Magnum Blog / If I were president, I'd have a kick-ass blog

If I were president, I'd have a kick-ass blog

St. Paul, MN, 2008 © Alec Soth/Magnum Photos Last September, Republicans from around the US marched into my backyard - St. Paul, Minnesota. I managed to get access to the Republican Convention with press credentials loaned from someone I met at a demonstration (don't ask). Within five minutes of working my way through the various security measures, I found myself walking down the same hallway as Karl Rove. In a flash I saw my future before me. With one stoke of my carbon-fiber tripod, I could take this menace out. My photography career might be over, but I'd at least I'd make my mark on history. Needless to say, I chickened out. So now I'm back to looking for more modest marks to make. After a lot of soul searching, my new goal is to breath some life into this blog. Don't get me wrong; Martin Fuchs has done an excellent job as blog administrator. He sends out emails to the photographers and pesters us for content. And there has been plenty of fantastic content. But something is missing. I see the body, but I don't hear the voice. In analyzing Magnum's blog, I noticed the post that generated the greatest reader response was one of the Photos of the Week by Christopher Anderson (read the post here). As is often the case, one reader offered some pointed criticism. But what made the post come to life was that Chris took the time to respond. I probably learned more from that dialogue than from a dozen essays on photojournalism. What makes blogs work isn't fancy prose. It is all about content and conversation. So in trying to whip this blog to life, these are my goals: 1) More content. In 2007 we averaged 6.5 posts per month. In 2008 we are averaging 3.5. I want to pump more stuff through the system. 2) More conversation. Most photographers are busy shooting and traveling. They also tend to be a bit blog-shy. But I'm going to do my best to get them in here. I might be too scared to jump Karl Rove, but I'm willing to do my best with Martin Parr. So let me start the conversation by asking what you want. If you ran this blog, how would you make it better?

John Vink

I would not moderate the comments but put just a few lines with rules of conduct somewhere. I suspect that the comments until now were bulk moderated once in a while, when Martin was available or not shooting an assignment himself. The result: no dialog. How many times have I visited this blog and not one comment was added for days at an end. And then suddenly there were 5 or 6...

Michal Daniel

I'd love it if Magnum members picked an image of theirs and simply talked a bit about it. Images that mean a lot to them, yet perhaps don't get a lot of press play.

Pawel Dwulit

I want to see more work more often from more photographers.

I would allow photographers to post to the blog remotely and instantly.. kinda like a forum but blog.

Administrators could control content and all that by managing posts and contributors.

Aaron Shapiro

More photographers talking about their conceptual process. What are they thinking while they are shooting? Maybe with examples? (i.e. "While I was taking this photograph, this is what I was thinking/doing" (not technically, I have no desire to know what tripods or films are being used.))

Prashanth Vishwanathan

Interaction with the photographers I think is key, I love David's blog as he keeps replying to every request and comment. The content is awesome but not much discussion here as you put it right.

panos skoulidas

.. Please ALL..
If you want to take an idea of what
a "succesful"... Photo blog is..
then please visit ..
The "Road trips"...
a blog started by maestro
DAVID ALAN HARVEY.. but really
maintained by US.. Me.. You..
Herve.. Akaky.. Patricia... Bob Black..
Eric.. Erica... You name it..
( lots of other great writers and pjotographers..)
WE ARE THE opposition to the fake "elite"..
.. Honesty.. & NO FEAR is our drive..
This is why we are so successul..
Because we are not afraid to "TELL IT LIKE IT IS"..
People, ALL..
Please visit "our" blog.. Feel free and welcomed..
Also feel free to "COPY"us..
No cencorship.. We haven't sold out..
We are alive..
There is no recipe for success..
But.. If there is one....???
Then , trust me.. We got it..
Peace, love and hugs..
;-)
panos skoulidas

Todd Smith

Thanks, Alec. I'm glad you're interested in more of both content and conversation for this blog. I'd love to see some behind the scenes stories from Magnum photographers... how they got to the right places at the right times, what drives them to do the next shoot. The more personal side of a photographer's life and real human stories of from the perspective of the photographers are appealing to me.

Thanks,
Todd

Chase Allgood

The Christopher Anderson post was seriously this years highlight. Any time you get that much discussion there has to be something working. One of the best things about that post was how timely it was. It's interesting to see what is going on with projects as they are happening.

Eric Baumann

Alec, if I ran this blog I would...not change much, maybe just make more posts and try to engage readers more, like you mentioned.
Blogs are always best when the writer/contributor asks for and responds to comments--it encourages reader participation and creates a welcoming environment for discussion.
For example, this is the first post I have ever felt moved to comment on, purely because you asked what I thought...
It sounds to me like you know what needs to be done and I look forward to seeing it put into action!

BryanF

Welcome back Alec. Good to hear this joint is gonna be a bit more active.

If I ran this blog, here's what I'd do.

1) dig into the archive. Display web friendly edits of some of the great work from the past (slideshows.) I'm sure most people dive into the archives, but after a few minutes you lose direction. This blog a good place to highlight some of the work people might not find on their own.

