We were once again the main sponsor at Photo Münsingen 2024 this year, where we organised a photo book competition for the second time – we were looking for the most beautiful Bookfactory photo books in Switzerland. We would like to present the top 10 in this blog post.
The 10 most exceptional books were selected from all the entries and submitted to the Photo Münsingen jury for selection. The content, design and overall impression of the photo book were assessed. The books could be viewed at the Bookfactory stand during Photo Münsingen.
1. Place: «Into the great wide open – A photographic travel logbook»
Description of the project:
I designed this photo book as my final project for the photography diploma course at the Baden Education Centre. It shows photographs of my photo journeys during the course. The photos are in black and white or colour to match the subjects and destinations. Occasionally, the red colour is visible in black and white photos, thus picking up on the colour theme of the individual book layout (black-white-red). Explanatory texts, detailed legends and lines of text from favourite songs complement the pictures.
Matthias Notter, Aargau
Photo book Photographic | Hardcover, Flatbook, Photo paper matt, Format: Maxi, Cover: matt coating
2. Place: «City moments»
Description of the project:
The book “City Moments” shows fleeting moments of everyday life in small and large Swiss cities. Spontaneous individual shots have been carefully arranged into pairs. Formal or thematic similarities create an exciting interaction and aesthetic. The pictures were supplemented with snippets of conversation.
Nadia Knechtle, Schwyz
PDF-to-Book | Hardcover, Thread sewing, x-Motion Bright 170g/m², Format: A4 portrait, Cover: soft-touch laminate
3. Place: «Photo reportage about the shepherd Rayim-Bek»
Description of the project:
Photo reportage about the shepherd Rayim-Bek in Kyrgyzstan, who spends the spring with his wife Irys and his animals on the alp near their village, before the animals are taken to the summer pasture in the mountains a few weeks later.
Manuel Studer, Zug
PDF-to-Book | Flat-Open, Munken Polar 200 g/m², Format: A4 portrait, Cover: matt coating
4. Place: «Black and White»
Description of the project:
Photography has accompanied me for more than fifty years.
My project is a retrospective of my work in black and white. It shows pictures that I have taken while travelling in many countries or in the immediate vicinity of my home.
I deliberately refrain from defining a specific theme. The pictures are intended to have an effect on the viewer without a caption. The index on the last pages contains information such as the place and date the picture was taken as well as some technical information about the picture.
Thomas von Meyenburg, Zürich
Photo book Premium | Hardcover, perfect binding, Magno Satin 170 g/m², Format: Maxi, Cover: matt coating
5. Place: «What was and what is»
Description of the project:
The photo book describes the Franzikushaus in Dullikon (SO). The building complex, which has been a listed building since 2012, was planned as a monastery by the Franciscan order. Architect Otto Glaus built the Brutalist-style complex in the 1960s, which has been empty for over 10 years and has since been infested by all kinds of partygoers and vandals.
The imagery of the photos is in black and white. This allows a reduction to the objects, the forms and lines of the architectural language. Individual artefacts can still be seen: a hoover here, a chair there, an empty bed in the room.
Ralf Turtschi, Zürich
PDF-to-Book | Hardcover, glue binding, X-Motion-Bright 170 g/m², Format: A4 landscape, Cover: matt coating
6. Place: «VIA FERA»
Description of the project:
Wilderness only exists in small niches in Switzerland. Tourism, mountain railways and other infrastructure have largely replaced natural landscapes. VIA FERA aims to highlight the beauty and importance of these natural areas with the aim of better understanding, protecting and preserving wilderness in Switzerland.
The “VIA FERA TRANSHELVETICA” is a project that aims to draw attention to areas with a high quality of wilderness in Switzerland and to communicate and promote their value and importance. At the same time, it aims to demonstrate that sustainable management of and interaction with nature can work.
Photo book Premium Flat Plus | Hardcover, Flatbook, Munken Polar 200 g/m², Format: Standard, Cover: Japan silk
7-10. Place: «Eastwards»
Description of the project:
The photo book contains the most beautiful pictures of my cycle tour from Switzerland to Iran. It is supplemented by stories and anecdotes from the journey.
Mark Balsiger, Bern
PDF-to-Book | Softcover, glue binding, Munken Polar 170 g/m², Format: A4 landscape, cover: matt coating
7-10. Place: «The Jungholz forest»
Description of the project:
I have been exploring the Jungholz forest in Uster for 40 years and I find something new every time. The forest is a diverse habitat in constant change, sometimes mysterious, sometimes eerie and yet also a place of recreation. I experience the beauty and destruction caused by the seasons, storms and human intervention. My photo book aims to capture the diversity and fragility of the forest and inspire reflection on its protection. My photographic expedition starts in January and ends in December.
Marianne Theiss, Zürich
Photo book Booklet | stitch binding, Magno Satin 170 g/m², Format: A4 portrait
7-10. Place: «Basel carnival»
Description of the project:
In 2017, the Basel Carnival was added to UNESCO’s list of intangible world cultural heritage. In 2024, around 20,000 active and sometimes disturbing “larvae” in all colours are on the streets of Basel. As a native of Zurich, it was a particular pleasure and honour for me to capture the “Cortege” on Monday afternoon and the parade of lanterns on Münsterplatz with friends from Basel and to present the best pictures here.
Brigitte Andrey, Zürich
Photo book Premium | Hardcover, glue binding, Magno Satin 170 g/m², Format: Carré, Cover: glossy coating
7-10. Place: «The Rhine cycle path»
Description of the project:
The Rhine cycle path. Cycling from the source to the mouth of the Rhine (and a little further).
In 3 stages or 12 days I cycled from Andermatt up to the Oberalp Pass and from there along the Rhine to the mouth of the river in Hoek van Holland. Once there, I cycled a little further along the east coast to Amsterdam. In total, I cycled a good 1,600 unforgettable kilometres.
Jorge Dändliker, Thurgau
Photo book Flat Open | Flat, Munken Polar 200 g/m², Format: Signature, cover: matt coating
Ranking list
The ranking list with the 10 most unusual books can be found on the Photo Münsingen website:
Fotowettbewerb 2024 – Fotobuchwettbewerb – Photo Münsingen (photomuensingen.ch)
