NY Through The Lens - A New York Photography Book - Update
Some good news to share: My book keeps selling out on Amazon in the United States. It sold out completely last weekend and went back in stock briefly a few nights ago. But then it went back out of stock due to sales and demand on December 12th!
Whew! What a roller-coaster ride!
How you can order it online in the U.S. as a gift in time for the December holidays:
There are a few options:
1 - While the book is currently sold out on Amazon U.S., I found out today that my publisher has sent a HUGE shipment of books to Amazon this week. In fact, the book’s stock was just replenished on Monday, December 15th. So, you can still order from Amazon and the orders will be fulfilled. Here is the book on Amazon U.S.: NY Through The Lens - Amazon
2 - The book is also in stock over at Barnes and Noble. You can either pick up a copy in store or you can always order it online there: NY Through the Lens - Barnes and Noble
3- The book is also available in a ton of other stores here in the U.S. including Walmart, the Strand, as well as many other independent retailers which I have listed in the ginormous post below. :)
How you can help to keep the book well-stocked on Amazon as well as help towards a possible next book:
Quite a few people have emailed me asking how they can help towards my possible next book as well as how to keep the Amazon gods happy (quite a task, I have found!).
Reviews on Amazon help more than most people probably know. Even a one line review helps out authors. You don’t have to write an essay, I promise. Reviews help Amazon position the book in the marketplace while also signaling to publishers what the overall experience and reception is beyond the sales numbers.
If you have a few minutes - please leave a review over on ye olde Amazon.
Everything from a one line review to a beautifully written review will make me dance and probably cry (happily). I love to dance and cry (happily). Win-win :)
And, of course, I want to thank ALL of you for making NY Through The Lens a best-seller. Never, ever, ever in a million years did I think 6 years ago that what started out as a dream would turn into a book as well as a full-time career.
Cue happy tears.
All of the information you could ever want to know about the book and about me is below this line.
nythroughthelens:
NY Through The Lens - The Book!
I am super excited to announce this news!
My New York City coffee table book is currently available for sale worldwide!
All of the photos in this post are in the book. For all press coverage and book reviews, check out my media page for up to date coverage.
Here are some Questions and Answers about the book:
I live in the United States or Canada. What is the link to use to order the book online?
Use this link if you have a United States shipping address:
(The book will be back in stock fully on Amazon on December 16th - any orders made will be fulfilled and shipped out!!) NY Through the Lens - Amazon
(It’s also in stock at Barnes and Noble for online ordering and in stores. Use this link to order the book online:) NY Through The Lens - Barnes and Noble
I live in the UK, Australia, or New Zealand. What are the links to use to order the book online?
Use this link if you have a UK shipping address:
New York Through the Lens - UK Edition
Use this link if you have an Australia or New Zealand shipping address:
New York Through the Lens - Australian Edition
I live in other parts of the world. How can I purchase the book?
The book is available in the English language on Amazon throughout most of Europe (and parts of Asia).
If you go to your country’s Amazon and search for: NY Through The Lens, my book will show up. This is your own country’s option for purchasing the book. Just remember that the shipping will be local and the currency will be friendly to where you live but the book will be in English.
If you live in other parts of Europe, you may also be able to order the book from Amazon.co.uk which offers free or reduced shipping to parts of Europe outside of the United Kingdom.
What are the release dates for the book?
United States and Canada release date in stores (it’s available now!): November 24, 2014.
UK, Australia and New Zealand release date: October 7, 2014 (it’s available now!).
Can I find your book in stores?
Yes!
The book released in stores worldwide on November 24th, 2014.
You can find the book at major retailers in the United States like Barnes and Noble and Walmart. It’s also available at many indie booksellers like these locations in NYC: Strand Bookstore, St. Mark’s Bookshop, Drama Bookshop, Kinokunya, Tenement Museum giftshop, just to name a few.
You can find the book at major retailers in the U.K. like Waterstones, Foyles, The Guardian Bookshop, WHSmith, Blackwell’s, just to name a few.
Here is a page with an ongoing listing of physical retail and online locations to purchase the book:
NY Through The Lens - Book - Retail Locations
I really would love it if I could buy your book from my local bookshop. Is that possible?
Of course!
If your local bookshop doesn’t currently stock my book, just ask them about ordering and stocking the book. Most bookstores should be able to order copies for sale.
I really want a signed copy of the book. Is this possible?
My publisher has made a limited number of signed copies available as of October 25th, 2014. To order a limited edition signed copy of the book, simply use the order form on this page:
NY Through The Lens - Signed Copy
The limited edition signed copy will be signed by me personally.
Will there be any book launch related events in NYC or other parts of the world?
Great question!
The answer is: yes.
There will be a few book events happening in NYC in December, 2014.
My photography and book will be celebrated and featured at an event in conjunction with Wired Magazine in New York City in December (details TBA)
I will be doing a presentation and book signing at B&H Photo and Video in New York City on December 30th. Event details and registration: NY Through the Lens of Vivienne Gucwa
I also may be in London later this winter at some point and should that happen I will definitely be doing a few book events as well.
Is there an e-book edition of the book available?
Yes, there is.
It is available on my publisher’s website here as either a standalone e-book or you can purchase a regular print edition of the book bundled with an e-book:
NY Through The Lens - E-Book
I am press and would love to review the book. How do I get in touch with you?
Feel free to use my contact form.
Do you have any photos of what the book looks like?
Here is what the cover looks like:
The cover and physical book together:
Some sample pages:
View images of more sample pages and the cover over at this album:
NY Through The Lens Book Images
How many pages are in the book? What are the formats?
