I worked as a photographer for many years and when I buy books from other photographers at galleries, they often cost more. Chris does not have to justify any cost, to anyone.
To question the amount of time or money put into the production is missing the point, however “well intended”. He wasn’t working for an hourly rate, nor should he or other artists have to justify costs in that way. He can charge what he likes. It’s a unique book that someone will VALUE themselves, if they want it.
I’ve felt before that some people on this forum also view all of DS work more as “consumables” and perhaps don’t seem to view them as creative works, made by all the creatives involved.
Chris has been realistic and upfront on getting things shipped, which should be enough in itself. It’s unfair to focus in on his shipping costs and potentially bog him down in admin, over a few quid. All of which is frankly beneath him in my view. On the contrary, he has gone out of his way to help.
From an archival perspective, Chris’ images are also a valuable record of that time. Film can degrade over the years, hence I questioned Ed last year on whether he knew if the unused Alchemy footage was all accounted for, as I feel that it would be prudent to have it all scanned at least for archival purposes, even if not to be released, akin to how a photo agency or museum would archive historic pieces, to avoid further degradation. Black and white film tends to be more stable, though colour film dyes can fade over the years depending on storage conditions. So, well done Chris for being proactive and getting your work collated and archived. It must have been a lot of work but I’m sure rewarding to hold the printed book in your hands.
Archiving the images is priceless.
Very well done on a beautiful looking book and getting it realised.
