This Zine Won't Close.

Hi friends,

Have you ever heard of a bookbinding method called Coptic stitch binding?

When you open a Coptic stitch bound book, it stays open on its own.

Not “stays open if you hold it down.” 
The pages lie completely flat, the spine naturally relaxed, no need to press anything with your hands. The book simply stays there, quietly open, waiting for you..

🔗 Links of the Week

YouTube: She Can't Photograph This Shinjuku Anymore.
An interview with female photographer Alice.

YouTube: Night Photography in Tokyo & Osaka (VHS Style)
The video I shared last week got removed, so I re-edited and reuploaded it.

A Photobook That Fully Opens

The other day, I received a copy of BLIPS VOL.02 by Korean photographer Min Seonhong. Even though it’s self-published, this is no longer something I’d simply call a zine. It deserves to be called a true photobook.

Seeing the beauty of BLIPS VOL.02, crafted with Coptic stitch binding and reinforced with glue for extra durability, I genuinely felt happy to have come across such a special book.

With perfect binding, a full spread image often disappears into the gutter at the center of the book.
But despite BLIPS VOL.02 being a massive 184-page photobook, every single page opens completely flat at 180 degrees.

That means even large photographs printed across two pages can actually be viewed properly, without losing the center of the image.

One of the Oldest Bookbinding Techniques Still Alive Today

Coptic stitch binding is considered one of the oldest bookbinding techniques still in use today.

“Coptic” refers to ancient Egyptian Christians, and this binding style is believed to date back to around the 3rd or 4th century.
In other words, this technique existed more than a thousand years before modern glued paperbacks.

Pages are gathered into small sections called signatures, then sewn together with exposed thread along the spine. There’s no hidden spine covering it up. The stitching itself becomes part of the design.

As a result, the book opens completely flat and stays that way.

You don’t need to hold the book open with both hands. You can simply place it on a table, pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee, and slowly turn the pages one by one.

Honestly, it’s one of the best photobook experiences you can have.

A Book That Feels Like Someone Else’s Memory Becoming Your Own

This BLIPS VOL.02 is composed of photographs taken around the coastal towns of Zushi and Hayama, just outside Tokyo.

While the previous BLIPS VOL.01 consisted entirely of black-and-white photographs of Tokyo streets, this new volume introduces many color photos. Combined with the soft matte paper stock, I feel the book beautifully captures the unique colors and atmosphere of Japan’s quieter suburban coastal towns.

Even though I’ve never personally seen these exact landscapes myself, looking through BLIPS VOL.02 somehow makes me feel nostalgic, as if these scenes were part of my own memories.

This is the kind of photobook that awakens memories you never knew you had.

Blips Vol. 02 is now available at FAR EAST DARKROOM.
Stock is limited.

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