An-Stapa – Standing Still

My first book An-stapa is published, here is a short post about the book, how it was produced and what’s to come in the future.

This blog post was created just after lockdown (november 13th 2022), but wanted to share here as my first post as it is still as relevant today as it was back then. I’m very proud of this book. A huge learning curve which was a lot of fun. Even with my background in design and print, producing your own body of work has so many different emotions attached to it. You have to be very unforgiving but at the same time not to chase perfection or you will never finish it. I reckon that was one of the biggest things I took from this, just to get it done. Making that leap and not reaching for the unreachable but to get it finished. Over 150 orders and still going. Grab you copy today and hopefully it inspires you with your photography and maybe even making your own book.

Below is the original post from 2022

Start at the beginning, the why I started to do this first publication. It was a hand forced and ongoing project that brought it together. Originally I wanted to produce a zine a monthly magazine but the world flipped and I knew early on I had to keep on with the projects / videos and photography or I’d be in a right mess! Mentally as well as physically.

Like many of us, we ended up in our gardens and when safe to do so, exploring our local areas. I was fortunate enough to already have a good knowledge of local woodland and places close to me because I had already been visiting them. The zine idea was fading fast but I kept on with the videos and photography. Thanks to you ladies and gentlemen, you suggested a book.

WHAT!

Me? make a book? and then I started looking at the number of images I’d amassed in the first year, this was possible I thought. Now let’s flip back to 2019 and the photography show, I’d started to think about a book back then, but confidence and I believe the quality was lacking. I put my foot down and started on the journey to improving and pushing within compositions, experimental images and most of all my love and enthusiasm wasn’t waning, in fact, I was obsessed and still am. I love photography so much, it has given me so much, meeting so many wonderful people, keeping my mental health in check and also the physical fitness that comes with hiking and walking to grab the shots. This set me right and positioned the next few years for me, working full time and YouTube, like I still do, as and when I could get out. Of course, this gave me a huge resource of photography from each video / project.

Front and back cover

Lockdown! I can’t stop!

The great outdoors, my photography and creating for Youtube had to continue, it just had to continue by the laws of lockdown. An-stapa was born, and slowly over the past two years, the collection of images for the book found a place on the pages.

It isn’t filled with me writing and getting maudling about the times we all shared locked away. It is filled with images that I personally feel speak louder than words. Here is a page of text I omitted from the book because I felt I didn’t need to write pages to explain…

“In the end, there is a new beginning, a new project. This was just the start of my publishing journey, the start of the story. Soon I hit two milestones, 5 years of sharing my photography on YouTube and 50 times around the sun. Monumental FIVES! Or to give the next book project its official title, 50 times around the sun, none of it would have been possible if it wasn’t for the special ladies in my life, my two daughters and my wife! With love and thanks to my family, for all the support and for putting up with dad always complaining about missing a sunset. Also, I have to give thanks to all my friends, acquaintances and people who comment and join me on each video, all across social media and beyond. Your kindness and encouragement kept me going even when I felt like throwing in the towel. Sometimes, I stop and think, am I making a fool out of myself, then someone reminds me does it really matter? Do you enjoy what you are doing? All becomes clear and I continue to do what I do and hopefully for many years to come.”

Inside double page spread

Inside double page spread

Inside double page spread

So what’s next?

5 years of YouTube and 50 years around the sun. My biggest project in photography, next year I will be producing a book that goes over my five years of creating images and videos turning the grand age of 50. This book will comprise of 2 images from every video I have created, links to the videos and inside info on each and every video I have produced over the five years. The book will contain over 250 images (estimate), limited edition copies signed plus a signed A3 print will also be available,

If you got this far, thank you, please consider grabbing a copy of the book, Click here to order now.

Well there’s only one thing left to say and that’s…
Keep well, stay safe and SITHEE!