I'm Rob Pinney – a photojournalist based in London, United Kingdom, and the co-editor of Point.51 magazine.
I started out in publishing working for a book publisher. They did (and still do) fascinating and incredibly timely books on current affairs and modern history, among other things. I did that for four years after graduating, before I left to finish a Master's degree and then went freelance as a photojournalist.
There are definitely huge differences between the book and magazine publishing worlds, but there's also a lot I've taken with me from those days. I think the gratification you get from producing and publishing a magazine in print is pretty hard to beat. As a photographer, I spend plenty of time looking at images on screen. But there is something very special about making something in print. Before starting the magazine, I had toyed around with photography zines – both at home and with professional printers – so I think putting good work into print, and giving it that level of permanence, is something I've always been very interested in. But the magazine has definitely taken that interest to a whole new level.
It's no longer just producing a nice printed version of a personal project in a small run – it's working with journalists and photographers right across Europe and pulling that work together in a magazine that is then sold and distributed worldwide There's an enormous range of independent magazines out there now, and many of them are doing really well which is brilliant to see. But I would say that there are actually relatively few that are doing serious in-depth journalism on important social and political issues, which is where my interest as a reader and photographer really lies. So Point.51 fills some of that gap.
Publishing is a job, a hobby, a passion, and an addiction for me. But it's certainly not my only job, although I would say the other things I do are still connected to publishing. I work extensively as a photojournalist for photographic news agencies, newspapers, and other magazines; I also work with several book publishers on book cover design; and do a range of video work for other clients. It's quite a spread of areas to work in, but I really like the variety it gives me day to day.
I work on Point.51, an independent magazine for long-form journalism and original photography from across Europe. We launched our first issue in 2018 and we're now on issue three, with issue four due out in mid-July 2021.
I think it came in part from what I mentioned before: feeling that that there were loads of great independent magazines, but relatively few that were invested in journalism and photography about contemporary social and political issues.
But it also came out of time I spent working in Calais as a photographer. That city has for decades seen asylum seekers pass through it, most hoping to reach the United Kingdom. But in 2015-16 the number of people stuck there increased dramatically and a large makeshift camp known as the "Jungle" emerged. There was a lot of news interest in what was happening there, but it was overwhelmingly focused on the camp itself and the attempts of asylum seekers to cross the border.
To me it was clear that there was also a much broader story about Calais itself and its long relationship with migration that wasn't really being told. I think with news stories like that there's often a broader story too, but it takes time and needs a slower approach, and so it doesn't really fit with your typical newspaper column. So in part I would say Point.51 exists to tell those slower stories. We worked on the story from Calais for over a year, and "Calais Belle Ma Ville" was published in our first issue.
The magazine has been entirely funded by the readers that buy it, and by contributions that myself and my co-editor have made to get it off the ground. We decided against seeking sponsorship or taking out a loan, and the magazine is completely advertising-free.
We share our project in any way we can, but right now most people find out about us through word of mouth and recommendations, and then finding us on social media. The best way for people to get a flavour for what we do is to visit the website.
