The idea of making a coffee table photography book originated while scanning images that would be suitable for posters. The prizes for winning a couple Canadian Geographic Magazine photo contests were coupons from PosterJack.ca for free enlargements. While sifting through hundreds of thumbnail sized photos on the computer, I knew there was more than enough source material for a book or books. Joanne suggested titles such as: “Trees”, “Waterfalls”, “Wildlife” or combining subjects into a portfolio book of samples that she could show to new galleries. The seemingly straight forward process of choosing a small representative sample of pictures has drawn me into a self analysis of what makes a “good enough for a: poster/book/contest/art gallery/birthday present/……” photograph. We all must make up our own minds about art.

A painter starts with a blank expanse of canvas and paints in all the elements that complete that artist’s vision. A photographer begins with a scene and then chooses which picture elements to include and which to crop out of the final image composition. Maybe the answer to that question about what is the meaning of life is the same for all living things. Maybe the answer is unique to each one of us. Maybe everyone must decide for themselves and to try to incorporate their meaning and purpose into what they do in life. I’ve decided that capturing images of the reality that I experience is as good a reason as any other. Very possibly on the other hand, the correct answer to the meaning of life, the universe and everything is 42 as Douglas Adams has suggested.

This book was never intended to be widely distributed. At a total print run of two, one for Joanne and me and the other for my brother John this was not just an overly conservative marketing projection. I originally didn’t plan on captions or technical data for the photographs but at minimum, having location information is part of the exercise in producing a book of photographs. The title “Every Picture Has a Story” is appropriate in that each of the images has a story to me but the same image may invoke different memories and feelings in others.