I don’t know why I’m coming to JPG magazine so late in the day. Indeed, not just late in the day but actually long after dark. The online magazine has shut down this month.
Rob Haggart has, as is often the case, an interesting take on the concept of web versus printed magazines and his blog readers’ comments indicate that JPG’s content was largely determined by online voting rather than editorial choice. Whether this kind of selection process is a good idea or not is debatable.
I’d say that the problem with this kind of crowd-sourcing is that you run the risk of ending up with a kind of lowest common denominator, average content that appeals to the majority of people rather than extraordinary content that may appeal to fewer people but which strikes a louder and more resonant chord. The sense seems to be that JPG was a kind of filtered Flickr and, as one commentator says, “On Flickr, you can view the content online for free enmasse… not just 50 pages of voted images but a daily feed… why would a print magazine work that is based on this site?”
Anyway, for better or worse, JPG is no more. I’m not sure how long they will remain online but for now you can download old editions from http://www.jpgmag.com/downloads/archives.html.
I’ve not been through many of the old versions but did pick out a couple of images from Edition #14 that appealed to me.
"The Look" | © Micah Gilmore
Mary Lou Wallner | © Matthew Mahon
As is sometimes the case with photographs, an image resonates more after you learn the story associated with it. The caption below accompanies this image and makes the picture of a somewhat lonely-looking individual, appearing to be slowly disappearing into the pale mist but tightly clutching her bible seem like a very appropriate illustration of the story.
“Mary Lou Wallner rejected her daughter for being gay, and lost her to suicide. Mary Lou was a devoted Christian follower of Dr. James Dobson, who insists that homosexuality is an abomination. After her daughter’s suicide, Mary Lou reinterpreted her bible—word for word—and has made it her life long quest to teach more tolerant and loving Christian attitudes toward homosexuality. Her hope is that no parent will ever reject their gay child and have to suffer such a tragic loss.”
So, check out JPG magazine before it disappears completely, you may find some things inside to interest you.
