Newest Issue of Black and White Photography

Jim Chinn · Jan 1, 2006

I just picked up the newest issue of Black and White Photography to hit our Borders store (December issue). It contains the reuslts of their photography contest and I was really impressed with the selections made by the judging pannel that included Ailsa McWhinnie. (editior and APUG member).

It was nice to see the international flavor of the selections and Dan Smith, (wareaglemountain) received a runner up for a platinum print.

roy · Jan 1, 2006

I liked the high key work of Tony Gardner. There is another issue of the magazine just out, by the way !

Jim Chinn · Jan 2, 2006

roy said:
I liked the high key work of Tony Gardner. There is another issue of the magazine just out, by the way !

In the States, at least in the mid-west we are always one month behind in receiving issues of Black and White Magazine from the news stand or bookstore. I don't know if that is the case with subscribing. I don't buy every issue so a subscription doesn't make financial sense for me.

Konical · Jan 2, 2006

Good Evening,

My Christmas 2005 issue (#54) arrived in the mail last week.

Konical

roteague · Jan 2, 2006

Seems like Black and White Photography is going more and more digital; I guess since the world is going that way. I looked at an issue this morning, where one more columnist has announce he was going digital. I don't think I would mind so much, but it seems a lot of people have this "all or nothing" mentality - they can't see to conceive of doing both.

I didn't buy it; I don't need one more magazine telling me how to do things in Photoshop.

Jim Chinn · Jan 2, 2006

Yes, I saw that Julien Busselle is going into digital. But I also take heart inthe fact that almost all of the selections (one digital if I remember) for the contest were film based.

I am pretty sure that there has always been 2 or three digital articles in every issue since the magazine began and some of the portfolios presented are from digital media. But they still present a mostly analog publication.

I don't have any problem with looking at great images from digital media. But if the technical articles, product reviews and editorial leanings become over 50% digital I don't see any point in paying full price for 1/2 an issue of content I am interested in.

Davec101 · Jan 2, 2006

I must admit i have been turned off by the amount of digital content in the Black and White Photography, there are plenty of other mags that fill that gap. Like others have said I know its the way its going but i dont have to like it!
I subscribe to Lenswork and i love the format and the work reproduced, although having said that digital work is starting to creep through too. I am not against digital as i use it myself for some applications, I just love reading a magazines/journal that are just analogue based as i love the whole process of it all and not the 'fast food' process of digital.

roteague · Jan 2, 2006

Jim Chinn said:
Yes, I saw that Julien Busselle is going into digital. But I also take heart inthe fact that almost all of the selections (one digital if I remember) for the contest were film based.

I think I was more bothered the inference, intended or not, that he had "finally seen the light" and that the rest of us who shoot film are still living in the stone ages. I could really care less that he is going digital, but I don't appreciate the inference.

FrankB · Jan 2, 2006

Yes, I've noticed the slowly increasing digital content too. Great if you like that sort of thing, but I'm with Jim on this; every non-analogue page is personally just a waste of my subs.

There's still much better analogue (and particularly darkroom) coverage than in anything else I've seen so far, and most of it is still a damn good read, but I'm truly sorry to say that the balance is definitely shifting and it's taking me less and less time to reach the back cover.

I'm currently at the point of deciding whether to renew my subscription. Normally it's a no-brainer; "Yes, put me down for another two years, please!"

At the moment though, I'm still thinking about it...

(Sorry Ailsa!)

Fintan · Jan 2, 2006

Jim Chinn said:
Yes, I saw that Julien Busselle is going into digital. .

The expression from Hero to Zero comes to mind. I was a huge fan of his articles. I always thumb though each issue in the shop and see if he or Les has an article on printing.

I loved the fact that he used a square format hasselblad. Which he has actually now sold to raise the money for his canon digital. Thats a leap of faith into the digital sea!

I was disapointed that B+W Photography published this most mediocre article and poorest photographs that have ever appeared in the magazine. The toning on one of them is unbelievably poor.

Hero to Zero in my mind anyway.

Fintan · Jan 2, 2006

FrankB said:
I'm truly sorry to say that the balance is definitely shifting and it's taking me less and less time to reach the back cover.

