I continue my conversation with Mary Virginia Swanson, covering the importance of photographic craft, the world of print-on-demand publishing and how folios of photographs fit into the mix.
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Galleries mentioned in the podcast:
- Clampart
- Yossi Milo Gallery
- Yancey Richardson Gallery
- Fraenkel Gallery
- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (repository of the Hallmark Photographic Collection)
Mary Virginia Swanson and Darius Himes Publish Your Photography Book
MagCloud – print-on-demand magazines
Jeff, I am really enjoying your interview series with MVS. There is so much material in each session that I find myself listening to it several times.
Regarding Camera Position #108, I have some questions about MagCloud. Can you elaborate a little on its usefulness for Photographers? For example, compare/contrast it to Blurb (or other similar products). When you mentioned it in the interview, I immediately thought of the possibility of using it as a “Leave Behind” but when I looked up Mag Cloud, it seems more suitable for a magazine or newsletter.
I will post this same question on the COD Photo-List Google Group.
~ Joanne
Hi, Joanne;
When MV Swanson was at College of DuPage, she had a few examples with her of how photographers have used MagCloud publications.
One was as an actual “art piece,” similar to what someone might make as a Blub book, but because the cost for MagCloud is so low, it’s easier to get it out to more people. Granted, the low cost is obtained by using paper and reproduction quality that is slightly lower than what you can get at Blurb (or similar) and there is no hard cover option or different binding options, etc. But, it was an effective presentation of the photographer’s work.
Another example Swan had was a full-blown exhibition proposal that another photographer had made. The work was completed and this exhibition proposal had everything in it that a potential gallery could want or need to know:
*Number of images
*Size of framed pieces
*Pricing info
*Artist’s statement
*Total number of linear feet required to hang
*General shipping info, including costs and photographs of the shipping containers
*Potential audience outside of the “photo community”
*Educational/gallery talk options that the photographer had ready to go
All of this documented with installation views, reviews of the work, etc.
So… it was a great promo piece for the photographer and something that is inexpensive enough that it could be sent out as a prospectus to a dozen or more potential exhibition spaces.