A Blurb Book by Simon Bell

simonbell19

simonbell19

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Simon
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I have decided to make myself a blurb book please let me know what you think.

Has anyone had any experience of blurb books? (sorry if i've missed an already active thread on this)


I can't wait to order it and get it in the post.



/simon
 
You book wont load for me, im using Opera not IE.
Im going to be ordering from them in the next week, ill be creating a wedding photo book tomorrow night with the wife.
I have seen a book created by a friend from his wedding pics and it was really nice.
 
Hello Simon, a very eclectic mix of images, many very good. :thumbs:

If you decide against a single theme for the book, maybe try and group similar pictures together. The Robin and the Winter Scene don't work for me on opposite pages for example.

I found the layout a bit messy too. I would have stuck to one or two page styles, or at least kept the same page style on opposing pages.

Where there are multiple images on a page, some of the overlaps aren't that attractive.


As for experience of Blurb books, I got a 10x8 book at the end of last year. I paid it a bit extra to get the quality paper and was very happy with the quality overall, though my book printed out a bit dark. :( Not sure if it was my fault (uncalibrated monitor) or theirs. :shrug:

I'm going to get another version in a larger format though, just to give it another go. :)
 
It seemed not to load in Firefox, but it just takes a while, well worth the wait, it looks great, what a good way to share your photos! :thumbs:
 
redhed17 said:
Hello Simon, a very eclectic mix of images, many very good. :thumbs:

If you decide against a single theme for the book, maybe try and group similar pictures together. The Robin and the Winter Scene don't work for me on opposite pages for example.

I found the layout a bit messy too. I would have stuck to one or two page styles, or at least kept the same page style on opposing pages.

Where there are multiple images on a page, some of the overlaps aren't that attractive.


As for experience of Blurb books, I got a 10x8 book at the end of last year. I paid it a bit extra to get the quality paper and was very happy with the quality overall, though my book printed out a bit dark. :( Not sure if it was my fault (uncalibrated monitor) or theirs. :shrug:

I'm going to get another version in a larger format though, just to give it another go. :)
Click to expand...

Completely agree with these points. You have some really fantastic work, with a great variety to it as well. The thing that doesn't work for me however is the overlapping of the images; it's almost like you;re trying to fit too many images on one page.

Maybe try spacing it all out a bit more and being more consistent with your page layouts.
 
i have made some drastic changes to the order of the photo's and have cleaned up the pages with lots of pictures, taking a few away.

Thankyou for your comments they are much appreciated and have improved the book by a mile.

Simon


p.s.

now I have to wait for it to upload and i'll be able to give you the new link.
 
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Hello again Simon. :)

It's a big improvement, but I think you need to be a but more ruthless with some of your image choices.

I think the two similar pictures of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at day and night would look good on a page on their own. The other Sydney Harbour Bridge pics? :shrug: Maybe the panoramic version of the Opera House and Bridge on it's own page. :shrug:

The multiple versions of the Opera House doesn't work for me. There are 3 pics that are very similar but with obviously different lighting conditions, which as individual pics would work well, but grouped together lessens their impact imho.

The multiple Sprinkler pics don't work for me either.

I would have kept landscape with landscape, vegetation with vegetation etc. The flowers and cargo containers being a particularly jarring combination of images for me.

I went for one image on one page because I wasn't happy with the way Blurb let you put multiple images on a page so multiple image look a bit too busy on most of the pages.

I could be a bit more picky but best not to waffle too much (more) about what I think.

Remember, as with any advice, if you like it the way it is, that's all that matters. ;)

Unless of course you wish to sell to other people, in which case you want it to appeal to as many people as possible. Or at least a few people willing to pay lots of money. :lol:


Can you tell I've got a bit of Insomnia? ;) :lol:
 
Some super images but I agree with the above comments.
 
Right i think i've cracked it now, here's the last version. Any more comments appreciated and i'll change it again, I want to get this right :D

I've decided to go with one photo per page :D
 
Hello again Simon. :)

I think the latest version is a huge improvement. :thumbs:

I really like what you did with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House pics. ;) The containers and helicopter works very well too.

Just a few things I would try to see if it made an improvement. The winter pics I would move to the end. I would also try to swapping those two winter pics over so as the chap looks like he is walking towards the reflected building in the other pic, it may work it may not. :shrug: I'd move the autumn leaves before the winter pics as well so there is a transition from spring through to winter.

The two bird pics, I don't know whether the right hand bird is a cropped image, but I would try to make it a similar height as the Robin as at the moment it seems a bit overpowering of the Robin image especially as all the other pages seem to be pretty balanced image size wise.

I really like the Dandelion pic at the end and I think that Dandelion and Alligator pics would benefit from being earlier with the other flowers.

I hope others, and yourself agree that you improved the book immensely. It is never easy to discard images. But they can be held back for volume 2. ;) :lol:
 
redhed17 said:
Hello again Simon. :)

I think the latest version is a huge improvement. :thumbs:

I really like what you did with the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House pics. ;) The containers and helicopter works very well too.

Just a few things I would try to see if it made an improvement. The winter pics I would move to the end. I would also try to swapping those two winter pics over so as the chap looks like he is walking towards the reflected building in the other pic, it may work it may not. :shrug: I'd move the autumn leaves before the winter pics as well so there is a transition from spring through to winter.

The two bird pics, I don't know whether the right hand bird is a cropped image, but I would try to make it a similar height as the Robin as at the moment it seems a bit overpowering of the Robin image especially as all the other pages seem to be pretty balanced image size wise.

I really like the Dandelion pic at the end and I think that Dandelion and Alligator pics would benefit from being earlier with the other flowers.

I hope others, and yourself agree that you improved the book immensely. It is never easy to discard images. But they can be held back for volume 2. ;) :lol:
Click to expand...


Tank you for all your comments and input but I think I'm going to leave it there now, as this is my first book it is only really a showcase of my work, maybe in my next book I can make a theme and really work on it to make it wonderful.


thanks again

Simon
 
I spent years procrastinating about doing a book. And then once I decided to do it, because I had a nice set of images from a holiday, I took weeks trying to get it how I thought it should be. But there comes a time when you have to say 'it's done' and press the send button. ;)

Let us know what it is like when you get it. What size are you getting btw?
 
redhed17 said:
I spent years procrastinating about doing a book. And then once I decided to do it, because I had a nice set of images from a holiday, I took weeks trying to get it how I thought it should be. But there comes a time when you have to say 'it's done' and press the send button. ;)

Let us know what it is like when you get it. What size are you getting btw?
Click to expand...


Standard landscape 10x8, im going to order it tomorrow. (premium paper)
 
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