When I started working on ‘It takes my mind off things’, I soon started to collect the targets from the shooting ranges. The official targets used in competitions, targets with forest creatures. Photographing used, unused, front and backs.
I was captivated by the imagery printed on it, some in a very playful way. Like little mice jumping out of cheeses or dinosaurs standing in front of a tree.
Because in reality we will never be able to shoot a dinosaur.

But I was also interested in the textures of the different papers used and reused. Cardboards with holes taped off again for the next shooter. The differences in the thickness of the targets each for their own game.
For me this was the start to always really consider the possibilities and importance of paper in printing. I believe especially with making a photo book this is an element that indulges an extra experience within the story.

Often I catch myself ‘creeping’ photobook markets, while going through the publications, focusing on the paper being used. Often telling the person I am with, that they really should feel the paper for a second.

When Sybren Kuiper, -SYB- designed the publication of the project – and I have to give him full credit for it – I could not agree fast enough to using different styles of papers.