Berlin Trip

A couple of weeks ago I took some days off from work and travelled to Berlin. It was my first time in the city and although we only stayed there for a little less than 5 days, I had time to do most of the stuff I had planned.

This was originally meant to be a blog post with only photos from my trip, but after a short FB chat with Caitlin (who recently assisted me on a photoshoot) where she suggested I should do a travel post about Berlin as she was planning a trip there soon, I've decided to give it a try and write a few lines about the places I visited.

We arrived in Berlin on Wednesday morning. It was really sunny (the rest of the days it was cloudy and foggy) and not really cold. We left our stuff and went for a quick walk around Friedrichshain, where we were staying. This neighbourhood really reminded me of Spain somehow, maybe because it is full of cafes and places where you can eat at any time of the day.

 We went to Boxhagener Platz every morning for breakfast. Everything was really cheap and good. I asked myself several times why I was living in the UK while I was eating those amazing breakfasts. 

I can't remember the names of all the places but Elfida was the one we went the first day, we also went to Szimpla (where the photo with the bears figure was taken) and to a latin american place for brunch on the last day.

The afternoon of the first day we went for a walk around the Alexanderplatz area and took some photos of the amazing sunset. We also went to the Weekday store (why don't we have any in the UK?) and didn't buy anything, was planning to go again on the last day but got lost.

The second day we went magazine shopping. First we took the subway to Kreuzberg to go to Motto. I had read about it and some people had recommended it so wanted to check it. It basically sells lots (and I mean LOTS) of zines, magazines and artists books although everything is pretty disorganized. The guy (owner?) was quite rude and after buying two magazines I actually regretted having bought them there, but oh well! I must admit that you can find anything you want in there, but don't let him fool you when he says the old Apartamento issues are more expensive than the current one (they sell them at the same price in Do You Read Me?!)

Kreuzberg is great, it was probably my favourite area of the city (along with Prenzlauer Berg). We visited this small shop where a photographer was selling her work and I bought one of her photos for just €15. After a walk around there, we went to Mitte to have a look at Do You Read Me?!. This magazine store stocks an amazing selection of independent magazines and the girl there was really nice and helpful. I got 'A Magazine Curated by Rodarte' and a canvas bag, and Jakub bought 'Acne Paper'.

After that, we had some crepes in a place called Zimt und Zucker and walked again around the area. That night we went to see Bat For Lashes play and we also went for some drinks to the flat of some friends of Jakub.

The next day think we went to see the Holocaust Monument and we also spent some more time around Kreuzberg. We had lunch at this place called Brezel Company and it was really really good and, again, really cheap. In the evening I met Lara Alegre, who had been featured in Girls on Film (and will be again in this month's issue). It was really nice to talk to her about the city, photography and our personal projects.

It was a shame that I couldn't meet more people during the trip. I received quite a few messages from photographers but as it was my first time in Berlin, I didn't really have lots of free time . I promise to go back soon!

The fourth day we spent more time around Mitte and went to C/O Berlin to see a retrospective of Joel Sternfeld's work. The entry wasn't free but it was amazing, I totally recommend to go if you have a chance.

We spent the afternoon around Prenzlauer Berg, visiting a market and going for dinner before heading back to Friedrichshain.

And that was basically my 4 and a half days in Berlin! I'm sure I'm missing quite a lot of things, but I hope that if you're planning a visit to Berlin soon this might help you somehow.

I have many more images of the trip on my site, make sure you check them here!

Sunday Zine Review #56: Mr Spoqui #38

If you're a Sunday Zine Review regular, you would have probably read the previous reviews of Mr. Spoqui. Since Amanda Baeza sent me a copy of the zine 4 months ago, I've become a huge fan of this "family publication". 

The latest issue of Mr. Spoqui is based around the topic "plastic food" and features a great selection of interviews, illustrations and text about what we eat and how tomorrow's food could be. To know more about the 4 siblings behind Mr. Spoqui, I decided to have some Q&As with Amanda, this is what she told me: 

Hi Amanda, first of all, thanks a lot for having sent the last three issues of Mr. Spoqui to be reviewed here on the Sunday Zine Review! When I received the first copy I loved the concept and since then I've always wanted to ask you some questions about the zine.

Could you please introduce yourself and your sisters and brother? Could you also introduce Mr. Spoqui?

I’m the oldest, recently graduated in graphic design and now trying to build up my dream (not graphic design!). Milena follows me; she is studying sound engineering while filling our house with music of all kinds. Blanca comes next, a dancer, she is now performing with her own contemporary dance company with only sixteen. And the last one, Tiago, a thirteen years old boy and comics lover that wants to be a trumpet player.

Mr. Spoqui is a family zine, but don’t expect to read about family weddings or summer vacations or newborns. Each issue is the result of an exploration about a random topic. We try to collect interesting information and show the selected topic from another perspective – that’s why we do open calls, so everyone can share their own vision with us.
  

