Introduction by Mark Weber
I believe every photographer has a book in them. Sometimes it’s a personal Legacy book for their own family to treasure. For others, it’s for the world to enjoy and be inspired by.
Here at Marathon, we get to see some of the most talented photographers work from all over the world. Martin Pugh, our resident book publishing expert, showed me a book project he worked on for photographer extraordinaire, Eric Albright.
When you see the cover of a book it’s typically the most impactful and favorite image of the artist, publisher, or both. With Eric Albright’s work, it’s simply the first of many stunning images throughout this book.
When Martin said he had an opportunity to interview him I was so excited. I might have even insisted he ask Mr. Albright some of the questions that appear in this.
I have been a professional photographer for over 40 years. It takes a bit more to make my jaw drop in admiration of images these days. Eric Albright’s work makes my jaw drop . . . on every page. Enjoy this quick interview by Martin Pugh with Eric Albright.
We had the pleasure of working with Eric Albright of Eric Albright Photography recently on his new coffee table book: Capturing Moments. A collection of his work covering a wide range of style and content.
Capturing Moments (Hardcover)
Size: 11″ w x 8.5″ h 230 pages full color throughout on 100 lb Silk Text + end sheets and printed, laminated hardcover
At Marathon, we get to work with many photographers producing their own book. We were first contacted by Eric’s author services specialist: Kimberly Martin/Jera Publishing. We have done a few other nice projects with her book designer. When I spoke to Eric, it was very clear that he had a good plan and in fact, would likely have most of his copies of the initial print run sold before we even printed the book! Complete files came in early August 2022 and we shipped books in early September.
I asked Eric if we could interview him here on some of the background of Capturing Moments
MP: Every image in the book is simply stunning. I’m curious to know what you are using for post-production?
EA: Thank you for those kind words, Martin. I primarily use Lightroom. I do more luminance and light/shadow processing than anything else. I try to stay true to what it looked like to me when I snapped the shutter.
MP: What gear are you using these days?
EA: I’m still shooting with DSLRs. I use a Nikon D-850 and a D-750 as a backup. I see no reason to switch until the D-850 loses its edge.
MP: Eric, tell us a little bit about yourself and what was the motivation for producing this book.
EA: If you ask me about photography, I can talk about it for hours. But about me, not so much. Let’s just say I have been working in the television industry for three decades as a camera op and Director of Photography. One of my favorite activities is camping, which of course goes great with nature photography. And I’m always listening to music and what I listen to is pretty diverse, I think. I’m a self-taught photographer, mostly reading and searching what those that came before me had to offer, and then just kept taking more photos…tens of thousands of them.
The motivation for my book was just wanting to be able to share the way I see the natural world with people in a way that is more than just purchasing a print and hanging it on their wall. A book allows me to share more of my images with more people and what better way to make the most people happy. People have said they took my book and poured a glass of wine or had a cigar while looking through the book. This tells me that they’re not just skimming through it. They’re taking some time to enjoy each and every image. That feels nice.
MP: Any tips for an aspiring landscape/wildlife photographer?
The tips or suggestions I would have for any “aspiring” nature photographer would really be just two things. First and foremost, photography is about light. If I may quote from my book, “The word photography literally means ‘drawing with light’, which derives from the Greek words photo, meaning light, and graph, meaning to draw.” And my second tip would be to look to those that came before them. Scour the internet, magazines, and bookstores to search for photographers that are capturing images that may inspire them. Then take all that information and find a way to make your own path in this field.
MP: How was your experience working with an outside designer on the project?
EA: To me, an outside designer is a must. I believe that most photographers seem to have emotional attachments to much of our work and with good reason. Having that outside mind come in with more of an objective opinion really helps when it comes to picking the images to include in the book. Also, so much work goes into putting everything in order before it even makes it to the design process, believe me, you’re relieved to have someone else helping make decisions.
MP: I follow you on Facebook and you have a big following and I love your posts. Are you active on any other social media?
EA: I am also on Instagram (@ericalbrightphotographer), but not much. In my opinion, Facebook allows me to be more interactive with the people that follow my work and I can have more conversations, which can be fun for my followers, as well as me.
MP: What’s next for Eric? Any plans to make more books?
EA: I really can’t even consider whether there will be another book at this point. The first printing of “Capturing Moments” is pretty much sold out right now and I’m not even sure of how much I want to jump right back into it right now. I think for now I just want to get back to capturing moments without any thought as to if will be in a book or not. I am planning another trip to Kenya, though. I’m of course looking forward to that. I’m not saying another book won’t come, just that it isn’t in my thought process at all right now.
Contact Information:
Eric Albright Photography
404-295-5358
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ericalbrightphotography
Website: https://eric-albright.pixels.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericalbrightphotographer
