In 2017 I self-published my limited edition artist book Bluewater Shore. This is a flip-book design that uses vernacular photographs to recreate a semi-fictional story about a group of young women who shortly after the end of WWII decided to go a on an all-girl’s trip to the shore. Without any escorts. Gasp!
As been repeatedly reported, the Great War of World War II changed the cultural and social fabric of western civiliaztion for women in a really good way. Women had been called upon to go into the factories to support the war effort and became the primary support for their families while the men went across the sea to fight the great war. After four years of independence, making the necessary decisions and literally bringing home the bacon, were things really going to change and go back to what was in the 1930’s when the men finally returned from fighting the war? As they say, the cat was out of the bag. The barn door was left open, etc, etc, etc. Things had changed and women foresaw the future unlike any time before the war, and they liked what they saw. They could be truly independent and stand on their own.
That is the subtext to this artists book, which is a semi-fiction narrative from my mom’s perspective that is a compilation of stories I heard from my mom about her and her friends, illustrated by her many vernacular photographs I found much later in her archive after her passing. I recall these stories being shared over the dinner table while growing up while not realizing the full impact of what she was talking about until much later.
Fortunately after self-publishing this artist book and having it recognized as a Best Book in 2017, the sales of Bluewater Shore have been slow and steady until now there are less than a dozen artist books left available in this edition. Unlike the earlier Pine Lake, which is sold out, I have not provided any tier pricing for this artist book and it’s still available for the original $50.00 USD plus shipping. More details about this artist book are available in the wonderful review by Gerhard Clausing on PhotoBook Journal. Yes, that fancy ‘slip cover’ is an over-the-counter self-sealing bag that I have signed and it is metaphorical meant to convey that this is book of photographs is something you might have found in a family drawer as a memento of a distant time and place.
So I am going to finish selling out this limited edition over the next couple of months; thus a little bit of self-promotion on here, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as it time to bring this publication chapter to a close. If your are interested, message me at doug@douglasstockdale.com.
Cheers!
Doug
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Exhibition, Portfolio Reviews & Workshops
January 21 – 24th, 2021; Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP), EXPOSURE WEEKEND, a series of virtual portfolio reviews, and I will be on the team of available portfolio reviewers available that weekend. Sign-ups started December 1st. More information here. You might want to sign up for me if you would like some feedback on Project Development, Editing, Sequencing your work, Book design & layout and Publication advice.
February 20th – March 20th 2021; Photographs’s Eye gallery, Escondido, CA, a solo exhibition of my Memory Pods series (lens-based photography). Exhibition reception February 20th, 3-7pm.
March 13-14, 20-21, 2021; Developing Your Creative Photo Book, a workshop that I am leading again in collaboration with Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP). Workshop dates are March 13 – 14th, and March 20-21st from 9am – noon PST. Four days, two consecutive weekends, a virtual workshop on Zoom, with time between sessions to develop your book dummy. Sign-up here.
Singular Images 
Congratulations on the sales of your book! :)
Thank you!