BJP and other magazines

TriggerHappy

TriggerHappy

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I'm a bit sick, quite frankly, of reading the same old in the more popular camer magazines. They always strike me as too shallow in technique and uninspiring in content and a cover to cover read can take no time at all so I'm looking for alternatives.
The British Journal of Photography caught my eye as a slightly different approach to photography magazines and it's weekly which is a big plus in my eyes, but i've never seen it on the shelves of any of the places I usually take a gander at what's on offer.
What are your opinions of BJP and are there any nationwide companies that will stock it so that I can pick one up and see if a subscription is worth while? Finally, are there any alternatives that offer a slightly more in-depth look at photography or maybe take a more photojournalistic approach?

Thanks folks!
 
I know exactly what you mean about the mags and their content; I love my photography, but they hold less and less interest for me as the weeks pass at the moment.

Spent the princely sum of a fiver on one last week and was binning it after 15 minutes... same old recycled junk... and that's the magazine content I'm talking about, not what was in the bin!
 
Flash In The Pan said:
WH Smiths and Borders both stock the BJP
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Thanks, I'll call in the next time I'm passing to pick up a copy.

DekHog said:
I know exactly what you mean about the mags and their content; I love my photography, but they hold less and less interest for me as the weeks pass at the moment.

Spent the princely sum of a fiver on one last week and was binning it after 15 minutes... same old recycled junk... and that's the magazine content I'm talking about, not what was in the bin!
Click to expand...

Glad it's not just me that's fed up with their content!
 
Photo mags are certainly not what they used to be - the internet and places like this have seen to that. But most magazines have some good technique articles that you don't get elsewhere, and the images look better in print.

Go to W H Smith and check out the alternatives to the mainstream mags, which inevitably repeat stuff usually on a two year cycle. BJP is different, and so are the other professional mags. Outdoor Photography is different, too.
 
I love AP as a quick read, but in reality AP can be summarised thus;

first page - AP editor bemoans gearlust
p2-8 hot news about camera we all saw on dpreview last month
p9-12 anger about latest injustice to latest street tog
p13-20 reader galleries
p21-p50 varied gear stuff
p51-100 adverts and shopping.

In truth I spend most of my reading time in the back pages, looking over the ffordes/mifsuds/grays/wex stuff to keep an eye on prices...

I know it's never any different, but I still buy it most weeks. The last BJP I read was given to me at FOI, and it's a cracking read.
 
danbroad said:
I love AP as a quick read, but in reality AP can be summarised thus;

first page - AP editor bemoans gearlust
p2-8 hot news about camera we all saw on dpreview last month
p9-12 anger about latest injustice to latest street tog
p13-20 reader galleries
p21-p50 varied gear stuff
p51-100 adverts and shopping.

In truth I spend most of my reading time in the back pages, looking over the ffordes/mifsuds/grays/wex stuff to keep an eye on prices...

I know it's never any different, but I still buy it most weeks. The last BJP I read was given to me at FOI, and it's a cracking read.
Click to expand...

:lol:
 
Suggest that you try one of the larger public libraries, for example Bristol city library or the one in UWE. These libraries will tend to stock back issues for a number of years.

If you locate the magazine then you won't have to pay for it.

Have a good read.

John
 
TriggerHappy said:
What are your opinions of BJP and are there any nationwide companies that will stock it so that I can pick one up and see if a subscription is worth while? Finally, are there any alternatives that offer a slightly more in-depth look at photography or maybe take a more photojournalistic approach?

Thanks folks!
Click to expand...
Being a subscriber I get the BJP every week.
It can be a bit "hit and miss" with its content but surely that is only to expected given that it tries to cover a variety of subjects from reviews of equipment through to analysis of photographic projects? It is aimed mostly at professionals taking photographs for newspapers/magazines or for submission to photo agencies.
It is not a magazine that you can learn new techniques easily from (as it is usually assumed the readership already know the techniques). The technical reviews of equipment tend to be rather in depth and mostly relating to digital SLRs (rather than medium or large format).
To be honest, I don't really know if it is worth the price. Then along comes a good article which is in fact really very good so I guess I'll keep buying it!
You'll need to read several issues to form your own opinion I feel.
 
I think the problem with most of the magazines in the like of WH Smiths, is they are cashing a shrinking market, so every autumn it is Autumn colours, winter is black and white, spring is IR new colours then into summer and its filters, landscape etc etc etc.

If you have a really good Borders near you then go have a look at the Imported or Fine Art magazines they get. Some like Hot Shoe, Silvershots, AG concentrate mainly on photographers and virtually devoid of gear envy reviews.

Also check out things like American Photo, B&W, or the French version of American Photo which is always interesting to see how other countries view and see photography.

Oh and as an unfortunate side note these mags can be a lot more than the ones you get in WH Smiths :D
 
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