subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 11 April 2020 25
Years: From the Jazz Age to Our Age,
his Peter Lindbergh and Mario
Testinos. ‘Do I need books when I
have an internet of pictures; they’re
nice to have but are they necessary?’
If Jay is selling photo books, is
anyone buying them? ‘Sales are
going through the floor. In the last
five days I haven’t sold a book
online. On a normal week, five or six
books a day this time of year,’ saysColin Wilkinson, who founded
Bluecoat Press in 1992. ‘2008 was
the first shake-up of the book
publishing industry – the financial
crisis along with the growth of the
internet meant traditional
bookshops and outlets vanished
very quickly, publishers had to find
new ways of selling and develop an
internet presence. The problem now
is people have got other priorities.’PHOTOGRAPHY INDUSTRY
He has one book potentially funded
and the book, Juvenile Jazz Bands
by Tish Murtha, is funded. ‘We hit
the £10K crowdfunding target in
two days, since then, in two weeks
around another £1.5K, normally it
would be treble. It’s quite obvious
people are not spending. If in a
year’s time we’re in a world
recession, I would probably think
there’s no point in continuing,
which is a great shame as I have six
brilliant projects lined up which I
really want to do.’ These include
books by Jim Mortram, Margaret
Mitchell and Carolyn Mendelsohn.Creativity
I talk to Carolyn just after she’s
rescued her eldest son from the
University of Manchester party
scene and is understanding about
the situation at Bluecoat Press.
With her three children safely back
home, she’s being creative in the
circumstances, making formal
portraits of her daughter Poppy on
the eve of her 14th birthday and
snapping her as they walk around
Asda supermarket. ‘My son Sam,
who’s 15, is writing a journal and
I’m taking simple domestic
photographs. We’re going to put
them together and make some kind
of blog. It’s really for ourselves and
I’m sure lots of people will be doing
similar things.’ I hope they are and
in time, can make a small but
significant contribution to this
extraordinary chapter of history.
Also this week (it’s been a long
week), the Church of England has
restricted wedding ceremonies to
five people. Does this include a
photographer? I ask Lee Glasgow.
‘I’ve a wedding tomorrow and the
registrar has said I’m not allowed in
the room, only close family. I’m
planning to set the camera up
on a tripod and take picturesAbove: Press
photographers have
little choice but to
photograph the
latest events, but
they face added
competition©MATTHEW HORWOOD / GETT Y IMAGES
© MATTHEW HORWOOD / GETT Y IMAGES
© PETER DENCH