Innovation News talks book publishing with Kersten Howard

Kersten Howard is a land and sea scape photographer, born and raised in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. He has recently published his first book showing the natural beauty of his home county.

Filled with panoramic images of both inland and coastal views; including a forward from landscape photographer Paul Gallagher, extended captions about each location as well as details of the settings and equipment used to capture the image – ‘Under Celtic Skies’ is a must have coffee table book for anyone interested in landscape photography or the county of Pembrokeshire. We spoke to Kersten about the process of getting his first book published.

Hi Kersten, thank you for taking the time to speak to us; can we jump right in and start by asking how you found a publisher for your book?

I approached some publishers about five years ago, after a friend had a book published, but had no luck getting a contact at the time. I waited about three years and then tried again, this time Graffeg, the independent welsh publisher who published my friends book, agreed to publish a calendar; after that they suggested putting a book proposal together. They have now published my 2015 and 2016 calendars of Wales, a pack of greeting cards (taken from the 2016 calendar) as well as this book. It was a long process to get the contract and took about a year between the contract being agreed and the book arriving from the printers on the 1st September this year, but it was worth it and it gave me time to select and edit the best images from my portfolio.

What was the selection process like, did you start with certain images from your archive in mind, and did you shoot anything specifically for the book, did the title come before or after the selection process was complete?

I had to narrow down to 50 images, as that is what the publisher had requested; I also had to edit all the images by the publisher’s deadline. I knew for a while that I wanted to publish a book and most of the images were taken over a period of about 2 years, with the book in mind. Only a few were captured after the contracts were signed, like the Aurora over the Preseli Hills in March 2015. I wanted a selection of images from all around the county during every season. I also wanted to show some iconic shots of Pembrokeshire as well as some different perspectives: some well-known landmarks were deliberately replaced with landmarks and locations from own memories growing up in the area – for example Carew Castle, Pembroke Refinery and Freshwater East and West. The title for the book came from name of photography workshops I have been running since 2014. I liked the name so much I trademarked it and carried it across with me to Graffeg for the range we are working on.

You use Nikon cameras exclusively for your work, what did you have to do for the post production edits and do you use any other equipment to create the perfect image?

I stitched some photos to create the panoramic images; others were captured on Nikon’s full frame range of cameras, D3, D3x, D800, D800E and the D810. Nearly every image was captured using a tripod and a range of Lee filters. Conversion from RAW files was done in Lightroom and Photoshop; I also use profiles when producing digital prints to ensure there is consistency across the editions.

You print and frame your own editions so what do you look for in a digital paper, do you have any favourites?

I prefer matte papers, they have to be smooth, high white, have the ability to accept high ink load and still lay flat as well as be archival. Originally I started out using the Olmec Photo Matte Archival 230gsm (OLM 67) but now I am moving over to FibaPrint® White Matte 280gsm (IFA 39) as I feel it performs slightly better with higher ink loads. I have been using the Innova range of papers for six or seven years and they have never let me down.

It’s always good to hear how people use our papers and interesting to get your thoughts on the Olmec Archival Matte verses the FibaPrint® White Matte. We have just one more question for you: Where can we see more of your work and where can everyone get the book?

I have a selection of local exhibitions and signings in Pembrokeshire, including a couple of large Christmas events, one at Pembroke Castle and the other at Aberglasney Gardens. Selections of local galleries also show my work and prints can be purchased through them, a list of galleries and events where my work is sold can be seen online. Work can also be seen on my website where you can also buy the book or book to take part in a workshop. For a limited time I am offering free small (approx. 22cm long), ready to mount and frame print with every book purchased, the print will be an image randomly selected from the book. I can also sign the book if anyone would like a personised message.
Under Celtic Skies is available to purchase now from www.khowardphotography.com you can also keep up to date with Kersten on Facebook and Twitter.