The concept of a "family zine" is great, how did it all start? Were you inspired by anything?

Lisa Currie once described us like this: «I want to imagine them all in bunk beds when they were younger, staying up way past their bedtime, throwing doodled notes and paper planes to each other over the bannisters...». Lisa doesn’t know how close to reality her imagination was. We still sleep in bunk beds! And that’s how this all started. People make zines because they want to share everything. We wanted to share something between us, to grow and learn from it. Contributions are really important because people enrich this process!

Another great thing about Mr. Spoqui is the topics you guys choose for each issue. So far, I've read about Ceramics, Collections and now Plastic Food! How do you come up with these ideas? How's the process?

At dinner my siblings love to talk about random things. I point out their ideas ("hey, let's make an edition about that") and they discuss whether the topic is boring or not (generally, it is!). At first sight it may seem uninteresting, yes, but you end up learning a lot about something you would never have the curiosity to explore before, at least never through a traditional knowledge source like uhh… school. This may sound very unprofessional...

How do you guys work together? Can you tell me a little more about who's in charge of what?

Our ages and interests are so different that we usually spend our time together making fun of each other instead of working for our zine. But that's how our ideas come up. As the oldest, in the previous issues I was in charge of almost everything, my siblings were only responsible for their own drawings, articles and comics. Now we are going to try a new approach: from time to time, each one of us has to wear the publisher’s mask so I can have a little break. For example, Blanca and Tiago are going to be the next directors and publishers! This will bring a refreshing approach to future issues.

 

What would you consider your best achievement with Mr. Spoqui? 

The social interaction! All the amazing people we meet through the zine, all the people whose work I admire and who agreed to introduce their projects on a particular issue, and everybody who keeps giving us a lot of positive feedback. I feel really grateful for that. 

Are you involved in any other projects? If so, could you tell me a little more about them? 

I am working on a lot of comics and illustrations right now; burning my brain and my hands to create my portfolio as college wasn’t enough. I would love to tell more about all these projects, but they must remain in secret! 

You can find more information about the latest issue of Mr. Spoqui here.

*You can check all the previous reviews here and follow Sunday Zine Review on FB. If you want to get your zine reviewed, leave a comment below or drop me a message to igortermenon@gmail.com* 

Sunday Morning

  

A short editorial I shot in Glasgowa few weeks ago clearly inspired by Gwen. 

I was in Berlin last week and it was amazing, taking the photos to develop this weekend so they should be up here soon!

Model: Eilidh Maxwell @ Model Team

Styling: Domonique Wilson

MUA: Jacqui Connor

Photo Assistant: Caitlin Beryln Warther (Thanks a lot for coming and helping!)

You can have a look at more images on C-Heads Magazine.

Sunday Zine Review #55: The Alpine Review 01

From time to time, you come across one of those magazines you need to take everywhere with you until you finish reading it. That's exactly what happened when I received the first issue of The Alpine Review.

The Alpine Review has all the potential to become one of the best independent magazines of 2012. It has a nice design, clever content and could attract similar readers to those of cult publications like Monocle or Kinfolk.

But there's much more than that. The Alpine Review is self-defined as a publication that "can help us navigate in these times of transition". I see it as a look into the future, with a focus on a variety of topics - from open software and agriculture to design and craftsmanship - that will play (or are already playing) a vital role in our lives.

The first issue of The Alpine Review has 283 pages and no ads at all. One might think that the price (£22) is excessive, but if you consider the paper and printing quality as well as the numerous articles, interviews and essays, it is worth every penny.

Some personal favourite features from this issue include the interview with farmer Joel Salatin, the article about "Magazines as identities and platforms" and the city focus on Berlin, which I found particularly useful as I'm travelling there for the first time next week.

The last page of the magazine is a reflection about the process of launching a magazine and how the editors, Patrick Tanguay and Louis-Jacques Darveau, dealt with all the "unknown unkonwns" of that process. 

The work they've done on this first issue is excellent and shows that they have known how to overcome all these uncertainties. I'm really looking forward to the second issue of The Alpine Review, but meanwhile you can find more information about the inaugural issue and where to buy it here.

*You can check all the previous reviews here and follow Sunday Zine Review on FB. If you want to get your zine reviewed, leave a comment below or drop me a message to igortermenon@gmail.com*

Sunday Zine Review turns one year old

The Sunday Zine Review turns one year old! This project started just to have an excuse to update my blog every week. One year later, I've featured over 50 different zines and independent magazines from all around the world.

To celebrate the first anniversary, I'm giving away a copy of my zine "I Used To Live Here". All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me all the places you've lived in during your life and don't forget to leave your email address as well.

I'll choose a winner in a couple of weeks from all the comments received.

Good luck!

Spectrum

Just uploaded this small series of photos to my website. All these photos were taken during my trips from my hometown in Spain to Gijón, the city where studied my Bachelor Degree. 

I love the landscapes you can see from the car during the trip and every time my parents would drive me there, I would make them stop to take some photos.

