Recommended magazine reading material

[GreedyRogue]

I am fairly new to photography, and have started looking at magazines for new tips, ideas, etc. Of the dozens of photography magazines available, what would be the best for general reading? I have not decided what I want to go with as far as nature versus portrait, so just a nice general magazine is what i am looking for.

List your favorite mag, and explain why you like it. Did it help you become a better photographer, or does it always have a new idea in each edition, that sort of thing.

[Daisy Mae]

Hi there!

Can you tell us what country you are in because that will affect availability.

They tend to be a bit repetitive in content after a while but are good for info on new products.

[GreedyRogue]

United states, specifically Idaho. I am less interested in products than I am techniques and interesting ideas.

[Shadowman]

United states, specifically Idaho. I am less interested in products than I am techniques and interesting ideas.

It would be rare to find a photography magazine that did not showcase new gear. Two magazines that I find useful are:

Popular Photography: has detailed analysis of lenses.
Digital Photo: compares different lenses and has Photoshop tuturials.

[Dave Humphries]

Or tell us your first name and hang out here

It's free
Always something new
World class tutorials
Questions answered
Personal critiques of your images available on demand

Cheers,

[rpcrowe]

IMO CiC is the greatest... It has up to date information, great tips by friendly experts and its free. Now if someone could only devise a way to read it in the lavatory, it would be perfect. BTW: I tried my smart phone in there but the fonts are too small on that tiny screen...

Every once in a while, I subscribe to Outdoor Photographer magazine (when they have a super sale on their subscriptions) and, although it is aimed at nature photography, most of the information is valid in other areas of photography.

Flipping through magazines on the book rack of Barnes and Noble, I like many of the U.K. magazines but, they are too expensive over here.

But if you want a magazine with (IMO) the best selection of quality photographs which are a history of our art form, the National Geographic Magazine CD(ROM) set would be a top contender. http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Natio.../dp/B0000296YH

[rtbaum]

William- I second (third?) this opinion; CiC has as many informative articles as any magazine off the rack, plus the opportunity to post your own photos for critique, the critiques are seldom mean spirited and are quite helpful. Outdoor Photographer is pretty good, but after a time it seems like a rehash of the same articles. Their website is actually better. National Geographic has some pretty good articles on technique. The "other site" for me is Nature Photographer's Network, very good articles in archives.

[Andrew1]

Check out the British magazines. I find them more informative with less ads compared to their North American counterparts. Digital Camera and Digital SLR are my two favourites at the moment.

[GreedyRogue]

Well definitely a big showing for the forums. I do like the forums here but I get "nearsighted" when I visit. for example, when I visit the forums it's to look up specific things like macro. I figured with a magazine I would get a broad range of topics that could pique my interest and then to I can do the research here.

Self research is fine and I usually excel at finding what I need. I just thought one or two mags might point me to certain techniques I haven't seen before, and then I can go research.

For example, I just bought an old film camera set for $50 with some lenses I have never used before. I picked up 2 primes, a 55mm and a 200, a 2X teleconverter, and a wide angle 28mm, all in M42 mount. The adapter to mount them on my eos body is already on the way.

I have never used a prime, only zoom lenses. I heard the quality is better with primes. And I have never used a wide angle. Already searched the forums for wide angle and found some interesting articles and uses.

[russellsnr]

And it's FREE!!!
http://www.photographybb.com/magazine/

Russ

[GreedyRogue]

A perfect example to a easy request. Downloading the latest edition now to check it out.

Free is a price that is hard to compete with lol.

[dan marchant]

Check out the British magazines. I find them more informative with less ads compared to their North American counterparts. Digital Camera and Digital SLR are my two favourites at the moment.

While I also vote for the forums I also agree with Andrew. I am in Hong Kong but get the UK magazine Digital SLR Photography every month. Excellent tutorials on all manner of subjects inc Macro, Landscape, Glamour, Portrait and numerous other techniques.

[Colin Southern]

Commercial magazines drive me bananas. Generally they consist of 2 things ... advertisements for products (with all the misleading inuendo that entails), and "reviews" which give a multitude of specifications - comparisons - analysis ... the only problem is that in the process they COMPLETELY "miss the boat" with regards to what it takes to create a great image (and I'll give you a hint; it has little to do with high-iso performance, on-camera flash diffusers, data card speed, books that promise to "reveal the secrets of the pros", workshops, competitions).

Personally, I can't be bothered with any of them.

Having just said all that - one of the ones that I always found great value for money (it's a great mag AND it's free), is Pbase Magazine ...

http://www.pbase.com/magazine (some members might fine issue 6 of particular interest, but don't tell Sean I mentioned it ... again!).

PS: I should add, if you're serious about photography training, pop along to www.kelbytraining.com and sign up for a month - they have hundreds of onlibe video courses -- all top shelf stuff.

[drjuice]

My first choice is Outdoor Photographer because I mostly do that type of work. My second choice is Shutterbug because they often have what a friend of mine calls "oddwad stuff" that, by its approach, brings to mind some similar problem where that particular technique would have worked incredibly well.

I do like reading the reviews in several mags because often one reviewer will come up with something nobody else mentions.

For the most part, being able to download individual articles that can go with me when I try to develop my own skills with a particular method is well worth my subscriptions so that the paper versions stay intact.

IJS....

v

[Donald]

I notice that William's request was about an appropriate magazine for general reading. So, my choice doesn't meet that criteria. But for when he (and others) wish to develop more specialisation, my choice is the UK's 'Black & White Photography'.

It does, of course, carry its fair share of advertising, but is, I find an informative journal. It's small in size (in comparision with some of the forest-destroying mighty tombs that I see on the shelves of the shops each month), but, I think, well formed. It contains relevant stuff and is not 'padded out' with rubbish.

[Brev00]

I have also found British magazines to be first rate. I do not buy one until I scan the cover since the articles and themes can be very specific. For example, I like to get Advanced Photographer. Amazing pictures which is what this hobby is all about. But, this past issue covered topics that did not attract my interest so I passed. If you shoot with Nikon, NPhoto is another British magazine that, of course, has more of tilt to gear review. It still has great pictures and articles.