2) Be accessible. Interviews with the photographers. Conversation. Updates.

3) Promote work from emerging photographers that follows the Magnum essence.

4) Provide a POV on the major issues photojournalist's, fine art and documentary photographers face these days.

5) Provide insight on where photography is going, especially in relation to the web. How are the drastic changes in publishing affecting photography and Magnum? What are the emerging trends that might enrich photography on the web?

6) Plenty of jazz.

peace,

bryan

Adrian Arias

Hi Alec nice to see you around here……the blog will be awesome if magnum can add more information about the photographers, their interests, experiences, how they developed their personal style and vision, if you can add live and old interviews or extracts about photography...

M. Scott Brauer

Alec....can't wait to see a newly reinvigorated Magnum blog. If your personal one was any indication, this will hopefully become a place not to be missed. Trent Parke's recent post, weirder than most, gave me a feeling for the life/thoughts/motivation behind him and his work, and that's what's been missing. While more content will help, the nature of the content has to change a bit, too. Don't want to step on anyone's toes, here, but the Magnum blog, thus far, tends toward being PR for various projects and stories. There's no reason it can't serve that function, but I think the blog offers the chance for a more intimate look at and behind the photography that you guys do. Just like with photos, the blog needs to be about the "why?" and "how?" rather than just the "what?" if that makes any sense. That's what made Chris Anderson's dialogue so interesting; he spoke about why he shot the story in the way he did, how that choice informs the piece, and how it serves to tell a story other/deeper/etc. than what the wires were pushing from the primaries. That is, the blog, if I were president, would be a way to show everything outside the frame in a way that makes what's inside the frame more meaningful and poignant.

M. Scott Brauer

One more thing. Lose the flash interface for displaying photos. It looks great and all, but I (like a lot of other people, I'm sure) keep up with the RSS feed. In the RSS feed, the pictures in the flash thing don't show up, so I'm stuck with reading stuff from Magnum without pictures, which doesn't make much sense to me.

Ted Levine

I find it interesting to hear that you plan on posting more content per month than your previous blogs. Do you feel that getting more content through this blog is directly connected to the amount of reader response you'll get? Is this the most important statistic to your blogging effort?

I had not known about the Christopher Anderson post until you mentioned it. I agree with you - the dialogue between Christopher and his readers are rich in interesting topics not often found elsewhere. Perhaps the more you can post, the better the chance is that a conversation like Anderson's will appear.

It's a great to know that you plan on sharing more with the community, as I have always appreciated your work and the ideas behind it. Hopefully you will find an appropriate balance between quality and quantity.

Page Level

Hey Alec, for sure this blog could be better, and I think starting discussions between the readers and photographers would be a great way to improve.

After going back and reading all the comments on Christopher Anderson's "Mitt" post, I felt enlightened. I remember thinking the same thing (only not as rude) as Terry when I first saw those pictures months ago. Reading explanations from Mr. Anderson and other readers helped inform my opinion of that particular body of work and forces me to evaluate my own evolving style.

I think more people would respond to the blog posts here if they knew their comments could elicit responses from the photographers. Something akin to what David Alan Harvey does with his Road Trips blog could be beneficial to all. Personally, I am interested in discussions about the choices photographers are making when creating their images - technical, aesthetic, ethical, etc. Anything that will increase my understanding of the medium. Thanks.

Dominic Arkwright

I'd make sure that Flash content, if deemed necessary, worked when viewed through an RSS reader. I can only talk for Google Reader, but it doesn't work there. I normally skip right over the post.

mike

How great would that be... conversations and insight and ideas and knowledge directly from Magnum photographers. I'd love to blog-converse with the photographers about their bodies of work, individual photographs, process, their influences... or broader concerns that inform their work, or their thinking about photography and its history. A roaming photographic conversation with Magnum photographers occasionally dropping in, I'd say that would do it for me... a very exciting idea for the blog... good luck, Alec and thanks!!!!

Daniel

I think if I ran this blog, i would as you mentioned, get all the Magnum family more involved.

I totally understand that they are blog-shy, moving around this great planet, or possibly not that interested in the whole concept of sharing their lives, but to us mere mortals, having these people who we look up to for inspiration talk about issues surrounding photography, would be amazing.

The Internet can be a great source of information. Often photographers have been known to safe-guard their trade by not telling anyone how they go about doing what they do. A recent post ( http://we-english.co.uk/blog/?p=490 ) by Simon Roberts on how he approached the editing process was invaluable to anyone starting out in photography, I for one would love to hear how Martin, or even yourself Alec, approach the more mundane side of things.

How does the average Magnum photographer plan a story? The 'Behind the image' category is fantastic, as it gives us more insight into the story, maybe this could be elaborated on?

I guess it boils down to what direction Magnum wants to take this blog.

Glad you are back to the blog world Alec btw, you have been missed.

Taiwan

But our President Mr Ma Ying-jeou in Taiwan is not like to write a blog since he get a less 23% Gallup poll (a recent survey of public opinion showed) now.

