The BV Magazine, Nov 23

I’m going to avoid the ‘state of the world’ commentary this month.

I’m bored with trying to find a positive spin on a basket full of nightmares. The two alternatives I have half-drafted are rapidly getting equally shouty. And if there’s one thing literally no one needs right now is one more person shouting about Wrong Things from their corner.

So instead, I’m going to talk about some Happy Things. Most people know that Courtenay is a photographer, and many assume that he takes the cover photo each month. He certainly travels the county photographing talented people creating beautiful things.

But the cover shot? No. He’s not allowed – and hasn’t been since Issue 2. Because that, dear reader, is all yours. Every month we welcome submissions via our Facebook group and by email. And every month we are inundated with a pop up seasonal art gallery of astonishing photography*.

It’s absolutely joyous.

By deadline day (the Monday before we publish) we will, in an average month, have received more than 700 submissions. These are whittled down to a shortlist of 30 or so, which we then request as high resolution versions. And then comes my personal highlight of publication week; settling down with C and a mug of coffee to go through them all, comfortably bickering for a while over the merits of each picture as we slowly select the 12 which will make the reader’s photography section (unless we make an exception – there’s 13 this month!) – plus the coveted cover shot.

The sheer talent of our local photographers never fails to astonish us. And I know they bring the same joy to every BV reader. But what’s even nicer is the support and appreciation in the group – everyone’s just there to enjoy them, and every submission is welcomed, no matter the subject, the style or the experience of the photographer. From phone shots to macro insects, astrophotography to drone stills – everything’s welcome. We’ve never set a theme, but by accident seem to have fallen into the embarrassment of riches that is Dorset wildlife and landscapes. And honestly? That’s fine by us! And if you sometimes miss out the photography section .. maybe don’t? You also might just want to flip back and take a closer look at that glorious front starry cover from William Evans, too.

Laura

(*I mean, I do tell C he’s welcome to submit like anyone else ... but I also warn him it’s seriously stiff competition out there.)