For me, photobooks are one of the best ways to enjoy photography and the unique visions of far-flung artists from other cultures and other times.

Books are personal and intimate, and often offer more rewarding experiences than seeing framed prints on a wall at a crowded exhibition. Books establish a rhythm and flow that can be like cinema or visual poetry. And with the demise of practically all photography-rich news magazines, books seem like one of the best ways to communicate in-depth photographic stories.

Despite my love of books, and photobooks in particular, I never seriously thought about publishing a book of my own. However, the advent of high-quality low-cost personal publishing services, like Blurb.com, has changed my mind. I’ve published four silly, personal books so far, and I’m surprised at the sense of pride and accomplishment I feel when holding one of these books in my hands and flipping through it. (Much more satisfying than looking at my photos on my computer.)

So, Lens Culture is pleased to be one of the sponsors of a new photobook contest, Photography.Book.Now., that offers a $25,000 prize for the best self-published photobook this year. This seems to raise the stakes even more. A challenge!

According to the press release:

Photography.Book.Now is a celebration of the most creative, most innovative, and finest photography books – and the people behind them. Now in its second year, this international juried book competition is an opportunity for photographers of all stripes to showcase their work to a world-renowned panel of judges, and take a shot at a $25K grand prize.

Photography books have become a natural extension to the photographic process, and are shaping the future of photography as we know it. Long gone are the days where only professional and internationally renowned photographers could publish their work. With print on demand technologies, all photographers can create bound collections of their work, while retaining full control of the creative process – forever changing the face of publishing.

More contest details at the website. You can flip through last year's winning books online here.