The Making Of A Photo Book Course

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When we released Where the Streets Lead, we finally had a chance to step back and appreciate what we’d accomplished. We also realized just how much we had learned the hard way.

Creating a photo book involved far more than selecting great photographs. We had to figure out sequencing, design, printing, marketing, distribution, and countless little details that only became obvious after we’d stumbled through them ourselves. That’s ultimately what inspired us to create our new self-publishing photo book course.

In this episode, Bob Patterson turns the microphone around and interviews Street Photography Magazine publisher Ashley Riffo about the making of the course. They discuss why they felt it needed to exist, the challenges of turning experience into something teachable, and the lessons they learned while building both a photo book and an online course.

The conversation also catches up with Bob after his retirement as publisher. He shares stories from his recent trip to Japan, talks about his new Substack, Beyond Street Photography, and what’s been happening on his local Jazz scene.

You’ll also hear feedback and advice from photographers Craig Litten, Deborah Cole, and Wayne Campbell, all of whom have self-published books of their own. There is a common thread in their comments: making a photo book is a ton of work, but it’s incredibly rewarding. Craig summed it up with advice from one of his professors: “If you want to publish a book one day, start now.”

Whether you’re thinking about publishing your first photo book, curious about what goes into creating an online course, or simply interested in the behind-the-scenes story of Street Photography Magazine’s newest project, we hope you’ll enjoy the conversation.