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News: At Last! Nicolas Claris book on Yachts and Boats is Available to the rest of us!

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Now we have a chance to buy a part of this experience of Nicolas Claris major work, "Nicolas Claris Photography" representing the past 7 years photographing the most elite breed of boats in the yachting and luxury boat scene. The newly released book is square, 30cm x 30 cm on premium lustre finish paper with 120 pages.

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Now, at last, Nicolas, himself a boat builder, sea captain and naval and architectural photographer with an international following, has provided for all our shared experience, images from the past seven years in a book that is a enjoyable window into a rare world of excellence.



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Most folk don't realize that the final books with the perfectionist-made pictures of Nicolas Claris' luxury yachts and boats are simply not available to any by about 7-20 as that's all the beauties that are ever printed of each edition. After all, the boats from the design stage though building and launching are all part of a shared dream of the private customer, the naval architect and a few select other privileged folk in the closest circle of these rare enterprises.



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"In 2000 digital pictures came out. And the evidence, too. Then Nicolas Claris went out to take a few pictures. 
Without groping, without pretension, without hesitation, without fear, without vanity, without a doubt. With talent, with knowledge, with pleasure, with creativity, with seriousness, with jubilation too. Perfectionists amaze me or get on my nerves. With Nicolas Claris, I found out one could eventually like them! On his pictures, one can read a true concentration toward the subject, a real will to embellish it, an unquestionable envy to approach it. The sharpness, the brightness, the balance, all show an immense love. In the originality, in the unexpected, in the points of views, lie a raising pleasure. But the work never shows; that is all the force of his photos, that are never violent, always alive, where from emanates the serenity of those artists who know.

He is a perfectionist. But an unpredictable perfectionist makes it all different!"

Bruno Belmont - Groupe Bénéteau


Browse the 12"x12" book online, I hope you'll be impressed! Go ahead and click full screen to experience the pictures as I have, and with great enjoyment.


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The link for viewing and purchase is here Look at the video and then at the base of the video dialog box on is the buy button!

Asher

Disclosure: I am biased in that Nicolas Claris's work is admirable and moreover he's a friend. I have watched him meticulously proof images for publication on giant CMYK printers in Bordeaux, side by side with a master printer, both dedicated to color truth and beauty. I have shot with him and his is the design behind all the OPF pages! However, there's no financial connection between myself and Nicolas Claris
 
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nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
:)

Thank you Asher!

What a nice and kind presentation of our work!
Much appreciated!
Just a few notes though…

• The last chapter (almost a 1/3 of the book) is dedicated to architecture…

• I know the book may seem a bit pricey, but I'm getting 30% only, the rest is Blurb's cost…
I guess it can be a nice present to someone who loves boats and nice houses…
 
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nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Price dropped down to 145 € (ex shipping)…

Guys, it's gonna be a very nice gift for a birthday!
(and I need to buy some new pieces of glass as well;-)
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Hi there

we've revised our plans and new pieces of glass will be paid with new upcoming assignments (there are some nice ones coming for the next months :)) so no real benefits will be made with the book, but still hoping as we say in French that we'll get more with the "multiplication des petits pains"…

So regarding our book on photography (the one that was at the origin of Asher's thread):

there are now two versions.
Content is 100% similar but size, cover and… prices change…

120 pages - 12'x12' - Hardcover and dust Jacket - 120 € ex vat/shipping
or
120 pages - 7'x7' - Softcover - 36 € ex vat/shipping

Time to make gift to your friends!

It’s there!
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
there are now two versions.
Content is 100% similar but size, cover and… prices change…

120 pages - 12'x12' - Hardcover and dust Jacket - 120 € ex vat/shipping
or
120 pages - 7'x7' - Softcover - 36 € ex vat/shipping

Time to make gift to your friends!

It’s there!

Great news! I need one! I'll buy mine immediately!

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Nicolas,

Well, they do still accept dollars and it's on it's way. I had to get the larger one as it's going to be on top of all my art books, even above Annie L. well that book is even bigger!

Asher
 
I've posted a thread few weeks ago, about the feedback on "Blurb". Now that a real chance to have some.

Would it have been different in terms of profit if you have decided to sell it by yourself (with all the issues involved: clutter in the office, shipping problems, etc...) than to leave that to Blurb?

In that case of leaving the selling to blurb, do you think they print on demand each time someone buy a book, or do you have to set up a number of copies from the beginning?


At the end, would you do it again, instead of made it print in a standard printing company? And about the colour quality? how can you really check, before it's printed?

Yes I know, I'm time consuming.... :)
 

Ken Tanaka

pro member
Looks like a hell of a fine collection and presentation of your work, Nicolas. I became a bit woozy just looking at the sample pages. (Landlubber here.) And it looks like a superb marketing and relations piece. Increasingly, commercial photographers (such as yourself) are using self-published books as promotional items. The costs are generally in-line with other give-aways but unlike more unconventional items (i.e. photo cubes, etc.) books tend not to be thrown away.

