Agenda

Ag 52 in the shops now

The shiny new issue of Ag magazine, Summer 2008, is in the shops now. The cover story celebrates Paul Hill's contribution to British photography over more than 30 years; Gerry Badger brings a stark large-format portfolio from Berlin and Rick Barks captures his local moors and dales in beautifully toned Black and white. Bill Jay recalls the days after Creative Camera and the launch of Album magazine, and David Lee asks why curators of major exhibitions constantly drag out the same old stuff. Tim Daly talks us through non-destructive editing techniques, while Eddie Ephraums describes the challenges of photobook making. Plus: we have seven new folios in the Scene Around section - and our regular selection of the latest books. Click here for further details.

More Ag downloads now at Lulu.com

We have added to the library of pdf downloads available at Lulu.com, which include whole issue of Ag magazine, as well as books, individual articles and series. For a full listing click here.

Bill Rowlinson, master printer, dies at 78

Bill Rowlinson, doyen of black and white master printers, has died age 78, writes Chris Dickie. His funeral was held today at St Paul’s, “the actors’ church”, in Covent Garden. There isn't a “printers’ church”, yet. Bill Rowlinson began making b&w prints at Wimbledon School of Art in the early 1950s where he was supposed to be studying painting. After service in the airforce, marriage and a couple of years as general dogsbody at Wickhams Studio in Victoria Street, London, he emigrated to Canada. He found little photographic work there, other than a spell with a child portrait photographer, but later landed a job with United Press in Detroit by, so he said, being the only applicant among 30 hopefuls who could spell. This was a long way from the fine art printing that was to come: three-minute development, drying in meths, then a print straight onto the wire.

He saved and moved to Paris to “become an artist”, failed to learn French, and in the ‘60s returned to England and opened a nightclub. That venture failed, and an 18-month move to the Canary Islands further depleted his funds. In the late 1960s he was back in England again and in a darkroom job with Ted Hart. Rowlinson noticed that photographers were no longer printing their own work: the era of the master printer was coming and Rowlinson was placed to be among the first of them.

Bill began to print for groups of commercial photographers, initially with the Seddon Group, and it was then his career began to flourish. When the business folded, he bought up the equipment and set up on his own in Belgravia, continuing to print for commercial photographers. It was then he began to print for Sarah Moon and his reputation was established, spread by word of mouth. Photographers began to entrust him with their ‘precious’ work and advertising agencies looked to him when they were after something ‘special’.

It was an advertising shot – for Newcastle Brown Ale, by photographer Derek Coutts  – that landed Rowlinson his first Ilford Printer of the Year Award in 1975. The Ilford Photographic Awards were to run for 25 years from 1968 and were unique in giving the printer equal billing with the photographer and the same prize money – £1000 went a long way back then. Bill was to feature regularly in the Awards and became close to Ilford. Among the legion of big names whose work he crafted, he was to print for Bill Brandt, whose eyesight was failing in his later years.

Bill Rowlinson was an extrovert among an elite group of individuals who spent too much time, on their own, in the dark. He was a regular at gallery openings, with his increasingly wild and wayward hair, sometimes tied back, and a bottle of scotch secreted about his person because he couldn’t stand the free wine. If you needed to contact him by phone you knew not to call before noon: he would be asleep, having worked through the night, fuelled by inspiration and occasional visits to that bottle. Rowlinson’s career hit the buffers around 10 years ago when he was diagnosed with cancer and told he had not long to live. In a typically defiant act he hosted his own wake at a pub around the corner from Process Supplies in Mount Pleasant, lording it over proceedings from a comfortable seat, resplendent in bandana, while the party spilled out onto the pavement. With his demise imminent, he gave pretty much everything away, even his cat. So it was little comfort to him that, in the event, he wasn’t to die. He rather disappeared from view, resurfacing only rarely as a judge in some photography award or other; it became commonplace at gatherings to be asked whether Bill was still ‘with us’.

Bill was a friend and mentor to a host of the London-based printers, in particular the younger generation coming to prominence around 20 years ago. A book of his work was planned, but sadly never saw the light of day. This was a great disappointment to him and marked the ending of the creative relationship with the intended author. Now it is too late. Fleets Street’s darkrooms are all gone, and now the specialist black and white master printers, among whom he shone, are as rare as hen’s teeth. Bill Rowlinson was every bit as rare as that, and the few that remain were there today to wave him off.

Ian Parry Scholarship - final call for entries

You have until 20 June 2008 to enter the Sunday Times-sponsored Ian Parry Scholarship, awarded annually in memory of the young photojournalist killed in a plane crash while on assignment in Romania in 1989. This is the first year where digital-only entries are being accepted and you can find full details for entry by clicking here.

