Ready, Set… Write!

Most of the leaves are still green but autumn is definitely in the air. It’s chilly on my morning hikes and I’ve put a warmer blanket on the bed. My son is back to school and our schedule is governed by routine. It’s time to settle into “to do” lists, homework and long term projects.

For me, that means writing a book. Yes, a real printed book. One published by a publisher, with a contract and a deadline, sold on Amazon and all of that. I’m writing a book on iPhone photography for Amherst Media, to come out in winter 2015/2016. I can hardly believe it.

(Update July 2015 — The book is now available on Amazon.com: Art with an iPhone: A Photographer’s Guide to Creating Altered Realities)

I’ve had a growing dream of writing a real book for a while, after getting feedback on my blog and from my eCourse students telling me they appreciate how I put things into words. I started to think, Hey, maybe I could really do this. Between my blog, my eCourses and the Digital Photography Basics eBook, I’ve already written a lot. How much harder could a book be?

But acting on the idea of writing a book hadn’t been a priority for me. I was busy with making art and getting ready for Art Fairs and teaching locally. Someday, maybe, I would write a book. When I had the time. When I had the right idea. You know, someday.

That all changed with the crazy publicity that came out of the newspaper article before the Salem Art Fair. The president of Amherst Media contacted me about writing a how-to book on iPhone photography. How do you say no to that? You don’t. Especially if you had this dream of writing a book someday. In the course of a few weeks we had worked through the options and the details and now it’s a done deal — I’m writing a book. Deadline March 1, 2015.

You know what the biggest challenge is going to be? It’s not going to finding time. It’s not going to be thinking of what to write.

As I’ve gotten started, I’ve realized the most challenging thing is going to be fitting everything I have to say in to the space I have available. Turns out, two years of developing techniques plus a year of teaching classes plus a lot of passion for the subject means I have a whole lot to write about. My theory right now is to just let it flow and cut it back later. That seems like a better situation than stretching to find something to write.

Some of you might remember that iPhone photography eCourse I was going to create someday. Well, it’s not going to be an eCourse anymore. It will be a real, honest-to-goodness, printed book.

Someday has turned into today. I’d better get writing.

If you don’t want to wait more than a year to learn about IPhone photography from me, I have a couple of workshops coming up…

Intro to Mobile Photography is on September 20 from 1-4pm at The Arts Center in Corvallis, OR. In this short course, I teach you how to get a great photograph with your mobile device, iOS or Android, and get you started with basic editing. Everyone is amazed at how much they learn in such a short time! Cost is $40, and you can register here.

Smartphone Art 1 & 2 will be on October 11 & 12, from 10-5 both days, at Sequoia Gallery + Studios in Hillsboro, OR. On Day 1, I cover the basics of the Intro course, plus teach you about many more apps and introduce blending, bringing you into the kind of creative editing techniques I use. On Day 2, I’ll be sharing advanced techniques for creative blending, creating your own backgrounds and textures, and of course, teach you more must-have apps. This course series covers iOS only. You can register just for Day 1 or both days to make it a weekend workshop. Cost is $95 per day and you can register here.

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