photobooth friday

something like a year ago, I received an email from the assistant of a french author who asked if I might like to be part of a photobooth book. there was to be no financial compensation but might I be interested? well, yes. a french photobooth book? YES. ABSOLUTELY YES. the very thought of my photobooth frames appearing on the pages of a french photobooth book had me over the moon, pay or no pay. I mean, even if never saw the finished product, never got to hold the book with my own two hands. the very thought.

in the months that followed, there was a little back and forth regarding which photobooth frames would be used in the book and could I write a little something about my experience with photobooths? yes, of course I could and then, I don't know. I just sort of forgot about the whole thing. in december, I received an email informing me the book was finished and could I please send my mailing address so they could send me a copy? again, over the moon at the prospect but the craziness of december set in and again, I forgot all about it.



until january 27th, that is. which is when I found myself in san francisco at the moma (henri cartier bresson show= part of that belated 40th birthday adventure). more specifically, I found myself standing in the gift shop in front of an enormous book display. which is when I spied a new photobooth book. which, of course, I promptly picked up and thumbed through. wow, I thought. wow. this is great, this is fantastic. pages and pages of terrific photobooth frames and the work of so many amazing photobooth artists. daniel minnick (a long time favorite of mine) and so many others. the work of lovely fellow polaroid photographer jena ardell and my good friend and fellow photographer cori kindred. wow, I thought. why couldn't I have been part of a book like this? I WOULD KILL TO BE PART OF A BOOK LIKE THIS. friends, at that exact moment, the book fell open to the spread with my photobooth frames, my words, my name across the top. at once, I remembered. the french photobooth book! this is that french photobooth book! except this one was in english and it was here, in my hands. here, in the middle of the moma gift shop downtown san francisco. it was a moment, I tell you. an extraordinary little moment. and almost five years to the date of when I first started the photobooth friday project. fancy that.



one week later, I received the french version of the book in the mail. that night, I stuffed that beautiful little photomaton book in my bag and made my way down to the nearest photobooth. but of course, my friends. but of course.

the necessary linkage:

photobooth: the art of the automatic portrait (in english)
photomaton (in french)
photobooth friday (five years! my little flickr group is all growns up)
cori kindred and her awesome post on the book

also, many many thanks to author raynal pellicer. 'tis an honor to be a part of such a book.