-
1 Attachment(s)
View Camera has ceased publication
Haven't seen anything posted here on this item.
I've been attempting to find out what happened to my subscription (renewed last Fall). Finally got an e-mail today from Steve Simmons with the attached undated letter announcingAttachment 154078 that he has ceased publication.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
I met and spent a short time with Steve. I am sad to see the magazine fold more because it was a labor of love for him than for any other reason. I certainly wish him well and am sorry that I am now too old to travel to one of his wonderful workshops. If you haven't been to one,and get the chance, do yourself a favor and go.
Good luck Steve,
Jim Noel
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
One of the big problems that I had when I made the advertising budget for HP Marketing was seeing where we got the most bang for our bucks. We spent 5% of our sales on advertising and that included the preparation of the ad as well as the placement of the ad. But we had to determine where the ads were the most effective, over the years we tried different methods; we would include a special offer coupon, or we would offer some kind of other incentive and we monitored end users as to where they saw an ad, or read about the product. As a small company in the photo industry we had to place our ads where they did the most for us but magazines have frequency rates. Those rates dictated how often we would advertise as we wanted the most possible exposures to both buyers and subscribers but also to the magazines that had the most pass through to additional readers.
While we were an early supporter of Steve we eventually had to stop advertising there because there just wasn't a high enough readership for the cost per ad and problems with his publication dates. We were also one of the few that exhibited at some of his workshops. But I hate to see another good magazine go.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Quote:
Originally Posted by
brad martin
Bummer.
+1 really sorry to hear that!
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Quote:
While we were an early supporter of Steve we eventually had to stop advertising there because there just wasn't a high enough readership for the cost per ad and problems with his publication dates. We were also one of the few that exhibited at some of his workshops. But I hate to see another good magazine go.
Did you count second, third and later readership per copy?
.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
All my fault!
I didn't renew yet and the notice is hanging on my monitor right in front of me. Now it's in my hand...
Times are tight, I have had to cut some expenses back.
I did buy a lot of back issues from members here and the old issues are very informative. I have a foot of them also at hand.
The last few new issues I got this year were vastly improved over a couple years ago.
Good luck to all paper printing and that includes our silver gelatin paper...:(
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Jac, second, third, and later readers of magazines are the very definition of 'intangible' for both advertisers and publishers. In English that translates as 'no money coming in from those people who may or may not exist'. And that's how magazines go under.
I was a subscriber to VC magazine from 1989-2011; had i not lost my job I'd have subscribed to the bitter end. Despite my frustrations with the way it was published. VC showed me many new things; I learned a great deal from reading it, and I will miss it now that it's gone. I have kept all the back issues, unlike almost any other journal to which I have subscribed, and am not tossing them now.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Randy Moe
[...]The last few new issues I got this year were vastly improved over a couple years ago.
I gave up when they misspelled Linhof and Deardorff in the same issue, and shortly after that Steve accused me of theft because I had recommended his magazine to our university library, which, of course, allowed multiple readers of one physical issue (and the ads, Mark Sampson). I canceled it.
.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
I wanted to subscribe several years ago but only wanted a digital subscription.
They already produced a digital version but would not let me subscribe to it because I lived in the US.
I'm not surprised they went under. They would not take money for something they already produced. That's not a good business practice.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
As a long-time suscriber, I'm sorry to hear this. As many of you know, Steve volunteered to act as a conduit to those of us who have had troubles with Barry Cochran, which only ceased when Cochran quit communicating with him. I can only imagine how difficult it was to try to maintain publishing in this day and age. He took a substantial hit when Cochran quit advertising with him, for example.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
That's quite sad. It leaves 'Lenswork' as the last printed publication I'm subscribed to... 28 years isn't too bad though!
Marc!
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
I was going to bring this up in a separate post, but while I was in Edmonton, AB, I found a quarterly magazine from UK called "Hotshoe." It was mostly devoted to Don McCullin, one of my favorite film photographers. I'm thinking of subscribing to it--I'm impressed with this issue. Anyone know much about Hotshoe? And yes, sorry to see VC go. Steve is a great guy.
