This summer I took a workshop at the New England School of Photography in Kenmore Square. The best part of the experience was the course project. Each student picks a theme, decides how to publish it and has a deadline when they are presented.
For my part I chose to photograph contemporary architecture in Boston & Cambridge. This area is best known for its history going back to the Revolutionary War and Colonial days, so perhaps it is easy to miss the interesting buildings that have sprung up here recently. In particular it was fun for an excuse to explore parts of South Boston and Kendall Square that are undergoing such a transformation. The archBoston site is a great resource, since many architecture firms have google-hostile websites preserved from 1998. Still, the short amount of time for the project meant that I didn’t get to include many buildings that I had on my list (Boylston Apple Store, InterContinental Hotel, Stata Center, etc.) Editing always takes longer than I expect it will.
I used Blurb to publish the book, which has a very usable client for the Mac. I was impressed with the print quality of the book and the fidelity to how it appeared on the screen. My only feature request is that I wished there was more control over the layouts, or at least more templates to chose from. Still, another great example of simple, high-quality publishing available for nonprofessionals.
A preview of the book can be found on Blurb and the (original 2:3 sized) photos are on Flickr and in a slideshow below.