Idiots’ Books of Chestertown Maryland Book Report!

Apparently, when you buy a book from Idiots Books of Chestertown, Maryland they assign you to do a book report on it.  Who knew? I got flashbacks from 6th grade when I heard that! And that’s a long time ago. Some might say, a really long time ago. Really really. (I’m lookin’ at you Sue, Linda and Loretta)

Anyways, I heard about them in a post on the New York Times website a few weeks ago and had to check them out since they’re so close to here, and they do letter press stuff. I’ve been thinking about getting some letterpress business cards.

I love the fact they’re  a small business. Set up to match the lifestyle they want to live. In fact, it’s really small. Matthew and Robbi are a husband and wife team and the entire staff of the operation. Robbi is a girl. It sounds kind of like Pat, so I figured I should tell you. Hows that for a Saturday Night Live reference?

The site is cool and I checked out their webstore, of course. How can you not make a purchase from a place with this as their opening graphic?

Of course you have to make a purchase!

I picked up “Understanding Traffic, an Expert Account” based on this description:

The world has waited generations for the definitive book on traffic. Now, in the company of small, unsophisticated, off-register illustrations, the answers unfold in dazzling fashion. Part monograph, part liberation theology, our smallest creation to date is also the most wordy. Poor you.

In part it was the description. In part it was me being cheap. There, I said it. I’m a bargain book hunter.

The book is filled with amazing facts like restaurants cause roads and

“It is better to sit quietly in monastic repose for the sake of keeping traffic at abeyance. But so urgent is the need to share our ourselves with others, this is never ever going to happen.”

Jack Handey has nothing on these people! Is there anyone else out there that knew Jack is a real person?Another SNL reference!

See how educational Idiots’ Books is?

People from New Jersey might not like the book. Aspersions were cast. Just sayin’

Everyone else on the planet will. Especially if they want to understand traffic.

I loved  the personalized note on the back of a post card that came in the package with the book. Pretty cool to deal with real people.

I asked my mom to sign me up for one of their subscriptions. So I could be one of the cool kids. And mostly so I could send on the books to any reform school graduations I might attend. I will be prepared, if it ever happens.

The End

Holgas and GAS

I don’t think most folks care what I take their photos with. I won’t bore you with details. I bring enough toys to do the job right. The final images will rock!

I will tell you a story though. Like other photographers with GAS (Gear Aquistion Syndrome) I have a lot of cameras. A lot. Most of which I paid next to nothing for because they’re old school film cameras, or junky plastic toy cameras. Many of which were given to me by folks who just didn’t want their old gear to go to waste! (Feel free to pass on any cameras sitting in your closet. I love those old film cameras!)  Last year I got a top of the line Canon digital camera, the 5 D Mark II. It’s amazing. I can do stuff with it that I couldn’t dream of doing with my earlier digital cameras. For Christmas I got 2 Holga cameras.  The Holgas are cheap plastic toy cameras (about $29. Seriously)  that use a type of film that most folks have never seen. The images from them are often blurry and have light leaks and other technical faults. But, they tell stories and give me the timeless look I like. My wife asked me what I liked about the Holgas. When I said they get soft, dreamy images she said “we just dumped a ton of money into that sharp camera and you like these because they’re soft???” Spouses don’t understand GAS.

When I’m on a shoot, I often look like one of those camera geeks in the movies. More than one camera around my neck, with straps tangled. Oh well…

It's Emotional. It's Personal