The United States and Canada version of the book is paperback and consists of 192 pages of photography and writing by yours truly.
The UK, Australia, and New Zealand version of the book is hardcover and consists of 192 pages of photography and writing.
***Edited this section. The page counts actually match but Amazon has the wrong info listed. For anyone who was previously wondering…
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General questions:
What part of NYC did you grow up in? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in a borough of New York City called Queens. More specifically, I grew up in Flushing, Queens. I have lived in Manhattan for the past 12 years. I currently reside on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
When and how did you start photography? What inspires you? And how would you describe your style of photography?
The beginnings…
In 2008, I was extremely broke and had very little money. I was also stressed out as I had quit my job to go back to school to finally finish the degree which I had abandoned nearly a decade earlier because I needed to work many jobs to support myself.
Living on my own since the age of 17 years old with no family support or safety net put me in the precarious position of working many jobs to keep myself afloat while living in New York City. I worked 7 days a week for quite a while and decided I needed to make a change in my life before my life passed me by and I barely explored my passions.
It took a huge leap of faith to put myself back in school. But I did. I decided to go back to school pursuing a pre-med path.
Without much in the way of material things or financial prosperity, walking became my number one way to deal with stress. It also became a way for me to experience the city like I hadn’t before. I would choose a direction and walk as far as my feet would take me; I still do this.
My walks opened my eyes to a New York City that I hadn’t experienced before. I knew that I wanted to capture the moments and experiences on my walks that made my heart swell. However, I was so broke that I couldn’t even afford a smartphone or a smartphone plan. I went on Amazon and purchased the cheapest point and shoot I could find. At $79, it was a huge investment at the time. That humble little camera had one button and a few settings (one of which was broken!). I didn’t care though. I finally had a tool to explore my view and vision of New York City.
In 2009, I decided to finally post the photos I had accumulated along the way online. I knew nothing about posting photography online and had heard that blogs were a great place to post photography. I literally googled the word “blog” one evening and Tumblr came up as the first search result. I decided to create my blog, NY Through The Lens on Tumblr purely for myself as a way to view my collected images in a beautiful way online.
Since I had no formal training in photography or in-depth knowledge of the rules and concepts defining the field, it didn’t occur to me that I’d have an audience for my work. I honestly didn’t think that anyone would be interested in what I was posting online to my Tumblr blog. However, within a few months of posting my photos to Tumblr, I amassed close to 70,000 followers and I was both humbled and touched by the messages I would receive on a weekly basis.
Inspiration and style…
Starting out in photography with limited tools enticed me to learn more about light, which in turn, has set me on a lifelong journey attempting to capture something as fleeting and vast as the transient quality of New York City and other places around the world.
That initial leap of posting my photography online to my Tumblr and eventually across social media started an epic adventure and led to photography and writing becoming my career. I am thankful everyday that I get to share my passion with an online audience of over 2.5 million. The ability to connect with people on a regular basis is something I never take for granted.
Currently, I am focused on distilling the essence of New York City and other places around the world into distinctive visual remnants that resonate in a variety of ways.
The fantastical elements of how I perceive New York City are something that I intend to keep on imbuing into my photography. The exploration of what is reality and what is perceived reality filtered through a variety of influences is a key focus of my work.
I have always harbored a dreamy, fantastical view of New York City which harkens back to my childhood growing up as a first generation New Yorker with a tragic, yet inspirational family backstory that has inspired me in a variety of ways.
Most of my photography is heavily influenced by cinema, music, and other art forms as I have a background in fine art (painting and art history).
I am also endlessly haunted by a sense of saudade and sehnsucht: a deep longing for a place that is unidentifiable but somehow familiar and indicative of what could be identified as home. I am on a never-ending quest to attempt to imbue my photography of cities and landscapes with this complex notion of nostalgic longing.
I am fascinated and interested in exploring how certain tones can produce feelings of different forms of nostalgia and how color or lack of color influences memory and desire.
Additionally, I am inspired by all of the things that different places symbolize for people and I try to examine and delve into these enduring symbols with my photography.
Where can I find out more about you?
My About Page
Published Work, Press Coverage, Media, Events, Appearances
Social Media Reach and Information about Brands
My Travel Blog
New York City Photography Collection
Travel Photography Collection
Where else can I find you online?
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Google Plus
Flickr
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All about cameras:
The most common question I get every day is what camera I shoot with. The photos in the book and the majority of the photos on my blog have been taken with Sony cameras.
I started using Sony cameras when I first began pursuing photography professionally back in 2010 based on the suggestion of a very close friend and a lot of research. I spoke on a blog panel during a photography conference in the summer of 2012. It was because of that amazing speaking opportunity that I became acquainted with Sony since someone from Sony was in the audience during my panel. I partnered with Sony in 2013 and became one of 10 contracted Sony Artisans of Imagery worldwide in April of 2014. The choice to partner with Sony was a natural one for me since I had already been enthusiastically using Sony cameras for my professional photography.
Because this photography book is inclusive of my photographic journey from the start up until now, it also includes photos that I took with my initial no-frills point-and-shoot camera as well as some mobile photos since I am very passionate about mobile photography.
Every photo in the book has a caption that indicates what camera was used as well as the settings used.
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I hope you will enjoy my book. It’s been an enormous labor of love.
I want to thank everyone involved in the process: my UK publisher: Ilex Press, my US publisher: F+W Media, and…
you.
None of this would have been possible without you.
Much love to all of you for inspiring me every day to follow my passion.
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View: My New York City photography portfolio, My Travel Blog, On G+,email me, or ask for help.