There is something undeniably special about excellent photography finding its home on paper. In a world increasingly dominated by fleeting digital images, the tactile experience of a beautifully printed magazine like FRAMES Magazine – Volume 17 is a profound delight. This quarterly, 112 page thick publication truly lives up to its aim of bringing compelling photographs and the stories behind them directly into your hands. For me, it is about more than just looking, it is about immersing myself in the artistry, understanding the thought, effort, and often immense stress a creator pours into their work. To truly engage with a photograph, it feels essential to step into that artist’s mind, to sense their intentions, and to understand their context. This latest volume from FRAMES delivers that opportunity in abundance, offering a rich tapestry of visual narratives and the voices behind them.

I said it in my review of issue #15 that it really is an incredibly put together magazine which the editor Tomaz and everyone involved in should be extremely proud of, it is to me part of the holy trinity of photography magazines with Hotshoe and Aperture as they don’t just give you reviews of the latest cameras, lenses with the odd picture thrown in it really is from people who love photography for people who love photography.

Opening the pages, I was at once drawn into Paul Hart’s ‘Fragile’ series. His beautiful, moody black and white images have truly exceptional tones. There is a palpable feeling within his work, a style my wife LOVES and would affectionately call “HOA HOA Weather,” (love you wife) which speaks volumes to me. It is that damp, atmospheric chill, that soft, embracing greyness so familiar from our own unforgiving winters in Aberdeen, which lends a unique, stark character to the landscape. Hart’s personal and poetic reflection on nature, made by working every month in the same locale over four years, shows a profound, almost spiritual connection to the land. His intention to go beyond a mere study of place, evoking an abstract, ethereal sensibility, resonates deeply with my own desire to find the emotional truth and unspoken narratives within seemingly mundane subjects. His photographs feel less like captures and more like whispers from the natural world itself, delicate and vulnerable yet immensely powerful.

Moving through the volume, the work of Ben Zank hit me with an electrifying jolt of discovery. I had never met his photography before, but he is undeniably brilliant. His style is more artful and surreal than many photographers I come across, and every single image he presents in this book is a standout. His piece ‘Anxiety Takes a Holiday,’ where he is in a green suit, smoking a cigarette, almost merging with the bush beside him, is wonderfully unsettling and darkly humorous. Then there is ‘Deep State of Reflection,’ which instantly brought to mind iconic album covers like Black Sabbath’s Never Say Die or Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here.

Here, he is covered head to toe in mirrors, on what appears to be a road or runway, beneath a vast sky filled with clouds. The immediate reaction was that this could absolutely be a classic rock album cover, not merely for its striking visual impact, but for its conceptual depth. Zank’s ability to express complex emotions when words fail, to create images that feel like a direct reaction to his environment, is something I profoundly admire. He is someone whose work I will be keeping a very close eye on.

Ed Justice Jr.’s ‘Fleeting Moments’ are undeniably captivating. I particularly liked his windfarm image, ‘Powertime.’ I have spent countless hours trying to capture windfarms myself, those silent giants dominating our own Aberdeenshire landscapes, and I am yet to take one I am truly happy with. Justice Jr.’s pursuit of “unexpected representations” of subjects in plain sight is something I strive for in my own photography. His windfarm, with its ambiguous sense of future, either “soothing pattern or an abomination,” invites the viewer to bring their own perspective, a characteristic I believe enriches any photographic work. It is this intentional removal from the everyday world, while still firmly planted within it, that makes his eye so compelling, finding moments that others might simply pass by.

Markus Hilarion Keller’s ‘Did You Know That There’s a Little Golden Bird at the End of This Boulevard?’ has some truly great images, particularly his shot of the Leopold Museum, taken from above a couple on a bench. That composition captivated me, offering a quiet moment of human interaction within a grand space. However, it is in his reflective and double exposure work that Keller truly shines here, pushing boundaries and inviting deeper contemplation. The image ‘Smokey-Eyes’ is simply stunning, demanding a little time staring at it to take in both aspects of the image, the woman’s face and the underlying collage. This layered approach, creating an “almost Kafkaesque harmony,” is precisely the kind of work that rewards patient viewing and encourages an active participation from the observer. His ability to capture moments of chance and instant, where glamour almost shines through even in a fragment, speaks to the profound beauty that lies beneath the surface of daily life.

The last of the five featured photographers, Eric Bennett, presents ‘Space, Stillness, Silence,’ with work rooted deeply in nature, featuring images from the desert and river sides. Some of his images, particularly ‘Family Portrait,’ with its forest of trees, looks utterly like a painting. It is that stunning. Bennett’s quest for quiet, open places where he can be alone with his thoughts resonates so powerfully with me, someone who finds solace and perspective in the vastness of nature, even when walking the dog by the North Sea. His intention is not merely to convey what the desert looks like, but what it feels like, to reveal the beauty in what is not there, and to awaken a deeper appreciation for the overlooked details. His pursuit of equanimity and synchronicity with the slow, steady pace of the natural world is a philosophy I wholeheartedly embrace, and his photographs are a profound invitation to rediscover a sensitivity to our surroundings.

The conversations within the magazine are equally insightful, moving beyond the visual art to the very core of the photography world. Sophie Parker, Director of Photo London Ltd., offers a fascinating glimpse into the curatorial vision behind one of the premier photography fairs. It was a little bittersweet reading her interview, as I used to travel to London back and forth for a year and a half, and would have been in the city during Photo London 2015 and 2016. Oh, for a time machine to have attended them! Parker’s dedication to bringing in new, diverse voices and her emphasis on solo presentations, allowing visitors to truly get to know an artist’s practice, aligns perfectly with my own belief in deeper engagement over fleeting glances. Her focus on quality and refining the fair’s offerings, rather than simply growing in size, is a testament to a genuine commitment to the art form.

The second interview, with Bill Ingalls, NASA Headquarters Senior Contract Photographer, was equally compelling. His dedication to being “the eyes for those that can’t be there” deeply moved me. It taps into a dream I have held for about forty years, to see a spaceship launch. His stories of waiting for that perfect light, of capturing an ethereal blue reflection of the space shuttle in a puddle, speaks to a photographer’s unwavering patience and intuition, that willingness to “stick it out” for that profound moment. His artistic freedom, once something he felt he “limited himself” from, now leads to images that are both technically clean and wonderfully “artsy,” illustrating how the truth of a story can be conveyed with both precision and soul.

Finally, in the ‘Beyond’ section, Alun Wyld’s ‘Man or Emulsion’ explores the unique multi layered techniques he employs with Polaroid film. His work transcends traditional photography, merging the surreal with the tangible, inviting viewers into an “enchanted realism.” This experimental alchemy, involving multiple exposures, scans, chemical manipulations, and even hand painting, creates intricate stories that challenge senses of reality. His aim to cultivate a renewed sense of wonder and encourage us to look beyond the ordinary resonates with the very core of my own mission at Viewfinder Chronicles. His art fosters a deeper connection to the world around us, enriching the viewer’s experience through the lens of his imagination.

In its entirety, FRAMES Magazine – Volume 17 is a powerful testament to the enduring magic of photography on paper. It is a publication that champions the artists, delving into their intentions and processes, and encouraging a profound, empathetic engagement with their work. It provides not merely a collection of images, but a curated journey into the heart of photographic creation. It is the kind of publication that reinforces my belief that by truly seeing and seeking the intention behind each frame, we can find boundless kindness and an open heart in the world of photography, and indeed, in life itself.

Regards,

Alex