Kent in SD
-
View Camera magazine ceasing publication
Just saw this on APUG and looked here: http://www.viewcamera.com
Personally I'm very sorry to see this.
David
-
Re: View Camera magazine ceasing publication
Going to miss the magazine, always enjoyed it.
Roger
-
Re: View Camera magazine ceasing publication
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
I'm really sorry to hear this. I'm a subscriber and I loved the magazine.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Sad news. I'm not (wasn't) a subscriber. Instead, I picked up my copies off the magazine stand at one of the few Barnes and Nobles still operating. I've been stopping by looking for the latest issue and there has been no View Camera for a couple of months now. I was getting worried, and my fears have been verified. Won't be going to B&N as much anymore.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Hello from France!
I was one of the happy European subscribers to "View Camera".
The last years, it was distributed here through a French retailer selling LF equipment. The guy retired, and I did not renew my subscription.
I was not interested by the digital version, I like to have a real paper magazine in hands: I already spend too much time in front of a computer ;)
Admittedly, there is a problem with transatlantic postage costs, I do not remember the premium I had to pay to receive "View Camera" in France but certainly it was about 50% or the US price.
The problem of vanishing advertising budgets is a common problem to newspapers and magazines in France, I guess it is the same in the US. So it is not a surprise, unfortunately, to see this problem of decreasing advertising support as one of the reasons for the end of a specialized paper magazine.
I also was a subscriber to "Lens Work" for a while, but did not renew my subscription, because the magazine is (IMHO) aimed at showing portfolios and targets people who wish to sell their work, which I am not interested in.
Regarding information relative to LF photography, I get my information from this forum and from the French web site http://www.galerie-photo.com and its companion forum http://www.galerie-photo.info/forumgp/ which is not dedicated only to LF but also deals with medium format film photography and full-frame (24x36 mm) digital photography.
The fact that our French forum is not restricted to LF has so far ensured that the forum has many visitors and contributors, unlike the Brirish LF forum, stricly restricted to film photography with a minimum film surface of 10x10 square centimeters.
And regarding paper magazines, after I stopped my subscription to "View camera", I subscribed to the German paper magazine "Schwarzweiss" dealing with B&W photography, film and digital.
http://www.tecklenborg-verlag.de/ind...warzweiss.html
Many examples of images published and discussed in "Schwarzweiss" are film images, and on a regular basis some of them are taken with a LF camera. "Schwarzweiss" is a relatively expensive magazine, 13.5 euro per issue, 6 issues per year, but the printing quality is superb, and there is very little advertising except 3 cover pages. You pay for what you read, exactly the opposite to "Shutterbug" where 75% of the magazine was a only advertising ;-)
The problem of postage costs to send this European magazine over the Atlantic does not seem as critical as for "View camera"; the yearly subscription to "Schwarzweiss" is 78 euros (not cheap) and postage costs to "worldwide" is only 4 euros.
Regarding film photography there is another German magazine, created in 2012, named "PhotoKlassik" dealing only with film cameras and images. Including LF of course but not only. 4 issues per year, 9.8 euro each, very little advertising inside, except cover pages.
https://www.photoklassik.de/
But those nice magazines are written in German ;)
-
Re: View Camera magazine ceasing publication
Quote:
Originally Posted by
stawastawa
Yes. I woke up in the middle of the night and realized I should have checked "Resources" before posting this here.
David
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jac@stafford.net
Did you count second, third and later readership per copy?
.
I answered that.
