Beyond being a small milestone for us, Issue 10 felt special while we were putting it together. The cover story is about Helmut Newton and Yva, the gifted photographer with whom he apprenticed before he fled Germany. It centers on their lives in Berlin in the decadent days of the Weimar Republic and the rise of the Nazis, and the influence that period had on Newton’s body of work. This is a perspective I don’t believe has been explored in this way before— and not because it doesn’t make sense, but because it is very difficult to find information about Yva. I was lucky to have been able to interview the two leading experts on Yva’s life and work, and the article contains much more information than any internet search could yield.
The rest of Issue 10 is filled with our usual array of wonderful submissions from around the world. As photographers and the industry continue to struggle with life during a pandemic, we hear stories of hope and creative possibilities discovered in spite of, and sometimes because of, the difficulties. Ilan Derech was quite literally stranded by pandemic travel restrictions, with no money, half a world away from his family; but he found support through the analog community. Authors Bruce Barnbaum and Andrew Sanderson have been rediscovering their early work in the time that they would otherwise have been teaching or out shooting, in some cases printing images that might never have seen the light of day otherwise.
Marwan El Mozayen dips into the sense of nostalgia which is being felt by many people in both of his articles. He looks at 80s cameras and how they were game changers, and also explores the possibilities of true vintage photography and its uses for “nostalgia marketing” and personal projects.
The techniques featured are pandemic-friendly, too. Ludwig Hagelstein takes an informative look at bulk film and the possibilities available for loading your own cartridges today. For those looking for an easy and inexpensive jump start for their creativity, Doug Richardson has the story of a fortunate accident that helped get his creative juices flowing. And, as always, we have gorgeous photography of various styles and formats from around the world to inspire you.
And for the cinematographers and Super8 dabblers, we have a very amusing and interesting article from Ignacio Benedeti. How do Polaroid, Super8, a black market in Spain, and a psychiatric hospital fit into one article? You have to read it to believe it.
If you haven’t ordered Issue 10 yet, you can do that here: https://shop.silvergrainclassics.com/magazines/silvergrainclassics-10?c=92
In the meantime, enjoy the Spring weather and shoot some film!
Charys Schuler