I dont really think the balance is shifting to digital to a considerable degree. Sure some issues have little bit more and others less. On the whole I think its more or less the same.

I enjoy some of the digital articles, I must confess. Sometimes I laugh at them in a fiendishly condescending way

And if B+W Photography needs digital photographers to survive then I'm all for it. Anyway I really enjoyed the christmas issue.

I think Ailsa's job to walk the tightrope on this digital v analog content balance is not one I envy. But she does this well IMHO.....

Dave Miller · Jan 2, 2006

Issue 55 contains 3 pages on digital. Two reviewing an overpriced Sigma lens, and one full page advert for a Digital Megazoom ditto, which surely has phalic overtones; or should that be undertones? Anyway 3 out of 96, whilst 3 too many, is not exactly digital overload.

FrankB · Jan 2, 2006

You're quite right, Dave. It hadn't actually occurred to me to do something as quick and easy as a page count!

Given that it was both quick and easy and that I had a couple of back issues lying around, I repeated the shuffle for issues 53 and 54 and came up with six pages each (not including ads, images, news articles, etc.). Again not a huge total, but I do still think the general trend is upwards (and if anyone happens to have a spare "life" hanging around, yes I could definitely use one!).

Fintan - I agree, Ailsa's job is very difficult and I think she's doing it brilliantly in the face of every other magazine on the rack which have rushed towards digital so fast that they're now virtually interchangeable (with each other or the contents of the computer magazine section!). I do admire her (although I don't envy her in the slightest!).

One thought from all of this does occur - with so many people evangelically carping on about why they've gone digital, maybe there's a place for a series of articles from people explaining why they haven't.

Now that I'd read!

Dave Miller · Jan 2, 2006

FrankB said:
One thought from all of this does occur - with so many people evangelically carping on about why they've gone digital, maybe there's a place for a series of articles from people explaining why they haven't.

Now that I'd read!

Get writing Frank I'm looking forward to reading it.

Fintan · Jan 2, 2006

FrankB said:
One thought from all of this does occur - with so many people evangelically carping on about why they've gone digital, maybe there's a place for a series of articles from people explaining why they haven't.

Now that I'd read!

These articles "why I use digital" and "this film guru goes digital" drive me nuts, but so would "why I use film" articles.

I wish all the magazines would quit these articles, we all know what the difference is and why we chose the medium that we have done.

Dave Miller · Jan 2, 2006

Fintan said:
These articles "why I use digital" and "this film guru goes digital" drive me nuts, but so would "why I use film" articles.

I wish all the magazines would quit these articles, we all know what the difference is and why we chose the medium that we have done.

You, and I know the difference Fintan, as do most of the others on this forum, but new comers to the hobby may not. Maybe they need a little information to help them on their way? It's just possible that they have no idea that film is still in use!

Gay Larson · Jan 2, 2006

I gave up my subscription because of the digital content in the articles but I buy the occassional issue depending on the content. I need to go look a the newest one.

roteague · Jan 2, 2006

FrankB said:
One thought from all of this does occur - with so many people evangelically carping on about why they've gone digital, maybe there's a place for a series of articles from people explaining why they haven't.

That is the reason I was so turned off by this issue; I usually buy every new issue I see, but I left this one on the shelf. The front cover made a big deal out of Julien Busselle going digital, it wasn't limited to his column. Now, perhaps the editor can put together an article of why people stay with film as a balance.

FrankB · Jan 3, 2006

Fintan - I agree, there are far better ways of filling pages. With photographs for a start!

But all the magazines' (not just (or even especially!) B&WP UK) almost only ever present the one side - that of "why I tried digital and immediately mortgaged my granny to buy a turbocharged V8 whizz-bang liquid nitrogen-cooled super-CCD piece of plasticrap that'll be obsolescent in 10 months, obsolete in two years and broken in under three!"

(Yes, I'm biased. Sue me. The thought of someone like Mr Busselle selling his reliable timeless 'blad for an ephemeral digicam (however wonderful it may be) provokes me. (His money, his privilege, my unreasonable reaction! ))

It is very rare to see an article going the other way (although not quite unheard of - ISTR David Noton and Joe Cornish both doing them). You and I may have formed our opinions, but a lot of people are still forming theirs.

