Contemporary photographers seem to be in a revolutionary moment of communication. Everything is fast, everyone wants to have visibility. Quality looks less important than quantity and likes on social media are the main selling factor. Despite all this fast internet-oriented self-promotion, printed production has never been so popular.

Why do photographers want to publish their own books in this era? Why are so many self-published editions being produced? What is important to know about the production of a photobook? Which are the steps to follow?

The workshop will answer these questions, giving the participants the tools to better understand the world of photo-publishing.

The workshop is structured within three basic steps:

EDITING – It is the essential starting point that shapes every photographic work. From a large pool of images, participants will be guided through the selection and sequence processes, to the creation of a photo book.

BOOK DESIGN – What kind of printed matter suits better to your photo project? Starting from this question, the participants will examine different possibilities regarding design, typography, paper, binding, printing and production strategies (publishing houses, self-publish, crowdfunding).

PRODUCTION – The aim is to finish the workshop with a rough printed publication. Producing a dummy will be particularly helpful to understand the importance of profiles, the creation of proper files, the post-production of the images, but also the process of passing from a screen to a piece of paper.

About the trainer:

Nicolas Polli is a Swiss photographer and graphic designer currently based in Lausanne, where he is working for the ECAL (Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne). In 2012 he co-founded the internationally acclaimed YET Magazine with Salvatore Vitale. For his most recent photographic work Ferox / The Forgotten Archives, he has been selected for the Image Book Award, Kassel Book Award, Unseen Book Award, Luma Foundation Book Award, and Aperture First book Award. In 2016, he has been selected for the Prix de la Relève photographique by Pro Helvetia and in 2018 he won the Swiss Design Award.

As a Freelancer, Nicolas works mostly on artist books with publishers such as Edition Patrick Frey, SPBH, Skinnerboox, Gwinzegal, Overlapse, RVB Books, L’Artiere, and for different photo festivals.

In 2018, he founded the publishing house CIAO Press.

Practical information:

Dates: 15 to 19 September, 2025

Location: Centre national de l’audiovisuel. 1B, rue du Centenaire. L-3475 Dudelange

Prices: 250€ ; 125€ (students, jobseekers, intermittents, self-employed professional artists)

Max. number of participants: 10

Terms of enrolment:

Applications under portfolio submission. The selection will be held by Nicolas Polli and Mylène Carrière (CNA).

Submit your digital portfolio:

• Complete name, nationality, address, email, website.
• CV and short description of the submitted work.
• A selection of min. 10 and max. 20 images (jpg or pdf, screen-resolution +/- 1200px wide). 
• Videos are well accepted (per link or wetransfer).

Deadline of application: 20th of August 2025

Please send your application to the following email address: formation@cna.etat.lu.