Art & Inspiration A different kind of project. A book!

I work as a photographer, doing a lot of corporate portraiture, annual reports, b2b magazine features, that kinda stuff. I love my job, the creativity and the freedom of being self employed, but after working for others for so many years I felt that it would be fun to do something completely selfish. After some thinking I set out to make a story about land speed racing on El Mirage, and my hopes was to be able to sell the story when I got back to Sweden. This was back in 2004.

I posted my plans here on the HAMB, and Tom Branch got back to me and told me I could tag along with the Immortals to the lakebed as they would be racing there. This would be the two-day season finale in november. With that sort of support I dared to take the leap, so off I went and bought a flight ticket, got me a decent hotel and a rental car.

Shortly before I was supposed to go I heard some rumors of bad weather in the L.A. area. The storms had flooded the lakebed so all racing was most likely to be cancelled. BAD NEWS! What to do? Everything was already paid for, so off I went anyway. I hoped for a good vacation in a city I had never visited before, and I packed as much camera gear I could carry.

The day after I landed I met up with Tom, his wife Diana and Thomas jr. I think he felt a bit sorry for me as I had traveled so far without getting the chance to get to see El Mirage. In return he took me to Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake, to Donut Derelicts, to an informal hot rod meet just by West Coast Customs in Long Beach, and to a barbecue at Fabian's place in Yucaipa. On his day off he took me on the grand hot rod shop tour all over Orange and L.A. That's the kind of guy he is. I had the time of my life.

I snapped away with all my cameras, on anything that caught my eye. I had no real purpose, it was all just for fun. One of my cameras was a Polaroid 600 SE, maybe one of the ugliest cameras ever made. One of the perks with that one though, is that you could load it with a film that gave both a print and a negative. The photo could be handed to the one being photographed while I still got something to bring home. This was one of the first images I made:


Nick Garfias in his Model A at a Long Beach gas station, I think.

The second shot, just an hour later. Tom Branch's baremetal roadster:



During the rest of the stay I drove around, shooting cars, just for fun. When I got home again, I started to sort out all the images. I saw something in the black&white polaroids that might turn into something really good, so I kept on shooting here in Sweden. An idea formed: What about doing something that focuses, instead of on the cars, on the mechanics, the drivers, the racers and anyone who feel they are a part of this way of life.



Slowly adding one image to another...



And then off to L.A. again:



Keith:



So, after last summer I felt it was time to wrap it all up, to finish this project. I had this dream to turn it all into a book and an exhibition. However, I felt the image series had some gaps, so I tagged along with the A-Bombers to the Hot Heads East party in Finsterwalde, Germany hoping I would get the images I needed.



And the final image I shot:



Now I had the photos I needed to make a book. I planned to publish it myself, so I started to get quotes from a number of printers. And then, in october, I went to a portfolio review at a book fair. The plan was to see if I could get help with distribution of the book. Instead, I left with a deal to have it published by a well-renowned art photo publisher!

I am still financing it all by myself, but I got an ace designer to help me make it look all the best, and through the publishers network the book may find itself to art bookstores all over the world. Not in any larger numbers, but anyway.

We kept working on it during the winter. The title was set to Asphalt Telegraph, and a good friend wrote an introductory text that would somehow explain this universe to those that knew nothing about it. I got the final draft, a print date was set, and then I got a fat envelope in the mail. The final proof prints:



The printer had thrown me a curve ball. Not only had they included the duotone proofs that we had agreed on, but also a set of tritone proofs. Duotone means that you print with black to cover the black and dark areas, and with grey to cover the light and medium tones. Tritone is like duotone but with an extra shot of black in the blackest parts. It looked so good I couldn't say no. I am not sure if any hot rod related book has been printed in tritone before.

Ok, last thursday I went to Denmark to oversee the printing. Thrilling!

My best new friend, the printer guy:



Oh yeah, I got someone I admire to write a prologue:



Gösta, the publisher, leafing through the first finished pages:



The book will be a hard cover with extra heavy boards, black, with the title logotype embossed with black foil on the front. There will be an embossed rectangle on the back, with this image pasted in:



The text inlay is printed on uncoated stock, for a different texture compared to the image pages:



This edition will be fairly small, around 1200 copies. 78 pages all in all. Just one stack left to print, then it's off to the book binders:



My hopes is that this will be something that looks like nothing else, content-wise and design-wise, in the field of hot rod and custom car literature. I have tried to make something that will work as a bridge between us hop up guys and the art world people, the future will show if it is possible.

Thanks for listening!

 

Looks really nice! Great job can't wait to see the finished product.

 

Very cool. Let us know when it is available for purchase.

Chris


Sent from my iPhone using TJJ.

 

Wonderful photos and a great story too. Good luck with the book - it's something I hope to have a go at one day.

 

WOW.... That looks so good. The tritones will make it really special, and so much better than in just black or even full Color... good choice.
The photos are amazing...

Congratulations in realizing your dream project (well one of them)

 

Thank you, guys! I'll post some updates as I go along.

I hoped and expected they would look good when the came out of the machine, but I was completely blown away when I saw the first prints. Just beautiful...

Thanks, Rik. This has been a long time dream for me. Now I need some time to market this thing, then it's time for the next one. My '41 coupe! But I guess you knew that...

 

Very nice! the shots are beautiful and good luck with your book, you should be proud.

 

That looks beautiful. As a hot rodder, it looks like few books I have ever seen. As a professional designer, I am impressed.

 

Way to go Christer. Looking forward to see it in person soon.

//Magnus

 

wauw Christer..i love B/W photo's, and portraits!
this is some of the best ive seen! sign me up! i love when people follow there dreams! good luck!
-palle

 

Wow. Congratulations on getting published and having your art shown in the most high quality possible. You are truly blessed to have that happen! Great job. I hope to have the chance to get one here in the states..

Spike

 

That is some tasty looking design/photos!! Nice job!!

 

Beautiful stuff.....going to be a beautiful book. Look forward to it and yes Tom is that kind of guy.............

 

V Cool, look forward to the release.


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Thanks for your comments, everyone.
I must say this process has been a humbling one, and a bit intimidating at times. I am very well aware of that most of us in this hobby want to see images of cars, and it is hard to tell if there is a market for a book that puts the hot rodder in the leading role, with the cars in the background as the supporting actor.

Here's another shot, from Rudy's back yard:

 

That looks really great. Keep us posted on availability.

 

Great work all around - the photography to the printing.

I'd love to get a copy of the book, let us know when they are available.

 

Can't wait to see!

 

Oh, and did you notice where we got it printed? Denmark!!! I'll tell you all about it next time I see ya!

 

Gorgeous pictures and great composition! Well done!

 

Christer! i did notice that..actually i need to have some info. i am out of town, when i am home again i'll shoot you a pm! see you at OSW!
-palle

 

I want a copy too! Let us know where and when they are available.

 

Wow christer your book looks really great! Can't wait to look through it!!

 

Jokers? Coupe Devils are represented twice in the book...

 

Yes, the Jokers is on this summers' tour schedule
Yeah both Kasper and Ole, that is pretty rad!!

 

The bookbinder sent me a photo of the cover, as it is supposed to look:

 

Super images...hard to beat good B & W images.

 

In this day and age of high tech photography and computer adjusted photographs there is just something so special about the "simplicity" of black and white and those who use it well.

I will follow this tread to see when the book is available for purchase. Good luck with your project.

 

TOP NOTCH

CAN'T WAIT

Paul

 

You have a great eye, love the simplicity of the photos. Keep us all posted when it is available!