DEPTH Blog
To Illustrate or Photograph?
When author Paul Mila was writing Harry Hawksbill Helps His Friends, he and the Best Publishing Company editorial staff wrestled with one main question: should we use his underwater photographs to tell the story, or retain the services of an illustrator?
The challenge of using photographs is that the scenes have to be in sync with the story and dialogue, while an artist can draw the scene to fit the story.
Ultimately they decided that if they could find the right photos to fit the story, that would provide realism and show young readers the true beauty of our underwater world better than illustrations. Fortunately, Paul had enough photos that fit the story, providing the illusion that our sea creatures were talking to each other, and even to their human friends.
Paul's photos below are great examples of how a story can be told through photographs:
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Dialogue: "Hi Harry, want to race?" "Okay, Kendra, but you won't catch me."
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Dialogue: "But you're different, Harry. You're a sea turtle. All you turtles look the same, not like angelfish."
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Dialogue: "Hi Harry, can we eat with you now that Georgie is gone?"
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| Dialogue: "Hi Fulvio, let's swim together." |
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| Dilogue: "Uh oh! Look Quintana. There's Harry, but he's with a gray angelfish. |
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| Waitin' on the doc: Best Publishing Company author Paul Mila waiting on the pier for the dive boat, with his SeaLife camera. |
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CLICK HERE to order Paul's book, Harry Hawksbill Helps His Friends
About the author
Paul Mila has expanded his horizons from Brooklyn to Baja and beyond. He traded in his corporate suit for a wetsuit and now devotes his time to writing, scuba diving, underwater photography, and speaking to groups about ocean conservation.
He has enjoyed photographing and diving with Caribbean reef sharks in the Bahamas, humpback whales in the Dominican Republic and Tonga, and diverse sea life around the world, including his home waters of Long Island, New York.
Using his photographs and personal adventures, Paul brings the people and undersea creatures he encounters to life through interesting stories for readers of all ages. In addition to this children's book and two nonfiction books, he has authored a scuba diving thriller/fiction series drawing from a cast of colorful, real-life Caribbean characters.
Paul's Book:
Harry Hawksbill Helps His Friends
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