Nice issue of BW magazine

[Duane Polcou]

I must confess I sometimes spend more time reading photography magazines and collecting books than I do taking pictures for myself (Okay, okay, I even spent a nanosecond of my life as a book reviewer for Photovision magazine). The downside is that I feel there is often so much published repetition to wade through to find something fresh and interesting that my eyes glaze over. Other than VC magazine (View Camera, not Viet Cong) the choices are scarce. The upside though, is that sometimes you truly find a gem in the gravel pit.

The February 2006 issue of BW magazine is a must read if your are into LF, especially B/W. Portfolios
by Ryuijie Douglas (BW 4x5 photographer on the Monterey Peninsula who did a splendid self titled book entitle Ryuijie: Photographs - just a gem of a book like Kirk Gitting's Chaco Body ) and Huntington Witherill (who used 4x5, I believe, for his book "Orchestrating Icons" but who now uses digital . A couple of his LF prints are nicely reproduced here, though) .

Plus - an article about the Center for Creative Photography in Tucson, Arizona. If you do not know about this place you should make a pilgrimage there (on my to do list) just because someone like John Schaeffer had the balls to create an environment promoting photography as an artform. If that isn't enough (I sound like Ron Popeil) articles and portfolios on Adams, Weston, Strand, Louis Wolfe , et al, and John Sexton talking about the demise of silver gelatin papers. Nicely done, Mr. Rasmussen.

[Bill_1856]

After purchasing the first few issues of BW, I began buying them automatically off the shelf (at B&N) without even thumbing through until I got home. But a couple of years ago, their editorial direction (or perhaps it was their selection of images) changed, and, while I still browse each issue hopefully, I think that I've only bought one copy recently.

I look forward to checking out this month's offerings. Hope springs eternal.

[David Luttmann]

Thanks for the FYI Duane. This one sounds good.

[tim atherton]

I'll have to give it another try - generally I find B&W Mag a pretty big yawn fest and had stopped flicking through it on the newsstands

[paulr]

I might have it mixed up with another mag ... did they publish a never-seen-before interview with Cartier Bresson a few months ago?

I read it at the newsstand and it was remarkable. The only honest, straightforward, intelligent opinions I'd ever seen him voice. really illuminating. Of course, he suppressed its publication, so they had to wait til he died.

[Chris S]

It sounds like its also a must read if your into digital slr's.Andy Ilachinski has some Canon 20d photos in there and Huntington Witherill is also now using the Canon 20d and 5d, all his shots in the latest Lens Work are digital I believe.I've always read this magazine to get inspired over classic film photography, I hope it doesnt turn too digital like Lens Work.

[tim atherton]

"I've always read this magazine to get inspired over classic film photography, I hope it doesnt turn too digital like Lens Work."

I couldn't find the post, but I thought it was on here that Brooks Jensen responded to the criticism of "too much digital" in lenswork. When you added it up over the last several issues, it was somethign like 20% I think - not exactly "too digital"

[David Luttmann]

"I've always read this magazine to get inspired over classic film photography, I hope it doesnt turn too digital like Lens Work."

Chris,

I read the magazine to be inspired by the photography.....not to worry about the source of capture......which personally I find a bit shallow. If that is why you read magazines like Lens Work, I think you misunderstand their intentions. I could care less whether the whole issue for the month was digital or 4x5 or MF....I'm there for the images.