A New Analog Photography Magazine: Films and Grains

M.A.Longmore · May 16, 2011

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Welcome To APUG !
And Much Success !

Ron
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CGW · May 16, 2011

On demand printing. Get your image accepted and buy a mag to see it? Cool!

BTW, what's the ISSN?

Colin Corneau · May 16, 2011

Good for you for doing something tangible to further analog photography.

I'm not clear on what an "instant" and "non-instant" gallery is...sorry if I'm the only one missing it, but what's the difference, to a photographer submitting work or a reader purchasing the mag?

pentaxuser · May 16, 2011

thegman said:
I bought it, and I'm in the UK, the shipping is perfectly reasonable.

What does it cost and what is the shipping cost? Once you receive your first copy I think all of us APUGers in the U.K. would appreciate knowing about the content.

I may have misunderstood but it seems that it consists mainly of galleries with pictures. Not sure if this is enough to sell sufficient copies to make it a going concern.

Can you buy individual issues or are you locked into a subscription for a set period?

pentaxuser

CGW · May 16, 2011

Since the OP's been a bit reticent, I'm guessing this isn't a regularly published magazine, so don't expect it on a newsstand.It's on demand published. You're paying HP who cranks it out, while "filmsandgrains" provides the "content" to HP. No digital preview is troubling--and probably telling. Nice try but what I've seen flogged by the OP isn't convincing or well-conceived.

maliha · May 16, 2011

For those who are inquiring:

You do not need a subscription. You buy if you wish to have a copy. As for an online preview, we do not think that should be a big deal, as for many other magazines that require subscription, people do not get to see beforehand what they are paying for. We are simply hoping you would trust us, and have thus far sold based on that! =) We intend to publish four issues every year. If you visit the purchase link (which is provided in the website filmsandgrains.com) you will be able to see the cost of the magazine and the shipping varies depending on the country.

The contents: Two photo galleries. One Featured Photographer section which consists of an interview and a showcase of the photographer for that issue. Articles.

For the first issue we only had one article as we are still so new and trying our best to get the word out so that people know who we are and what we are trying to do. For our second issue (due June 10, 2011) we have two articles! (We actually received more but space was not sufficient, we are trying to limit the magazine to 60 pages).

Two galleries. Well, we have a separate instant gallery so we get more people to shoot instant photo. We are looking at it as an incentive for people to get more into instant photography. A separate section, we hope, will help people see how wonderful instant photography can be!

CGW · May 16, 2011

"As for an online preview, we do not think that should be a big deal, as for many other magazines that require subscription, people do not get to see beforehand what they are paying for. We are simply hoping you would trust us, and have thus far sold based on that! =)"

Please. This just isn't so. Unlike yours, many of those "other magazines" have been around for awhile and--surprise--do run previews of upcoming content. Funny but the New Yorker sends me a online preview of its upcoming issue--that's like once a week! Besides, because I subscribe, I get access to not only the current print version but also online-only content. You're selling what? "Surprise" content? Why the reluctance to publicize what the magazine actually contains? Until you do, it all looks spammy.

Sirius Glass · May 16, 2011

:munch: :munch: :munch: :munch: :munch:

maliha · May 16, 2011

CGW: I'm sorry if I have upset you somehow.
I believe everyone associated with this magazine is within his/her rights to choose whether they wish to share contents or not. Things may go through changes in the future, just not yet.
I hope you can respect that.
And also, since the magazine is printed on demand, you are free to choose whether you wish to spend money on it or not.

ghostcount · May 16, 2011

Looking forward to reading issue #1. As a consumer, I like having choices. If I like what I see and read I'll get more.

maliha · May 16, 2011

Thanks ghostcount. Appreciate it. We are still very new, so trying hard to get the word out! Not just to sell, but also to increase submissions! Our first issue had but just one article, and one interview apart from the photo galleries. But for the next one we have a couple of pretty good stories lines up!

CGW · May 16, 2011

maliha said:
CGW: I'm sorry if I have upset you somehow.
I believe everyone associated with this magazine is within his/her rights to choose whether they wish to share contents or not. Things may go through changes in the future, just not yet.
I hope you can respect that.
And also, since the magazine is printed on demand, you are free to choose whether you wish to spend money on it or not.

Your pitch is low and outside. Good luck selling a publication full of undisclosed "content" with no obvious editorial direction.

BTW, who holds copyright to submitted images?

And why does this smell like those great old contest scams where you have to buy the book to see your winning photo? Just asking...

pentaxuser · May 17, 2011

I was told that I could find out shipping charge to the U.K. via the site but couldn't see anything. I did find the price which is about £8.50 for 60 pages then shipping unknown on top.

As this mag has to be ordered, it will not appear on any mag stores shelves so cannot be browsed. So in reality I do have to order it unseen.

Just be aware that in the U.K and this may not matter to you as I don't think that overseas sales will matter a lot, your mag competes with one called B&W for less than half the price, albeit B&W isn't fully analogue.

I just think that things haven't been fully thought out when launching. I am not filled with an overwhelming desire to buy this mag as things stand. Not trying to be nasty but you need to know APUGers reactions - good or bad

pentaxuser

thegman · May 17, 2011

I ordered in the UK and paid about £2.something for postage, just go through the process, entering your address etc. and it seems to work.

