Fifteen years ago, I started a blog. My idea was to simply assemble material into one spot, covering a range of topics. There were a few other blogs I looked up to. Their names consisted of adjectives beginning with the letter “c”. So I called mine Conscientious. My very first realization was that I found photography a lot more interesting than anything else. So the blog quickly focussed only on just that. Over the next roughly ten years, I collected a wide variety of links, while steadily adding my own materials to the site: interviews, reviews, commentary…
In 2012, a major re-design of the site – along with a name/URL change to its current form (CPhMag.com) – had me ditch the various components that by then had become common in other forms. For example, links can now be accessed through my Twitter feed (@jmcolberg). At the same time, I started focussing exclusively on long-form content, because that’s where my heart is.
I like writing about photography. I believe there is a need for it. Photography has become possibly the most relevant means of communication, especially online. For the sake of not just the photography community but our societies at large we need to understand what this medium does and how it does that.
I also believe that it is possible to talk about contemporary photography in a way that is widely accessible (free of jargon or art speak), truly critical, and enjoyable at the same time. This site does not have any advertizing, because there is too much of that online already. There are no pop-ups pestering you to sign up for a mailing list. Lastly, I also do not accept corporate sponsorship, because I strive to maintain full editorial independence.
Access to this site has always been free, and I will keep it that way. The idealist in me likes the idea of free, while the realist knows that free doesn’t pay the bills. It doesn’t pay for the hosting, it doesn’t pay for the time I devote to the site, it doesn’t pay for the photobooks I buy for reviews (I try to support as many especially independent publishing businesses as possible), it doesn’t pay for contributions to Kickstarters, …
It is for this particular reason that I decided to have a fundraiser in the form of a GoFundMe page. Your contribution will help me continue what I’m doing here.
At the same time, I also want to start a new venture, which I have been thinking about for a while. Beyond supporting a website, there ought to be an added reward. So starting some time in mid-October 2017 and initially roughly every two weeks, anyone contributing $10 or more will receive emails with additional content. That content will not appear on the site, and it will also differ from my regular programming. To begin with, I will focus on a series of writing about found photographs. But there might be more – much like the site itself, I am excited about the challenge of exploring this different form.
Thank you for your support! It means the world to me!