A parada over millions peoples will be take places in Taioei, Taiwan on 10/25 (Sat),

Martin Fuchs

Dear John,

I already mentioned that comment moderation is absolutely necessary. If comments would not be moderated we would automatically have between 20 to 40 Spam comments per day on our blog and we would be advertising fake medication sites, porn, etc... And these are only the Spam comments that don't go into the Spam folder automatically.
Yes, it happened once that comments have not been updated for a couple of days because I was gone, other then that comments are updated every couple of hours if there are some.

But now that our blog team grows this should become even faster as well.

And thank's to everyone pointing out that the flash thing doesn't work in your RSS readers. Strangely it works in mine. But I'll look into that and find another solution. I would like to keep using these little slideshow things as it allows to show more photographs without having to scroll down. But I am sure some solution can be found that works in every RSS reader.

Best,
Martin

Bob Black

Got to hands-up-in-the-air agree with Senor vink and Senor panos about the comment moderation bit....it's a bit, well, um......moderated ;)))))...

the import (power,efficacy,stimulation) and the devil of the Blog world is it's brilliant mimicry of conversation...more ball busting and frustrating for sure, but god-damned it provides some brilliant stuff, if you can way through all the emotional clicking....

I agree that Trent's Christmas Tree in a Bucket (looks like our family christmas) was just brilliant piece and that's why i still read the blog here....to find something DIFFERENT and challenging...last time I checked Magnum was still populated by read people, not ghosts of the Madame Tussaud's House of pHotography ;)))...

photography, like life, exists ONLY in conversation, in the language on contact and connect and it does each of us, for good and poor, a richer service when the opportunity to challenge, consent, gather and depart isn't moderated, by content or time...but time is the critical element here in the richness of a blog....Magnum may not want the fake medication sites and porn and glossy M9 advertisements, but they're part of our waking, stalking, online reality....let it flow....

my humble bit of advice for be:

1) up the pecularity of the content (though i adore john v's coverage) to make is Less Magnum and More PHotographer (i enjoyed allessandra post too)...

2) unmoderated comments (there has to be a way to control Spam, Dave Harvey does it)

3) Time Permitting More Response from the Magnum Photographers (though as David can also point out, Alec too, this could be a death knell as well)....

anyway, i think the real key to making a blog sing is the presence of the blog writer/photographer...their specific engagement with readers....David Harvey, John Vink and Chris Anderson have all done this in the past exceptionally well....i just pray it doesn't kill their time or their out-sized hearts ....

off-topic comment: Alec, dig the stuff you've contributed for Insight Magnum....love this project all around

cheers
all the best
bob

marcin

Yes, I agree comment moderation is absolutely necessary. Whithout it can be 200 or more spam comments after a few hours made by robots.
I would change nothing, only more respond. Just chat between photographers like in real world. It would be nice.

Luke Tymowski

It would be grand if you could introduce us to your photographers, new and old. Some I come across regularly in newspapers, magazines, blogs. But lots of others I'd never have heard of if I hadn't gone through the Magnum site.

Are they still active? What makes them pick up a camera? At what point in their careers did they finally understand what they were doing? What do they want to photograph that they've not yet been able to photograph? What are they working on now?

It would also be interesting if you could interview photographers after a major assignment has been published? eg, Paolo I think of as a war/major issues photographer. What was it like to be the sole editorial photographer for New York Look?

For photographers who have made the switch to digital, has it enabled them to photograph in a way they couldn't before? Not whether film is better than digital or vice versa, but how has it affected how they work? Is the change in how they shoot? How they edit? Both?

I see the Magnum blog having two roles: raise the profile of less famous Magnum photographers to get the attention of photo editors; and satisfy those of us who get excited about good photography, whether it's personal work or commercial.

Finally, good to have you back!

Anonymous

What could you do better?

>>>>In a flash I saw my future before me. With one stoke of my carbon-fiber tripod, I could take this menace out.

Try not exhibiting violent tendencies towards those with whom you have ideological differences. Try being neutral in your opinions of those who served in the government. People could say the same thing about James Carville (in fact, they did), but that publicly stated bias has no place for anyone who's involved in journalism, documentaries, or truth. Even if it's prevalent everywhere, that doesn't make it ok for the most esteemed photographers' collective to make such a public statement that is contrary to neutrality.

btezra

keep on focusing on the content, the images, the moments and the rest will take care of itself
the only suggestion I'd make is consistency
be consistent in the power of the imagery posted and with the words attached

I just think it's important to be direct and honest with people about why you're photographing them and what you're doing. After all, you are taking some of their soul. ~Mary Ellen Mark

Davin Ellicson

Anonymous: isn't being neutral the exact opposite of what Magnum photographers aim for?! They take a stand in their photography with a particular point of view. As people they are subjective and so is there photography. It's a free country. I believe it is within the law to make a joke. The country has been through a rough 8 years with huge numbers of casualties--beyond what most people can imagine (100,000+)--in Iraq and Afghanistan not to mention the wrecking of our environment, status in the world and the economy. I think I can understand Alec making such a comment.

