Photography Magazines

lindsay

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Lindsay
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I know print magazines are a little old hat, but I prefer paper in my hands to digital subscriptions wherever possible. So having recently come back to this hobby I've been perusing the shelves in my local shops, and been quite disappointed in the magazines on offer for my bedtime reading.
Amateur Photographer stands out to me as being still, after many years, a general all-round mag for amateurs, covering both digital and occasionally film, and interesting articles. It looks like all the rest of the mainstream magazines are either dedicated to Nikon or Canon, or filled upto 50% with how to use Photoshop/Lightroom, ie very short of actual editorial content. So I'm now looking at alternatives that are genre-specific, and have first latched onto Black & White Photography, edited by Elizabeth Roberts, which seems to be quality stuff, and I've noted but not yet read Outdoor Photography.

What recommendations/observations do others here have?
 
My thoughts are that there are large mixed used collections going cheap on ebay and most info in them are still relevant today.

If there is a particular mag in the mix you like then get new releases at full price thereafter
 
I've been subscribing to Black+White Photography magazine for years. The standard has been consistent throughout. There's very little, if any, repetition unlike most other magazines that seem to regurgitate the same article every few months. Hardware reviews are kept to a minimum and I like the emphasis on presenting your work. Best by far if you ask me and well worth subscribing to.
 
The only time I buy a photography mag these days is at Christmas to keep me going in reading matter over the holiday period, or if I happen to see something that interests me when occasionally perusing the magazine shelf. I tend to look on the internet and/or watch YouTube for tips, hints, reviews, etc, these days. It doesn't cost the best part of £5 a time!
 
in the last 3 month I have bought, Outdoor photography, liked some of the articles but the next issue was fairly uninteresting. Nikons magazine looked interesting but the issue i saw was 50% wedding photography so would want to ensure the content was of interest first - not easy when sold in sealed bag- and practical photography again interesting articles but following month not so much.

Im not about to subsribe to any of them unless there is a silly offer like first 3 months for £1

Im 50/50 on paper vs digital. Paper means I dont have to have a tablet or laptop with me, phones are too small to really read a page from a magazine. Flip side one of the magazines had a printing issue where the article had shadowing on the text and images and often the images can look better digitally.
 
As someone whose output is predominantly black and white, I subscribe to Black + White magazine. It's well printed and well produced although the kind of stuff they feature (in terms of photographers work) is sometimes feels a bit samey. But I do look forward to it dropping through the door each month.

I don't buy any other print magazines, althoough I do subscribe to Readly on my Ipad, so will flick through Amateur Photographer every now and again.
 
As someone whose output is predominantly black and white, I subscribe to Black + White magazine. It's well printed and well produced although the kind of stuff they feature (in terms of photographers work) is sometimes feels a bit samey. But I do look forward to it dropping through the door each month.
I love the smell of the ink on the pages. It's not a magazine to rush.
 
I love the smell of the ink on the pages. It's not a magazine to rush.

Glad it’s not just me that appreciates that smell of ink when I open the bag and flick through the pages! It looks, feels and smells a bit special compared to all the other mags, but is maybe an acquired taste in terms of content.
 
I get Amateur Photographer and many more titles free with my Library membership, in truth it takes me about 5 mins to read the stuff that interests me. In pre-digital days I bought it every week (AP) perusing the 'used' sections for bargains and looking forward to camera, film and lens tests which weren't as regular as they are now. It also had a 'club' feel about the magazine then which it hasn't now, with APOY a worldwide competition and uploads to twitter etc. That's just the way of the modern world though and magazines such as AP will go the way of the modern world, i.e. cease to exist.
 
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Post 9 sums it up for me. Back in the 1960s, I read every photographic magazine I could find, cover to cover. In those days, there didn't seem to be the same repetition that many have noted here. I'm not interested in the equipment reviews (they don't review things I use), and most of the articles seem to be directed at those with short attention spans who couldn't cope with a connected piece of reasoning. There are only so many times you can look at an article on "how to add impact" or suchlike without thinking that it's all very well, but all it's doing is attempting to make all photographs the same...

