I'll be publishing my second photographic book this year (the first, a strictly limited edition, is sold out). This new book covers my travels within the Orient. S.E. Asia and N.W. Asia, over the past 5 years.
The sub-title lists the countries visited & there are major chapters (8 pages or more) on : China, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia & Myanmar with abbreviated chapters (6 pages or less) on Malaysia (Sabah & Taman Negara), Japan, Bhutan & Thailand.
'SLEEPING WITH A MILLION GHOSTS' UPDATED : 25th August 2022
On this page you will find some screenshots (draft pages) of how work is progressing on my coffee table book . I spend 3-4 hours virtually every day on designing the pages and reprocessing the photographs for inclusion.
Completed : Now up to 78 pages.
Almost completed (still requires further design work or reprocessing of some photos) : 41 pages
Yet to commence : Back Page and 6 pages.
Incredible full double page photos (ca. 11.5" x 23.5" or cms x cms!) , like having a wall size print of each photo ! :
Beautiful full page photos (ca. 11.5" x 10" to 11.5" or cms x to cms) :
Total full colour photos (ca. 5 will be in Black & White) : 221 with more to be added !
Maps : 3
120 pages
Lay-Flat design so there's no centre spine to spoil your enjoyment of the photos.
Some pages will need to be redesigned, merged or deleted to comply with the printing maximum, for this lay-flat book, of 120pp.
Scroll down to see photos* contained in the new book** and learn about it's format
or to email me to reserve your copy / receive further information as the book nears completion !
"SLEEPING WITH A MILLION GHOSTS"
There's an explanation of the book title lower down on this page.
* Please note that the red and white dots you may see on some photos are just reminders to me to either swap out the photo, reduce its size or reprocess it for the book.
** I have produced a quarterly pictorial magazine, called KALEIDOSCOPE SHANGHAI, that displays the work of expatriate and local photographers that were either based, or still reside, here in China. If you go to the Instagram page here you can find details, photographs and contact me to sign up to receive this magazine containing many gorgeous shots from around China. The magazine is available in PDF format although hard copies may be published by special request : https://www.instagram.com/kaleidoscope_shanghai/
*** In addition to this coffee table book there are at least another SEVEN 'ZINES' (soft back A4 sized books) due for publication over the next 18 months. These will cost around US$15 each.
Discounts will be offered for early subscribers and there will be an amazing offer for those wishing to purchase the full series!
The 7 'Zines' to be published during 2022-23 are :
1. The Amazing Guangfulin - the popularisation of an historical dig in Shanghai. 4 seasons documenting the astonishing architecture (both modern and historical), peach & cherry blossoms, canola fields and the incredible historical costumes local people wear when visiting this huge site. Photographed using cameras and drones.
2. Under Cover - the incredible bridges, elevated highways and pedestrian walkways of Shanghai. Photographed using standard and distortion, mind-bending, views of these brightly, coloured lights, lit engineering marvels in the world's most futuristic city.
3. Portraits : Of traditional, modern and ethnic minority tribes from China, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan & Thailand
4. Kyrgyzstan : A photographic journal of a month spent trekking/camping & photographing the mountains and lakes plus visiting Nomad festivals and other places of great interest in this wonderful country.
5. Jiuting : Street shots of suburban Shanghai
6. Nepal : Photographs taken from 4 trips to this incredible country. Not just mountains and lakes in the Khumbu (Everest) and Annapurna regions but also of festivals, gorgeous birds and the UNESCO town of Bhaktapur and of Kathmandu and Pokhara.
7. Tibetan Sichuan (may also include Xinjiang Province) : A photographic journal of 6 weeks spent trekking/camping & photographing the mountains and lakes, people and culture of the native Tibetan tribes living in the lands bordering Tibet. If I manage to complete my proposed 4-5 weeks traveling through Xinjiang the zine will be split into two sections.
The book will include chapters on :
CHINA
Some of the regions / cities covered in over 30 pages on China include Yunnan and Guizhou to the Huangshan Mountains, Inner Mongolia, Shanghai, Beijing (camping & hiking on wild sections of the Great Wall), Wenzhou and the abandoned ghost village of Houtouwan.
