I WAS JUST reading an article called “30 Photography Magazines Worth Subscribing To” over at Photo Tuts +, and it got me thinking about what a pleasure it is to leaf through a copy of National Geographic or a specialist title like Digital Photographer over a cup of coffee — preferably away from the laptop and its insistent tugs for your attention.
That feeling when the world around you deliquesces as you immerse yourself in one glorious, glossy travel photo after another until the next thing you know an hour has slipped by. It feels like such a rare and dignified treat these days.
There’s far more photography on the internet than there is in print, but somehow (and this applies to the printed word too, for me) there’s something “purer” in browsing a magazine – or newspaper, or art book etc. – than the computer screen.
This is partly due to being a published photographer and loving to see my work in print mags but I think mostly due to the lack of distractions. Reading a decent-sized article or looking at amazing photos on the internet is the equivalent, for me, of sitting down in a cafe with the latest issue of your favorite new magazine and having a bunch of strangers start talking loudly at you, “poking” you, calling your cellphone repeatedly, jumping up and down and waving their hands in front of you, and hurling handwritten messages at your face.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not an anti-internet Luddite type. I love the fact the internet and other technologies have made photography so much more accessible and exciting. And I know, I know, I could turn the internet connection off. In fact I’ve tried, but it’s still there – humming and glowering, silently imploring me to turn it back on.
“C’mon dude,” it whispers (it has serious Californian aspirations). “Y’know I got untold visual treats for yo’ ass.”
So, no: a “non invasive” environment works way better for me when it comes to these treasured and rare moments. And it was therefore very inspiring to read the article mentioned above and realize you can still get so many great travel photography magazines delivered directly to your door, as opposed to your desktop.
Which one would you subscribe to, if the internet wasn’t keeping your eyes from the printed media prize?
What are your favorite print photo mags (or just mags with best photography)? Please let us know in the comments below.