Karim Sharif

I agree with the commentators here saying we need to get rid of the approval system. It's always the same excuse SPAM SPAM SPAM... oh please. Maybe it's hard to believe if we haven't seen the open system and experience the SPAM first.

-=[ ( .)_(. ) ]=-

Mark Russell

I think the best way to crack blogging is achieving a particular 'voice'. Because Magnum is a collection of people that might be difficult, but not impossible. I'm an RSS junkie and the blogs I'm most likely to follow closely are the ones with writers who I identify with and want to read more of. Currently the Magnum blog isn't in this category. Just posting images and the occasional article keep you in my feed reader, but rarely provokes me to interact or even read in-depth.

Also, opinion and rigour is a major factor in generating debate and comments too. I'm sure there's a non-partisan agency policy, but I don't imagine for a second that Magnum photographers are lost for opinions on the stories they cover or the events that are unfolding at any given moment.

Personal angles, stories and opinion from the photographers would be interesting - even if they are political or controversial. Quick updates would be good too. Not every post needs to be a polished article. Think how exciting it would be to follow Alec and his dark-cloth around on assignment one thought at a time.

I think the moderation is, if necessary, is a real shame - and mildly antithetical to the Magnum ethos. Any moderation should be performed post-submission including getting rid of the junk after it's been posted - if that is there's no technology available to thwart the spammers. I don't quite believe there isn't a decent anti-spamming solution actually. There are those horrible (and regrettably inaccessible) scrambled words that would prevent spamming. Even a randomly generated simple maths questions (i.e. 3+5=?) required before posting are used for this on some blogs.

Most of all, more of this will certainly be better. Keep it coming!

scott Rex Ely

Post images, maybe even one at a time, in a review forum and allow only 2 words per person. No profanity, just words one could use in front of their teachers, preachers and parents. Pitch any comment with more than that . Also the words can't be the same as someone else's.. Two words and that's it. Distill it waaaaay down. I think it would be refreshing and hopefully make people think.

John Vink

Martin F.,

There is a difference between moderating comments and filtering spam isn't there?

John

more content.
more content.
more content.

more often.

peter

Could not agree more: the blog had gone stale and static. I think you are on the right track: much more content, much more speed, much more conversation about new work, not about old work. I don't suppose there is a Magnum Law that prescribes that all content has to be delivered by Magnum photographers? Good luck!

david

keep on;
demystifying photography
making magnum accessible
showing how magnum photographers think
communicate / reply with / to you readers
use posts to promote discussion
show photos..
show photos..
show photos..

Martin Fuchs

Looking at the solution that we use right now, there is no difference in moderating comments and filtering Spam. We do use a Spam filter but it's like with your e-mail programm. Most Spam is sorted out before it's delivered to you, some is not. I don't see Magnum promoting illegal stuff, racist stuff or porn stuff on Magnum's site. That's why I am absolutely against just putting every comment up without checking it first. And this has nothing to do with being an excuse as one of you mentioned.

If you talk about moderating in a way that means that real comments are filtered out: This never ever happened. Every real comment get's published. No matter if it's positive or negative.

But I will try to find another solution. Maybe we will have users who want to comment sign up, and only registered users can comment. What do you think about that guys? Or I will see if we can implement a field where you first have to type a word or something in order for your comments to be posted.

marcin

The question is what magnum members want? How they (you) see this part of agency activity?
Online magazine? News/Info site? World wide community of photog? ...?

Mark O

Hey Martin,

Check out a program called Captcha (http://www.captcha.net/) ... It's completely free, customizable and thwarts spam submissions.

Should take but a few bucks to have someone install it in the existing system.

Andrew Golding

I think comments should be ruthlessly moderated to include only those that are directly related to the subject. David Alan Harvey's blog started out well, then turned into a bit of a "love-in" with hundreds of comments usually by the same core crowd giving a pat on the back to each other. The reason the Mitt Romney entry was so fascinating was it involved a generally well-reasoned and confrontational dialogue. Keep it edgy, but also keep the content strong and don't allow the comments to get out of control, it's your blog after all.

Alec Soth

Thanks for all of your comments. I really like Luke’s idea that we interview photographers after a major assignment has been published. The only problem is that neither Martin nor I necessarily know when this happens. (I don’t even know what you are referring to with Paolo & New York Look).

Perhaps we could make some sort of suggestion box on the blog? If you see something and have a question, you could post your questions & suggestions and hopefully, in time, get some sort of response.

Martin, do you think something like this is feasible?

As for Anonymous, I think Davin pretty well summed up my response. By the way Davin, I really enjoyed looking at your website. After checking out your excellent work, I was compelled to read your bio. I should have known you have a Minnesota connection!

Christopher Anderson

Wow, Great response.

Alec, Huffington Post reports that Sarah Palin is currently making false and misleading claims about your blog proposals. Also, The email I answered back to you with was bounced back by your server. Let me know if you got my message.

Davin Ellicson

Martin:

Many blogs require you to type characters into a field before a comment is posted to guard against spam. Isn't that all you need?

