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If you need some inspiration, look no further than this stunning layout by Robin Moon. It's no surprise Antarctica Journey to the sublime won the 2023 Australian Photographic Society Photo Book Award travel category.
The cover visuals immediately grab your attention. The photo is strong, unique, and well represents the icy wonderland. The photos inside are also exceptional, and the number of them just right. Not too many, and not too few.
We rarely see a book that doesn't start with the title page, but Robin's bucks the trend by starting hers with this ethereal landscape. It's perfectly placed to encourage you to wind down before exploring this dreamlike destination.
We find the title on page 3 instead. The organic, friendly curve of the font blends beautifully with the folds of the icy slopes on the opposite page. The subtitle "Journey to the sublime" also suggests we'll be taken on a poetic journey, rather than a statement of facts.
Dividing the book into chapters implies we'll find more imagery than icebergs and water, and reveals what inspired Robin to visit this strange land. The inclusion of a chapter about Storms also tells us she's a creative who looks beyond the standard.
Not having been to Antarctica, I imagine it could be difficult to capture 'different' photos of the majestic white formations, but Robin's keeps surprising us with different angles and page layouts that reveal their unique personalities.
And of course she doesn't exclude the spectacular wildlife, which she weaves in with some descriptive information to give us a clear sense of their features, their activities, and how they survive in such an unusual environment.
The pace of the book is languid, with mainly one to two images per page. But by presenting a series of penguin shots across a double page spread, their personable and playful nature is blatantly clear.
The grand finale is a striking pastel landscape. The water disappearing into the distance appropriately suggests she is homeward bound, but doesn't provide a hard end to the book. Allowing the reader to continue daydreaming about their own Antarctic adventure.
Congrats on such a professional and poetic showcase of Antarctica. Your award was well deserved, and, if this is your first photo book design, we imagine there'll be plenty more awards to come!
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