Some of these photos were taken 3 years ago and other just a few months ago when I went back to visit my friends there last summer.

If you want to the see the images bigger you can have a look at them on my website:

www.igortermenon.com

Sunday Zine Review #54: Perdiz 01

It's always good to see new magazines emerging and it's even better to see that this is happening in your own country. When Marta Puigdemasa, the founder of Perdiz, messaged me about the magazine she just had started, I decided to ask her some questions about this new exciting publication.

Hi Marta, could you introduce yourself and Perdiz? 

I’m a journalist and in the past few years, I’ve been working for an independent publishing house in Barcelona. I spent most of my days writing in front of my laptop’s screen, but I also try to cook, play ping pong, spend time with the people I love and also fulfil projects that make me happy, like Perdiz. One thing that makes me momentarily happy? Coca-Cola with stuffed olives, I love when the pseudo-acid flavour of the olives mixes with the bubbles.

 In a general sense, Perdiz is a magazine about things that make people happy. It’s not about self-help, Perdiz doesn’t tell you what to do to be happy, it doesn't even suggest that you should do something in order to be happy. It is just a compilation of curious stories like interviews with a child prodigy who’s an expert at maths, a vegetarian taxidermist who uses death animals to design jewellery, a Britney Spears look-alike, a group of guys who breed pigeons in Brooklyn’s rooftops or a cyclist who explains why extreme exercise can be pleasant. 

Who are the readers of Perdiz?  

Perdiz is aimed at English and Spanish speakers who love beautiful things, design and reading print publications, enjoying their smell and touch. Also to people who are interested in a better life, and to anyone who wants to have a great time while reading it and discovering other people’s positive stories. Even though its design might attract a young adult audience (25-45 years old), the themes featured in Perdiz can be attractive to any kind of readers 

First issue’s theme is happines, are you going to focus on a different topic in each new issue? 

 Perdiz is not about happiness –an abstract and confusing concept that can be interpreted in very different ways. The magazine is about specific things that make people happy, this is going to be the topic for all the future issues and we’re actually not afraid of running out of ideas. Happiness or well-being might be the unconscious reason behind most of our decisions, everyone has something that makes them happy, even if it’s just for a while. 

I’ve loved the selection of articles and interviews, how have you found all these curious stories?

 Thanks! We’ve found some of these stories after quite a lot of hours of research. We’ve also asked our contributors and friends. I guess that if your contact network is rich and varied, the result will also be that way. It’s also important to know what you’re looking for in terms of the themes, tone, etc.

Is it risky to launch a magazine in Spain right now considering the economic situation and the growth of digital publications?

Launching a print magazine nowadays and without strong funding can be considered unwise. We’ve decided to go forward with this project because we believe in it and we want to see if it works, we’re not losing anything. We’ve already earned so much, the people’s response to the first issue has been great.

 You can find more information about Perdiz on its website  

*You can check all the previous reviews here and follow Sunday Zine Review on FB. If you want to get your zine reviewed, leave a comment below or drop me a message to igortermenon@gmail.com*

Sunday Zine Review #53: SNAP! Magazine 18

SNAP! is a free quarterly magazine founded by Hannah Byrne and Shayl Prisk. I hadn't heard about it until a month ago when I came across the cover of the last issue on Facebook. I instantly fell in love with Maurizio di Iorio photo and email Hannah to find out how to get a copy.

SNAP! is distributed in stores across Canada, New York City and London, but if you live anywhere else you can also get a copy paying for postage only.

When I got my copy of the magazine I was really impressed by the quality of the paper and the size (10 x 14 inches). If I saw it somewhere I would never thought it's actually a free publication.

The second thing that impressed me was the editorial line of the magazine. The selection of photographers is amazing and the articles and interviews are definitely worth a reading.

The topic of the Fall 2012 issue is "road trips", a great theme to say goodbye to the summer months. There are several fashion editorials inspired by this theme, shot around the world by different photographers. This issue also presents interviews with a flight attendant and with photographers who have a strong relationship with the road.

My favourite feature has to be the Marie-Christin Stephan's photo essay about the contemporary explorer culture, linking it to the traditional explorer portraiture. You can find more about it on her website.

SNAP! 18 is available online here. If you're interested in getting a copy, all you need to do is send an email to info@snapme.ca

*You can check all the previous reviews here and follow Sunday Zine Review on FB. If you want to get your zine reviewed, leave a comment below or drop me a message to igortermenon@gmail.com*   

Marta

My friend Marta came to visit me in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago. She only stayed for 2 days but I showed her Edinburgh and we also went to Glasgow to see Grizzly Bear at Barrowland -amazing venue, hadn't been inside before but need to go back to do a photoshoot in there. We had dinner at Mono and went for drinks to Nice 'n' Sleazy.

Our hotel room in Glasgow got a little flooded and I was offered a free night stay for another time, which I'm going to use later this month to see Wild Nothing playing at Stereo.