Hey Look! It's a book!

Many people have switched from film cameras to digital cameras. Logically, a lot of people order prints online. Many websites that provide the prints also offer other opportunities to 'make stuff' with your photo... like a photobook. Like a scrapbook, but easier for those of us who aren't so hands-on-artsy-fartsy.

I contemplated making a photobook for quite a while... and then threw one together at www.lulu.com which contains only photos from hikes during 2008. In the end, it was way too expensive for pages of pictures and nothing else. It was all pictures. No words, except a title. I was disappointed. Plus, it felt like I was picking at the bottom of the barrel for a few of the pictures.

Then I found www.blurb.com.
So, I started pulling together somthing that was much more than a photobook. Well, it feels like 'more than a photobook' to me because it actually has some text in it and I was able to put in most of my favorite photos while ignoring the crappy photos. Additionally, I think it flows pretty well from start to finish without getting too wordy or dull.

I ordered one for myself just the other day and can't wait to see the finished product. Unfortunatly, due to the busy shipping season (and a family vacation), it probably won't arrive until the end of the month.

You can preview the first 15 pages online by following the link to blurb.com:
Big Rock Excursions 2004-2008
Really, the first 15 pages just don't do it justice in my opinion, but I'll gladly show you my copy next time we see each other.

The full book is 72 pages long, with more than 100 pictures and 40 different destinations taken over a 4 year period and encompassing 70 "hike days" overall. Many of you who have hiked with me have your picture in the book as well, including: Dad, Rob, Erik, Steve, Chris, Tim, Kyle, Rachel and of course my family.

My original photobook (with a full online preview) posted at lulu.com can be viewed here: 2008 Photobook
It's a little cheaper than the blurb version, but I really think the blurb version is 100x better. In fact, I'm not even ordering the lulu version for myself.

With all that out of the way, you can look forward to the 2008 Video that I'll be creating over the next few weeks.

Next outing is tentatively scheduled for January 10, 2009. Now that we have some snow, I'll be looking forward to some good snowshoeing and might start off with a trip to the popular Skyline Lake at Steven's Pass. As always, the date and destination are subject to change at anytime.

Cheers to you all and have a Merry Christmas!