KYRGYZSTAN
Photographing scenes and landscapes from camping / hiking in some of the iconic areas, including the Tian Shan mountains around Karakol and Jyrgalan, in this little visited but beautiful country, trekking to Boz Uchuk, Ala Kol & horseback to . Plus scenes from the famous Nomad Games in Bokonbayaev and including the brutal Kok Boru. In addition there are pages on the Mars-like landscape of Skazka.
If you wish to add your name to the Distribution List for information once the book is close to completion and listed on Kickstarter, Gofundme and Indiegogo (discounts / benefits for early birds!) then please just fill in the details here (it'll take just 1 minute or less) and I'll email you once the book goes live.
Details of the contents you can expect are below but if you browse this site you'll see a few of the photos that will be included and this is the standard you can expect. The book will include many shots of landscapes, portraits, travel and some birds and there will be stories, and also settings and equipment details of the shots, to accompany many of the photographs.
MYANMAR
Eight pages on the amazing temples, stupas and leg-rowing fishermen of Inle Lake, temples of Bagan and of Mandalay.
JAPAN
Two visits to Kyoto and also Tokyo & Osaka. Focus is on the Momiji or turning of the Autumn leaves & temples but includes other work includes street scenes in all three cities.
BHUTAN
The main function of my 10 days in this remote and little known country was photographing birds however there are also scenes from home stays and temples.
THAILAND
I've made many trips to this wonderful country, far too many to include in this book, therefore this abbreviated chapter concentrates on the lovely Northern city of Chiang Mai.
MALAYSIA
I've made many diving and birding trips to the incredible dive sites and bird and wildlife 'haven's' of Sabah (on the island of Borneo) and the Taman Nagara rainforest & national park on peninsular Malaysia. A taster is included here.
NEPAL
After four visits to this amazing country there are scenes from the Everest (Khumbu) Region and specifically the Gokyo Lakes trek and down via the high altitude Renjo Pass. Also work from the Annapurna and Machhapuchhre base camps trek and street scenes from the UNESCO town of Bhaktapur, of a festival and funeral rites in Kathmandu & the lakeside town of Pokhara. The book contains over 20 pages on this incredible country.
The name is taken from my blog on an 8 night hiking/camping trip to a section of the Wild Wall (so called as these sections of the Great Wall are not maintained and have signs warning people not to venture on them). The blog post(s), containing the meaning of the title, can be read here : Sleeping with a Million Ghosts (pt 1).
CAMBODIA
Ten pages covering the spectacular Angkor Archaeological Park (including dawn at Angkor Wat, Beng Mealea, Prasat Baphuon, the Terrace of the Leper King, Prasat Bayon and the monkey temple of Banteay Srei, one of my particular favourites, along with the root covered temple of Prasat Pram. Also scenes from the lake dwelling people of Tonle Sap.
Why the name "Sleeping with a Million Ghosts" ?
The name is taken from my blog on an 8 night hiking/camping trip to a section of the Wild Wall (so called as these sections of the Great Wall are not maintained and have signs warning people not to venture on them). The blog post(s), containing the meaning of the title, can be read here : Sleeping with a Million Ghosts (pt 1).
To build the Great Wall millions of people, over two thousand years, were conscripted to work on it's construction. Some scholars have estimated that more than a million workers died under the harsh conditions of the Great Wall 's creation, hence every night I camped on the Wild Wall I was 'Sleeping with a Million Ghosts' !
Please peruse the Galleries on this website to see some of the other photos that will be included in the book - though by no means all as there will be around 200 photos in the book !
The design and photograph selection for the 4 pages below (4 x 12" pages inc. one double page spread) are newly completed this week (first week of October 2021)
As mentioned the White Dots represent photos that just need to have signatures or logos removed for the book but won't be changed.
The Red dots mean that the design and photo selection for that page are now complete and only formatting & spelling needs to be checked.