The Utatan was the annual big group project organized by the Utata Group on Flickr in the summer of 2007. It was the most ambitious project the group had organized to date and the end goal was to produce a print version collecting a selection of the submissions. Two of my photos were selected for publication a few months after the web version went live and then I waited to hear when the book would be published. And I waited, and waited, and then waited some more, and then I forgot about it completely.

And yet two years later I finally have a printed copy of the Utatan in my hot little hand because (to quote the dust jacket) “it was the project that would not die.” Utata is a volunteer run group and the ebb and flow of the lives of the people involved were what dictated the timeline for the project. I’m just glad the book is done now, and I don’t really care how long it took. I get the impression producing a book is like that anyhow.

It’s very exciting to be part of this publication because Utata has been one of my favorite flickr groups over the years. If you’re interested in purchasing a copy yourself the book is available through Blurb.com.