Master class "Let’s do it:
a book about Moscow"

On June 17, the Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography, together with the Russian Independent Selfpublished team, invites you to a workshop on creating a collective zine “Let’s Do It: A Book About Moscow”.

Time: from 11:00 to 21:00 with a lunch break

Maximum number of participants: 15

Cost of participation: 3300 rubles

More details:

What makes the book how to move from ideas and desires to the implementation of the project, from a bunch of photos to rhythm and sequence, from a digital archive to a physical object.

Aims and objectives of the course: a one-day intensive creation of a collective photo book is suitable for both beginners who want to try their hand and experienced photographers who are thinking about implementing a finished project in the form of a book, but do not yet know how to approach this. During the course, participants will go through the deep immersion method all the way from developing a theme to creating the final layout of a photo book.

We will work on a previously announced topic (“Moscow”) with photos of course participants. Participants can take photos on purpose or use existing images on a given topic. It is important that participants have the right to use photographs, because based on the results of the intensive, the resulting group photo book / zine will be printed. Acquired skills to work on a photo book can be applied in the future to your projects, rethink them and bring to physical implementation.

Each course participant will receive a copy of the zine, printed in a limited edition. The remaining copies of the zine will be presented during the year by the Russian Independent Selfpublished team at international festivals such as Unseen Amsterdam, Paris Photo, Fiebre Photobook Madrid, etc.

Course Stages:

• Introductory part, analysis of inspirational books, how other authors work with our topic.
• Clarification of the topic of the book: discussion of the selected topic within the group, personal interests and experiences of each within a broad topic; elucidation of possible dramaturgy, the basis for future narration. Narrowing the topic, coordination of the main semantic and visual accents, the choice of the working title of the book.
• Selecting photos and creating a sequence in the book. Different approaches to the selection and creation of the visual range of the book. The main emphasis is on the process that leads to the creation of the concept of a draft book and its physical model.
• Designing a book form. We have developed a concept, created a sequence of images and proceed to the design of the book form. Participants are exploring ways to disclose the content of the project by choosing the form, sewing methods, selecting materials - paper for the block, printing, cover materials.
• Creating a draft book (dummy), discussion of further steps.

Optional: We sew or glue a notebook in two different techniques as a binding practice. Participants will be able to keep notebooks made by themselves and use them in the future for notes and sketches.

The partners of the project are the Formula Papers store and the Nemakulatura author photo book printing service. “Formula Paper” provides materials for creating dummies, “Nemaculatura” prints zine.