Sequencing My First Book

I went mostly silent for a while in the recent weeks. Apart from life happening, I’ve been working on the sequence of images for my first book.

That’s right. I decided to bite the bullet and do it. Even though I may be making the biggest mistake a photographer can make, as late Martin Parr would put it, and release my first book too early. I think the time is finally right now, and I have enough material to make it happen.

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I’ve been working on and off on this project of mine for over 15 years now. Photos gathering electronic dust on the hard drives, cameras changed (not too often though), backups lost and restored, etc. I could probably spend 15 more years and not deem it ready for release. I am a very harsh self-critic, which, I admit, is probably the worst trait of character for anybody who wants to create something.

My biggest problem has always been the sales pitch. I am no salesman, and I photograph without a bigger agenda in mind. In today’s world however, no photography project can work as photos only. It is often the project statement that sells the project to editors, gallerists, etc. Your photographic work may be the best thing such a person ever saw, but without an appropriately artistic statement, that informs the reader that they are in fact witnessing the best thing they’re ever going to see, your work will likely fail. I know it is this way, because I bounced off of many doors — nobody is interested in “photos from a village in Poland”.

This time though, I have finally got a statement and even a catchy name for my project. It is appropriately vague, but it also makes sense, and most importantly, it does not make me want to stick my embarrassed head in the ground immediately after saying it.

As I was going through my archives I started focusing on the recurring themes of tradition, historical heritage, and belonging, that I see in the photos I’ve made over the years. I am an outsider where I live, even though I’ve been living here for many years. Still, I look at everything that happens in my community with an outsider’s eyes. This manner of observation let me finally understand and figure out why everything is a bit different here, and I am not speaking of the city / countryside dichotomy. Something was off for me, and it finally came to me as a revelation, that there was a state border where Kraków ends and my rural commune begins. Granted, it ceased to exist over a century ago, when Poland regained its independence, but for over a century the place I live in was across the border from Kraków. This invisible line, this former borderland, and the history imprinted on this land, are still here, sometimes hidden, and sometimes in plain sight.

My first edits, and there were very many, focused on these themes in a more direct, in your face, way. I tried to cram all the “best” and flashy photos into a narrative that eventually collapsed under its own weight. I also, for the first time, asked for and got back some valuable feedback from several of my photography friends (you know who you are). It opened my eyes on some problems with my edit, but also gave me the strength to continue working. My initial plan was to include up to 70 images, but I ended up with little over 40 in my near-final sequence. I still need to work out some kinks, but I finally feel like it is something worth showing.

Interestingly, nearly all of the ‘bangers’ ended up in the rejects pile. These are perfectly fine photos, but they simply did not fit the narrative. Learning to select images not only based on their visual impact but their place in a wider story was a difficult lesson, I admit. What was a bit of a surprise, was that some images I did not even consider for the editing shortlist, are now one of the most important images in the book. They may not be the most stunning or impressive, but they add context and depth that were previously missing in the ‘best of’ edits I started with.

So, what’s it going to be about? In short, it is a story of people from a forgotten borderland. A stone’s throw from the second largest municipality in Poland, but secluded from the hustle and bustle of a big town; a place where history and tradition are deeply rooted in the hearts and minds.
It is a bit of a social documentary, but not in its prototypical form. These are not stories of suffering, poverty, or despair, but stories of ordinary life that is often overlooked. Small stories that happen everyday, which we take for granted, and often fail to document.

I want the photographs to be accompanied by an introductory essay, which I hope will get written in the near future. I will have more details in the coming weeks.

I also want to keep it real. This is not going to be a big release by any means. I intend to make 50-70 copies, because that is the number I can expect to sell, given my limited outreach. Of course, a small print run such as this increases the unit cost, but I don’t have or need to make any money on this publication. The target price will reflect the design and printing cost, and I hope it will be palatable.

The release date has been very roughly set for Spring 2026, so there is still time to work on the final form of the book. I will certainly update you on the details, when the design and release date are confirmed.

I was thinking of a kickstarter campaign, but being essentially a no-one on the inter webs, it would most likely fail, so the plan for now is to self-finance the entire print run. We’ll see how that goes.

I’ll be back with more photo oriented content in my upcoming newsletters. We’re in the middle of a second month of foggy dreariness here, so there’s been no real opportunity to take the camera out, once the “foggy mysterious photography” got really old after the first week of 50 metres visibility on the road.

Stay warm!

Jakub