As you all know, there are many photography magazines out there in the market. So, it is really tough to know which one is good for you. I have been into photography since 2009, and I have tried out most of the Photography magazines out there. So, I will make a list of 10 Best Photography magazines which I found very useful as a photographer.
What to look for in a Good Photography Magazine?
Before sharing the list of best photography magazines in 2019, I thought it would be good to share the criteria for selecting good Photography magazines.
1. Tips and Experience from the Experts
When it comes to photography, it is always best to get guidance from an expert in that field. As you know, there are many kinds of photography. So, each photographer would be following a particular type of photography.
A Wildlife Photographer can give you better photography tips that works for wildlife photography than a Fashion Photographer.
So, photography magazines should have topic which covers feature from the expert. It will be good learning for an upcoming photographer, who find it difficult to contact the experts in the field for guidance.
2. Latest Camera Gear and Trends
As a photographer, it is necessary to know the latest trends in camera gears and accessories. It is to ensure that you are up to date with the latest happenings in the camera field.
Camera technology is getting advanced day by day. So, if you are on the business side of photography, you should have the latest camera gear which your type of photography demands. Your client will inquire about the equipment you use to shoot.
3. Post-processing tips and Tutorials
The photography job is not complete unless you do the post-processing part. So, you should have a good knowledge of the basic photo edits.
You may be using Lightroom, Photoshop, Luminar, Affinity Photo, Topaz Studio, or any other photo editing software.
So, you should check whether the photography magazine you subscribe shares good post-processing tips and tutorials.
Different photography magazines share tutorials from various photo editing software. So, you will have to follow more than one. You should also ensure that the tips are useful for you.
4. Camera Gear Review
Good Photography Magazines will have a camera gear review section. This section will share the reviews of camera body, camera lens, and other camera accessories. Thus, you will come to know the performance of different camera gears.
These reviews will help you to decide if you are looking to buy a new camera gear or an upgrade. They will also give a rating based on their in-depth test results, which I find very useful.
5. Reader’s Question-Answer Section
The Reader’s Question Answer section is a must have option. If you have any questions relating to photography or camera gear, you can send it across the photography magazine.
They will have a group of photography and camera experts who are capable of giving the right answers to your queries.
You can also see the answers to the other reader’s questions in the section, which you will find useful. It has helped me many times to clear my photography related doubts.
6. Photography News Section
Good Photography magazines usually will have a section about the latest photography news like important photography awards announcement and its winners.
Many books are getting published by many famous renowned photographers. These books can be a good source of learning for you. The news section should have all these release details.
You will also come to know about the latest camera offers and discounts.
So, makes use of these useful tips while selecting a good photography magazine. I recommend reading more than one magazine for better learning.
10 Best Photography Magazines
Now, I will list out ten good photography magazines, which I found very useful.
1.Digital Photographer
Digital Photographer is a UK based photography magazine. It is available in both print as well as digital format.
You can use the digital version to view in your Android and iPhones. It’s a monthly magazine.
Digital Photographer magazine covers a wide range of topics like Camera equipment review, basic photography tutorials, photo editing tips, and much more.
Each edition is unique in its way and will be featuring an expert review on a particular type of photography. They share photography techniques in an easy to understand manner.
2. Amateur Photographer
Amateur Photographer magazine is a UK based weekly photography magazine.
It is one of the oldest weekly magazines for photographers. It is available in both print and pdf format.
They have a news section which covers the latest updates in the field of photography like new camera gear release, photography competition dates, and photography book release.
They also have a camera and lens review sections, the viewpoint from famous photographers, Reader’s inbox section, photography tips and advice from experts in the field.
In each edition, they will cover one of the fundamental aspects of photography in detail. It is handy for amateur photographers.
They also do a comparison study of various camera gears and share their test ratings, which is very useful.
3. Digital SLR Photography
Digital SLR Photography is one of the best photography magazines for beginners, available in both print and pdf format.
It has content for both photography enthusiast and professional photographers.