Luke Tymowski

Alec, New York Magazine started a new specialty magazine called New York Look. They cover the Fall and Spring fashion shows. Paolo did all the editorial photography for the first issue, and Christopher Anderson did the same for the second.

http://nymag.com/fashion/look/

Now I'm no more interested in fashion than you, Paolo, or Christopher. But both Paolo and Christopher did something v interesting with their assignments.

Wouldn't the Magnum business office know what everyone is up to?

mike

Alec, I think Marcin's question above is an important one... what do the photographer's want? I think blog success would be dependent not just on the level of their participation, but on their expectations as well. We, as collective blog readers, would get something close to photographic blog nirvana... and would offer what... saccharine adulation, dull criticism, incessant demands for attention, testy responses to imagined slights and an occasional cri de coeur.

Joking. There is a lot of energy out there… what would you do with it?

When the photographers ask you _why_ they should participate in such a thing, what's the answer?

Karolina Karlic

It's already " better". You're writing it!

Shy, what's the point in giving us more shy commentary? After being in LA, you know where, there is no shy. I just had a woman take her clothes off in critique in attempt to make a point. Did it work? Maybe not but it sure did make my time spent worth while.

Alec Soth

"Wouldn't the Magnum business office know what everyone is up to?"

Oh boy, we have a lot of things to cover on this blog.

Walker

No flash! I won't even get into issues of usability, but for the simple fact that so many people are using iPhones (and like devices) as I am right now, and it's just an unnecessary gimmick 99% of the time. I spend hours on the train every week, and I hate missing out on seeing these images because they are within a flash document. And I won't revisit them once I get home, unfortunately.

MartnB

Many thanks blogger extraordinaire Mr Soth for taking control...

My suggestions:

- indeed, as the Christopher Anderson debate was interesting, I wish we could see more magnum photogs talk about their 'intent'. For example, Lise Sarfati could explain her motivations for shooting the way she is... or, Pinkhassov could share his interesting philosophical reflexions regarding the nature of photography, style, etc...

- In the same manner, photogs could talk about their new books, exhibitions (if they are a little more conceptual than traditional prints on walls) or multimedia pieces, for example Majoli’s Libera Me.

- Also, the blog could be a window to the broad range of projects magnum photogs have outside of still photography : Depardon could talk about his new film, etc.

- It is always interesting to follow work in progress of masters like Vink. So he should keep doing his posts and others should do so as well (Franklin post was brilliant, he should post more, share his academic vision of photography)

- Sometimes, behind the scene, anecdotal stuff... the darkrooms (what happened, still there ? still working ?), the staff could write their experiences: going to numerous struggles and time zones and language barriers to get a visa for photog X going to Saudi Arabia to shoot strange desert animals for Nat Geo ; how we got Majoli out of Kosovo, etc, etc.

- And last, let’s NOT do another DAH blog. There is one and it is enough : the more academic/intellectual approach of your much missed blog was an interesting complement to the more educational approach of the former.

Thanks and good luck !

Alec Soth

“When the photographers ask you why they should participate in such a thing, what's the answer?”

What a great question Mike. Here is my thinking in a nutshell:

If Magnum is still around in ten years, I think it will be because Magnum has learned how to become its own producer. Rather than waiting for some new online magazine to rise from the ashes of print media, Magnum has the opportunity to become its own content-provider. But to do this, Magnum needs to learn how to work in quick-moving media like this blog. I see the Magnum Blog as a kind of training camp for things to come. (Such as InSight, but more on this later).

Daniel Gebhart

Very looking forward to see Martin Parr blogging! :)

About spam in comments... I prefer akismet in combination with math spam control - you have to solve a little math question to drop your comment. It's more easy and fun than writing captchas. You can see how it works in my blog in the comments area.

kind regards,
Daniel

John Vink

Ahh... Finally we get the little riddle to fill in...

So that's one problem solved...

Now Magnum photographer's participation. You will not get it until they understand what most of us here know: we'll indeed be nowhere in the near future if we don't manage content on the web OURSELVES, without any intermediary, without being pampered or pushed in the back by desperate staff. Until that sinks into the minds you will not see big changes on this blog.

John Vink

See what I mean: my post is there already. Not a few hours from now... And by the way the wiords I had to fill in were Hurtin and Returning. Yes it hurts to participate actively on a blog, it takes time and energy, but there is return...

Martin Fuchs

John, are you saying that this little fill-in thing that you seem to have seen worked for you? I just took it off again because I wasn't able to post anything with it. It always gave me the message that the form can not be empty. Even though it was not. Which browser do you use?

Martin Fuchs

Ok guys, right now every comment will be automatically posted until I find a good solution. Don't take advantage of it, every Spammer will be hunted down by me! ;-)

Alec Soth

Speaking of 'guys' this is another thing I want to change. Someone once described my old blog as a 'weiner-fest.' And god knows Magnum has the same problem. So if there are women out there (besides my buddy Karolina), please, please, please add your voice.

John Vink

Martin: Safari

I had the thing once. On the next post it wasn't there anymore. Thought it was normal as I had logged in already once that session.

Sorry for the technicalities guys AND GALS, but this is history in the making: the transformation of a Magnum weblog...

