Do You Subscribe to Photography Magazines?

[Geaux]

If so, which ones are you reading? I'm looking for a magazine that has some tutorials/upcoming bodies/lenses/sharing of work/etc. It's mostly for casual reading, but also want to get something out of it, plus see some photos.


Thanks.

 

[Boomn4x4]

No

 

[PenguinPhotoWrx]

I used to. But the problem with photo magazines is twofold. First, the rules of photography don't change much. Focal length is focal length, depth of field is depth of field. After about a year or so, you'll find that the tutorial stuff starts to repeat- yeah, different article written by a different author, but the message is exactly the same. How many times do you need to read about the Sunny F/16 rule?

The other problem I have is with articles on how to shoot certain things- pick your poison- travel, bathing suits, etc.

OK, so how do you shoot great pictures of bikinis for a client? First, hire 5 gorgeous models. Second, get top line hair/makeup artists. Then, fly to an exotic tropical location with 4 tons of photography equipment (all top of the line stuff) and your 3 assistants..........

Travel- OK, first book a trip to Bora Bora...

Get the idea?

I'm thinking about subscribing to some again, if someone can convince me they aren't like that anymore.

 

[DanFinePhotography]

only one. Popular photography. Got a great deal and has some pretty good reads

 

[Josh66]

I'm thinking about subscribing to some again, if someone can convince me they aren't like that anymore.

They still are.



I used to read a few of them, but I let all the subscriptions run out.

They're real bad about being half ads and half gear reviews. That doesn't really leave anything for actual 'substance'.

Gear reviews get old real quick. How long can you stand reading about a bunch of crap you're not going to buy?
At the rate most people buy gear, searching for a review on-line makes more sense than getting monthly updates on every new thing coming out for every system.

Every other page is an ad... :thumbdown: I know they have to pay for the magazine, but shouldn't the cost of subscription cover most of that?


If you want good photography, and can do without the gear reviews and tutorials (which they do recycle...) - get some art magazines.

Virtually no ads at all, and higher quality work. They usually cost more though... But hey - your subscription fees are actually getting you more pages of substance, and less of ads.

edit
The only 'problem' with art type magazines, is that there are no tutorials, how-to guides, exif for the pictures, before & after examples, etc...
It's strictly just pictures, with maybe a short bio of the photographer/artist and contact info.

So, if you're looking for guides & tutorials, you may not like those. If you just want to see some good pictures, check it out.

 

[Geaux]

I used to. But the problem with photo magazines is twofold. First, the rules of photography don't change much. Focal length is focal length, depth of field is depth of field. After about a year or so, you'll find that the tutorial stuff starts to repeat- yeah, different article written by a different author, but the message is exactly the same. How many times do you need to read about the Sunny F/16 rule?

The other problem I have is with articles on how to shoot certain things- pick your poison- travel, bathing suits, etc.

OK, so how do you shoot great pictures of bikinis for a client? First, hire 5 gorgeous models. Second, get top line hair/makeup artists. Then, fly to an exotic tropical location with 4 tons of photography equipment (all top of the line stuff) and your 3 assistants..........

Travel- OK, first book a trip to Bora Bora...

Get the idea?

I'm thinking about subscribing to some again, if someone can convince me they aren't like that anymore.

Understandable. Truthfully, I don't want the magazine b/c I think it'll substitute as some of the better photo books out there, but more or less, a time killer reading things that I have an interest in.

I just signed up for a free subscription to After Capture and Rangefinder Magazines ... we'll see how they turn out, if they're bad ... they're free lol.

I always like articles on post processing, so I'm hoping the After Capture read is a good one.

 

[786soul]

Right now I subscribe to shutterbug. It's more equipment reviews and some tips on photography in general but it's cheap and is fun to read with most of the articles. The magazine, like mentioned above, is more for time-killing and lazing rather than really getting something out of.

 

[white]

I prefer art/design magazines.

shots
CMYK

 

[Morpheuss]

i don't have a subscription but just pick one up every now and then if the cover and stuff catches my eye and flip threw it to see if i want to buy it or not

 

[Polyphony]

I made a thread just like this several weeks ago. The conclusion that I came to was, any information that you read in a magazine you can also find online. And the information online will probably be more informative, more detailed, more in depth etc. If it's not, you can always find another website that is.

 

[Overread]

Nat Geo - National Geographic!! Great photos every time; not too many ads; articles actually worth sitting down and reading and sometimes they even talk to photographers to!

Otherwise most photo mags are as has been said above - light on content, heavy on ads and gear reviews and every year they effectivly recycle most of the articles anyway. You just don't get any depth in them either - once you know the basics you won't get much more from most mags.
The other thing (that really annoys me) is any editing advice is written for photoshop - not elements, but full $/£500+ photoshop. A real mistake I think to focus on software that (legally) most of their beginner level readers won't be able to make any use of.
That and having half a mag + of ads - if I want ads I'll get the ad trader

 

[Overread]

I made a thread just like this several weeks ago. The conclusion that I came to was, any information that you read in a magazine you can also find online. And the information online will probably be more informative, more detailed, more in depth etc. If it's not, you can always find another website that is.

This always strikes me as odd - I would have thought the net and free info would have made mags even more keen to seek out people to write indepth and informative articles to keep hold of their readership.

 

[Idahophoto]

Yeah, but I favor the European mags over ours here in the states. I have a subscription for Professional Photographer (My favorite mag here) and Shutterbug. Once in awhile Ill grab Pop photo or something if they have something intersting in them like a review on something I am looking at.

 

[doziergraphic]

Yeah, but I favor the European mags over ours here in the states. I have a subscription for Professional Photographer (My favorite mag here) and Shutterbug. Once in awhile Ill grab Pop photo or something if they have something intersting in them like a review on something I am looking at.

Without question the BEST photo mags are from the UK. If you can get to Borders Bookstore, they're pricey (about $10 each) are usually a month behind (big deal), but FULL of beginner/novice stuff. American photo mags are all ads (which are nice to check out of course) very little instruction, thin in comparison to overseas mags, and mostly about exotic places that I'll never be able to afford to go.

Digital SLR Photography
Practical Photography
Digital SLR User Magazine
and Digital Photographer

Four mags I look forward to EVERY month.

 

[Polyphony]

I made a thread just like this several weeks ago. The conclusion that I came to was, any information that you read in a magazine you can also find online. And the information online will probably be more informative, more detailed, more in depth etc. If it's not, you can always find another website that is.

This always strikes me as odd - I would have thought the net and free info would have made mags even more keen to seek out people to write indepth and informative articles to keep hold of their readership.

The problem is determining which online articles and websites contain valuable/useful data.