2017: A year in review

Staying true to the mission of bringing readers the best of contemporary photography, in 2017 British Journal of Photography covered the most important practitioners, voices and ideas in the industry. From the Female Gaze to Tales of the City, over 12 editions the magazine explored a range of themes, each addressing the medium from a timely and unique perspective.

Now, looking back, we present a selection of important articles from the past year, covering some of the photographers and projects that shaped the photography world in 2017. But, we’re also looking forward. As we move into 2018, BJP want to hear from you. Tell us which themes you would like to see covered in the upcoming year here!

From #BJP 7856: Tales of the City, Richard Renaldi reflects on shooting Manhattan Sunday

The first issue of 2017 explored the theme of the city, considering how various subcultures have reconfigured it for their own use.

BJP’s assistant editor Izabela Radwanska Zhang spoke to acclaimed American photographer Richard Renaldi about his latest photobook Manhattan Sunday. Shot over five years, the work offers a candid insight into New York’s gay clubbing scene, capturing the interiors of Manhattan’s many clubs and the array of individuals frequenting them.

Read the full article here and purchase Tales of the City here

From #BJP 7858: Scratching the Surface, Daisuke Yokota on his destructive, constructive creative process

In a world increasingly saturated by photography, BJP’s March edition, Scratching the Surface, spotlighted unique and unconventional approaches to the medium. From unusual artistic processes to an exploration of the physicality of the photograph.

Photographer, writer and editor Michael Grieve spoke to leading Japanese photographer Daisuke Yokota about his untraditional approach to the artform, aimed at exposing its limitations and fragility.

Read the full article here and purchase Scratching the Surface here

From #BJP 7859: Female Gaze, Charlotte Jansen looks at how a new generation of female photographers are choosing to represent women in their work

In April, our Female Gaze edition addressed the hypothesis that the female gaze is distinct from its male counterpart, as proposed by writer and editor Charlotte Jansen.

The notion of the female gaze, both in art and more broadly, remains an important point for debate and discussion. Taking Jansen’s assertion as a starting point, BJP spoke to three female artists about their work, including the Spanish photographer Laia Abril. Discussing her project On Abortion, the first chapter of an ongoing series entitled A History of Misogyny, Abril considers “the long and continuous erosion of women’s reproductive rights.”

Read the full article here and purchase Female Gaze here

From #BJP 7861: Struth or Fiction? A challenging look at transgenderism in Thailand, Max Pinckers and Quinten de Bruy’s project Lotus delves behind the stereotypes for a more critical take on the role of documentary-makers

Our June issue, Struth or Fiction?, reacted to contemporary debates around fake news and the ethics of photojournalism, with a focus on documentary storytelling and differing imperatives on objectivity.

Writer and editor Tom Seymour spoke to Magnum photographer Max Pinckers about his project Lotus, which explores the world of Thai transexuals and questions the division between documentary and staged photography.

Read the full article here and purchase Struth or Fiction? here

From #BJP 7863: Invisible World, Sanne de Wilde visits a tiny atoll in the Pacific Ocean where a third of the population suffer from a rare disorder that leaves them with no perception of colour

The Invisible World issue, released in August, revealed unseen landscapes and societies from around the globe.

BJP’s digital editor Diane Smyth interviewed Belgian photographer Sanne de Wilde about her project the Island of the Colorblind. Taking its name from the book by neurologist Oliver Sacks, the photoessay explores Pingelap, an atoll in the mid-Pacific on which an unusually high proportion of the population is completely colour blind.

Read a feature on the project here and purchase Invisible World here

From #BJP 7865: Journeys,  Lorenzo Vitturi returns to the hustle and clamour of the street market, this time travelling to Lagos for his eye-popping follow-up Money Must Be Made

BJP’s October issue explored Journeys in the broadest sense of the term, from an unusual religious pilgrimage to an expedition across pre-Brexit Britain.

Writer, editor, publisher and art critic Emmanuel Iduma spoke to renowned Italian photographer Lorenzo Vitturi about his in depth study of a Lagosian marketplace for Money Must Be Made.

Read the full article here and purchase Journeys here

What themes should BJP explore this year? Send us your thought and suggestions here.

Never miss an issue! Subscribe to British Journal of Photography today and receive 37% off the cover price & free delivery worldwide!