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MASTERCLASS WITHMASTERCLASS WITHGERHARD STEIDLGERHARD STEIDL

November 9, 2013

It is not too far-fetched to say that every photographer wishes to

be published by Steidl. So when the chance came to attend a

masterclass by the master himself, I jumped on the opportunity.

Even though my book was already at the binders, it was

undoubtedly the lesson of a lifetime. To listen and learn from the

master book publisher in person, is to be soaked in inspiration

itself.

Master book publisher Gerhard Steidl was in Singapore to conduct a free

masterclass about book publishing.

“To create a photo book, you have to think theatre. Think about

how the curtains will open… and it is important not to lose the

attention of your audience.”

These were the words of renowned book publisher, Gerhard Steidl,

as he shared tirelessly with a roomful of twenty plus masterclass

participants in Singapore. In the four hours of intensive discussion

and reviews, Steidl shared his experience, know-how and even

philosophy behind his work.

Steidl publishes more than 200 books every year, and more than

2,500 in his career. Each book is a work of art, sought after by

collectors all over the world.

For me, it came as a surprise that Mr Steidl decided to stopover

at Singapore, and even conduct a masterclass free-of-charge. But

once you come into the presence of Gerhard Steidl, you can

immediately understand why this man is a master.

The night before, many of us had turned up at The Substation to

watch a 90-minute film called “How to Make a Book with Steidl”,

and were given a preview of the man and his ideas.

Master book publisher Gerhard Steidl was in Singapore to screen his film “How

to Make a Book with Steidl” at The Substation.

During the masterclass, Mr Steidl proved to be the same man we

saw in the film – full of passion and bursting with boundless

energy. Although he was due to catch a flight back home that

night, Steidl took his time to go through each of the participant’s

book mockups and prints with care and attention, as if each one

of us was in Steidlville, getting ready to go to press. He even took

time to share his views on books with the class.

“Books are democratic objects,” he said. And then he would go on

to inform us about how Johannes Gutenberg changed the world by

introducing the mechanical movable type printing. Prior to

Gutenberg, Bibles were handwritten by monks and very expensive,

and hence, only the rich could afford these books, we were told.

Despite having published the most renowned names in the

photography world – William Eggleston, Robert Frank, Andreas

Gursky – just to name a few, the master publisher remains down-

to-earth, and was most earnest in sharing his knowledge. No

question was too silly not to be answered in a detailed,

meticulous manner.

It is clear that Gerhard Steidl is a man on a mission – to save the

world from the onslaught of iPads and smartphones and all things

backlit. As the book publishing world cuts corners and profits fall

in the digital age, Steidl remains a stalwart of book publishing and

is confident that the future lies in a select group of discerning

publishers who see the importance of quality printing.

“Books are objects of art that are relatively inexpensive,” he

proclaims.

“The industry does not love art at all. It loves its profits,” Mr Steidl

said, referring to how publishers usually try to keep costs low by

cutting corners – from paper choice to colour separation

techniques. For Gerhard Steidl, cutting corners is blasphemous

and unthinkable, because each book is an object of art, and

deserves a unique treatment that is best kept away from mass

market methodologies.

One of the first things Mr Steidl does when handed a book, is to

smell the paper it is printed on. While he laments the closure of

good paper mills throughout the world, Mr Steidl was clearly

excited when he ran his fingers over a Korean-produced paper

used in one of the participants’ book. He made it a point to obtain

the name of the paper, because good paper is so hard to come by

these days.

Still, his choice of paper is not a closely-guarded secret. For

instance, when I quizzed him about the paper he had used for

Josef Koudelka’s Gypsies, he readily shared that it was printed on

“Fly” paper from Schleipen mill in Germany, using the tri-tone

process.

And if one thought that making a quality photo book is about

buying the most advanced technologies and expensive equipment,

Steidl will prove you wrong. For one, he uses only one press for all

his books. And the way he stress-tests his products? A cheap

tungsten bulb.

“Always look at your own book in the worst possible light: does it

still look good?” To make his point, he took one book from a

masterclass participant and placed it under a table.

“If the book and images still look good, then it is really good.”

6 STEIDL TIPS MAKING A6 STEIDL TIPS MAKING AGOOD PHOTO BOOKGOOD PHOTO BOOK

Share this:

← HOW IT ALL BEGAN: A

BOOK MOCKUP

A WHIFF OF PARADISE →

1. To create a photo book, you have to think theatre.To create a photo book, you have to think theatre.

2. When sequencing a book, constructs an untoldWhen sequencing a book, constructs an untold

storyline inside your mind.storyline inside your mind.

3. Decide on covers last, when minds are sharpenedDecide on covers last, when minds are sharpened

after layout is completed. Do not be afraid to tryafter layout is completed. Do not be afraid to tryunexpected pictures – always surprise theunexpected pictures – always surprise thereaders.readers.

4. Form should follow function.Form should follow function.

5. It’s better to live with a fine art print than aIt’s better to live with a fine art print than a

badly printed book.badly printed book.

6. Always look at your own book in the worstAlways look at your own book in the worst

possible light: does it still look good?possible light: does it still look good?

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Gwen Lee and her

team at Singapore International Photo Festival (SIPF) for making

the screening and masterclass by Mr Steidl possible.

Posted in Uncategorized / Tagged book, book making, book publishing, gerhard steidl, josef koudelka,

master book publisher, photo book, printing, singapore, SIPF, steidl / Leave a comment

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