Layout photography can be a lot of fun! Like many aspects of our great hobby, it can take time and practice to become proficient, but the results make it worthwhile. In fact, I have been fortunate to share some of my pictures in articles here in Railroad Model Craftsman over the years.
Having your layout in print is a great way to share it with others, or preserve its memory if it must be dismantled one day. As part of that preservation effort, I’ve been self-publishing books of my layout photos. My primary goal is to create a high-quality visual record of my layout, the HO scale Chesapeake & Ohio Ryder Gap Subdivision. My audience is small: myself, my family, and close friends. It’s also fun to embark on a new hobby: publishing. I quickly learned my new interest comes with its own language including gutters, spreads, bleeds, end pages, and so on. So much to learn!
After a bit of research, I chose Printique based on their reputation for high-quality photo printing. There are certainly less expensive alternatives that can produce enjoyable results, but I have been quite happy with the quality of the books and the photos Printique creates.
Rather than develop a single photo book for the entire layout, I am creating a series of smaller books focused on different areas of the railroad. This allows me to learn from my first production before moving on to the next. If I want to update and republish a book, it will be on a smaller scale and cost. It also allows me to start on completed areas of the railroad and not wait until the layout is “finished.”
The next set of choices revolves around physical aspects of the books, such as covers and paper stock. I selected a hardcover binding for its durability with “lay-flat” pages. The pages have a lustre finish, which is slightly textured and in between a gloss and matte appearance.
The size of the book is also an important decision. I settled on a 10×8” format. The size will fit on a bookshelf, and the 10-inch height allows for sizable portrait style photographs — not quite as large as a magazine page, but close. The lay-flat aspect of the book allows landscape-style photos to be laid out across two pages (a “spread”) without distortion in the middle of the photo. This creates the opportunity for a single 10×16” photo. I also considered a 10×10” format, which would give more room for landscape-style photos on a single page.
It can take time to learn how to use a sophisticated layout program like the one offered by Printique. My initial attempts felt a little slow and clumsy, but I soon became more capable and efficient. It’s free to use, so it is easy to experiment and try out different features before committing to pay for a printed copy of the book.
I came across two important pieces of advice for how to develop a good photo book. The first is to establish a set of common standards that will create a sense of unity across the volumes. For example, I am using only white and black for the text and page backgrounds. The end pages are a complementary gray. I am using one font, Arial, with three different font sizes based on whether the text is a title, subtitle, or caption. Captions are italicized.
The second is that your book will be more interesting if it has some variation from one spread to the next. For example, spreads may have one or two photos. The photos may have borders, or they may “bleed” off the edge of the page. They may be centered or offset. Borders are usually white, but occasionally black.
How do I decide what goes into each spread and how it will be laid out? To start, I decide upon a theme or story to organize the photos I intend to use. I also identify which photos deserve the greatest emphasis. Then I start populating the pages and spreads and start experimenting. It is relatively quick and easy to try different approaches and see what looks best. Again, using the software is free, so I take my time until everything looks and feels right.
A single photo across two pages can be dramatic. It is difficult to absorb quickly, giving you time to examine the smaller details throughout. On the other hand, two well-chosen complementary photos can create a combined visual that is more interesting than either photo seen separately.
It is a thrill to see a hardcover volume with your layout on the cover. Forget that you published it yourself and that few people may see it: it’s a book! So, if you have a collection of photos, consider creating your own photo book. It can be fun, and you may create a unique addition for your coffee table.
—Joe Green/photos by the author