They have both photo skills section and editing section. Thus, it covers both the photography technique aspects as well as the post-processing side.
It also comes with a good collection of reader images in the Portfolio section. They cover Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop editing tutorials. This magazine is more beneficial for photography beginners.
4. PhotoPlus – The Canon Magazine
If you are a Canon user, then I highly recommend following PhotoPlus monthly photography magazine. It is available in both digital and print version.
It covers the necessary essential skills targeted towards the amateur Canon users and a Pro section for Canon professionals.
They have a section called “APPRENTICE” where they would take an amateur photographer with a professional one for shoot. Here, they teach how to capture beautiful images with their Canon camera.
I found this very interesting since they talk about the mistakes committed and how to avoid it, along with the pictures.
Any new updates in the Canon camera segment, you will come to know first from PhotoPlus magazine. This magazine helps you to get more out of your Canon camera.
5. Digital Camera World
Digital Camera World magazine is one of the best photography magazines out there. It’s a monthly magazine which is available in both print and digital format.
They have a section called Photo skills where they talk about tips to improve different photographic skills both with the camera and photo editing. Gear reviews, Reader’s best shots, and Shootout are the other interesting sections.
The Shootout section is a chance for an amateur photographer to work with a professional to improve his photography skills. Camera College is a section dealing with photography basic stuff, where they explain the basics with exciting graphics.
There is a section called “RAWWAR” where two of their Photoshop experts show how to edit the same RAW image to achieve the best looks.
6. N-Photo – The Nikon Magazine
If you are a Nikon user, then you should follow the N-Photo photography magazine.
They also have an “APPRENTICE” section just like the PhotoPlus magazine, which is for Canon users. It is a good chance for a better understanding of your Nikon camera.
In each edition, N-Photo covers one of the photography basics topics in details. It is useful for all types of photographers, especially for amateurs to learn the basics.
They also share good photography ideas and their techniques so that you can go ahead and practice with your Nikon Camera. You can also find good photo editing tutorials covering many post-processing tools.
They also share the latest Nikon compatible gear reviews and ratings.
7. Outdoor Photographer
Outdoor Photographer is another good photography magazine, available in both print and digital format. It covers mainly landscape and wildlife photography sections, along with the basics and advanced tutorials.
It will also feature the photography works of many well-known photographers in this field. So, it is a good chance for you to learn their techniques and to get inspired.
They also share camera gear news and reviews. You can also get useful photo editing tips focused on landscape and wildlife photography.
8. Photography Week
Photography Week is another inspiring magazine for photographers.
It is a weekly magazine, and each edition covers a photography topic in detail. You can also find the latest camera gear reviews and comparisons.
They have a crash course section where they explain photography tips in the easiest way possible. This photography magazine also covers photo editing tips and tutorials.
9. Professional Photographer
Professional Photographer magazine is one of the oldest photography magazines, based in the USA. You can buy the monthly print version as well as the digital one.
They share the news about the latest technology in the camera field, business advice for fellow photographers, and the essential tips to enhance photography skills. You can also find reviews about camera gears and accessories.
This magazine talks more about the professional side of photography. So, it will help you in the decision-making process in your photography business.
10. Practical Photography
Practical photography is a monthly photography magazine which is available in digital format and print.
It comes with four sections: Skills and Ideas, Regulars, Editing Skills and Get into Gear section.
So, it covers the photography basics tips, photo editing tutorials, camera and lens reviews, camera news, and feedback on Reader’s shot. Thus, it comes with all the necessary ingredients of a good photography magazine.
All the articles are informative and well written. It caters to the needs of both professional and amateur photographers.
Conclusion
So, if you are interested to learn more about photography, camera gear updates and reviews, then photography magazines are one of the best sources. So, make use of it and be a better photographer.
Reading a single magazine will not help you. So, I strongly recommend you to follow multiple ones since the topic covered varies for each magazine.
You might have heard this famous saying, “Too many cooks spoil the Broth.” So, you should not go and read all the photography magazines out there. So, select some of the best photography magazines which you find useful from this list and read regularly.