@ Sandrine: all of these "new" self-printing outfits (of which Blurb is just one, albeit the best publicized) use essentially the same HP Indigo press systems. From a practical standpoint they're basically just great big printers. Yes, they print strictly on-demand. Color profiling can be done using an ICC file, such as the one that Blurb provides.
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
@ Sandrine
I'm very glad you stopped by this thread and took some time to read it…
As Ken explained Blurb as others uses Indigo press systems.
The quality of printing is very good and yes they are printed on demand.
To ensure about quality (and Asher knows how difficult I am! watch the video here) we ordered some sample for ourselves (a good gift to "important" visitors).
What I've experienced that from an order to the other you can have some color shifts, but not so important and constant from the first to the last page.
Within the same lot of prints, the colors are constant.
Yes we use Blurb's color profiles and do the layout with Indesign and then upload the PDF file (with a Blurb option setting to export the PDF from Indesign).
Beside the overall quality we've chosen Blurb as, afaik, there are the only ones to offer the online sales for your customers… I don't want to spend my time packing, sending invoice etc.

Doing on the other way and printing 500 copies in offset would make the books much cheaper, but I would have to invest too much money, hoping I'll sell the books quickly, which, for 500 copies would be quite a bet…


@ Ken
You're right on spot! of course it is a very good marketing tool and in the same time can be used by some as a gift to offer…
Yes, books are not thrown away and are always seen as a gift with value…
Speaking of value, it is also important -marketing wise- that the prospective target (future clients as opposed to book amateurs) has to BUY the book (even if we almost don't make money with the sales), buying the tool makes it instantly much more credible, valuable, interesting and all these positive values…
BTW what is a "Landlubber"? wordreference.com doesn't know this word…
 
Yes I know, I don't comment much on your photos usually. I'm the seasick kind, I don't like boats, prefer swimming :) .
Thank you anyway for your input, Ken as well, as I'm still looking for the solution with the least investment . So it sounds a good idea.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Sandrine,

Just to let you know, the earths crust is one broken up raft of hardened magma floating on a violent sea of churning molten rock and iron! We are always moving!

Asher
 
Sandrine,

Just to let you know, the earths crust is one broken up raft of hardened magma floating on a violent sea of churning molten rock and iron! We are always moving!

Asher

Well, as far as I don't feel it, I don't mind :)
My husband's dream is to go to NY by boat in a cruise ("the love boat....")... I fear the day we will have enough money to realize his dream (well in fact it's one of his dreams, the others... I don't mind : drive a plane, run a marathon, write a book)
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Yes, I saw them,and that's great work, man...

Well, Sandrine,

Starting at the back of the book, the architecture would please you no end. Not only is the work immediately captivating, but, one of my particular necessities, context, is respected. We have floral landscape as much as the building itself, sculptured curvaceous steel art introducing us to the modern architecture beyond. nothing is repeated. Each page is a surprise.

so if you get seasick, read the book backwards! Even the naval architecture, enormous in scale and at first intimidating, will impress you sufficiently to be satisfied with these pictures on their own.

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Well, Nicolas,

The flat large cardboard box with a FedEx label affixed greeted us by the doormat of our home when we returned from New york City last night. I had meant to open it up, but just crashed and when I awoke, it was this morning and the package was still intact! It was from Blurb, the printer. I am impressed by the generous package. The cardboard is folded over the book and then again to make and out sheath.

Inside, the new book was further protected by a heat sealed plastic wrap. The book has a full color dust jacket, (over a black matt cloth hard cover), with in English in the front and in French on the back. The book in one's hands seems 25% larger than 12" square! It could be the dynamic pictures, but it occupies about 16x16" in "impression" to the mind. In fact I had to measure it, as I thought it had to be larger than stated. I guess that larger than life feeling comes from the very dynamic picture on the glossy slip cover.

One quote: "Perfectionists amaze me or get on my nerves. With Nicholas Claris, I found out one could eventually like them!" Bruno Belmont, Béneteau Group

First impressions are excellent. I am so happy to receive the book of work by my friend and then looking at the pictures, know that my hard-earned money was put to good use. This will be on my table and will hold its place with distinguished photographers whose works I turn to.

Asher
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Thanks Asher
I'm so glad you liked the book!
A short but very kind review… maybe now I have a very little chance to get a small place there ;-)
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Thanks Asher
I'm so glad you liked the book!
A short but very kind review… maybe now I have a very little chance to get a small place there ;-)

Don't be mistaken, my good friend!

Je n'ai pas encore fait la critique du livre. Mes remarques initiales sont que les toutes premières impressions, que ça! Plutôt, j'aurai plus à dire!

But first, I'm in need to recover from the inferior New York tea and intense distractions of the great Museums and two wonderfully kind and tolerant muses. So some tea and then I'll settle in to my space at home and look at every image more carefully!

Asher
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Don't be mistaken, my good friend!

Je n'ai pas encore fait la critique du livre. Mes remarques initiales sont que les toutes premières impressions, que ça! Plutôt, j'aurai plus à dire!

But first, I'm in need to recover from the inferior New York tea and intense distractions of the great Museums and two wonderfully kind and tolerant muses. So some tea and then I'll settle in to my space at home and look at every image more carefully!

Asher

Aïe aïe aïe! I am anxious to know ô≠÷…∞—–>
 
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