The Problem with Photographs (in Books)
Are QR codes the answer?
My upcoming book is going to be a fat one - about 500 pages thick. Which means it’s already more expensive than normal to print and ship. When people ask if it will include photographs, I regrettably shake my head. Photos add further cost, and are a huge challenge because print-quality images are more difficult to acquire than images that work well online.
The Freedom Convoy was a highly visual event. The big rigs barrelling down the road, the flags and the signs, the packed overpasses, the rows of trucks in dowtown Ottawa. Even if that weren’t the case, seeing photos of people we’re reading about enhances the experience.
I think I have a satisfactory work-around. Each chapter will end with a QR code. If a reader scans that code with their mobile phone they’ll get taken directly to a page of associated photos.
These images have already been published here on Substack, but they’re scattered across multiple instalments. So I’ve begun the process of collecting them together on a single page for each chapter. Many of them are magnificent and deserve to be seen by a wide audience.
Please check out the the QR code below, as well as at the top of this page, and let me know what you think in the comments. Fingers crossed, anyone who wishes to do so should be able to leave a comment.
(If you’re reading this on your mobile phone, I believe you can tap the QR code after it comes into focus on your phone, but the process may be less straightforward. You may need to take a screenshot of the QR code first, and then try tapping it.)
I bet a kickstarter/indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for a convoy photo book would be successful.
If you or any of your acquaintances think this is something worth doing, I’m a graphic designer and can help put such a book together. Feel free to reach out.
I understand your dilemma and I am comfortable using QR codes, but still I would LOVE having the photos included in the printed book so it really fits the purpose of serving as a memento to never forget what happened, and also because for a lot of reasons (censorship and technology obsolescence, just to mention a couple). Perhaps a separated "deluxe" edition including only photos where copyright is not an issue could be worked out? Those that you took yourself certainly qualify, and I bet many of those that have shared their photos with you wouldn't mind.
I will be buying this book, and if you ever publish a version with photos, I will buy it again. Really looking forward to keep a physical memory of this event. Good luck!