Matthew Rolston's column in the May/June 2009 issue of American Photo.
Matthew Rolston recently wrote a column for American Photo magazine called “Digital Future,” but the title is somewhat misleading. Matthew’s piece is a sort of overview of the changes in the magazine industry, how publishers are responding, and what readers now expect from imagemakers. It’s both a wake-up call for his fellow photographers as well as a comforting shot of a reassurance.
“What about the seductive power of images?” he asks, after several dark paragraphs on the time of “tumultuous change” in which we live. “Thankfully,” he writes in the magazine’s May/June 2009 issue, “that’s going to stay as strong as ever.” And he goes on to assert that “the only way for magazines to be truly competitive is through the deeply satisfying emotional appeal of memorable imagery.”
In other words, publishers, if you want to keep going, now is the time to align yourselves with talented photographers. Scrimping on photos may save money in the short term, but the long-term risk is that you lose your audience and wind up joining the growing heap of magazines that have folded in the past year. “Power to the imagemaker,” Matthew concludes—and, I would add, to the photo editors bold enough to harness that power.
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The seductive power of photos will never die
Matthew Rolston's column in the May/June 2009 issue of American Photo.
Matthew Rolston recently wrote a column for American Photo magazine called “Digital Future,” but the title is somewhat misleading. Matthew’s piece is a sort of overview of the changes in the magazine industry, how publishers are responding, and what readers now expect from imagemakers. It’s both a wake-up call for his fellow photographers as well as a comforting shot of a reassurance.
“What about the seductive power of images?” he asks, after several dark paragraphs on the time of “tumultuous change” in which we live. “Thankfully,” he writes in the magazine’s May/June 2009 issue, “that’s going to stay as strong as ever.” And he goes on to assert that “the only way for magazines to be truly competitive is through the deeply satisfying emotional appeal of memorable imagery.”
In other words, publishers, if you want to keep going, now is the time to align yourselves with talented photographers. Scrimping on photos may save money in the short term, but the long-term risk is that you lose your audience and wind up joining the growing heap of magazines that have folded in the past year. “Power to the imagemaker,” Matthew concludes—and, I would add, to the photo editors bold enough to harness that power.
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