Is there a fine line between evolution and mutation? Probably. Here's a convoluted CP tale for you, in case you didn't know I'm infamous for not getting to the point and telling all the side bars. I'm trying to get better.
Been a couply projects so far
15 years ago I left the security of salaried employment. There wasn't a masterplan of turning into a successful surf book publisher. There was a drive to keep being a surf photographer and to figure out how to do that. In 2008 the PhotoCPL book hit the surf shops. Selling the book into the shops meant there was catch-ups with old mates in those shops. The retailers have always been generous with feedback and input. Sincerely, it's a really good thing.
And one of the recurring themes was individual photo sales. Raglan legend B-Rex did a great job of selling small mounted prints in the mid '90's and early '00's. You may remember them; a B&W 6x4 print glued onto a bigger black board with a simple bamboo frame glued around that. They were sold through Raglan Surf Co, Backdoor and North Beach. B-Rex sold a shit ton. I believe he stopped because the assembly was too labour intensive. But the retailer's would say, 'If you can figure out how to hit that price point, we'll sell heaps for you. ". Challenge accepted, in fact fellow surf photog Rowan Klevstul and I went into high rotate on research and development. We couldn't do it, we just couldn't keep the labour intensity in control. In the meantime new book projects and photo shoots were going great. The project got back burnered. Not abandoned, just put at the back on simmer.
New things
The shop owners kept lamenting the B-Rex photo absenteeism. A mere 8 years later there was a solution, an evolvement of the idea. In 2016 the PhotoCPL NZ Wave Print Set hit the shops. The 10 prints were packaged into a heavy weight compendium, which meant the price per 8 x 10 photo print was under $3.50- great deal huh! There was utter conviction the problem had been solved. I'd be retiring to the Mentawaii's on my 40ft Cat, living off the re-orders and re-prints.
The 2016 version
They sold OK, but at the time The South Seas book was in full swing. It is a book of NZ Line Ups, I wanted to compliment, not compete, and concentrated on singular wave studies. I think I over thought it. Also, because the print-set concept was new to market, it presented challenges in explaining just what was in the pack. It sold through in a few seasons, but it wasn't the runaway success hoped. I think because I have had a few runaways, like the PhotoCPL Book, The South Seas Book/s and The Big Little Beach Book, I have over inflated expectations for every project. No Mentawaii Catamaran.
Other projects came in, Warren Hawke's NZ Surf series of 4 books took main stage. But the niggle remained, the B-Rex void had not quite been filled. So this year, I've made this...
This time a showcase of 10 prints of idyllic Kiwi Line Ups and waves. There isn't an attempt to be regionally diverse and cover the country, there isn't even a Raglan photo. I've stuck to my best images, the proven sellers in the PhotoCPL Waves Gallery . 10 prints, ready to be mounted into 8 x 10 pre-made frames, like the inexpensive frames you can buy from the Warehouse or K-mart. And they retail at $34.95 for the pack...under $3.50 a print. This is what they look like;
Always refining and striving for better. I'm not going to hold my breath or start adding catamarans to my watch list yet, but I think the new Print Set is a great evolution of the concept. Hope so, 2 pallets of the little bastards are arriving next week!
Pre-sales are open, and there is free national P&P on all pre-sales. You can check out the pre sale offer HERE
FROM THE BOOK SHOP
It's a book themed post!!! And speaking of, NZ Surf Windows is going gang busters. We only have a couple of hundred left. With Warren's books we don't do reprints, once they are gone that's it.
Don't know anything about NZ Surf Windows... well, you can go HERE