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Nicolas Raspiengeas
A self-taught photographer, I discovered my passion for images and adventure at the dawn of my 30th birthday. My artist's name is a message in the form of a nod to the inscription on my very first plane ticket : Check My Trip, which I later rephrased, translating as Look at My Dreams.
After years of searching for my own path, I finally came up with my own: Dream Hunter.
Through it, I see photography not as an end in itself, but as a means of photographing and sharing my dreams.
Specialising in landscape photography, my photographic work is designed to help you discover a vision of nature in the light of original, carefully crafted compositions. I'm particularly interested in combining colours and contrasts, and I like to include the human element from time to time.
Tim Parkin
Amateur Photographer who plays with big cameras and film when in between digital photographs.
Nicolas informed me that he was making a book for his work some time ago and I know he has a varied portfolio and exacting standards, I was interested in his approach. He agreed to send me some information about his choices which you can find below - Tim
The idea was to present all my photographic work from 2014 to 2022. However, as I'm interested in a lot of very different subjects and I didn't want to restrict myself to one theme, I asked myself, ‘What links all my photographic work’?
I put all my images on the same screen and simply looked at them together. Without necessarily paying particular attention, I noticed similarities and links in the images. This could be the case for a similar subject but also for images that, at first glance, have nothing to do with each other.
Which, in a way, makes sense because I just photographed what I liked, letting my imagination run wild. I did this unconsciously, without thinking in terms of a series. Looking for the same hues, lights and textures, whatever the subject matter over the years. When I think of it, I even think that working in a series can drag a photographer's work down.
The process of printing my book has been a profound learning experience. From selecting the right printer and paper to deciding on the number of copies, I discovered a wealth of information over the past few months. Here’s a summary of my journey.
Choosing the Printer
To closely oversee the printing process and be present during the critical makeready stage, I opted for a printer near my home—a fortunate decision, as I’ll explain later.
Deciding on the Book Format
I selected a 30x30 cm format for the book, as it strikes an excellent balance. This size accommodates both panoramic and vertical photos—the formats I use most frequently. When considering your book’s format, it’s essential to match it to the types of visuals you typically create.
Selecting the Paper
Initially, I leaned towards using art paper for the book. However, after researching binding methods and reviewing other art books, particularly in landscape photography, I realized that coated paper was a better option. Not only is it more cost-effective, but it’s also more flexible—an essential feature for landscape photographers. Flexible paper allows the book to open flat, making it ideal for showcasing panoramas. For this reason, some photographers even prefer Swiss-style binding.
Funding and Promotion
Instead of launching a crowdfunding campaign, I decided to finance the project entirely on my own. While it’s too soon to determine whether this was the optimal choice, I had specific reasons for this decision.
- Lower Costs: By taking out a loan from my bank at an interest rate of 5–6%, I avoided the higher fees of around 8% charged by crowdfunding platforms.
- Accessibility: Many potential supporters might find creating an account on a crowdfunding platform cumbersome, which could deter participation.
- Direct Engagement: Selling the book directly through my website not only promotes my work but also introduces people to my services, potentially generating additional revenue.
- Navigating Challenges
During the printing process, I faced a significant setback that proved both stressful and expensive. I’d like to share this experience as a cautionary tale.
Before scheduling, the printer provided a preview of the book after converting the mock-up and photos into CMYK format. This conversion step is critical as it ensures the final rendering is accurate. I was particularly concerned about the aurora borealis photos, which showed some unusual aberrations. My graphic designer assured me this was normal, as CMYK renderings are inherently less vibrant than RGB. Trusting her expertise, I proceeded with the makeready.
Unfortunately, my fears were confirmed during the print run—the aurora photos looked dreadful at the end of the line. Production had to be halted. After discussions with the management, my graphic designer, and the technicians, we decided to redo the process the following day. That evening, I re-edited all the aurora photos, applying less processing to them. The next day’s conversion yielded significantly improved results with no aberrations.
Technicians explained that the aurora’s colors—green, red, and purple—pushed the technical limits of what offset printing could reproduce. Additionally, neither my graphic designer nor the printers flagged the issue earlier because they had never seen an aurora borealis in real life; even with aberrations, the photos seemed “normal” to them.
Lessons Learned
If you have doubts about a CMYK conversion, always request test prints on an inkjet printer to verify the rendering. This precaution can save you significant time and money. In my case, between the costs of proofing and reprinting the faulty books, this error set me back nearly €2,800.
By sharing my journey, I hope to provide insights and help others avoid the pitfalls I encountered. The printing process is as much about meticulous preparation as it is about creativity and vision.
The book is called “‘Dream Hunter - The Genesis” what does this mean, and how did you choose the images for the book based on this title?
It evokes two things at once. The path I chose to take nearly 10 years ago. For years, I wandered from job to job, unable to find my place. And it was during a trip to Australia in 2012 that I discovered what I was made for! Since then, I've been creating a ‘tailor-made’ path for myself, which is also a reference to my first plane ticket, which said ‘Check My trip’.
The genesis, as I describe my beginnings in photography and how I got into it. The images are taken from all my photography work from 2014 to winter 2022. The images were chosen firstly for their quality and the accomplished aspect that they represent for me, and then by working on the principle of associations.
From the book spreads we’ve seen, you’ve spent some time sequencing photographs so they complement each other. Did you have to include pictures you wouldn’t have otherwise to allow this, and did you exclude any images you loved because of this
That's a very good question! With very few exceptions, I wanted to include all the photos here. On the other hand, there are some strong images in my portfolio that I've never managed to combine. I call these ‘orphan’ images. This may be due to the uniqueness of the subject, the colour, the shapes, the light - to my mind, they're well done, but in my attempt to associate them, they haven't found a ‘parent’ image.
Was there any sequencing of images across the length of the book, i.e. seasons, dark to light, details to sublime, etc?
In addition to the image association approach, my graphic designer and I also wanted to punctuate the reading of the book to avoid a certain monotony. That's why, every four double pages, the reader will intermittently discover either a panoramic photo or an image with the story behind it.
Success with a book always involves an audience. Have you spent time building this up already and hope to sell it to this audience, or are you hoping to use the book as a way to expand it?
Yes, even if it wasn't initially my idea, building a community is essential! How else would you sell an art product to people who don't know you? It's a lot more difficult. I also took advantage of the client database of my photo travel agency ‘Renardo & Puffinou’, who were the first people to take an interest.
Is there anything you would have chosen to do differently? What are you key learnings in the process (excluding those mentioned above).
Yes, just one! Usually, photographers choose to go through a fund-raising campaign before the book is released. This means they don't have to advance any money, and they can pre-sell a number of copies of the book, thus securing the project.
In my case, I chose to finance myself and sell directly via my website www.checkmydream.fr. The gamble was that by doing this, visitors to my site who ordered the book would also discover all my photography work and my other services/products. So I was expecting some direct spin-offs, and judging by the initial figures, it hasn't had any effect for the moment.
Secondly, unlike a fundraising campaign where the photographer's community ‘participates’ directly by supporting the project, my approach has bypassed that stage. As a result, there's inevitably less commitment. The other aspect is that unlike a fund-raising campaign, which is spread over several weeks, my book is available immediately, so I don't have the same scope to promote it.
