Welcome to PLATE! This is a place to find new photography writing and criticism - reviews of photobooks and exhibitions (mostly in and around London, UK), articles on individual photographers and other long-ish photo-focussed posts of my composition. I'm going to be posting a few of my photobook reviews – originally published by the good people at Photo-Eye magazine – at first, but with new reviews and articles to come shortly, including a review of Taryn Simon at Tate Modern, a piece on the Foto8 Summer Show and (if I can bend bookclub members to my will) a multi-participant review of Rebecca Solnit on Eadweard Muybridge.
I'm going to try my best to avoid one-liner, look-at-this-photo-I-like type posts. I'll also try not to go off topic too much – feel free to complain if I start posting cute animal links or rants about public transport. Having said all of which, my main objective with this blog is to create something surprising and original (not just a collection of re-written press releases) that you really enjoy reading and want to return to again and again for informed, varied photo news.
As for me, I've been an editor of illustrated books for about four years, working for publishing houses including Phaidon Press and Aperture Foundation, New York. My real passion is photography – especially, though not solely, in print – and this blog partly satisfies an urge to engage with that interest in a new way. I'm not a trained photographer myself, just an enthusiastic student, so PLATE also functions as a way to continue educating myself about life on the other side of the lens.
Do get in touch if you like the blog, have criticism or things to add, or (she offers up a silent prayer) would be interested in having me write for your publication. I'm punctual and I deliver good copy. Just email platethephotoblog(at)gmail.com.
Here we go!
