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A New Year, A New World,
and Some Very Big Shoes

I'm sure you'd agree that it's a bit of an understatement to say that things have changed in the world in the last four months. The country was attacked and has fought back, the cycle of violence has escalated wildly in the Middle East, the economy here is still sputtering but there are new signs of growth, and the New Year has turned without another World Series victory ring for the New York Yankees. (Ok, so maybe the last one's not that important, but it is hard for some of us here in New York to get used to.)

At any rate, adding to the tumultuous changes since September 11th is the fact that you are sitting there in your chair right now, reading someone else's words. That's right, after eight years of carrying the editorial torch for PTN, Michael McEnaney has moved on. Not to worry though, he hasn't gone far. This long-time Editor of PTN has changed hats to become the magazine's new Associate Publisher. So instead of expounding on the state of the photo industry with his inimitable blend of wit and wisdom in this space every month, he'll be out there in the field, meeting with photo business leaders and taking the industry's pulse firsthand.

The New Guy
Which probably leaves you with one question: who could possibly fill Mike's big shoes? Well, that would be yours truly, a photo industry journalist and former news editor who sports a pair of size 11 Rockports. (Have I calmed your nerves yet?) To be more specific, up until the recent new year, I served as managing editor for Studio Photography & Design, PTN's sister magazine. If you're not already familiar with SP&D, it also deals with the photo industry but from the perspective of the professional photographer. Prior to that, I was an editor at a newspaper in New York, where I covered the city's business beat. So, that's me...in a small nutshell. (Hey, you didn't actually want me to go on with this self-serving drivel, now did you?)

The More Things Change...
As you may remember Mike mentioning in his farewell editorial in December, you will be noticing some changes in the magazine's style and content in the coming months. While we have no plans to change the long-page format of the magazine - a veritable PTN trademark - you will notice next month that the magazine looks a little different: less photo spreads, easier to read, more stories, more...newsy. You'll also notice that the editorial content is a bit different too: fewer overviews and roundups, more vital industry information, more...news. (I think you're getting the idea.)

Or in other words, as PTN steps forward into the year 2002, we are also taking a step back to our roots, back to the meat-and-potatoes photo business news that has been our bread-and-butter for most of the past 65 years. With the imaging market in the incredible state of flux that it's in right now, photo retailers need one clear source for all the news and information that effects them. As always, we are committed to being that source.

The Future Is Now
At the same time as we're looking to our roots though, we're boldly leaping into the future, getting a leg up on all the latest products and equipment to come down the pike, while staying on top of the issues that effect photo retailers today, tomorrow, and in the years to come.

To that end, you might notice that for the third straight year (and the fourth in the last five), retailers have chosen a digital camera as PTN's top product of the year. That shows just how much the industry has changed in the last half decade, from the days when film was the uncontested Belle of the Ball, and digital was just a bad blind date: unattractive, hard to figure out, expensive.

But enough talk. On with the show...or...magazine...as it were. I hope you're as excited about what lays ahead as I am.

Sincerely,

Dan Havlik
Editor