Kickstarter

What is Block Party - Soul of Summer book project about?

Block parties are the heart and soul of New York City summers. I have been documenting this great NYC tradition since 2006, capturing over 200 block parties in all of their revelry.  I traveled to every borough with a quest and a camera, capturing the interaction between the youth and the elderly, dominos and cards, open fire hydrants and the infamous NYC grill. The summer of 2011 will be my last year documenting block parties. 

The goal of my project is to self-publish Block Party - Soul of Summer. Currently, there are no books documenting the history of NYC block parties; there is a need for this work to be shared. Importantly, Block Party - Soul of Summer celebrates New Yorkers across race and class, sharing regional pride from different neighborhoods. 

How will this book project get done?

Shoot + Develop + Process + Lab Print + Edit + Edit again + Scan + Design +Text + Layout + Edit one last time = PRINT

During the summer of 2011 I will be photographing over 50 NYC block parties. Once that process is done, the complete body of work from 2006 – 2011, will be edited by three renown NYC photographers. In tandem, two writers will submit their essays on the history of block parties in addition to an editorial of the photographs. Next the book will move forward to the design and layout stage. Last but not least, Block Party - Soul of Summer will go to print.

What will the funding support?

From this successful Kickstarter campaign, the money received will pay for lab processing, prints, and professional high resolution scans. The funds will also cover the payment fees to the designer, writers, photo editors and the copy editor. And most significantly, the donations will complete the final stage and cost of printing and publishing the first edition of Block Party – Soul of Summer.

Thank you.