The story behind Jaunt Journals
The Idea
Late 2023
As a photographer I’ve gathered a collection of images that capture the essence of my hometown, Santa Barbara over the years.
The idea of creating a guidebook didn’t occur to me until late 2023, when I realized that, despite all the beautiful guidebooks available for various destinations, there was a noticeable gap when it came to Santa Barbara. Having collected countless references from my travels over the years, I saw an opportunity to fill that void. As someone with a deep appreciation for paper and coffee table books—and a bit of an entrepreneurial spirit—this project felt like the perfect fit. It’s been a passion project that beautifully merges my love for photography with travel and exploration, offering a unique way to share my images with others.
Shooting in Santa Barbara, Calif. over the years.
The Design Process
February through August 2024
Creating something aesthetically pleasing and useful at an affordable price point was the goal. The book was designed with the help of my dear friend and editor Kathryn Sagaz and a local graphic designer, Tanya Keller, over the course of 2024. This was her first book project and also mine, so it took us a while to develop the feel, color, style, and pages that would become the final book. Over the course of six months, we went through numerous drafts of ideas. Jaunt Journals was to be a guide, but also a design piece, a coffee table book. I also shot many more images of Santa Barbara, along with our fantastic interviewers at their places of business. We were also very fortunate to work with Pedro De La Cruz, the books illustrator. Pedro's work makes the book come to life, with little "doodles" placed throughout the pages.
Interview and shoot with Pedro De La Cruz and Demi Boelsterli in the Funk Zone, February 2024.
The Printing
September 2024
The quality of the book itself truly mattered to us. We were eager to have beautiful craftsmanship and exquisite paper. Personally, my decision came easily – I headed straight to Italy! We were fortunate to partner with an amazing printer who routinely works with some of the biggest names in publishing, like Taschen and Assouline. The book is printed on FSC® Certified Paper with a debossed cover. In August, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the printer nestled in the hills of Italy and witness the magic of the book being printed – it was a dream come true!
Attending the printing of Jaunt Journals Santa Barbara in Trento, Italy August 2024.
The Final Outcome
October 2024
The first few copies of the book arrived at my home in France in early October, and I couldn’t begin to express the joy I felt seeing all of our hard work from 2024 come to life. Every page was carefully considered and discussed. We spent countless hours reviewing the digital drafts, so when we finally saw the printed version, it almost felt unreal! We were also thrilled to see how beautifully the images and doodles turned out. The final result exceeded our expectations, and we were immensely relieved to see it all come together so perfectly.
After printing, the books were packed into large containers and shipped by sea to Santa Barbara. The book was born in Santa Barbara, crafted in Italy, and it’s now making its way back to its final destination—your doorstep—very soon!
