Nikon Owner Issue 22
Editor's Letter
It has been said that good things come in threes. It is certainly true in this issue of Nikon Owner where, somewhat unusually, we have three very different contributors in the same issue who have three things in common. Firstly, they each have three names: Andrew Main Wilson, John Archer-Thomson and Paul Joynson-Hicks. Secondly they all use Nikon camera equipment and thirdly they are all subscribers to Nikon Owner. Although to my knowledge they have not met one another, they do hold a fourth thing in common. They all are deeply passionate about their photography and like another of our illustrious contributors in this issue, Neil Lucas, Producer for the BBC's Natural History Unit, go to the ends of the earth (literally) to capture their images.
Around the World with Andrew Main Wilson
Some time ago I had the privilege of meeting Andrew Main Wilson and I was delighted to find out that one of my heroes was his father the late Dennis Main Wilson, who was without doubt the most important and influential of all comedy producers/directors in British radio and television. Dennis Main Wilson was pivotal in promoting some of the most outstanding talents in post-war British comedy, and was instrumental in nurturing the talents of Spike Milligan, Marty Feldman, Tony Hancock, Peter Sellers, Barry Took, Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and John Sullivan. Andrew continues this tradition of creative professionalism as Chief Operating Officer of the prestigious and influential Institute of Directors (IoD) as well as continuously honing his skills as a photographer on his hugely demanding World of Wonders project. Andrew Main Wilson talks to Gillian Greenwood, the Features Editor, about World of Wonders in a unique interview.
A Cornucopia of Contributors
As well as the launch of Andrew Main Wilson's visually spellbinding series, another most excellent series begins in this issue with Clive Carpenter's comprehensive overview of digital workflow, an area that many of you have frequently requested assistance with. Neil Lucas and a BBC Film crew headed out to South West Spain to record a fishing tradition dating back to Phoenician times, which the renowned natural history writer Michael Bright brings to the pages of this issue. John Archer-Thomson, a regular contributor to Nikon Owner, makes a welcome return with the curiously ingenious title, Waiting, Grabbing and Something-in-Between, and Paul Joynson-Hicks tells us an amusing anecdote from his photographic portfolio in Africa. Finally, Technical Editor Simon Stafford brings his hawk-like optic to the new AF-S 105mm f/2.8 VR Micro-Nikkor.
A Visit to Thailand
Following the hugely successful Nikon Owner magazine tour to Japan during April 2006, I have received an invitation from the Nikon Corporation for a small party of Nikon Owner subscribers to visit Nikon Thailand. In co-operation with Mr. Yojiro Yamaguchi, Managing Director of Nikon UK, and Mr. Kenichi Kanazawa, President of Nikon Thailand, the tour party will visit the headquarters of Nikon Thailand, at Ayutthaya, site of construction of the Nikon D200, D80, and D40 camera models, along with many Nikkor lenses. The visit will be one of the highlights of a twelve-day tour to Thailand and Cambodia in March 2008. If you wish to register your interest please send an email to: info@nikonownermagazine.com
And the Award Goes to ...
The yearly Amateur Photographer Awards Ceremony is always an enjoyable occasion as a celebration of excellence in photography and this year was no different. Grays of Westminster regularly sponsor the Exceptional Achievement in Photography Award. This year's winner was Philip Jones Griffiths who is one of the world's most celebrated war photographers. For more than forty years his pictures have appeared in such esteemed magazines as TIME and Newsweek. In 1971 his book Vietnam Inc helped turn the tide of public opinion against the war in South-East Asia and is now regarded as a classic of photojournalism. Philip's schoolboy dream was to join Magnum Photos, and in 1966 he was invited to become a member of it, the world's most famous agency. Henri Cartier-Bresson said of his Magnum colleague, 'Not since Goya has anyone portrayed war like Philip Jones Griffiths'. As Philip was unable to attend, Magnum Editorial Director Francesca Sears collected it on his behalf.
Nikon took the lion's share of the awards in the following categories:
Lens of the Year: AF-S VR 105mm f/2.8G Micro-Nikkor
Software Package of the Year: Nikon Capture NX
Expert Digital SLR of the Year: Nikon D2Xs
Product of the Year: Nikon D2Xs
Our Features Editor Gillian Greenwood and myself were honoured to be invited to join Nikon U.K.'s team on stage for this celebratory shot by AP's Alan McFaden. Reading (see photograph bottom left) from left to right:
Kate Cartwright, Head of Press and PR Nikon U.K., Gray Levett, cofounder Grays of Westminster, Mr. Yojiro Yamaguchi, Managing Director, Simon Coleman, General Manager, Jenny Grace, Press and PR Executive, Jeremy Gilbert, Group Marketing Manager, Hardeep Pank, Senior Product Manager all of Nikon U.K. and Gillian Greenwood, Features Editor Nikon Owner.
Garry Coward-Williams - We Salute You
In closing and returning to the theme of threes, Nikon Owner subscriber Garry Coward-Williams has ended his eight and a half year tenure as Editor of Amateur Photographer by being promoted to a senior management role at IPC Media. The post of editor of this celebrated 123 year-old magazine will be taken by Deputy Editor Damien Demolder.
Amateur Photographer has a long and proud history and I imagine that any editor of this venerable publication must sometimes feel the ghosts of former AP Editors looking over his shoulder.
Over the period of time that Garry Coward-Williams has been the Editor of AP, the magazine has grown in stature and authority to become the influential publication that it is today. He has perhaps taken risks that no other photographic magazine would ever take with some of its unique features, and has made an old and familiar friend fresh and always readable, one of the qualities among many others which highlights the difference between a mediocre editor and a great editor. Garry has also without doubt gained the respect of the entire photographic industry in the manner in which he has put together his team of writers, reviewers and experts. Of that crew of experts is Damien Demolder who is a very worthy successor to Garry Coward-Williams.
I would like to say a fond farewell to Garry and wish him considerable success in his new role at IPC and hearty congratulations to Damien Demolder as the newest Editor of AP. May the ghosts of former editors smile upon you benignly.
Best wishes
Gray Levett