I have created a Powerpoint presentation entitled "A tale of 3 photobooks". The presentation is designed to describe my journey through the ARPS process and onward to photobook self-publication of my photobook: The City of Bath – Enduring Structures and Transient Lives. Each stage of this journey was very challenging and resulted in a tremendous learning curve.

My presentation is very much designed to describe the journey over 3 years. This approach is designed to help any photographer that is considering an RPS Associate distinction / photobook project in the future.

If you would like to arrange for the above talk / presentation to be delivered to your photography club or society, or have any comments / questions, then please do get in touch using the contact form on the home page of this website.

Over a three year period, I created 3 iterations of my photobook. My initial focus was to create and submit a photobook to the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) for an Associate distinction assessment (ARPS). Thereafter, it was always my intention to use the ARPS distinction process as a learning curve and a stepping stone towards self-publication and selling the book to a wider audience.

This journey was a tremendous learning curve. I talk about the challenges and mistakes along the way, and how I rectified the issues encountered. I describe the adjustments I made and improvements to the photobook, both as a photographer and as photobook designer / author. I show further example spreads to illustrate the improvements.

The presentation is designed to run for 2 hours (i.e. to run for 2 x 50 minute sessions with a comfort break midway).

I was invited by the RPS East Midlands Region to deliver the above presentation. I have also delivered the presentation to various photography clubs and societies. I have received a number of very positive comments and complements following the presentation. For example:

  • IH - "Thank you Paul. Really great talk! The members got a lot from it."
  • RB - "Our members really enjoyed your presentation and many thanks for the pdf copy which is really useful......really interesting to see your approach to self-publishing.......our chairman’s theme for the year is photographic projects, with an emphasis on photobooks....."
  • KP - "I would like to thank you for a very interesting talk. I very much enjoyed it and, being someone who tried to produce a photo book last year but failed.......I learnt a lot"
  • SW - "Excellent talk this evening Paul - thanks very much"
  • SL - "I wanted to express how interested I was in your subject but more than that - your presentation was brilliant, it really captivated."
  • SR - "Excellent talk yesterday, congratulations on the ARPS - well deserved - what a wonderful book - such beautiful photos – many deserving a proper long look"
  • SD - "Received your lovely book today and the images are very inspiring. I will enjoy pouring over them at a more leisurely pace"

Please visit my homepage for more information and also the opportunity to purchase my photobook.