Author Spotlight:
The Birds of Magnolia Cemetery: Charleston’s Secret Bird Sanctuary by Patrick Harwood
Here is May’s Author Spotlight, featuring a book we printed called The Birds of Magnolia Cemetery: Charleston’s Secret Bird Sanctuary by Patrick Harwood. Below features an interview with author and photographer Patrick Harwood.
PUBLISHED – MAY 2, 2023
Featured book: The Birds of Magnolia Cemetery: Charleston’s Secret Bird Sanctuary by Patrick Harwood
What is The Birds of Magnolia Cemetery: Charleston’s Secret Bird Sanctuary?
The irony is that there's so much life in a place of death, which struck me and may strike readers. I spent a couple of years visiting this cemetery and it got me very interested in birding and bird photography as a hobby.
Over the course of visiting, I photographed many species of birds. It became a challenge to get good quality images of them, which are not the easiest thing to photograph, and then identify them. I like to say that I used to chase birdies with my putter but now I chase them with my camera because I used to play a lot of golf.
At some point, during the 2011 holiday season, I made a personal project (I teach college, so we were on holiday break) where I counted how many birds I photographed, which was more than 40 different species. I decided at the end of the school year, I would try to put together a coffee table book. I've always aspired to one day write a book, and I've written four since then. I published this book in the fall of 2011, and it was a neat experience all around. I thought the book turned out great and I've certainly learned a lot since then as far as layout and design.
How did you find the Magnolia Cemetery?
It’s a very well-known necropolis, you could say Victorian rural cemetery. There was a movement that came over from Europe in the early-mid 1800s, the idea of moving the graveyards and cemeteries out of the urban areas where people lived. The thought behind it was that having so many people buried in the ground near where people live, there might have been contamination in the water supply. Of course, you know back then there were a lot of diseases and epidemics. The idea was to move large burial cemeteries into the outlying areas. Hence, the rural cemetery and Magnolia was the first in the Charleston area that opened in 1850.
They had burial lots that people could buy for burying loved ones which were much larger than they were in the downtown church graveyards. It led to large elaborate, fancy and beautiful monuments and memorials. Some feature tall obelisks and statues with angels. To me, it’s like an outdoor art exhibit. Thinking about the craftsmanship using hammers and chisels back then in the 1800s is amazing.
It's also close to the Cooper River, and has two ponds, which have became a habitat for wildlife. Particularly birds that go undisturbed, because there aren't that many living people there, if you know what I mean.
What part of the writing/photography process did you find the most enjoyable with this book?
It was challenging and fun to organize the book. When you have an idea for a book your first thought is, “How am I going to lay it out? What's going to be the table of contents?” I started by creating an outline. After that, I just enjoyed the whole selection process of doing it all myself. The writing, research, photography, layout, and just building and producing it page by page.
I've learned that you have to take your time, and I make my own self-imposed deadlines. I worked on my newest book for four years, while “The Birds of Magnolia Cemetery” just took one summer. That's the challenge and the satisfaction of doing it all myself, word by word, page by page.
There were some issues along the way that I’ve since learned from. Photos need to be in a greater resolution, the layout of the spine, and gutters. Also just learning the general terms. Then learning how to use Adobe InDesign. After “The Birds of Magnolia Cemetery” all my books have been made in Adobe InDesign.
What got you into photography? Why the focus on birds?
I've always been a shutterbug ever since I was a kid. I had the little old film cameras going back to when I was a teenager, I just liked taking pictures.
I took photography more seriously when I started to frequent Magnolia Cemetery and even more when taking photos of birds. Most of the pictures in that book, I photographed with a basic Canon point-and-click camera, even the cover. That same picture is one of the first photos I took at the Magnolia Cemetery back in 2008 when I was on spring break at the College of Charleston, where I was teaching at the time. I didn't even know what species of bird it was, and I was curious, which led to a learning adventure. I learned that they are wood storks and that there were many other birds I didn’t recognize here in Magnolia. With every visit, my photography improved and then I decided to invest in a Canon DSLR, a super zoom category camera that I still use today.
I even started to take pictures in my backyard as well. We have feeders where birds would gather. After researching different birds, I would try to identify these as well and try to get high quality photos of them too.
How did My Book Printer help your vision become a reality?
It’s always been a high-quality service and working with your company has been a professional, helpful, and friendly experience. I’ve recommended My Book Printer to several friends and colleagues over the years.
I was looking for somebody to print my book because I’m a self-published author. When I found your company, I explored your site and felt good about your services and I’m certainly glad I did so. I still have a good relationship with you 13 years later. I still have reprints made for my books.
Where can you follow or learn more about Patrick Harwood?
Website
mybirdseyeviews.blogspot.com
