Thanks Dave, that's a helpful and balanced contribution.
Even though I'm a regular contributor to B&W, I'm not privvy to the decisions made by the editor and nor should I be. The editor has to answer both to the publisher and the readership and I don't envy the position one bit. I'd guess that the truth is even more complicated.
Someone earlier commented regarding the quality of printing, I agree, it could be better, but that would simply push the price higher... As for being for beginners - we were all beginners once and we all have to start somewhere, don't we?
When I was a beginner, nearly forty years ago, I'd have been overjoyed if a magazine as "sophisticated" as B&W had existed then. In those days it was AP or Aperture and very little in between (you should have seen the print quality of AP then!) If B&W is hopelessly middle brow, then I'm glad to be middle brow.
I'm happy for anyone who feels they've outgrown B&W, but I'd also like to welcome and encourage new readers. Better still, I'd like to welcome and encourage new photographers - it's a good and life affirming thing to do.
Thanks Dave, that's a helpful and balanced contribution.
Even though I'm a regular contributor to B&W, I'm not privvy to the decisions made by the editor and nor should I be. The editor has to answer both to the publisher and the readership and I don't envy the position one bit. I'd guess that the truth is even more complicated.
Someone earlier commented regarding the quality of printing, I agree, it could be better, but that would simply push the price higher... As for being for beginners - we were all beginners once and we all have to start somewhere, don't we?
When I was a beginner, nearly forty years ago, I'd have been overjoyed if a magazine as "sophisticated" as B&W had existed then. In those days it was AP or Aperture and very little in between (you should have seen the print quality of AP then!) If B&W is hopelessly middle brow, then I'm glad to be middle brow.
I'm happy for anyone who feels they've outgrown B&W, but I'd also like to welcome and encourage new readers. Better still, I'd like to welcome and encourage new photographers - it's a good and life affirming thing to do.
Jerry
I totally agree with Jerry's post, especially the comment about the situation of the magazine editors, who are generally dammed if the do and sometimes even more dammed if they don't, just read back through this thread to see that.
Like Jerry, I wish there'd been a Black and White Photography magazine to guide me through the minefield when I started making photographs.
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"Digital circuits are made from analogue parts"
Fourtune Cookie-Brooklyn May 2006
The August issue is seriously disappointing. Every other page there's a full page ad. I took it back to the newsagent and got my money back. If I wanted a rag full of ads I'd buy AP.
You got your money back because it had too many ads? And this was after you had (at least) leafed through it? Wow, how many crap mags could I have returned in my lifetime!
The August issue is seriously disappointing. Every other page there's a full page ad. I took it back to the newsagent and got my money back. If I wanted a rag full of ads I'd buy AP.
Andy Just spotted your comment. I got caught in a lot of congestion on the M6 last night, pulled off at Knutsford Services and browsed through this months edition in WH Smith. There seemed to be so little of interest for me. The printer's art section where two printers interpret and print the same neg seems to have less "meat" in it than previously. In fact this bit has been going downhill for a while. I don't mind the ads but it seemed to be at the expense of content. I also don't mind the "dodging and burning" in photoshop either but this side of photography seems to be taking precedence.
Add all this up and then take away Les' Q&A and his and Trevor Crone's previous contributions to the printer's art and the answer is " less equals less"
Needless to say, I didn't buy it even allowing for my boredom at being stuck on the M6 and prospect of a long cup of coffee.
I have a feeling in my bones as Long John used to say in the pirate films and its not a good one for the future of B&W mag from this customer's point of view.
In its early days and even quite recently "it wasn't broke so why fix it?"
With all due respect Andy K. this is not fact at all. Out of 96 pages there are 29 full page ads.
Name any magazine or web site for that matter (look up to the top of this web page!) that doesn't survive on ads?
Most, if not all, advertisers in the magazine sell film-based photography products in some way. Worth our support I'd say? Wouldn't you?
I stopped buying the magazine a couple of months ago and I have come to the realization that magazine buying is a habit. My attitude now is that the magazine should sell itself to me. I will check it out in the shop but if it fails to convince me that there is anything worthwhile in it, my money stays in my pocket. So far I have let 3 issues stay on the shelf and I feel OK.
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