subscribe 0330 333 1113I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI 12 October 2019 15Keith WilsonEditor1989-
MyassociationwithAPgoesback
to1984,whenI joinedasnews
editor.FiveyearslaterI became
editor,andoverthenext 473
issuestherewasnevera dull
moment.The1990swerea decadeof great
changein photographyandpublishing.Perhaps
thechangethatprovedmostbeneficialtoAP
wasmydecisionto dropthegratuitousglamour
modelcoversweekin,weekout.In theirplace,
coversprovideda moreaccuratereflectionof
thereaders’broadrangeof interests.Our
rivalseventuallyfollowedsuit,butthegreatest
recognitioncamein 1993whenAPwona
‘Coverof theYear’awardfora b&wportrait
bythegreatDailyExpressduoof JohnDowning
andprinterLarryBartlett.Bartlettbecamea
regularcolumnist,alongwithotherhigh-profile
‘stars’likeDavidBailey,BobCarlosClarke,
EamonnMcCabeandMikeMaloney,adding
gravitastoAPwiththeirexpertadviceand
oftencontroversialviews.Arguablymymost
memorableissueborethefamous‘Killedby
theCamera’cover,publishedtheweekafter
PrincessDianadied.AP’steamcamein over
theweekendtoremakethecoverandnine
pages – without being late on sale!GarryCoward-WilliamsEditor1998-
Ibecameeditorof APat a crucial
timein itshistory.Itssaleswere
onthedeclineandwhilstdigital
cameraswerein theirinfancyit
wasclearthatphotographywas
changing.MytaskwastoputAPbackontop
andsteerit throughthechangefromfilmto
digital.Manufacturerswantedthechangeover
tobequick,butI tooktheviewthatuntildigital
wastheequalof at least35mm,APcouldnot
endorseit. ThisdidnotmakeAPpopularwith
manufacturers,butwestucktoourprinciples.
OnthestafffrontI recruitedDamien
Demolderastechnicaleditor.Wemadeour
productteststougherandmorestructured.
Wesaidwhatwethoughtandagainit didn’t
alwaysgodownwellwithmanufacturers,but
wedidwintheirrespect.I broughtin Roger
Hickstobeanagentprovocateur,andIvor
Matanle,toremindusjusthowamazingfilm
camerasare.I alsopersuadedGeoffrey
CrawleytoleavetheBritishJournalof
Photographytobecomeourtechnicalboffin.
DuringmytenureAP’ssales– andauthority- increased.I’mdelightedthatDamienand
Nigel,whofollowedme,haveretainedthe
same standards of quality and integrity.
‘The Gate of Goodbye’. Waterloo Station, circa 1916. FJ Mortimer’s famous composite taken at the location where, 28 years later, he would lose his lifeDamien DemolderEditor2007-
HavingreadAPsincemyteensI
hadtopinchmyselfwhenI was
askedtobecomeitseditor.Like
a grandshipwitha gloriouspast,
APhasbeensteeredthrough
stormsandcalmsbynumerouscaptains,each
responsibletoa nationof readersforitssafe
passage.I tookthehelmduringa periodof
transitionforphotography.Filmwasonthe
waneasdigitalcamerasbecamegenuinely
usefulandphotographerswerequestioning
whentoswitch.AtthetimeI tookover,Adobe
hadjustannouncedCS3,theNikonD40xwas
beingtestedand8GBwasconsideredcutting-
edge– excessiveeven– fora memorycard.
I’mgladI wasabletomarkmytimeonAPby
workingwithnewseditorChrisCheesmanto
endthestateof affairsin whichphotographers
werebeingpreventedfromtakingpicturesin
publicplaces.AtonestageI wastakingemails
andcallseverydayfromreaderswhohad
beenstoppedbythepolicewhileoutwith
theircamera.Afterthemagazine’slengthy
Photographers’Rightscampaignandvisitsto
ParliamentandtheHomeOffice,reportsfell
toalmostnothing.OurfreePhotographers’
Rights lens cloth had clearly done the trick!Past editors reflect on their tenure
© FJ MORTIMER