While preparing for this, our 25th Anniversary issue, we were faced with a daunting challenge. After our previous issue featured Steve McCurry as our cover story, how could we make this one as special, or more so, than that? After all, surviving the last 25 years in the magazine publishing business is a miracle in itself. (And Lord knows there were plenty of opportunities along the way to perish.) We knew our cover profile had to be exceptional, so after much consideration, we made an appeal to New York's...

It seems appropriate that this issue of PhotoMedia is focused on the subject of photojournalism, considering all the recent attention given to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks — perhaps the single most photographed event in history. Since our last issue in June, several other major international news stories have continued to unfold, including the riots in London, the overthrow of Gaddafi's 40-year regime in Libya and a major hurricane wreaking havoc in the northeastern United States — all amid continuing economic stagnation worldwide...

It's hard to believe, but this issue marks the start of our 24th year of publishing PhotoMedia. In all that time, we thought we'd seen everything, newswise. Then, shortly after our Spring issue was distributed, Japan endured one of the worst disasters in history: the earthquake, tsunami and resulting malfunction of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Our hearts go out to the Japanese as they recover from the challenges they face.

Of course, Japan is the heart of the photo industry's manufacturing sector, so the impact of that event on photographers also has been profound, on top of the effect of an already struggling economy on businesses. This issue of...

The more I speak with photographers, my clients, and other colleagues and friends, the more one thing becomes increasingly clear: Careers aren't what they used to be.

Not long ago, you could get educated, choose a field and expect to work in that field until you retired. Now, as business models change much more rapidly due to technological advancements, you're lucky if a career lasts 10 years. Remember back in the '70s, when cameras would effectively last for 30+ years? Today, in the digital age, you're compelled to replace them every five years or less. As a result, reinvention has become the key to one's survival and success. And as many have experienced, it's tough to make it in the photo business...

As I write this, Photokina, the world’s largest biennial photo technology exposition, is being presented in Germany to almost 100,000 attendees. Notably, the manufacturers exhibiting are placing the emphasis on “prosumer” equipment, while new product introductions in the professional category are at a minimum. As the economy continues to stagnate, the industry is appealing...

As PhotoMedia enters its 23rd year of publication, we can’t help but reflect on the wide variety of events and developments there have been to cover along the way, including the rise of digital photography, global terrorist threats, political and celebrity scandals, natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Haitian earthquake, and now, unfortunately, the still-unfolding man-made disaster in the form of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

It seems timely that this issue focuses on the subject of nature and landscape, allowing us to feature a photographer who has made it his mission to expose mankind’s not-so-kind treatment of the environment and the planetary damage caused by our collective deeds.

In June 2007, I was invited to join a group of seven professional photographers on a trip to Alaska to photograph grizzly bears in the wild, which resulted in a feature story in our Fall 2007 issue...

Since we publish PhotoMedia just three times a year, a lot can happen of interest to those in our industry between issues. For instance, soon after our Fall 2009 issue was distributed in October, several legendary photographers passed away, with Irving Penn heading the list. Canon and Nikon also introduced new flagship DSLR cameras. More recently, the nation of Haiti was devastated by one of the most destructive earthquakes in modern history, prompting a mobilization of photojournalists to transmit images of the catastrophe throughout the world.

As Haiti begins its slow process of recovery, the experience has made it clear once again that photographers play an influential role in chronicling the experiences of our civilization...

Since photojournalism was the basis for my photographic experience, our biennial revisit to the subject is perhaps my favorite issue to research, as it allows me to return to my roots.

As history unfolds, there’s always something interesting to report, and the public has an insatiable appetite for stories. Since our last issue on photojournalism, we have witnessed some big photo news stories, indeed, including Barack Obama’s ascent to the presidency, the escalation of the war in Afghanistan and the passing of Michael Jackson.

The last two years have also been a time of great uncertainty in the industry. The opportunities for making a reasonable living as a photojournalist are as questionable as ever...