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AFTERWORD, AN INTERVIEW WITH ARMANDO JONGEJAN FRPS
The RPS Benelux Chapter INTERVIEW
Armando Jongejan
Sad but true… our editor of the Benelux
Chapter eJournal, Armando Jongejan FRPS, will ‘retire’ after six years and 25 issues of the journal. The Chapter Committee was informed in June about the fact that this year’s Winter issue would be his last eJournal. This brings an end to a remarkable venture that did not get unnoticed in the overall RPS community. For that reason I interviewed Armando.
The first question that comes to mind is a short one. Why?
We are referring to the year 2015, when the Chapter had no Zoom meetings, just ‘physical’ meetings in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The eJournal did start for a reason and with certain objectives in mind for example to connect the members of the Chapter. I am convinced that we reached the objectives that we had at the time. Last but not least it is a time consuming, but rewarding, activity but takes away time that I could have invested in my own photography. I do have some serious backlogs there.
Taking about the objectives of the eJournal: what were these at the time?
I discussed this with Janet Haines ARPS and Richard Sylvester LRPS, organisers of the Benelux Chapter at the time. The Chapter was revamped in those days and we felt the need to connect and involve our members. Also, one of the objectives was to inform our members about the work of other photographers and each other’s work. In other words: share knowledge, our work and get introduced to the work of other inspiring photographers.
Are you happy with the results?
Yes, in all modesty, I am. Besides the previous objectives it proved that the eJournal also became a showpiece to the wider RPS and the outside world. We have about 1.500 readers world-wide. Quite a few other chapters have taken bits and pieces from our template and way of working to shape their own journal. Also, it proved to become a platform for our own members to show their work and a nice and low threshold way to introduce new members to the group. In essence each new member gets an invite to show their work.
With you another member of the ‘editorial board’ will retire; someone who probably has run out of red pencils by now…
You are referring to Dawn Black ARPS. When living in the Netherlands she was a member of the Chapter but she moved back to Scotland. She had a pivotal role to correct the text and especially our ‘version’ of English. Most (Dutch) people think they speak English good enough but the reality is quite different. As the eJournal had a wider community of readers with English as a native language Dawn had to keep us on track regarding the quality of the language that was written. It helped that she knew the Chapter and she does understand photography. Her role cannot be overestimated.
The eJournal started with a modest 14 pages and ended with over 70 pages in issue 24. This final issue has 150 pages! What happened?
To a great deal this was my own enthusiasm but also the Chapter members discovered how to use the platform. There were also changes in the policy of the layout as we adopted a more modern look and feel with more space for text and images. We have to keep in mind that modern readers require a short and crisp approach and images are more important for this eJournal than text. For that reason I made this volume with several articles made by our Chapter members and with a lot of their photographs. This is a special edition!
Taking about content… what was your approach.
Keeping the original objectives in mind the eJournal is owned by the members of the Chapter. So, each issue contains articles on activities of the Chapter, like Rockin’ Rotterdam, and distinctions work of members of the Chapter. More and more articles were published on general topics in photography like photographic history and photographic techniques and collecting analogue cameras by Eddie Maes LRPS. We managed to bring famous names to start with Hellen van Meene HonFRPS in the Spring 2017 issue. This was followed by many others: Willem Wernsen, Simon Roberts HonFRPS, Erwin Olaf, Martin Parr (Magnum), Stephan Vanfleteren, Bieke Depoorter and Carl De Keyzer (both Magnum) just to mention a few. So, we aimed at a mix of members work and work of the famous photographers that are inspiring examples.
What is the core business of an editor?
Before I can answer that question, I have to make clear that I was not only the editor in the technical sense i.e., a person concerned with the layout of a journal. My main activity was identifying, chasing and acquiring content. The ongoing question was: ‘What content is interesting for our members?’ Especially in the beginning it was a challenge to get the right content at the right time. Later it became a bit easier, hence the growth of the journal. I also observed that an article like the one about the night photography work of Patrick van Dijk, can lead to a workshop which again leads to an article.
What was the big takeaway for you doing this work as an editor?
The joy of doing this in the first place. I could use and expand my network and acquire content. I had quite a learning curve in technical editing which is also very useful as I edited quite a few books also for others. For example to create the book on Rockin’ Rotterdam project.
What are you going to do with all the spare time that becomes available all of a sudden?
That is something that will solve itself automatically. I do have a backlog in most of the areas of photography I am interested in. To start off with the backlog in editing the holiday albums of the family. I take great pride in those and invest as much time in editing them as I do with my professional photographic albums. Furthermore, I do have a lot of unpublished work that I have to reinvestigate and publish. It is for example interesting to reinvestigate older work and compare it with recent work. And it is time for sharing, something what I think is important to do. Sharing experience with other photographers is key to the mission of the RPS as well. Last but not least I gradually have to ramp up to a period of my life when all time is mine, retirement. Quite a few years to go still so enough time to prepare.
Any advice to the Chapter Committee regarding the future eJournal?
I do not have any advice here. An eJournal is not a goal in itself but a tool that is the result of where the Chapter wants to go. In the considerations at the time, we arrived at the conclusion an eJournal might help us in revamping the Chapter. The Chapter Committee needs to consider again: Where do we want to go? Who do we want to be? Does a journal fit in? If so, in what format, frequency and with what content? So strategic choices first; practical consequences second. Times have changed if we only look at the use of Zoom during the pandemic. That will change the way we work as a Chapter as well and permanently. The Chapter Committee and the membership can consider these questions during the AGM in 2022.
AFTERWORD
Thanks Armando to having this interview with you. Looking back and looking into the issues of the eJournal over time it proves that none of the content is really outdated and I advise our readers to consult and enjoy: https://rps.org/ chapters/benelux/journals/
May I finish with a personal word. We have been working a lot together to start with publishing Rockin’ Rotterdam ‘the book’. Also, when I started to be a regular contributor to the eJournal we had many conversations. Thanks for your co-operation and without a doubt we will meet in another capacity. On behalf of the Chapter: thank you very much; we owe you a lot.
© Armando Jongejan FRPS - Winter
