I have always thought that a photograph doesn’t truly come to life until you print it. I accept images look nice on vibrant, detailed high-resolution screens, but they lack the character that comes with a printed frame.

Thankfully, even in the digital era, publishers are still printing content rather than reserving it solely for the online world. In this article, we’ll look at the best photography magazines in 2024.

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Best photography magazines video

Key thoughts

• Viewing images in print helps bring photographs to life and gives them character.

• It’s a good idea to support new and independent magazines as it helps keep the medium alive.

• Consuming digital images isn’t inherently bad, but it is filled with lots of distractions that you remove when reading a photography magazine.

What are the best photography magazines in 2024?

• Frames Magazine - An excellent display of new and established photographers.

• Pamplemousse - One for all the film photography lovers.

• British Journal of Photography - A long standing photography magazine still publishing today.

• Photoworks - A registered charity printing an annual photography magazine.

• SHOTS magazine - It champions the best in black and white photography.

Like our selection of the best photography podcasts, this selection of the best photography magazines aims to showcase both new and established publishers. We especially want to support new and independent work because it helps to ensure that print photography is around for many years to come.

Below we’ll expand on why we think each magazine is amongst the best you can currently get, what they offer and how to get them. Let’s take a look.

Frames Magazine

About: Frames Magazine
Publishing cycle: Quarterly
Cost: $204 per year (also includes exclusive access to digital content plus a range of other perks and special offers).

Frames Magazine offers a 112 page magazine filled with a range of photographic genres and styles, all printed on high-quality uncoated paper. Mixing it up with a selection of established and up and coming photographers, the platform is a great way of getting your work out there. It’s also a useful source of inspiration.

On top of the four physical magazines that are published each year, Frames also offers plenty of digital content.

Your subscription fee gets you 12 digital magazines, access to exclusive interviews and plenty of special offers that are only available to subscribers.

Pamplemousse

About: Pamplemousse
Publishing cycle: Quarterly
Cost: $20 subscription every three months or $25 per issue.

Pamplemousse is an independent magazine that consists of a small team of three. Fronted by film photographer Nora Lalle, the magazine showcases the very best film photography around. It’s one of the most highly demanded magazines, and issues tend to sell out quickly.

Each issue tackles a specific theme such as life, humanity and alternative cultures. Pamplemousse has an open door policy when it comes to being featured. When a new issue is announced anyone is welcome to pitch an image that fits the specific theme.

Of course, not every photographer will be accepted, but we like that there isn’t a bunch of hurdles to jump over in order to get your work seen by others.

British Journal of Photography

About: British Journal of Photography
Publishing cycle: Five issues per year.
Cost: $25 per issue.

Established in 1854, the British Journal of Photography is still going strong. It has a long, rich history in publishing the best in contemporary photography. The works in this magazine challenge social ideas, highlight critical issues and focus on the nuances of being human.

While keeping the printed magazine as the foundation of its identity, it’s also grown into so much more. Subscribers gain access to prestigious photography awards, special edition print magazines and a plethora of digital content. It’s great to see the institution still doing what it does best after all this time.

Photoworks

About: Photoworks
Publishing cycle: Annually
Cost: $25 per issue.

Photoworks aims to make photography for everyone. Established in 1995, the platform is a registered charity with a key focus on inclusivity, opportunity and transparency. It aims to provide new, experimental approaches to photography that open up the door to a world of creativity and inspiration. Although based in England, it’s an international platform with a global reach.

The main magazine is published once a year, focusing on a different theme each time. If you don’t want to wait that long for a copy of print photography, you can also use the online shop to purchase a range of photobooks from new and long-standing photographers.

SHOTS magazine

About: SHOTS magazine
Publishing cycle: Quarterly
Cost: Between $10-$12 per issue.

SHOTS magazine is a print-only magazine with no digital options. It’s currently in its 34th year of publication and focuses solely on the best black and white photography.

Each issue is spared of writing, and instead gives its full attention to the photograph. From the mundane to the unusual, there’s every type of shot you can imagine, making it one of the more diverse magazines in the space.

The publication is one of the more affordable photography magazines and we like this because it makes photography accessible for people from a range of socio economic backgrounds.

Anyone can submit their work for consideration, the only request is that it’s black and white and coincides with the selected theme of each issue.

Why support the best photography magazines?

In the digital world, where so much content is free, why should you support the best photography magazines? First of all you get something tangible, something you can feel, smell and connect your senses to - we shouldn’t undervalue that experience.

You also get something you can return to for many years to come and can pass down to new generations to help inspire them to get into the world of photography.

The digital world is so fast that much of it becomes meaningless. The physical print, however, has real substantial value and can offer a more powerful emotional connection to the practice we love the most; photography.

FAQs: The best photography magazines

What is magazine photography?
Magazine photography is a selection of printed images that are published in a physical magazine.

What are the oldest photography magazines?
The British Journal of Photography is regarded as the longest running photography magazine and was established in 1854. The National Geographic is also one of the oldest photography magazines after its first issue came out in 1888.

Do magazines pay photographers?
Those with larger budgets and reach do tend to pay the photographers they feature.

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