Yes, we're buying unseen, but that is the case with any magazine subscription, you pay for 12 issues, because you've seen maybe 1. At least here we can buy one, and if we don't like it, don't buy again.

It looks to me like this guy is simply trying to do his bit for film photography and should get our encouragement, and benefit of the doubt.

Sirius Glass · May 17, 2011

So if you buy a magazine sight unseen, then you are buying a virtual magazine which you hope will develop into a physical magazine, right?

This is confusing!

Steve

thegman · May 17, 2011

As I understand it, the guy has used HP MagCloud to create a paper magazine which is printed on-demand, you order, one get's printed and send to you. It's no more virtual than buying anything on the internet, as far as I see it.

Sirius Glass · May 17, 2011

Still I would like to at least see a latent image before I use real money for a virtual or latent magazine.

Steve

maliha · May 17, 2011

Thegman: Thank you for the encouragement. Appreciate it.

Sirius: It is true that you are paying for a virtual magazine which will be printed only if you pay for it. However, HP MagCloud can be trusted, even if you cannot trust us! =) They only accept an issue to be published when true contents have been submitted. Also, I understand that it is always better to be able to browse through a magazine before you buy it. But please understand, we started up a magazine with zero capital, and we are only an issue old. We couldn't have put this magazine out if something like MagCloud wasn't there to help us get published. May be in the future we can expand, but for the time being, this is where things stand, unfortunately. As for online preview, we may do something about that for the future issues, but we have not decided on that yet.

Also, those living in Cleveland, Ohio, or nearby area, can see the magazine first hand in Aperture (an analog photo store). They don't sell it, but they carry the first issue for all to see. Also, I'm not a hundred percent sure about this, but someone told me few days ago that Photoworks in San Francisco also has a copy lying around for others to see. Not sure if this is authentic though. Either way, unless you live in these areas, you do not have the luxury to browse the magazine before purchasing. This is a huge limiting factor for us, but this is the best we can do for now.

M.A.Longmore · May 17, 2011

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A Guy Walks Into A Book Store:

Browses through a rack of " Photography " magazines.
Is disgusted that they are all about Digital Photography.
And hardly ever promote analog photography ...
Spends $12.00 for two magazines, and is still disgusted.

But, I'll just sit here and wring my hands, and fret,
that Maliha, and HP are trying to rip me off. I won't
have any positive thoughts, and great feelings about
a new analog photography magazine. I'll live in fear
of the " Unknown " and spend $11.00 for 3 cups of coffee.

Ron
.

MattKing · May 17, 2011

maliha:

You might assuage some of these concerns if you "postviewed" digitally an enticing excerpt or two from your earlier issue, and made the index of your current issue available in full for all to see.

As more issues are published, you could enrich the excerpts available for browsing.

Sirius Glass · May 17, 2011

maliha,

Part of what you are missing is that a number of us here have gotten burned the last few years by established magazines, watch good magazines like CiM die, ... We have learned to be cautious. Nothing personal.

Steve

munz6869 · May 17, 2011

I wonder if the publication model here, of farming out on-demand-printing and distribution, is a good one? Strikes me that the complexity of that has probably killed off many a good idea/magazine in the past, and might make this particular enterprise more likely to succeed - ie a whole chunk of the worst, most time-consuming, dull and fraught-with-problems parts of the concern are out-sourced! And when our magazine deliveries go awry, we can complain to an organisation with specific expertise in that sort of thing

Marc!

maliha · May 17, 2011

Sirius:

Believe me I understand the frustration. However, I do believe that everyone behind CiM, JPG, Light Leaks, and all the other similar medium out there, have/had good intentions. But we also do not have any control over the unthinkable/unpredictable. All I can tell you now, is that we are doing our best to bring a quality product to all of you which, we hope, will help the analog photography community, even if the slightest. We do it for the community, and also for ourselves, simply because we love doing it.

Any advice/constructive criticism is highly appreciated, in fact, we welcome it. But, expecting the impossible from us, or doubting our intention is pointless. Any advice you have for us, we will carefully consider it, that I can assure you.

Matt:

Great advice. We will certainly consider it. We will be making some changes to our website this summer, and have had the plan to implement something similar.

Christopher Walrath · May 17, 2011

Folks, it's not magazine delivery. It's like going to B&N and taking the book from shelf, more or less. Yes, a preview or an abbreviated pdf would be nice. Or a review of the latest issue. But this is not delivery. This is you going to an e-store and buying it. That is how CiM would have continued had it not been so time intensive for me. And, given recent events, I do not regret my decision with CiM. I'm glad I got to spend more time with Faith while I had it. Besides, one never knows what the future might hold.

lxdude · May 17, 2011

munz6869 said:
I wonder if the publication model here, of farming out on-demand-printing and distribution, is a good one? Strikes me that the complexity of that has probably killed off many a good idea/magazine in the past, and might make this particular enterprise more likely to succeed - ie a whole chunk of the worst, most time-consuming, dull and fraught-with-problems parts of the concern are out-sourced! And when our magazine deliveries go awry, we can complain to an organisation with specific expertise in that sort of thing

Marc!

Thinking of any current publication in particular?

A New Analog Photography Magazine: Films and Grains

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