Places: A Photo Zine

My first ever photo zine is available for purchase now.

Selected Works is a regular newsletter by the Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand) based freelance music journalist, broadcaster, copywriter, and sometimes DJ Martyn Pepperell. Yes, that’s me. Most weeks, Selected Works consists of a recap of what I’ve been doing lately and some of what I’ve been listening to and reading, paired with film photographs I’ve taken + some bonuses. All of that said, sometimes it takes completely different forms.

A few years ago, I started selling the odd A3 print of some of my 35mm landscape and cityscape photography. Since then, people periodically ask me if I’ve considered having a photography exhibition. Knowing a little bit about the field, I’ve always been a bit wary. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely sentiment to have expressed to you, but the reality is this: when you add up the costs of printing, framing, and mounting an exhibition's worth of images and add in what you’d have to spend to promote the whole thing and throw a decent opening event, the numbers go up fast. There’s no guarantee you’ll sell anything, either. It’s a tough one.

All of that said, after going back and forth mentally about it all for a while, I asked my graphic designer friend Kate Reddington if she’d be open to laying out a photo zine/book for me. Thankfully, Kate was keen to help out, and after a couple of months of work, I’ve got printed stock of Places, my first-ever photo zine.

Printed on Impress Satin paper by The Big Picture in Wellington, Places is a 44-page A4 format visual document of some of my favourite landscape and cityscape film photographs I’ve taken across Aotearoa New Zealand and further afield overseas in Melbourne, Hong Kong, London, Paris, Oslo and The Himalayas. It feels good to have finally got this together, and if everything goes according to plan, I’ll probably put together a follow-up edition called Faces. Special thanks to Dam G for suggesting the names.

Anyway, this is very much a soft launch. No Shopify, no web store, but if you’re interested in purchasing a copy, drop me a line, and we’ll work it out. I was out pretty late last night checking out the UK post-punk and dub reggae legend Dennis Bovell who played a DJ set off an iPad last night. Bit dusty today, but feeling inspired, so it’s time to get up, go for a walk, drink some coffee and listen to music. Have a great weekend.

FIN.