The Wait Is Over

The Wait Is Over

Do you know that elephants have the longest gestation period of all mammals? Their pregnancies last for more than a year and a half. When I started working on what became my first in a series of photography books, “42 Encounters in San Francisco” at the beginning of 2015, I had no idea of what this project will become. After I limited the number of images to forty-two, I had some “extras”, which lead me to start working on the sequel book, “42 Encounters with Couples in San Francisco”. This pattern continued with many more images, so I decided to produce forty-two books over the next 21 years, in other words to produce two books per year. The third and fourth installments, which will be out in 2017 will be “42 Encounters with Dog Lovers” Part One and Part Two. During the process of creating the books, I’ve also learned about book making and how much it might cost. For example, to print 1,000 books cost $15,450 or $15.45 per book. After adding all other costs it comes close to $20.00, not counting my time, materials and return on my efforts. But if I will sell it in bookstores, they will take a 40% cut or $9.60, leaving me with $14.40, which is less than the cost of printing. If I sell it online, then the shipping cost is $3.09. Thus, buyers will pay $29.00 for it, and will necessitate frequent trips to the post office. Who will pay for this unproductive time? But I wish these problems for myself. After all, I have great fun putting this project together. And there is another pay-off, which I want to accomplish. I want to create a non-profit foundation or to contribute the profits for an organization which will teach people (especially the young ones) to see and capture the beauty of the world through the lens of a camera or smartphone.

To do this, I will cooperate with like-minded young (and young at heart) photographers. But first I need to sell 1000 books to raise the money for the second book, which I want to be ready before Christmas. Thanksgiving is next month, and it’s a time to say “thank you” to friends, colleagues and relatives. In my view, the best way to express it is to give someone a book, especially if it is “42 Encounters in San Francisco”.