I know that I'm guilty of the same fault in the articles I write for a local magazine - finding a few pretty pictures and then trying to string the minimum number of words round them.

The only magazine I get these days is Professional Imagemaker - that does actually review things of interest to me, in a more thorough way than I see elsewhere.
 
An ex colleague of mine a good few years back always sniffed the print runs proofs and magazines that came in. I once asked him why........as in his career he had been a litho press minder, ink was in his veins.
 
An ex colleague of mine a good few years back always sniffed the print runs proofs and magazines that came in. I once asked him why........as in his career he had been a litho press minder, ink was in his veins.

A blue blood? :exit:
 
An ex colleague of mine a good few years back always sniffed the print runs proofs and magazines that came in. I once asked him why........as in his career he had been a litho press minder, ink was in his veins.
Yes conventional inks have a great aroma, the linseed oil based letterpress inks were even nicer.:plus1:
 
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I'm another who prefers the printed article...liking the fact you can put the article down and pick it up later...

I subscribe to OP, PP and Digital Camera...PP is consistently poor, Digital Camera has good months and poor months (Claire Gillo can't hold her camera properly either !!!) and OP is consistently good....DC and PP tend to recycle stuff too much as well, I do love AP though, although I do miss the classifieds (that's with the demise of so many retailers...)
 
We subscribe to Outdoor photography Magazine. It has a bit of everything (other than studio) and it gives good information on locations.
 
That's been an interesting review. I'm subscribed to AP until or unless it becomes too predictable and repetitive, B&WP, and looking at occasional issues of OP. I get PP as a freebie but the constant Photoshop/Lightroom tutorials annoy me so I wouldn't pay for it.
Thanks to those who have given their thoughts
 
OP and B+W photography are the only ones I buy on a semi-regular basis. The others - haven't bought them for years. Interesting that OP and B+W are both from the same publisher.
 
Ag used to be good (and good value) in the late Chris Dickie years. And no-one's mentioned the BJP? That's a searing omission! If BJP is felt to be too steep at about a tenner an issue, what about Source with 4 issues a year at a quite reasonable price? Then there are things like Foam ... and Photoworks.

On-line there are some interesting free mags - look at Underdogs on Issuu for instance ...
 
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I tend to buy mags when they have interviews with or features on photographers who interest me, usually BJP or Professional Photography, as I'm more interested in approaches to photography than techniques, which is what most mags seem to concentrate on. BJP is a bit pricey these days, but the upside is few adverts adverts. I used to read Outdoor Photography after a friend had finished with it and thought it OK, but since he cancelled his subscription I haven't felt compelled to buy a copy

I thought everyone sniffs magazines and books when they are new. :D
 
AP is very bitty, and printed on such crappy paper for images. And if it's techniques you're after, I think that it's more efficient to target what you want to find out about on the internet, or buy a book. That way you can go as deep as you want without being limited to the short length of an article in a mag, and tailor the learning to where you want to go.
 
I enjoy things like B&W photography the BJP and the occasional Professional Photographer - I do like the feeling of paper still.

While I am far from a professional I find the more general titles - Digital Camera and the like, just a collection of ads, I cant really take the gear reviews seriously.
 
It's outdoor photographer for me, been getting it for some time now and too me seems the best of the bunch.
 
I really like Black and White photography. It makes me think, has interesting articles on techniques to try and doesn’t bang on about gear all the time. I don’t recall it being repetitive ever. I had a subscription for outdoor photography but I haven’t renewed it as it did feel a tad repetitive.
 
+1 for British Journal of Photography (BJP). Some really creative stuff in there, and good kit reviews. The emphasis is on up & coming photographers, and real quality features. Very good indeed, if a little “high brow” at times.
 
I used to buy the magazines but found that every year everything gets repeated so I no longer bother apart from Black & White Magazine which is fantastic. I have had the pleasure of meeting Elizabeth Roberts a couple times at work (Park Cameras) and she is a lovely lady. Also one of our ex colleagues works for the magazine too. I have never subscribed and do miss the odd issue so I'll get that sorted soon!
 
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