New Monograph "Where the North Winds Blow: The Wild Purity of Unst"

Karl Holtby
Jun 10
3 min read

For some time now I have wanted make my work available for photography enthusiasts to be able to enjoy in the best possible way. Of course, being very much an advocate of the print, that is always the preferred experience. The print is the final part of the journey. Post processing is where we hone the image as close as we can to the feelings we encountered at the time of capture. The paper is carefully chosen to evoke the desired atmosphere of the subject. The print lives and breathes. Fine art prints are not for everyone however, partly due to cost and the simple fact that the subject must have almost a personal connection for someone to hang it in their homes, in my experience.

Social media is woefully inadequte, images are simply lost in the ever increasing world of endless scrolling. I'm a lover of visiting websites or online galleries to enjoy photography from the comfort of my home. I don't know why I haven't thought to make eBooks available sooner! I guess that is partly because I've spent the past twelve years on the road, building these extensive bodies of work. I intend to publish these in a physical format over the coming years, that is of course a lengthy and expensive process. Therefore, I am working on collating all of my projects and presenting them as monographs in eBook format. This way my work is out there, rather than sat on a hard drive, or negatives in folders. I released my first eBook last week and I'm delighted to say that people are enjoying it all over the world. I've had some wonderful feedback already, for which I am truly grateful. I have to admit that even before the 'Forest Visions' eBook went live, I felt really emotional. My work comes from a place of deep feeling. To share it with the world is to share a little piece of me. It feels as if I am exposing my own soul. Maybe I'm just overly sensitive! The great thing about the eBook format is that one can enjoy the photographs at leisure. Make a cuppa or, like me, you may prefer a little tipple! Sit back and enjoy the images on a laptop, tablet, macbook or larger screen in high quality. It really is the next best thing to a physical print.

Here is the first testimonial I received for 'Forest Visions'

"I absolutely love his black-and-white photographs and have been following him on Instagram for a long time. This time, he has released a beautiful photo book in e-book format. These stunning photographs shake my emotions and deeply move me. I believe anyone who loves photography will enjoy them. I initially viewed it on my iPad, but the beauty was so stunning that I'm now enjoying his work on a 27-inch display. Thanks to his photos, I was able to start my day off wonderfully this morning." Mariko Saito, Tokyo.

As well as "I loved it and it looked mint on a Mac!" pretty succinct from Tim Roberts in Lancashire. This was the desired effect of the format!

Next up is a body of work from the five weeks that I spent on Unst over the course of two trips, in 2018 & 2019. This new monograph is titled "Where the North Winds Blow: The Wild Purity of Unst". I'm glad that I waited years before releasing this body of work. Back then I was chasing a different aesthetic, something more precise, more colourful. When I look at the images now, years later, I see and appreciate their rawness much more. I have finally been able to give them the life they deserve with an aesthetic that suits the pure wildness of this location. It really is a uniquely powerful place which is incredibly diffiuclt to put into words. Hopefully the photographs can evoke some of the atmosphere of this most northerly Isle. This upcoming monograph will feature 50+ photographs plus essay of my experiences on this magical island. Below are a few taster images.