Velibor Bozovic

Alec... I believe it is not what we want, it is what you, the Magnum photographers, want with this blog. And than we'll see how successful it will be. If there is someone on earth who knows what makes a successful blog it is you Alec and David (Harvey). So the question is if the Magnum photographers want to deal with it or not... I certainly wish they do... Also, we obviously follow up on Magnum work, I do not necessarily need to look at those same photos again on this blog, sometimes I do not even want to know what the photographer was thinking when he was creating work.... Perhaps, you COULD even talk about work that you find interesting outside of Magnum. It is your perspective on other things, cultural, ethical, political, not only your own work, that would be of interest to me...Bottom line, if Magnum photographers show an interest to participate with their heart in these discussion it would most definitely be on my daily reading list.
Wish you All the Best. (and don't forget to vote when the time comes)

John Vink

Martin that is Safari 3.1.2

And spammers don't deserve a capital letter...

Taylor Davidson

What would I want to see? Great images and the stories behind the images and the photographers. Personalize yourselves: help your fans understand what is going through your minds, how you approach a shoot, what you think about the images.

And go off-topic: talk about other perspectives, things outside of just photography, daily life, etc.

But given your blogging experience, I think you already know how to connect with people...

Mel Trittin

Given the number of photography blogs that still list the Alec Soth blog archives as recommended (if not required) reading, if half the attention/thoughtfulness/topicality/humor that Alec brought to bear on his personal site are evidenced for your co-photographers at Magnum we and they will be in good hands. Blogs need a personal voice. It is a given, and while I have the utmost regard and appreciation for the work and attention that Martin Fuchs has provided, I am excited to see where Mr. Soth will take us. No doubt visual and textual poetry. I am also an admirer of the Magnum construct and very interested to see if it is, in fact, possible to herd (in the sense of getting posts and input from the other Magnum photographers) cats made of jello.

Mel (a woman) Trittin

Ian

Hi Alec,

Well obviously by the length of this post, the first thing you can start doing is ask a question in each of your posts...

You see by the length of this post that there are a lot of people already following this blog. One of the things that makes Magnum a magnum for many people is that each of your photographers already know how to make interesting content! The participation of the photographers in the blog, you know...responding to us folks, is a real thrill for many people. I live in a remote community and it's wonderful for me to be able to participate in this ethos (more than wonderful).

David's blog is really something special. I can't help but feel that it will only be able to grow to a certain point, however. We still want the guy to be taking his own photographs after all. A blog doesn't have to be a lot of work, as much as a photographer wants to give. Maybe even a warm body who agrees to finish a conversation that gets started, people will be happy. As hungry as we all are, keep the cameras in your hands more than keyboards!

Christopher's post and the responses were really entertaining and enlightening. I belong to some photography forums and it was discussed there too. Perhaps because of the esteem that magnum is held in, people really love to express their opinions when they think something doesn't work. Lately there has been some hot discussions about Alex's Webb's recent coverage of swings states, particularly the dead groundhog photo. There was also a heated discussion over the 'quality' of Majoli's recent coverage of Pakistan that was featured on your home page for a while. Yeah, it's not about cameras but new aesthetics are challenging. I guess those hot discussions need at least someone who strongly disagrees...which is not always that pleasant an experience.

I enjoyed your blog, Alec. It was something wonderful to dive into even after it closed. That's a rather unique quality in my blog world and one I hope will continue here. John, I recently came to your blog and I really appreciate what your posts. It rather amazes me that you are able to work freely in a country where you so eloquently decry injustice. I love how you tell stories, beautiful photos that do not speak more loudly than the story and ideas. OK, enough of the love-in. cheers to all...

ian

Yeah, Mel! kudos to Martin too. With this team, you're getting us all excited by the promise!

John Vink

Ian, thanks. So YOU are the one visiting my weblog ;-)

It was initially designed to help the Magnum staff keep track of what I'm up to, instead of sending out emails. I think until now I had one or two reactions from them...

Agirlphotographer

Lots of good input here.

I tend to think of Merlin Mann's "How To Blog" advice immediately when it comes to this subject. It's great advice in a meta, macro kind of way. I'm sure you're familiar with it so I won't belabor it. Your own blog was very well regarded - it's obvious you know what you're doing.

As far this material on this particular blog. If you can get the photographers to talk and open up, that would be great for Magnum and for readers. It wont ruin the mystique or hurt the agency if there is more transparency and engagement. Get photographers talking to one another, you never know what kinds of ideas can come out of it. Blogging is not a one way street where the photographer has to do all the talking. Many ideas, collaboration, connections can come out of discussions.

Address the challenges & problems photographers deal with. Challenge the conventional thinking if you can. In my experience photographers as a group can sometimes be so reactionary they are self defeating in the long run.

As for emphasizing new vs archive product. It's the nature of the internet that new work will probably always draw a bigger, louder initial response. People like to talk about what they think they know. But, to me, constant emphasis on the immediate or new results in shallowness. There is a lot of great material in the archive, and just because it is in the archive, doesn't mean it's not relevant to whatever is happening in real time right now.

