My first zine: Thomas Krebs
A big ‘bravo’ to Thomas, who produced his first street photography zine based on images shot during my Venice Carnival workshop last year. At big events such as the Carnival it’s very easy to fall into the trap of just shooting people in costume but during my workshops we try to get away from the ‘obvious’ and focus more on oddities, quirks and adsurdities behind the scenes.
This is a great first attempt at making a zine so I asked Thomas to tell us more . . .
Why did you decide to make a zine?
I’ve always preferred seeing my photos in print rather than letting them gather dust on a hard drive. For the past few years, I’ve made small photobooks of my favorite images - just one copy, just for me - and found that very rewarding. Lately, I started noticing more photographers publishing zines. The idea appealed to me, but I didn’t have a strong concept or reason to start - until a workshop in Venice with Brian during Carnevale. He talked about how easy and affordable it is to produce a small zine run, which made the idea feel much more tangible and within reach.
The final push came when we visited an exhibition by Andy Parker. He’d made a zine and was selling it for just 10€, and something clicked. I came home knowing I’d give it a shot - as long as I had the right images and could keep the costs under control.
How did you find shooting in Venice during Carnevale?
I’ve visited Venice several times before and have always loved the city. In 2024, I joined a workshop with Brian—but not during Carnevale. Then in 2025, I returned for another workshop with him, this time right in the middle of the festivities.
Photographing during Carnevale was an incredible experience. What surprised me at first was how quickly costumed people would pose the moment they saw a camera - it felt like an unwritten rule. Even if they were just walking, they’d immediately stop and strike a pose. That made it oddly difficult to capture candid, unposed shots.
But overall, the atmosphere was unforgettable. The city was buzzing with energy—chaotic, vibrant, and full of surreal scenes at every corner. There was always something happening, always something to discover.
So yes, I absolutely loved shooting during Carnevale.
What gear did you use for the project?
Last year, I bought a small Ricoh GR IIIx, which has become my constant companion. I also own an older Olympus OM-D E-M1 with a 17mm f/1.8 lens—this is the camera I usually travel with, along with a small set of lenses. In addition, I have a Nikon Z6II with a 35mm f/1.8 that I originally bought to replace the Olympus for street photography and to continue using my older Nikon lenses.
In reality, though, the Ricoh is the camera I use most often for street work. I love it for its versatility, compact size, and light weight. For the Venice workshop, I brought all three cameras. In bright sunlight or rainy conditions, I often relied on the Olympus or the Nikon - mainly because the Ricoh’s lack of a viewfinder can make it difficult to use in harsh light when the screen becomes hard to see.
In terms of the zine, about 40% of the images were shot with the Olympus. The remaining images are more or less evenly split between the Ricoh and the Nikon.
How did you design and print the zine?
I designed the zine using Affinity Publisher, which I purchased for around €75. It was my first time using the software, but I found it intuitive once I got the hang of it. For printing, I chose Mixam, which turned out to be very cost-effective. Given the price, I was genuinely surprised by the quality of the final product.
What difficulties did you encounter in doing this?
I faced two main types of challenges: technical ones, and those related to editing and sequencing.
Affinity Publisher was completely new to me, and it was also my first time laying out a photobook without using a template or tool provided by the printer. I watched a few tutorials on YouTube, and eventually found one that covered everything I needed for creating the zine. After about two hours, I felt confident enough to start. I began by creating custom layout templates for both horizontal and vertical images, using Mixam’s specs. From there, working in Affinity was pretty straightforward.
Mixam, on the other hand, was initially a bit confusing—especially around page count. I wasn’t sure if the total number of pages included the cover or not, or whether I needed to upload separate PDFs for the cover and the interior. My first upload attempt didn’t work out. Then I splitted up my zine into individual PDFs which didn’t work either. In the end, I uploaded a single PDF that included both the interior pages and the cover.
Another technical hurdle was monitor calibration. My old calibration tools no longer work with my MacBook. I was worried that my images might turn out too dark, as LCD screens tend to display them brighter than they print. I have had that issue in the past with a photobook. So, before sending the final version to print, I rechecked and brightened most of the images slightly. Not a very scientific solution, but it seems to have worked.
Editing and sequencing challenges: this was probably the hardest part for me. I had no prior experience with sequencing a visual story, and I struggled to find helpful guidance online. I ended up selecting around 100 candidate images and printing them out in a small format. I laid them all out on the floor and began pairing images that visually or emotionally reinforced each other. From there, I started experimenting with the sequence—rearranging them based mostly on intuition. It was a slow process and took about a week, but it helped me build a flow that I felt good about.
What advice would you give to others who are considering creating their first zine?
First of all: don’t overthink it - just do it! Printing a zine can be surprisingly affordable. In fact, my zine didn’t cost much more than the hardcover photobooks I’ve made from past travels.
It definitely helps to have a theme or project that ties your images together, but again - don’t let perfectionism hold you back. One thing I’ve noticed in conversations is that many people worry their photos aren’t good enough. But a zine doesn’t need to be full of “master shots.” It’s more about telling a story or capturing a mood.
A practical tip: print out small versions of a slightly larger selection of potential images. Lay them out —this really helps with the final editing and sequencing process.
Where can people buy a copy?
I printed a small run of 30 copies and still have a few left. Because I’ll be traveling, I can start shipping them from mid-June.
If you’re interested, feel free to email me at thkrebs@gmx.de or send me a direct message on Instagram my handle is @thomaskrebs. In Germany, I’m asking for €10 including shipping. For the UK, due to higher postage costs, it’s €15. For other countries, please get in touch so I can check the shipping rates.
FOOTNOTE: I still have a few places left on my Venice Carnevale workshop in February - details are here.
