So true!-I do think a lot of people go digital because of all the 'film is dead' blether that gets peddled all the time (an impression unfortunately given by the silver to digi piece in this month's mag).They think that there's no other way when there is (praise Ilford,brothers and sisters ). I'd also like to see film and paper listings in the mag.
This is absolutely true - it is like a snowball effect, and not all that dissimilar from the run on the Northern Rock last week.
I bought the most recent issue and I really feal that it is veering dangerously close to competing with the more mainstream magazines - rather like Jessops has positioned itself in the middle of the market dominated by the likes of Dixons.
One of the keys to success is a unique selling point, and I don't think the fact it is a mono-only magazine is quite enough, unless there is a stronger emphasis on traditional monochrome photography. Why? traditional monochrome photography can never be anything else, ie. can never be made colour - once the moment is caught it is frozen in shades of grey for ever. You aren't doing anything other than shooting a mono image. That is one of the attractions of it.
I can also see that it has to appeal to a decent sized market, and the editor can not ignore the potential readership using digital. My suggestion would therefore be to:
1. Not run down traditional techniques (or digitial techniques for that matter) as in the current issue about the Australian photographer.
2. Have dedicated articles one way or the other, although I do quite like the digital / traditional printing comparison in the printers Art. I am sure that there are plenty of digital photographers who may well enjoy reading about a traditional monochrome paper or article about darkrooms etc etc - and I am also sure that there are many traditional photographers who would read articles about the digital monochrome world - I don't think that printing an article about one or the other is necessarily excluding readership - infact it is probably enhancing it.
3. And, actually, as a general point, I really think some of the articles could be filled out a little.
3. And, actually, as a general point, I really think some of the articles could be filled out a little.
Matt
I very much agree with this point. The lack of depth in articles was a major reason for me not to continue my subscription earlier this year. As well as appealing to the new darkroom or black and white photography user, the magazine needs to challenge existing users in terms of art and process.
Another subject that various people in this thread have brought up is reviews. Good in-depth reviews of products not given much attention elsewhere (or where the magazine can offer something unique to say with regard to B&W) would be welcome, but not the general "buy this and make your photography better" propaganda.
On a personal note, I'm also rather weary of the "tips n' tricks" attitude of the magazine as I perceive it.
..... The lack of depth in articles was a major reason for me not to continue my subscription earlier this year. .....
Another subject that various people in this thread have brought up is reviews. Good in-depth reviews of products not given much attention elsewhere (or where the magazine can offer something unique to say with regard to B&W) would be welcome, but not the general "buy this and make your photography better" propaganda.
A magazine like Stereophile publishes in depth reviews that can be so brutally honest that there's a manufacturer's response section in the back of each issue (or at least there used to be....I don't get it anymore) where they can either thank the reviewer for his generosity, or complain bitterly if need be. So I tend to trust the review to be as honest as one can reasonably expect given that even an objective critic has some degree of bias. But the gloss that often passes for a review that never raises any dust isn't worth the bother to read.
I think the sophistication of many readers has risen over the years to the degree that flacking for the industry doesn't go unnoticed or unrealized anymore.
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It would be good to see long term tests of particular films/papers/devs etc (a couple of my MTB mags do something similar), because it takes time and effort to really get the best from something new-maybe have a reader test panel, so everybody could have a load of Adox 100/Fomabrom or whatever and then really give it a blast over several weeks/months with updates every so often in the mag or even on the website. Soething else I'd like to see is more book reviews-and features on classic/essential photography books-eg Beauty In Photography by Robert Adams (a must read IMO).
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Just five days ago a renewed my subscription for another two years and a day later I got the October issue. Literally, I almost bite my b***s when I saw digital here, digital there. I really feel a bit more comfortable after David's commitment (by the way, welcome here, David).
I don't know how many of you read Spanish, but I recommend you to have a look here
I thought I'd add my own 2p worth into a very interesting thread.
Firstly, equipment reviews, are, by and large, really boring to read. Sometimes worth a glance over, but definately never worth 2 or 3 pages.
Where B&W magazine could really differentiate itslef from others, would be to concentrate on the image, and a discussion on what the photographer was tring to achieve in the image. A few comments at the end about kit, whether digital or analogue, and I'll make my decisions about what media (A vs D) I'd like to use, based on the results. The internet is full of reviews, and there are hundreds of mags dedicated to telling me what gizmo I can't live without. Why not say on the cover 'Not one page of boring reviews'.
I used to buy the magazine, but this month I just choose not to , month after month I had the feeling that all the articles were shifting towards digital, there was nothing to learn from it!All the photography magazine are shifting towards digital,whats going on?When you read the 60% of professional photographer in the UK still use film, they might have missed something there.
). I'd also like to see film and paper listings in the mag.
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