One thing I think would be interesting is a look behind the scenes at a project start to finish. Much like Wired recently did with their profile of Charlie Kaufman. Proposal, funding, execution, sales. That would be fascinating. It could be a very small feature or a very large one depending on how open the photographer wanted to be. (Apology if this has been done here and I am unaware of it. It's impossible to keep up everywhere these days.)

Off the top of my head, that's all I can think of. Thanks for asking.

Alec Soth

When I stopped blogging, I pretty much stopped reading blogs. Consequently I didn't know about Merlin Mann. I just read his essay 'Better' and will be returning to it often:

http://www.kungfugrippe.com/post/48588149/better

Eric Setiawan

oh boy, this place is very much alive now :)

what i want to make this blog better?
1. no flash. keep it simple because some of us here still live with a slower internet connection.
2. i like to read about the story behind some interesting projects.
3. bigger pictures. with bigger screen resolution, 536px looks so small.

stacy

it's a tricky thing, this blog business.

one fine precipice that i often encounter in the genre (and that i get locked into myself) is that of being confined to a particular slant, expectation, form or way of thinking that the blog itself usually creates and then sustains throughout its life. this, more than anything i think, contributes to blog fatigue on both the part of the writer and the reader.

something that was so refreshing and also a model for a certain degree of emulation in your blog, alec, was that you often subverted an expectation of a certain kind of content that one might come to your site expecting to find by including poetry, thoughts on politics or culture, or even what your wife thinks about being married to a photographer. it is about the life, is it not, and not just about the fact of the life spent partly as a photographer, that makes what you have to contribute worth everyone's time and participation?

i like questions. i agree with the posters above that say one reason that they are responding now or for the first time is that you solicited their opinion. i also like open-ended questions, deep-reading and thinking about things, as well as anything that will add dimensionality to a static or staid conception that i may possess about a topic (and what's more, might not even be aware that i possess until that extra dimension is made known to me).

sure: i'd like to read about the photographer on assignment, or a self-critique or context for an image made, but i'd also like to know the stuff that is not part of the standard magnum photographer lecture to a group of people: what do they read? what particular issue or issues have been obsessing them lately? what kinds of questions get asked that they're not expecting of a story or a person or a project that they're following? what are they learning: about themselves, the world-at-large, the macro and the micro? what's the latest misconception they had about something that roundly got subverted and how?

glad to see you writing in any form again, and that you're taking the reins of a place for words and thoughts within a place that i have such deep respect and interest for. good luck with the reshaping.

Jimmy P

How could you make it better?

You could begin by being open about the tensions, conflicts, and always mixed motivations that fuel any interesting photographer. There's been nothing more tedious in recent years than the vogue for conspicuous caring - the notion that we do this because we "care". Yes, we care. We all care. We care about the fact that people die in pointless wars. We care about winning awards. We care about disease and famine. We care about getting one over on our competition. We care about all of these things and more.

You could talk about how Magnum is a big enough tent to house photographers as radical as Lise Sarfati and Gilles Peress while simultaneously being a home to photographers as conservative as Steve McCurry and Stuart Franklin.

You could talk about your feelings regarding an agency as unremarkable as VII generating more noise and attention than Magnum in the last few years.

You could discuss the reasons that Magnum has a terrible tendency to function as a creative graveyard - why do so many people simply stop trying once they attain member status?

More than anything you could, as others have suggested, directly engage the people who post responses...

Philip Anderson

Alec,
I don’t want to be too annoying, but rather than say “ If I was president” you should use the subjunctive to express a hypothetical condition contrary to fact……If I were president. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subjunctive Please keep up the great work.
Philip

mauricio palos

i would love to see more work on the road, uploaded by the photographers, i think that most of the photos that they shoot, dont make the final edit of the publications they are working for (this is just a though) and is interesting when they speak about what they are looking, shooting, thinking... and yes...more interaction of the photographers posting comments

Tom Leininger

I have a friend who works at boston.com. He said that that Hurrican Ike entry on the Big Picture was getting more hits than the home page at one time. Scrolling is not that big a deal. It is better than flash.

nathaliewithanh

Alec, if I may call you Alec, I surmise that offing Karl Rove would have been the thing to do if you wanted to increase traffic to the site. You could have blogged from Guantanamo, in between your water treatments. It's all about sacrifice, isn't it? The question is how far are you willing to go? ;-)

marcin luczkowski

Mr. Vink

"Ian, thanks. So YOU are the one visiting my weblog ;-)"

Oh.... I think You have forgotten about a few everyday readers.....
:)

Alec Soth

Stacy, so much to chew on. I agree wholeheartedly that this is the way to sustain a personal blog. But this isn't a personal blog. It would be great to find an example of a group blog that has some juice. Do you know of any?

Philip, I totally blew the 'was' 'were' thing. I had it the other way and changed it at the last minute. Thanks for pointing it out. Another reason I'm a photographer instead of a writer (or a president). Martin, if you read this, can you fix the title?

John Vink

Marcin,

Yes that was unfair to you and the other few.

