PERU. It crawled under my skin. Affected my soul. Four weeks in Peru deeply touched the somewhat jaded traveling me. There is an energy to life here. A rawness, anarchy, hardship and smiles. A chaotic mix full of contrasts and absurdities that overwhelm, overtake and charm me. The friendliness and hospitality of the people of Peru is very special. It crawled under my skin. Affected my soul. La Alma del Perú.
This is a visual diary of La Alma del Perú. The soul of Peru. It got under my skin and into my blood. I want it to stay there.
Diario del Perú – Limited Edition
There are 25 numbered and signed limited editions of Diario del Perú. The limited edition is wrapped like a leather-like notebook, and it features a handwritten certificate (not shown in the video), a signed 14x14cm fine-art print and a signed numbered copy of Diario del Perú. The limited edition is hand made by yours truly. Read more about the making of later in this post.
The limited edition is priced at 60 EUROS / 450 DKR (about 75 USD/AUD) + shipping.
10 out of 25 are already sold, so if you are interested, contact me quickly at [email protected]
Video of Diario del Perú
Diario del Perú – book preview
Preview a small part of the book, a few random pages — full book is 120 pages.
The making of ‘Diario del Peru’
Some of images were made during my stay in Cusco, Peru outside of the workshop and some of the images were made on the outstanding PhotoExperience.Net workshop in Peru with Adam L. Weintraub and Daniel Milnor. Things I had been working on a for a while, shoot personal images, documentary work, only my kind of images, work like there’s no audience, shoot only for me, pour myself and dare to pour my dark side into the work — all started to click during the workshop. On top of that, we had a million laughs as well, thanks to the whole Sounds of Laughter ‘pisco’ crew!
Back in January, at my 2nd home in Australia, I made small prints of all of the Peru images I had made that were interesting in some way. 185 prints spread all over the good boat Polaris, many fun hours of editing and re-shuffling followed. Small prints rock. Print all your work and scatter it all over the floor if you’re doing a book or an edit. Just awesome.
The first version and design of Diario del Perú ended up on the cutting room floor in April, as it was simply wrong. A new version, styled and themed like a diary, less traditional grouping of images and more personal approach was created, Charlene whipping my thinking away from traditional photo books. An old paper background was added, handwriting, shuffling and re-ordering the images in a less orderly fashion, less organized as well. The cover is an image of an actual notebook of mine, I added a leather string and a print from Peru, I crushed the print and spilled coffee on it to age it. I photographed items from my journey and added them to the book, I added my handwriting by photographing pencil written sentences. Every page has a background of old worn paper. All of it to make it a personal book, and a book that feels like it is my diary.
The book mixes color and black and white images in the same book, which most will tell you is extremely hard to make work. Someone has to attempt it though, and I don’t mind failing as long as I’m doing, trying and learning, might as well fail spectacularly if I’m going to fail! Also, someone telling me I can’t do something, is a red cloth in front of me and means I definitely MUST try and do it. To paraphrase Neil Gaiman “if you don’t know it’s impossible (or supposed to be impossible), it’s much easier to do!”.
Right from the beginning I had this idea of a special limited edition feat. the book, a print, a certificate in a special box. I spent days and days searching all over Copenhagen for some kind of wrap or box for the limited edition. Custom made boxes proved far too expensive, also they’re too neat for this style of diary. Then I tried envelopes but never found one that felt old and right. All far too neat. Looking at the cover and my own leather journal, the idea of the leather wrap was born. I purchased some imitation leather that looks the part without being too expensive and bought leather strings, had the fine-art prints done, hand wrote the certificates — assembled 25 copies on the floor of my sister’s flat (thanks Sis!), signed, numbered, and glued a small title image to the leather wrap — and the limited edition was complete. Basically on a budget of zero as that’s the discipline of my nomad life. So here’s hoping the book sells, so I can make more books!
The promotion video was captured on my Fuji X-pro1 and edited in Premiere. Book was designed in Indesign. Images captured on both Canon 5D Mk II and a Fuji X100 (which when you get it right, matches the 5D in image quality). The book is published by Blurb.com. Prints in limited edition by the brilliant Grafik & Foto. Limited edition, like everything in the book process, entirely created and handmade by me.
The book was a collaborative effort between me and my friend and editor Charlene Winfred. Once again, Charlene supplied editing magic, support, ideas and inputs. Thanks so much my friend. Do contact Charlene if you’re in need of an editor (and awesome photographer). A big gracias as well to my fellow Jedi brother, Daniel Milnor for very valuable inputs. Adam L. Weintraub of PhotoExperience.Net for running a brilliant workshop and great friendship and hospitality in Peru.
Diario del Perú slideshow including behind the scenes
Purchase Diario del Perú – limited edition
The limited edition is priced at 60 EUROS / 450 DKR (about 75 USD/AUD) + shipping.
10 out of 25 are already sold, so if you are interested,
contact me quickly at [email protected]
Purchase Diario del Perú – book only
The book only is ordered directly from Blurb.com.
Book only is priced at 27 EUROS (about 200 DKR, 34 USD/AUD) + shipping and local VAT.
Diario del Perú – click here to order from Blurb.com