-
Re: View Camera magazine ceasing publication
I'm saddened to read this. I happened across an issue of View Camera at a Barnes & Noble 19 or so years ago, and it re-kindled an interest I had when I was a kid when Ansel Adams had Best's Studio at the "old" Village in Yosemite Valley. That led to a copy of Steve Simmons Using The View Camera and a $20 Speed Graphic with a stripped tripod hole and leaky bellows. With LF gear going for pennies on the dollar because everyone was migrating to digital photography, I quickly found myself with an 8x10 'dorff, a 14" Commercial Ektar, a stack of wooden film holders, quite a few boxes of Arista (re-badged Ilford) from Freestyle, and eventually right here, on QT's forum where I learned from many of you outstanding (and very patient) folks.
So yes, I'll miss View Camera Magazine.
-
Re: View Camera magazine ceasing publication
That's a shame. So what happens to those who've already paid for their subscription?
Not to beat a dead horse, but to be honest, I subscribed and have only had 3 issues delivered so far, but I was actually really disappointed in the content and layout. I'm not surprised based on my limited view of the content, that the magazine struggled to survive. The imagery was inconsistent, some very poor and amateur, and some ok, but nothing really blew my hair back. The typeset and layout and content as a whole was very poor and reminiscent of a magazine from the 50+ years ago, not current. which I can see as a huge turn off for gaining newer younger subscribers IMO. I'm sure years ago it was much better.
I had thought about submitting some of my work to the magazine but wanted to see a few more to gauge whether the few I had seen were just a fluke. The last one I saw was a little better. I hope maybe there will be one more hard copy before it's truly over. I do know that newer e-zines are competing and having new and more modern content is part of their success, perhaps view camera can take what they have and market their online magazine to a different market and get the subscribership up?
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
I posted this in the other thread but...
That's a shame. So what happens to those who've already paid for their subscription?
Not to beat a dead horse, but to be honest, I subscribed and have only had 3 issues delivered so far, but I was actually really disappointed in the content and layout. I'm not surprised based on my limited view of the content, that the magazine struggled to survive. The imagery was inconsistent, some very poor and amateur, and some ok, but nothing really blew my hair back. The typeset and layout and content as a whole was very poor and reminiscent of a magazine from the 50+ years ago, not current. which I can see as a huge turn off for gaining newer younger subscribers IMO. I'm sure years ago it was much better.
I had thought about submitting some of my work to the magazine but wanted to see a few more to gauge whether the few I had seen were just a fluke. The last one I saw was a little better. I hope maybe there will be one more hard copy before it's truly over. I do know that newer e-zines are competing and having new and more modern content is part of their success, perhaps view camera can take what they have and market their online magazine to a different market and get the subscribership up?
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Consider a moment of respect for Steve, and all that Steve has done through his View Camera Magazine to promulgate understanding and appreciation of large format photography.
For those of use who value being able to see over the shoulders of those who "paid their dues" and opened visual paths for all of us to explore on our own terms: The loss of View Camera Magazine is really an endpoint to the artistic legacy that started with Stieglitz and continued through Edward Weston , and latter on latter through Sarkowski/Newhall and even Fred Picker. Steve, along with those whose writings and images have nurtured our passion for large format photograph, deserve our everlasting respect and appreciation. More than publishing a magazine, Steve identified and engendered a sense of a learned community that transcends the superficial nature of the world in which we live.
Thank You Steve, you have distinguished yourself with View Camera Magazine and shown that you are among the "Greats" in the history of large format photography.
Flauvius,
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Flauvius
Consider a moment of respect for Steve, and all that Steve has done through his View Camera Magazine to promulgate understanding and appreciation of large format photography.
Indeed, true. I always recommend Steve's Using the View Camera and his online article Getting Started to new persons.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Flauvius
Consider a moment of respect for Steve, and all that Steve has done through his View Camera Magazine to promulgate understanding and appreciation of large format photography.
Flauvius,
Indeed, Steve deserves a medal for his publishing activity. I say it even if I stopped buying his magazine after about 7 years of subscription, bored with the content and more.
