Never in my wildest dreams did I think my first book would actually be books, plural. I look at my two piles of author’s copies currently living on my sideboard and wonder did i really make that happen? And did I get any sleep while doing it?! (Answer: not very much.)
I’ve got a few things planned for This I Know (which has its first reviews on Amazon!) but today I want to get a bit misty eyed about Instant Love, the love letter to Polaroid/instant photography I co-wrote with my friends Jen Altman and Amanda Gilligan. I don’t even remember when the three of us first connected, but connect we did, through admiring each other’s photos on Flickr and leaving the occasional blog comment. When Jen emailed asking if we’d consider collaborating on a book about Polaroids there was only one possible answer. We bashed out a proposal and a sample chapter and sent it over to Chronicle Books, where we had the very good fortune to work with Bridget Watson Payne, Art books editor and all-round delightful chica.
When we wrote the book the three of us had never actually met in person (Jen and Amanda had spent an afternoon in Vancouver, but that was it). In fact we had just one Skype call and about 50,000 emails; it wasn’t until we led our Polaroid retreat in Marrakesh back in February that we finally got to hug each other in person. So the book is truly a testament to collaboration, communication, hard work and three photographers whose styles work so beautifully together.
The book is now out in the world and last I heard it’s already gone to a second printing, which is amazing! I love the thought that so many of you out there are dusting off your old Polaroid cameras and giving this medium a whirl. It can be frustrating at times, and requires a lot of patience and practice, but it is SO WORTH IT.
Because the logistics of doing a book tour together made our brains ache, we made a trailer for our book baby instead. Filmed by the ridiculously talented Ryan Marshall, we hope it gives you a taster of what the book is all about (click here to view it BIG — and please do share it if you like it :) x
Trailer credits:
Video by Ryan Marshall @ The Panic Room
Music: ‘Camera’ by Rabbit, www.saverabbit.com | Buy the song on iTunes