Dave Miller said:
Get writing Frank I'm looking forward to reading it.

Don't tempt me! I just might.

(I was actually sort of expecting that response! The number of times in meetings where the pillock (frequently me!) who says, "Wouldn't it be a good idea if..." is greeted with, "Nice one. When can you have it ready by?"! )

mfobrien · Jan 3, 2006

I like both B&W Photography magazine and Lenswork. I care less now how an image was made, just the fact that they are pushing photographjy and technique, not shilling about the latest gadgets and cameras. I dropped my Outdoor Photography subscription for that reason. It seems like every issue differs only slightly. I'll probably let PopPhoto lapse at some point, and stick with Lenswork. I don';t need more equipment... I just want to be inspired.

Tom Stanworth · Jan 4, 2006

Perhaps JB went digital for the same reasons many pros/semi-pro´s have? Money. To be able to get an income one has to submit relevant articles and write books on "Digital Fine Printing" or whatever. There is a lot about the decision to go digital that for such people is not based on artistic or philosophical merit, but simply their livelihood. I may be wrong, but was under the impression that Les went digital for much the reasons I have mentioned and was open that with the changing popular tide, if he was to stay afloat he would have to do digital workshops etc and naturally use such kit. It just would not do to say, "I have gone digital so that I can teach workshops and write books on it, but otherwise think it is cr@p." Of course he has to suffer a revelation and join the flock of the converted. I still earn my cash elsewhere thankfully but earn a few quid here from photography and so have no pressures to push me towards "seeing the light". I feel it is important for a buyer of a print to know that it ´actually was´ because in part that is what my own work is about. It is also important for my own satisfaction and in some respects the limitations of film are a blessing. It is very hard to impart such a philosophy in a magazine thru its contributers and I doubt that the majority of readers give a stuff if they can produce eye popping fabricated pseudo reality in PS that wow people. I am finding that more and more magazines are taking minutes to read and I am spending more time on apug with fine company!

Tom

jovo · Jan 4, 2006

Tom Stanworth said:
I may be wrong, but was under the impression that Les went digital for much the reasons I have mentioned and was open that with the changing popular tide, if he was to stay afloat he would have to do digital workshops etc and naturally use such kit. It just would not do to say, "I have gone digital so that I can teach workshops and write books on it, but otherwise think it is cr@p." Of course he has to suffer a revelation and join the flock of the converted.

Les is more than willing and able to explain himself, of course, but as I recall, he made it quite clear that digital was a technology he found very liberating and found himself enjoying making photographs for the first time in a long time with the use of it. I never got the impression of even a trace of cynicism.

Bob F. · Jan 4, 2006

mfobrien said:
I like both B&W Photography magazine and Lenswork. I care less now how an image was made, just the fact that they are pushing photographjy and technique, not shilling about the latest gadgets and cameras. I dropped my Outdoor Photography subscription for that reason. It seems like every issue differs only slightly. I'll probably let PopPhoto lapse at some point, and stick with Lenswork. I don';t need more equipment... I just want to be inspired.

Ditto Outdoor Photography (UK). I didn't have a subscription but used to buy it most months. I have not bought a copy for well over a year now; same old, same old + Photoshop tips and tricks.... Yawn....

What is actually starting to annoy me about Ailsa's magazine is not the occasional digital bit, but that there seems to be more equipment reviews. If I want such stuff, I can buy any one of the dozen or so "photo" magazines on the shelves that are busting their staples with the stuff. If it must have reviews, make them relevant to B&W shooting, not generic lens or camera reviews.

In any case, none of the aberrant content stops it from being the only magazine I automatically buy every month without even bothering to look inside it first!

Cheers, Bob.

Schlapp · Jan 4, 2006

I love B&W mag and get really excited about it arriving in the post every month. I love the photos, and stuff about developing / printing and the like. Digital bores me too however, it is B&W mag not a pure film mag. Whatever, it is the best mag available in the UK at the moment i think. Keep up the good work Ailsa

roteague · Jan 4, 2006

Bob F. said:
Ditto Outdoor Photography (UK).

FYI: Joe Cornish has just started writing a bi-monthly column for Outdoor Photography; and Joe is decidedly film biased.

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