Bill Jay recalls the Creative Camera days in Ag51

In the first part of a two-part feature, Bill Jay writes about photography in Britain, Europe and The USA during the 1960s and about his time in the editor's chair at Creative Camera, in the new issue of Ag. Here he is writing about his first meeting with an influential young photographer pictured here by Jay, posing in a New York cafe in 1968. Jay writes: “I was under pressure to get off the next issue of the magazine, and struggling with layout sheets over my desk, when a stranger barged in. He was bedraggled with unruly reddish hair and a Fu Manchu moustache. He carried an 8x10in yellow box under his arm. His first words were: “Your magazine’s shit! But I can see you’re trying, so I’ve come along to help.” Offended, I replied: “Then you had better put your pictures where your mouth is, because I don’t know you or care to. Show me what you have to offer.” He gave me the box, full of magic prints. I said: “OK, I’m convinced. You do have something to teach me. Who are you?” “Tony Ray-Jones,” he replied." Portrait of Tony Ray-Jones © Bill Jay, from Bill Jay's Album, published by Nazraeli Press.

Ag51 Out Now!

The Spring 2008 issue of Ag magazine is in the shops now and there is plenty of superb work to enjoy. The cover story explores high dynamic range imaging, written by Adam Woolfitt and illustrated with fine examples from Dave Mullany. The Roma Journeys is remarkable work from Joakim Eskildsen, and Tim Daly demonstrates making photobooks from prints created with digital contact negatives. Bill Jay recalls the salad days of Creative Camera and David Lee's childhood is evoked by John Davies' work. Gerry Badger harks back to the 1960's photo renaissance and David Ward describes his use of 'mystery' in landscape photography. Check out the details at the Ag website which has also just been updated with more readers' websites.

The Roma Journeys, by Joakim Eskildsen

Joakim Eskildsen is a young Dane who graduated with an MA from Helsinki’s University of Art & Design in 1998; as you will see from his website, he has already completed several bodies of exceptional work and published a number of books, including hand-made artist’s books and short-run editions. His latest, and most ambitious to date is The Roma Journeys. A huge body of work it is too.
Like Josef Koudelka before him (Gypsies, published in 1975), Eskildsen has spent six years following his subject, but unlike Koudelka he has divided his time – and that of his collaborator Cia Rinne – more evenly between the seven countries whose Gypsy travellers feature in the work. Also, most of Eskildesn's work – and the most striking – is in colour. The Roma Journeys is published by Steidl and there is a 10-page portfolio from the work in Ag51. Image © Joakim Eskildsen.

Ag magazine launches new PDF download service

Ag magazine is creating a library of downloadable articles, issues and books at Lulu.com to offer readers a low-cost alternative to ordering the printed products, and in the case of individual articles the opportunity to purchase just a single feature rather than the whole issue. Further, we have gathered together articles published over more than one issue into a single download, so you can order just those pages you want instead a batch of printed back issues. Details of this growing library resource can be found by clicking here.

Landscape Beyond at the Oxo Tower Gallery

Landscape Beyond is the title of a new book by David Ward (published by Envisage Books in limited edition and in softback by Argentum) and he has teamed up with Anna Booth for an exhibition of the same name at the Oxo Tower Gallery in London SE1. The show runs from 23-27 April. Both photograph the land in large format; the image here © David Ward is of Vikspollen, Norway. Ward writes about his philosophy of landscape photography in Ag51 - out soon.

How to Make and Publish a Photobook

Every photographer’s must-have accessory!
In this new and unique little book Chris Dickie guides the reader through the various stages and decision-making processes involved in the making of a photobook. He offers advice based on over 30 years’ experience in publishing, during which time he has been professionally involved in every aspect of the publishing process: from writing and editing to art direction, from typesetting and design to print buying. For the past 25 years he has been publishing photography, in magazines and books. To date he has racked up almost 1500 photography publications.
How to Make & Publish a Photobook takes the reader step-by-step from image selection to selling your finished book. The way in which digital technology has revolutionised the publishing process is explained in depth: the costs and merits of the various print production options are compared and contrasted, and advice is offered on which route to take according to the scale and nature of your project.
How to Make & Publish a Photobook is published by Picture-Box Media at a mere £15. For more information or to place an order visit www.picture-box.com, or you can telephone on 020 8941 0249. UK postage is free. The book is also available as a pdf download at just £10 (no postage!) - click here for details.