The photographer, graphic designer, corporate designer, typographer and photo book professional Ralf Turtschi publishes his latest book «Fotografie für dich». To mark the publication of the book produced by Bubu, we met the author for an interview.
Your new book «Fotografie für dich» will be published in February 2022. Can you please briefly explain the project?
The book is meant to be a source of inspiration for all photography enthusiasts. It is about how to get better photos, no matter what camera you are using. I describe the creative basics and the effect that pictures have. With over 700 illustrations, I provide tips and tricks in a wide range of photographic areas that you can easily put into practice yourself. The book is a treasure trove of ideas: Swiss landscape photography, travel photography, flowers, waterfalls, lakes, roads, bridges, people, children, architecture – simply everything the dedicated amateur needs for his hobby. The examples show photography that does without expensive additional equipment, no elaborate settings, no studio and no assistants. You can read the book and immediately take great pictures. The motifs are not 12 hours away by plane, I show accessible photography that starts on your own doorstep.
Ralf Turtschi; Fotografie für dich; 272 pages 20 × 25 cm; with over 700 photos and illustrations. In the background: photographed from the Wildspitz, sea of fog over Schwyz.
What made you decide to write this book?
Well, as a designer, lecturer, photographer and media consumer, I always have images in front of my eyes where I see deficiencies. I find deficiencies in image composition and in post-processing, i.e. editing with image editing software such as Lightroom, Photoshop, Luminar or Affinity. Pictures have technical faults, they are too dark, too bright or too colourful – the focus is not in the right place, the cropping is faulty, the horizon is crooked or elementary basic rules of composition are violated. Even professional photographers are career changers and have little basic design training – often they also specialise in one genre. My basics about image composition concern everyone who takes photographs. But cropping in the viewfinder and pulling the trigger are only a small part of photography. It also takes luck, lurking, enduring adverse conditions, patience, the joy of dealing with people, courage or post processing on the computer. In the summer of 2021, I made the decision to put my knowledge and perspective between two covers of a book. It contains novel food for thought and is thus intended to increase image competence.
In the book you are critical of the rule of thirds and the golden ratio. Are these rules now outdated in your eyes, or what moves you to your point of view?
The golden ratio and the rule of thirds are, after all, similar and completely overrated in photographic discourse and teaching. They can only rarely be applied at all because they play with proportions (1 : 2). As soon as there are no such proportions, however, they are over: with a group of people, or with landscape shots with diagonals, with sporting events, with structures and textures, these rules are nonsensical. Completely wrong is the erroneous assumption that the rule of thirds leads to harmony and image quality. I prefer to position my motif in certain zones that have to do with dynamics. In the centre, motifs appear more symmetrical and calm, in the extreme position at the edge or completely cropped they appear more exciting, more dynamic. Between the calm central zone and the extreme zone lies the zone of dynamics, where the rule of thirds and the golden section belong. But good photos do not live only from the position of the subject in the picture, there are many other factors that make the picture good, such as facial expressions, gestures, relationships, colours, textures, light and shadow, perspective, etc. So you must not pretend that a picture looks better or more harmonious if you only follow the rule of thirds. I think this is an unthinking obsession. There is no valid reason to favour the proportion 1:2 in picture composition, 2 : 3 or 3 : 4 or 4 : 5 are just as good.
Different zones in the picture format tend to create calm or tension. The cropping helps to support this effect. But this has nothing to do with good or bad. If you consistently observe the rule of thirds, you miss out on the other options, namely bringing calm or extreme tension into the picture.
You are a photographer, graphic designer, corporate designer, typographer and photo book professional. Where does your enthusiasm for topics related to design come from?
As a typesetter, I learned the theory of shapes and colours from scratch, and later applied it to all visual communication as an agency owner. The interdisciplinary relationships are exciting for me: The same laws apply to a logo, an advertisement or a magazine as to photography. For example, condensation (pizza flyer) or minimalism. Or the law of figure and ground. In photo books, the white space is the decisive factor, not the many photos that are positioned with the best of intentions. In photography, too, it is often the surrounding space that emphasises the motif. Design is a creative process that is also extremely satisfying in photography. I have something in my head, slowly it starts to mature, then I go out and do my thing. On the computer, I apply the finish and enjoy the success.
Design is also so exciting because the different elements such as text and image can appear in an infinite number of sound combinations.
As a design aficionado, you attach great importance to the appearance of your work. To what extent did your aspirations lead you to Bubu as a production partner?
I have appreciated Bubu for years, «Fotografie für dich» is now the fourth larger work that Bubu binds for me. I have also produced around 100 photo books since 2005, in all sizes and designs. They still last today. At Bubu I meet friendly people, and I also like the Swissness with reliability and the best know-how you can get in binding technology.
Since 2005 Ralf Turtschi has produced over 100 photo books in all paper variations and sizes.
You have always chosen Bookfactory for your photo book design tips – which of course makes us very happy. Can you explain why you choose our software or what the reason is?
In 2005 I started with the photo books. I suggested to Bubu that we work with a grid system and designed it. It is still in use today, and for me it is the only way to create professional photo books quickly and precisely. I consider the box system used by competitors to be amateurish. Besides, individual versatility is important to me. I don’t like making my photo books in the same white paper all the time. With Bubu, I have a choice of different papers and thicknesses, so I can stage my photos in the best possible way! A tactile uncoated paper for landscape photos, silky gloss for architecture. As a professional, I now mostly use InDesign to design my photo books, where I can realise all design wishes. I can write a PDF and upload it at Bookfactory (www.pdf-to-book.ch) in a simple workflow. If something doesn’t work out, I pick up the phone and within minutes I have Swiss-German speaking competence on the line and the solution in my head.
Your top 3 tips for a successful photo book design?
- Choose on average no more than three pictures for the double page. Leave plenty of white space and don’t cover up the whole page. A photo book is not a pin board.
- Bring calmness into your photo books. You can achieve this with uniformity. Position your photos in only a few sizes and with equal spacing. Avoid frames, templates and skewed positioning.
- Use text to add explanatory information to your book or images. Text is an excellent visual guide that also delays the immediate turn of the page.
Profile of the book
Ralf Turtschi; Fotografie für dich; 272 pages, hardcover with adhesive binding and round spine, with over 700 photos and illustrations; price Fr. 40.- (excl. shipping/packaging); includes two vouchers, one for Fr. 30.- from Bookfactory, one for Fr. 20.- from Printolino. Self-published.
Information and orders via the webshop: www.fotografie-fuer-dich.ch
Book only available in German
