My SoFoBoMo book didn't turn out the way I expected. First of all I was planning to use the Holga lens on the digital camera. Secondly, it was going to be in color. Thirdly, I was really thinking about photographing in downtown Houston. Instead, the images were made using the digital camera but with a regular lens. Instead, it is in black and white. And finally it is of a neighborhood. That is the funny thing about the creative process. If you just show up with your tools, ready to go, your muse will take you places.
I started on May 13 and finished on June 9, well within the 31 day limit. Between the time I signed up back in March and the finish line, I learned a lot. Back when I signed up I questioned whether I could do it or not but as time went on I was determined to finish something. Back when I signed up I thought I would do a Blurb book at the same time that I was doing the PDF book but I found that was beyond what I could do with all the other things going on in my life. Back when I signed up I thought I needed to lay out all the pieces before I started but I found that as I opened one door and then another good ideas came to me. I wanted to create a perfect book instead I made a book where I keep finding things to improve but I stopped yesterday and said this is good enough for today.
I prefer seeing Eastwood Today on Issuu because some of the pages were designed to be two-page spreads and you don't see them that way on the SoFoBoMo site. Please go take a look at my book.
You can see it on Issuu here.
You can see it along with all the other books that have been completed on the official SoFoBoMo site here.
20 comments:
Beautifully done. Congratulations!
The look of the b/w homes is truly appreciated. Homes that tell a story. Job well done!
I love those old houses, the pictures are very evocative. I think the black and white lets you really see the structure and the shapes. Really well done Billie, as always you catch the heart of things with your camera.
Wonderfully done. If you haven't yet, you should consider selling prints of these images.
Billie, very nicely done. Just imagine, Eastwood was just starting during the time of the Mexican Revolution. Interesting.
Thanks to all of you for looking at the book. I thought that using B&W would help set the time-frame and of course B&W is my first love in photography. I may make prints and sell them at some point in time but I'm not ready for that yet. And I really hadn't thought about the timeline in connection with Mexico but it is very interesting idea.
Amazing work! Thank you for sharing.
I loved leafing through your book Billie. It's beautifully laid out and do like the white space around them. It brings the neighborhood to life. Also I've liked reading about your process you've gone through with the creation of this book.
The photographs are beautiful and so is the layout. I really enjoyed leafing through this book and also reading about the process you've gone through with its creation. Congratulations.
Great work. But I liked hearing about the process, as well. Flexible plans and a great outcome. Another life lesson.
Great work. We really enjoyed your journey in putting this book together. Congratulations on a job well done.
Sam y Bob
I was afraid that I was boring my readers with sofobomo so I'm glad to hear that some of you enjoyed the journey along with me. At times it was intense and at time tedious but now that it is over I'm so glad I did sofobomo.
Lovely - every homeowner of Hill, Walnut, and McKinney Streets should have a copy. Will you offer these up in print?
Anon, are you a resident in Eastwood? Is so contact me privately. My email is over in the right side bar. I would like to expand to other streets in Eastwood. At some point I will do a www.blurb.com book but I don't think it is ready for print. Thank you for asking. That is a lovely compliment.
Great book, Billie. I agree with you that it looks better at issuu. But then again, it would look even better in a person's hand. I hope you haven't given up on publishing it to Blurb. Congrats!
It's amazing!
I confess...although I did follow your journey, I did so a little half heartedly. With an element of 'What is SoFoBoMo when it's at home?' I stumbled across it today, and now I know what it's all about, will probably contribute something myself. Looks fun.
Half hearted follower I may have been, but thoroughly impressed with the result. Nice one!
Billie, this is definitely a wonderful book I now enjoyed for the third time on issuu (this is not perfect, but probably the closest match we can have on a screen).
You probably know how lucky you were to follow your muses, to throw over board all preparations and plans. So what you have achieved is a delicate portrait of a neighbourhood, intimate and done with a caring and loving feeling which is captured in the images. Especially when you go from the formal portraits of the houses to the detail shots, this becomes tangible. My congratulations for this great work.
I stumbled upon on your blog today and what a treasure I found! Every October, TJ and I make a point to go on the Eastwood home tour. TJ grew up in the Orange Show neighborhood, right behind Schlumberger. For years, we've kicked around the idea of buying and Eastwood fixer-upper, but we finally decided to stay put out in the burbs until we eventually move to Mexico. Eastwood has so much character, and you've done an amazing job capturing its appeal thorough your photographs.
Susan, Isn't it a small world. I'm glad you found the blog and I hope you'll keep coming back. I'm going todo some more photography in Eastwood, probably Polk, Leeland and Park and I'd also like to photograph some people who lived there at one time. Once I get that together I will probably try to self-publish a book on Eastwood. You are right it does have a character. And it is coming up on its 100th anniversary in 2012
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