The Aesthetics And Authenticity Of Photo Books
Dom Donaldson is a photography expert.
Find out more about Photo Books at http://www.cewe-photoworld.co.uk/photobook/photo-book.php
In the grand scheme of things, photo albums are a relatively new concept. Photography only became mainstream around 50 years ago, and before that any families that were fortunate enough to be able to afford the services of a photographer were the only ones who would have a photo album in the house. In a short space of time, this has changed dramatically. Everyone owns a camera of some description, but has the nature of the highly treasured album been retained, or have digital photo books created something new entirely?
Although digital photo books have come about because of the advances in digital technology, the concept came about just after the turn of the 20th Century. Photo books were and still are popular in Japan as a way of depicting deities, idols and inspirational images. Comprised of high definition photographs, these books have little or no text and are sold alongside magazines and newspapers.
Photo albums on the other hand were developed out of a need to keep expensive photographic prints safe for future generations to enjoy. Film prints are easily damaged or degraded by water and light, and the older the photographs, the more susceptible to the elements they are. These images needed to be stored carefully, and as a result, these albums have become akin to museum pieces, as well as much coveted heirlooms.
The abundance of digital photographs now in circulation has meant that the traditional photo album has morphed from a delicate historical document to a professionally bound book that has more in common with art gallery publications than the scrap books of years gone by. This has created an aesthetic change and a change in the level of authenticity these types of album have.
The change could be compared to an art work where an original has greater authenticity than the reproduction postcards and poster prints that can be found in the gallery gift shop. Yet at the same time, photo books have developed the capacity to become a professional publication that has a greater aesthetic value than albums that are compiled scrap book style.
This can be attributed to the nature of the digital revolution. All the images we now capture photographically can be reproduced quickly and easily time and time again, unlike the celluloid counterparts. The difference lies in the way we choose to create these photo books and the authenticity and aesthetics we attribute to them ourselves. Photo books have the potential to be the treasured tomes that the first photo albums were, or something closer to a professional publication; it all depends on us, and how we choose to edit our own albums.
Most of the services reviewed by this website are available or may be accessed from Australia (see 