Harun Mehmedinovic new coffee table book is worthy of the famous Balkan saying Balkan means blood and honey and this book by one of Bosnias best artists carries on the great tradition of Bosnian artists. You can contribute to the publishing of his photographs and recieve a great reward in return...
ORIGINS OF THE BLOODHONEY* PROJECT
I began taking photographs as a hobby ten years ago, during my studies at UCLA. Twice a year I would drive from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. and back, along Route 40, photographing landscapes. It was a way to disconnect from the daily grind, have a rare moment of solitude, and re-charge for the following six months. This process would later influence my approach to the Bloodhoney* project.
During my travels around the film festival circuit, I met old friends – some of whom I hadn’t seen in many years. Many were rooted in a 9-5 existence, living highly structured, stressful lives. They rarely, if ever, engaged in creative or artistic endeavors. Instead of going to a coffee shop, I proposed that they take a day off, pick a place that has meaning to them, and choose clothes in which they feel like themselves. That was the starting point. From there the idea was to improvise; spontaneity was to be at the heart of the process.
"The Eternal Youth" with Suzana Ognjanovic
Initially, most of the subjects were bored or frustrated. They asked me to give them instructions and wondered what they were doing there. Slowly, their minds began to let go, and they started doing what they felt like: jumping, climbing, wielding props, and taking risks. It felt almost like a return to childhood, physicality took over and the camera was there to capture the energy of the moment, telling a story.
These "séances" sometimes went on for 10-15 hours. They included long hikes through mountains, head-on collisions with hail and snow, walks through swamps and lakes, and quite a few mosquito bites and bruises.
"Waiting for Spring" with Amanda Deprez
The experience of the day was most important, not the resulting images. You could never predict what would come of it, and the idea was to let go and let things come together by circumstance. This is very opposite of the ideas of safety and caution that we are bombarded with by the current society. Although the idea of being in front of the camera while letting go may seem uncomfortable, after these "séances," just about every subject wanted to keep going or do it again. Each shoot was its own unique adventure. The rush of adrenaline and the feeling of being a child again, uninhibited no matter how silly or dangerous, proved to be liberating.
"Passion is a Dance with Fire" with Katherine
I called the project "Bloodhoney" in reference to the Balkans, the region I am from. It is a combination of two Turkish words: Bal, meaning “honey” and Kan, meaning “blood.” The name refers to the bittersweet nature of life, the moments of beauty and the sublime spontaneously captured in the photographs. THE BOOK
"Seance" book cover concept design
Séance will be a 12x12'' 140-page full-color hardcover book when it’s completed, but this will only happen with your support!
Photographs from the Bloodhoney* project will be presented in 12x8'', 18x12'' and 24x12'' formats throughout the book, along with stories about the séances and the people featured in them.
The book will be a Limited Edition release of 500 copies, and each copy will be dated, numbered, and signed by the author.
Given the large dimensions, volume and print quality requirements, this type of a "coffee table" photo book is fairly expensive to print. In order to print only the first 200 copies, cover the shipping, taxes and additional fees, it will cost roughly $15,000. If this Kickstarter campaign raises funds beyond that, the amount of copies will be increased accordingly, until the Limited Edition run of 500 copies is reached.
REWARDS
$10 - Digital Copy of the Book & High Quality Computer Desktop Wallpaper Photo
$25 - Digital Copy of the Book & signed 12x8'' (30x20cm) Photo Print
$50 - One copy of the Limited Edition Book (signed and numbered by the author) & Digital Copy of the Book
$100 - One copy of the Limited Edition Book (signed and numbered by the author) & Digital Copy of the Book & signed 24x16'' (61x40cm) Photo Print
$150 - Two copies of the Limited Edition Book (signed and numbered by the author) & Digital Copy of the Book & Two signed 24x16'' (61x40cm) Photo Prints & Your name in the Thank You section of the book (This award can be adjusted to One copy of the Limited Edition book and three 24x16 prints, per wishes of the backer)
$200 - Two copies of the Limited Edition Book (signed and numbered by the author) & Digital Copy of the Book & signed 36x24'' (91x61cm) Photo Print & Your name in the Thank You section of the book (This award can be adjusted to One copy of the Limited Edition Book and Two signed 36x24'' Photo Prints, per wishes of the backer)
$500 - Three copies of the Limited Edition Book (signed and numbered by the author) & Digital Copy of the Book & Three signed 40x30'' (102x76cm) Photo Prints & Your name in the Thank You section of the book
$1000 - Four copies of the Limited Edition Book (signed and numbered by the author) & Digital Copy of the Book & signed 60x40'' (152x102cm) Limited Edition Photo Print ($2000 value) & Your name in the Thank You section of the book & You get to experience and become a part of the Bloodhoney* project with a commissioned shoot!
* All photo prints will be images of your choice (please choose from the selection of photographs featured on this page) ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I spent my childhood in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a city that was under siege for nearly four years. Upon the conclusion of the Bosnian War in 1996, I moved to the United States and began working as a freelance designer.
I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where I studied screenwriting and theater directing. In 2007, I received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film Directing from the American Film Institute.
My thesis film, In the Name of the Son, premiered at Telluride Film Festival and won over thirty international awards, including Shanghai, Savannah, and Cleveland film festivals. It was the first live action short film to receive an exclusive screening for the members of United States Congress on Capitol Hill. In 2009, In the Name of the Son qualified for an Academy Award in Live Action Short Film category, and became one of only forty films to be considered for the award.
Bloodhoney* photographs have been exhibited internationally and featured by publications including Vogue Italia and the Los Angeles Times. PROJECT LINKS
Official Website: http://www.bloodhoney.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/blood.honey.by.harun.mehmedinovic SELECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS FEATURED IN THE BOOK
"Moments Before the Storm" with Zhanna Rozenbaum
"The Eternal Youth" with Suzana Ognjanovic
"In the Golden Hour" with Sanja Lukac
"All Quiet in the Meadow" with Morgan Ray Kean
"The Spirit" with Murielle Zuker
"Man Invented the Wheel to Conquer the Sun" with Val Morrison
"A Dance in the Temple of Light" with Natalie Kay
"Alice at Dawn" with Zhanna Rozenbaum
"Dance of the Hōrae" with Zhanna Rozenbaum
"She Brings the Rain" with Katherine
"Waiting For Blackfoot to Hunt the Buffalo" with Shelley Leung
"Autumn Wakes the Inner Child" with Anjali Hemphill
"Longing for Summer" with Mary Denman
"Zen in the Eye of the Storm" with Sean Stone
"Tilting at Windmills" with Amanda Deprez
"Liberty Walks Alone" with Ruckika Mandhyan
"A Postcard from a Shepard's Play" with Carrie Moore
"A Place Where Time Once Stopped" with Carrie Moore
