My Bookpile Contest Entry

A note about this photo: I was on the LibraryThing blog and read the post there about the contest. So I briefly thought about it, read the contest “rules” aloud to my husband, while he didn’t listen very closely, then immediately got up from my computer seat and went to my books and began pulling them, one by one sometimes, in chunks other times. I made a big mess.

I didn’t use my left brain at all in doing this, I went with my visual-spatial self, what pleases my eye, what statement is made that the visual right brain will absorb when viewing the stack.

I looked at what I had after a bit, not long really, I went manic into this 😉 and saw that I could get a few more books there, and wouldn’t it be nice to put Calvin dearly-loved and dogeared books there on the side, with a cat?

So snap, snap, snap, snap … I took many photos … Strider, one of our six living cats, got into the frame a few times, not in any good way though. The non-living cat I had placed on both side, for different snaps. The one above is the one I liked the best. I cut it out of the background too, not having a good pure background available to me easily at that time. Besides, I love playing in Photoshop. 🙂

When I was done, I was pleased, but not entirely. As is typical of myself, I critiqued it and said, it’s not quite right, and I surely won’t submit this photo.

A couple of days later I revisted the photo. I opened the file and said “WOW! I love it!” and the rest is history. I immediatley sent an email with the photo to the contest, and then a bit later created this post.

The books I chose are varied older and newer … from grains to birds to fantasy fiction old and new, to classics, and visual-spatial topics. On top is an old small book, William Cullen Bryant poetry, which I obtained from I-have-no-idea. It’s interesting to look through it, I love reading the inscription dated 1887 inside the front. It’s old, not quite antique, in good condition … and the oldest thing in the picture. A fitting cap, I think.

I lined the books up to the right … and stacked them by size vertically … but not perfectly. I wanted them nearly perfect, not exactly and didn’t even think about it, just did it. It’s my methodology for photography, just do it. I don’t wear anything Nike either 😉

The light streaks on the stack I don’t mind. Photography does that on books, without extra set-up of lighting to dull the issues. I find the flashes on stacks of books attractive, myself. It adds a bit of mystery to photographs, IMVHO. It part of the appeal of my picture … it clear, yet not, the colors dance before my eyes and I know of myself how Introverted I am, it must have embarrassed me at first, and that is why I didn’t send it in right away, but waited, and made the decision later, when I was comfortable enough to appreciate it as my style to show others. FWIW