Engiadina: Robert Bösch's personal view of the Engadin

Robert Bösch's new illustrated book «Engiadina» will be published in October. It offers a very personal view of the well-known photographer on the Grisons high valley. The «Bindestrich», the annual magazine of Bubu AG, talked to Robert Bösch about the book and its creation.

Robert Bösch, what motivated you to produce a coffee-table book about the Engadine?

The Engadine has been my second home for 40 years; I spend a lot of time in the Engadine mountains every year. For a long time, therefore, I have been carrying around the idea of producing an illustrated book about this region. But so far it has not come to that. Fortunately, I must say today.

Piz Blaisun

Why fortunately?

In the past, I would have made a book with classically beautiful, spectacular mountain photographs. As a mountaineer, I would have intended to show what the Engadine looks like and how fascinating the landscape is. Today, I have a different approach to the subject: I don't want to «show the Engadine», but I am on the road in the Engadine and take pictures. I am looking for pictures. Often they are motifs that one does not perceive as such at first. They don't jump out at you, like a great sunset, but they only show their content and their power when they are there as a photograph. This creates a different image of the Engadine - for me it is the more exciting one.

Both the design and the printing and finishing of the book are evidence of very careful production. How did this take place?

«Engiadina» is the first book that I am realizing and publishing on my own. I can draw on a great deal of experience in the production of illustrated books, but the choice of the right partners is probably decisive. Christian Burkhardt from Bubu gave me valuable advice on this.

Piz Lagrev

What advice did he give you?

He put me in touch with Mireille Burkhardt's agency BOB Design in London and recommended working with possible printers in Switzerland in geographical proximity. That turned out to be an ideal combination. Mireille Burkhardt understood my ideas about the book right away and implemented them perfectly. Thanks to the short distances, I was able to closely supervise the physical production of the book, both in prepress and on the press. Everyone involved did an outstanding job, and the quality of the print on the exceptional paper is unique. And last but not least: Bubu also had a top team at work. I was able to implement my ideas in the best possible way and was supported by very competent partners.

Piz Lunghin with pine

You have published several successful illustrated books. How do you see the future of books?

I love making books: A book always stops time a bit. Books will always be around.

Robert Bösch, thank you very much for this interview!

Robert Bösch, photographer, geographer and mountain guide, has been a freelance professional photographer for almost 40 years. In addition to assignments from industry and advertising, he works for magazines such as Stern, Geo and Spiegel. He has published numerous illustrated books. Robert Bösch is a Nikon Ambassador and works with the Petra Gut Contemporary Gallery in Zurich.

As an alpinist, his travels and expeditions have taken him to all seven continents, climbing difficult routes and the highest mountains. In recent years he has been intensively engaged in landscape art photography. Robert Bösch lives in Oberägeri and occasionally in Maloja.

For more information on «Engiadina» and to order:
www.robertboesch.ch

Cover image: Piz Roseg