glasses of wine. It is a beautiful night. More guests came.

21:00 Taking a walk with Faith at the marina. The sea breeze is refreshing.

22:00 We are continuing the walk not knowing where it leads...