On the other hand the end of the magazine is only logical considering the time we live in. It was perhaps inevitable and Steve deserves the medal for perseverance.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
When I lived in Japan, in the pre-internet days, VC was my only connection with LF photography and photographers. I learnt a lot from its pages. I was a subscriber from the 90's until now. Sad. I hope Steve considers producing e-zine, similar to Looking Glass.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Sad, but understandable. For almost three decades I have enjoyed the magazine, and learned a bit in the process.
Thank you Steve for your support and contributions to our niche over the years. I hope you are well, and find more time to devote to your own photography!
Best,
Merg
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Yes, I owe Steve a great deal for the knowledge he's shared through his magazines and books.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Yes, indeed. Now, if only someone could publish a cumulative index of all of those articles from View Camera so we might locate articles of eternal value. . . .
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Sorry to read that View Camera has ceased publication, but it had a long run and there is a lot of interesting information in the many articles published over the years. Hopefully all of that can be digitized by Steve, and perhaps offered on disk. I subscribed to View Camera for nearly all of it existence but in the interest of space sold my collection several years go.
My thanks to Steve for giving me the opportunity to publish some of my writings and work in the magazine. Especially the article on two-bath development because the work I did for that article significantly enriched my own understanding of some of the parameters of film development.
Sandy
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
For those of us coming (back) to large format late to the game, here's hoping that the articles can be digitized so valuable information and experience isn't lost.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
sounds like a kick starter...
anyone want to volunteer their collection?
I'd probably have fun with such a project.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jim Jones
Yes, indeed. Now, if only someone could publish a cumulative index of all of those articles from View Camera so we might locate articles of eternal value. . . .
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
sorry to read the magazine is stopping.
stone: you missed the magazine's heyday when
ted harris was working there, it was a top shelf
publication, no errors just a thing of beauty .. but he
passed away a handful of years ago. he
not only was the person that really made VC published as
a magazine with few problems, but as a great person,
a moderator ( here ) and .. a great person.
ted, you are sorely missed RIP
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
I have cut my subscriptions wayy back, but this is one that I held onto. I truly enjoyed the magazine, even with some of the quirks that occurred. There was certainly some valuable information being passed along in that magazine.
I guess I'll just have to start collecting back issues now.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
As a subscriber since the first edition, I am sad to see View Camera go. At the same time, we in this forum should recognize that the LFPF is now the only large-format dedicated information and inspiration source remaining. My collection of View Camera copies now sits next to my collection of Fred Picker's Zone VI newsletters, sort of the death of print large format info. Sadly, the king is dead, but long live the new (internet based LFPF) king!
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Definitely was one of the few must see magazines at B/N. I will miss it.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fr. Mark
Definitely was one of the few must see magazines at B/N. I will miss it.
If all that was done was that people looked at in in B/N then that, in itself, goes a long way to contributing to the demise of the magazine and the store. B/N was a business, just like the magazine, and they needed sales, not just lookers.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Peter Lewin
As a subscriber since the first edition, I am sad to see View Camera go. At the same time, we in this forum should recognize that the LFPF is now the only large-format dedicated information and inspiration source remaining. My collection of View Camera copies now sits next to my collection of Fred Picker's Zone VI newsletters, sort of the death of print large format info. Sadly, the king is dead, but long live the new (internet based LFPF) king!
I've saved all my issues of View Camera as well---on the book case, right behind me as I type this.
What is going to be missed---what I'm going to miss anyway---are the fine portfolios as well as the vintage equipment reviews. These were inspirations for many of us hobbyists and were regular features in View Camera's heyday.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
A couple of years ago I reluctantly sent many years worth of View Camera and Camera Arts to the recycle center... Only to find that the had resale value and now would soar in value. My bad.
This is sad. The end of an era for sure. Simmons was an inspiration and a frustration at times, but I'm really appreciative for all he did.
Film is one step closer to being dead now.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
I might add as a side note, a few people I know had told me that they stopped subscribing to View Camera several years ago, yet were still recieving copies, I wonder how many unpaid subscriptions lingered that might have hurt the magazine's bottom line. Individually that's bad on them, but collectively that's bad on Steve or whomever controlled that list.
