Books and Their Covers, with Taria Reed

We’re always told to never judge a book by its cover and that might be good advice for dealing with people. However, when it comes to shelling out some hard-earned money on a new book to read, we most certainly make a judgement based on the cover image.

In fact, a young lady at my work insisted on knowing what the heroine and hero looked like in Moonstone Obsession before she agreed to read the book. Once she saw the cover she said, ‘okay, now that I’ve seen them, I know I can identify with them’.

That, in a nutshell, is the power a good cover.

Personally, what I love about the cover of Moonstone Obsession is the tenderness in the expression of the cover models – exactly as I imagine James and Selina!

So, let’s meet  Taria Reed, the talented photographer behind The Reed Files:

Tell us a bit about yourself Taria.

Since the age of about 8yrs old I’ve had a camera in my hand. My sister was my first model and since she was just starting her teen years it was a match made in heaven…lol. Over the years I picked up and put down my camera until my oldest son was born in 2002. At that time I picked up my camera and never put it back down.

I started my business, Taria Reed Photography, in 2005 and I focused on photographing weddings, children, and families. Over the next few years my focus has shifted to babies, children, families, and women. In July of 2011 I was asked by an indy author if I could redesign her book cover. Up until that point I only played around in photo shop creating art pieces to hone my skills. I accepted the commission and was very pleased with the results. I found that I really enjoyed the creative process of cover design so I began devouring any and all information I could find to become better at it. In August 2011 I got my first break with two publishers whom I’m proud to say still work with me to this day.

What appeals to you most about photographing book covers?

There is such a rush knowing my photo will be morphed and manipulated to represent a story from someone’s head. I’m proud of my photos and of my models so it’s nice to see all our hard work pay off.

You’ve mentioned before that cover photography ‘sells’ the book – particularly if a reader if not familiar with the author. Would you like to elaborate on that a little?

Since most of us were kids we were told not to judge a book by its cover. Well in reality we do it all the time. We skip an entree if it doesn’t look good, we avoid a part of town if it doesn’t look safe, and we won’t pick up a book if the cover art doesn’t appeal to us. Cover photographers and cover artists are a team. Since I do both photography and design I have a unique outlook on it. Good photographs are the foundation for good designs. Good poses, technically correct images, good model choices, and model emotion are all needed so the artist can take that image and create beautiful artwork.

What type of brief do you need from an author or a publisher to be sure you’ve captured the mood of the book?

Unfortunately I don’t have the time to read the books before I photograph or design for the cover I ask the authors to give me the “meat & potatoes” of their book. Where does it take place, when does it take place, what do their characters look like, important key points in the book. Anything that can help me get a feel for the story I ask so I can make sure my image fits what the author and artist want.

Is there a style of book which is more difficult to photograph than others? I would imagine that historicals are the most difficult because of the demands of correct period costuming. Is that the case?

More often than not most authors/publishers/artists are happy getting costumes as close as possible. Of course I don’t have an authentic 1800s outfit in my studio wardrobe or authentic Viking garb, but I try to get as close as I can to get the feel the time period calls for. For custom shoots I budget in costumes and therefore I can get a bit closer to what the author wants. It still probably won’t be exact, but it’ll be passable.

How do you go about finding the costumes? (I know your mum makes some, she’s amazingly talented!)

Ebay is AWESOME for piecing together costumes and accessories that will pass. Thrift shops are wonderful for getting stuff you need but normally wouldn’t want to buy full price just for a photo shoot. My mom is AWESOME dipped in rainbows and carried around by a unicorn…lol. She makes most of my historical costumes. She’s sewn for decades and has such a talent for it (one I was born without…lol). We usually stock up on patterns whenever the craft store has a sale and then we stock up on material whenever we see a good deal or sale. She makes about 1 gown a month and whatever else I need if I know I wanna shoot something specific. I’d be lost without her skills.

Take us through the process of a typical book cover photo shoot.

Photo shoots are never typical…lol. I usually try to prep the studio the day before and pull what costumes and accessories I’ll need then so we have some type of game plan. Sometimes I prepare a shoot list or one of my artist friends sends me a shoot list but mostly we wing it. there is lots of music (usually 80s pop) – 80s pop?! I wish I didn’t live on the other side of the world – EEC  lost of laughs, lost of cursing (all in fun) and lots of really awesome photos.

One of the challenges that authors – particularly Indie and self published authors face is the use of ‘canned’ stock photography. I know of some authors who have been dismayed that ‘their’ cover image has now appeared on someone else’s book. Is it feasible to get an exclusive image? What can authors and publishers do?

Yes I offer exclusive licenses for my images. They range in price and start at $400. Someone just has to email me with their interest to get the ball rolling.

 What has been the most fun and/or the most challenging book cover assignment?

Each custom shoot is beyond fun to put together. From casting models, to shopping for costumes, to the actual shoot day I love it all. I’ve gotten to do cowboys, to fantasy, to regency, to paranormal, to rock stars. Each one brings something new and exciting so it’s hard to try and pick a favorite.

Thank you very much for sharing about your work Taria!

The Reed Files also has pre-made covers and stock images for self-published and indie authors. Check out her work here.