Sorry...

Matt Lutton

Alec -- This is definitely a spot of self promotion, apologies, but (earlier commenter) M. Scott Brauer and I run a blog together at www.dvafoto.com, which we say is 'two young photojournalists sharing their work and the news and pictures that they find interesting.' We try to keep a diverse mix between anecdotes about our own lives as 'emerging' photographers and links to all of the things we find online (and more rarely, in print) that inspire us. We sometimes produce our own features, such as interviews, with other photographers we admire.
I'm actually about to post about something very related you wrote earlier in these comments..

Not suggesting we have the model for Magnum Blog to follow, but it is an example of where two photographers are working collaboratively to bring attention to work (and news, music and all the other things that are involved with an engaged life) they feel is important.

Yoram Roth

Please! It would be great if this blog didn't deteriorate into a simple online gallery of some kind or Magnum brochure.

Vink, I'm one of the guys following your stuff.

pierre yves racine

Alec

This is off topic but I really wanted to ask you this and could'nt find another place to do it...

When you were working for Mississippi or other self-assigned work, how did you explain your project to the people you wanted to make a portrait with ?

For instance, Mississippi, did you tell people that you wanted their portrait because they attracted you for whatever reason ?

Or did you tell them that you were working on the project on the Mississippi, etc... ?

In other words, how do you explain to people the reason behind the picture ?

Thank you and sorry for being off topic... or am I not ??

Alec Soth

Dear Yves,

I just try to be honest. Early on, before Mississippi, I would say I was a student even after I graduated. This was okay but somehow bad karma. With Mississippi, I never knew the work would be published broadly so I just said I was doing a personal project. With Niagara, I said the pictures were for a book and exhibition. This makes things more complicated, but it is better than misleading people.

Honesty is the best policy.

David Alan Harvey

Andrew Golding...

Your point is well taken and thanks for your comment. My blog will change in the next few months and become an online magazine and perhaps print annual. I will also be spending more time here working with Alec and Martin and many Magnum photographers to make the Magnum Blog the best we can make it.

You may or may not be aware that my main push for my readers has been to be out there shooting. Less time on the keyboard and more time behind the camera has always been my mantra and you will soon see on my site even more than has already been published from the many photographers I mentor. In early January, I will announce the stipends for this work through my Emerging Photographer Fund which is a "wing" of the Magnum Cultural Foundation, our non-profit funding center. The annual Inge Morath Award for emerging women photographers comes from the same source.

As you probably know, blogging is totally secondary to my photography.This is true for all Magnum photographers. We cannot be of much service to you if we are not "out there" and experiencing the very things you come up against every day. If sharing our experiences and listening to you helps to further the altruistic nature of our craft and our "family" , then we will have done what Magnum photographers stand for.

By the way, 99% of my forum readers do not write. The few who do are but a small portion of those who are "on" everyday. We have built incredibly special friendships on line and fate has taken me to various locations worldwide where I have had the opportunity to quite literally meet so many. Real faces with the names. Real pictures edited in real time. We have had a blast.

So, hang out here, hang out there. One way or another, our Magnum brothers and sisters will try to help you find out what you want to know and listen carefully to your concerns and your comments.

Stay tuned.....

Rich Riordan

Alec, David, Martin and all..

It would be great to see how you guys get such intimate access to your subjects. A rundown on your working methods.

Alec for how you talked your way into prostitutes rooms, got couples to bare all, the love letters, etc. Martin for being able to stick your lens so close to people and not get slapped. (or do you get slapped Martin?) Majoli for the brothels he's shot. Subotzky for his prisons and private homes of ex cons. (wasn't this dangerous Mikhael, how did you work inside, was someone there to watch out for you or did all the prisoners give you their trust?) Bendiksen for getting into the global slums. Also must've been dangerous. Did you use a fixer? Does everyone use a fixer? Does anyone not use a fixer and still come away with the results? D'Agata. Jesus where do I start. I assume you're living the life you shoot. But still, how do you shoot so much so intimately and not get shot. Aue Sobol in Japan, De Keyzer everywhere, the list goes on - how do you guys get so close?

You get my drift. I literally have a dozen questions for each of you. I think a large part of this blog's base wants to know how to make the next step in their own work. And after you learn the basics of exposure the rest is access. Any monkey can press the button. But getting the monkey into the right position, that's the hard part. And it's what separates the great from everyone else. And I'm tired of being everyone else. This monkey needs a mentor.

Martin Fuchs did a couple of online interviews a few years back and I wish he could've/would've done more. Alec this would be a way to hone your skills with the new fast media you mentioned above. You could link to mpg files or even podcast interviews from this blog. Might be easier for some of the photographers who don't want to sit down and type. Not every new fast media effort needs to be a full-on video slideshow.

Thanks. I know this blog will be the one to watch.

Rich Riordan

Nicolas Glinoer

In order to improve your (already awesome, let's face it) blog, may I suggest adding the post's author name in the RSS feed? I read the blog using Google Reader, and it's hard to guess who's writing. Many thanks!

pierre yves racine

Thank you for your answer, Alec