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Quote:
Originally Posted by
StoneNYC
I might add as a side note, a few people I know had told me that they stopped subscribing to View Camera several years ago, yet were still recieving copies, I wonder how many unpaid subscriptions lingered that might have hurt the magazine's bottom line. Individually that's bad on them, but collectively that's bad on Steve or whomever controlled that list.
Probably in the "chump change" category when compare to loss of advertiser revenue and the need to turn a profit to fund a halfway decent lifestyle. Everything costs so much more these days and it's really difficult to run a successful small business... As I know you know!
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Quote:
Originally Posted by
sanking
Sorry to read that View Camera has ceased publication, but it had a long run and there is a lot of interesting information in the many articles published over the years. Hopefully all of that can be digitized by Steve, and perhaps offered on disk. I subscribed to View Camera for nearly all of it existence but in the interest of space sold my collection several years go.
My thanks to Steve for giving me the opportunity to publish some of my writings and work in the magazine. Especially the article on two-bath development because the work I did for that article significantly enriched my own understanding of some of the parameters of film development.
Sandy
I have to reinforce this sentiment that Sandy has expressed. I enjoyed the magazine and appreciated the opportunity to get some images and writing published in it with some of my friends in the past (the late Ted Harris, Clay Harmon, and others).
The magazine did run for a long time, and there is a lot of solid information in the issues that will not change with time, so the excellent resource that he produced will be there to help out the LF community for many years to come.
Also, Steve isn't getting any younger, and it must have been a terrible amount of work to produce an issue, so I'm sure that this has had to weigh in the decision as well.
I hope it gives Steve more time to spend with his horses out on the range somewhere.
---Michael
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
I'll miss it too, though I can take some solace in having piles of back issues to go through. On the bright side, perhaps VC's demise will open up a small void allowing Looking Glass or some other e-journal to go hard-copy...
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
I will miss VC greatly, both Steve and the magazine were important parts of my photographic life and Steve has been a good friend. He is off to work on other interests (such as his love for horses and riding) and he will continue to teach some workshops which is great. Love it or hate it, VC was an important part of photography in this country for many years and hopefully those of us who have a stockpile of the magazine will share them. It would be neat to have all issues available on a CD or as a download to be purchased, it would be sad to have that history lost.
I have been out of photography for much of the year, sort of lost my drive for a while due to work and family. However, picked up an old issue of View Camera I had and it motivated me to get back out there! Sad to see it go.
Good luck Steve and thank you for the wonderful contribution to photographic art in the United States (and abroad!).
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eric Biggerstaff
I will miss VC greatly, both Steve and the magazine were important parts of my photographic life and Steve has been a good friend. He is off to work on other interests (such as his love for horses and riding) and he will continue to teach some workshops which is great. Love it or hate it, VC was an important part of photography in this country for many years and hopefully those of us who have a stockpile of the magazine will share them. It would be neat to have all issues available on a CD or as a download to be purchased, it would be sad to have that history lost.
I have been out of photography for much of the year, sort of lost my drive for a while due to work and family. However, picked up an old issue of View Camera I had and it motivated me to get back out there! Sad to see it go.
Good luck Steve and thank you for the wonderful contribution to photographic art in the United States (and abroad!).
I hope Steve stays on the horse!
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
So slightly off topic, I hear so many posts about Steve and his great workshops, does anyone have a link about them? I'm fairly new to the community and googling "Steve's Workshops" turns up a whole lot of unrelated junk. I'm intrigued :)
-
Re: View Camera has ceased publication
Quote:
Originally Posted by
FredrickSummers
So slightly off topic, I hear so many posts about Steve and his great workshops, does anyone have a link about them? I'm fairly new to the community and googling "Steve's Workshops" turns up a whole lot of unrelated junk. I'm intrigued :)
http://www.viewcamera.com/workshops.html