David Gray at Coventry University

I'd like to point out that many of the words here are in reality David's, which I have tried to write up as best as possible and still do them justice.

David Gray’s talk on self publishing was given in two parts – relating to the two differing perspectives he had to adopt: as the photographer, and as the publisher.

As photographers, he encouraged us not to worry about attempting to ‘meet a market’. With the opening and freeing of the medium, and crucially the accessibility of the technology, self-publishing is now a valid and worthwhile venture, and one that can give conventional books a run for their money – if done well enough. It is important that artistic practitioners recognise this potential, and consider it when undertaking their next project. You don’t have to rely on a magazine/publishing house/high street gallery anymore, nor you should you feel the need to put all your hopes with them.

David talked through his projects, and the self-reflection and criticism that was necessary to allow the work to progress; aiming to each time improve the delivery to the viewer, whilst still maintaining and celebrating the ideas which he felt were key to his style. A good example of this can be seen from the progression from the Cunawabi book to The Dream that Days Break series; where the use of writing in consideration with the narrative, went from caption-less images, accompanied by a sheet of fragmented poetry – thereby giving a very un-prescribed (and open to viewer interpretation) story; to a more formally delivered piece of writing at the front of the book which gave a greater sense of meaning to the images that followed. This idea of photography and writing as equal – as aspects of a publication which do not rely on, but support each other, as well as standing alone – was something that David strived towards after finding that people weren’t quite ‘getting’ the narrative of Cunawabi to the extent he had hoped.

From the series Drift. ©David Gray

When it comes to publishing, a very different and much more disciplined mindset, than that of the free-working photographer, is needed; particularly as money is now of prime concern. David identified four predominant areas to be considered for production: design, the product package, paper, and printing. And he had many tips on how to tackle them; the sum of which was firstly to keep organised, and secondly to build a strong relationship with those that can provide these services. Here the idea of trade for trade was highlighted – all companies need pictures, pictures we can provide in return for discount, paper and printing manufacturers eager to test out their paper and keep sample copies. An additional third point would be to consider learning things yourself, becoming self-sufficient, it’s not possible in all circumstances but David taught himself how to frame his prints.

The next difficulty for an independent publisher is that of distribution. The way to tackle it is to aim for a smaller, more direct audience; and this involves targeting a small number of key distributers (bookshops, book-fares, galleries) and again maintaining a strong relationship with them. One of the greatest advantages a self-publisher has – and should make use of – is their quality of customer service. Personalised messages, handwritten responses and the like go a long away in keeping purchasers not only satisfied, but then interested for the long term. David also stressed the power of the third party, the benefit received when others are responding to and reviewing your work, because of the community of interest that builds up around that.

Overall, David provided a talk which emphasised the necessity for hard work and disciplined effort with projects, but at the same time the importance of enjoying the projects and pursuing the ideas that you are passionate about. In short, and as David summed up – be strict with yourself, and have fun.

Following the talk and the questions, the class had more of an informal conversation with David. A few other things that he mentioned as important to a photographic practitioner, was the significance of finding something untouched and with a personal connection to explore. Also the advice to keep up with self-driven projects after graduation – even if they’re not selling they will be profiting – try to think of it as commissioning yourself. The brilliance of working this way, is the freedom from commercial pressures. As Ansel Adams puts it: “There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs”. David points out that the same applies with books and so, provided there is enough motivation, confidence needn’t be lacking when self-publishing. David has been greatly assisted in his publishing endeavours by his acquired knowledge and confidence of graphic design (which has also provided him with an income to support his creative work). But this should not detour others who don’t have the skills, simply look to David’s approach to new challenges: one of not accepting defeat easily, and a willingness to learn even when against the odds. All in all David was a very encouraging practitioner to talk with, especially from a student’s point of view. His ability to relate to a student’s position with positive advice was incredibly beneficial to a group soon facing the uncertainties of graduation.

David's photographic work can be found at 76degreesandclear.

A reduced version of this piece can be found at CU Photography.