If you’re just getting started in the field of photography, you want to soak up all the information you can about cameras, lenses, and various photographic techniques. One of the best ways to do that is to subscribe to photography magazines that are geared towards the beginner. But, which ones are the best?
We’ve put together a list of 21 of the best photography magazines for beginners. These will give you technical information, genre ideas, gear reviews, and much more. These magazines provide you with a great way to learn more about everything related to photography!
General Magazines
These are magazines that give great general advice for numerous kinds of photography.
1. Popular Photography
This is an ideal magazine for beginners. It covers broad-interest topics and offers great basic information for aspiring photographers. The magazine features product reviews, tutorials on how to use different equipment, and guidance on cameras.
Every issue is loaded with information that beginners need to know. It is, in fact, an ideal magazine for those who want to make photography their chosen avocation or vocation. A subscription runs $49.99 per year.
2. Outdoor Photography
This is the go-to magazine for photographing anything outdoors. That includes nature, landscape, wildlife, and much more. If you’re interested in taking photographs outside, this is the magazine for you.
It includes feature articles by top professional photographers, and it provides technical advice about gear for both amateurs and professionals. A subscription to the magazine is on sale for $36.99 annually.
3. Practical Photography
This magazine is great for beginners because it publishes content that is useful for real-world situations. It has post-processing tips and techniques as well that will help new learners understand how to edit their images.
Its content is written by experts, and it features inspirational images as well as interviews with the pros. It’s one of the few photography magazines out there that covers a large variety of genres. It also has a section for featuring images taken by readers. There are a variety of subscription options, which you can see using the following link.
4. Digital Photographer
This is a great magazine for photography enthusiasts and professionals alike. It will help you improve your skills and your portfolio.
The content is written by experts who are well-established in the industry. And, there’s a “Behind the Scenes” section that allows readers to see just how the pros work. It will give you great ideas and inspiration for your own work.
It covers every genre from astrophotography to wildlife photography. An annual subscription runs $40.99.
Regional Magazines
5. Shutterbug – United States
This makes the list as one of the best photography magazines in the US because it has a unique focus on the advanced beginner. It’s great for those beginners who are ready to make the transition to professional–they’re ready to take that next step.
It offers articles that are focused on more technical aspects of photography. The articles assume the reader has a good grasp on the basics, and they are slanted towards improving your photographs. And, the articles are written by professionals who are currently active in their fields.
It’s a great resource for any digital photographer, but it’s especially helpful for newcomers who are transitioning to professional status.
6. Outdoor Photographer – United States
This is a great magazine for beginners that focuses mostly on landscape, flora, and wildlife photography–pretty much everything related to outdoor photography. It is considered one of the best photography magazines on the market because of its easy to read articles, creative technical solutions for photographers, and of course, advice on photography equipment.
It is great for amateurs and pros alike who are looking for engaging content at a moderate price. There are different magazine subscriptions available, ranging in price from $3.99 per month to $7.99 per month. And, it’s one of the few magazines that offers both a digital and print subscription.
7. Australian Photography Magazine – Australia
This magazine’s been around for almost 60 years and is one of the best-selling photography magazines in Australia. It’s got great photography competitions for amateur photographers, and its goal is to help your improve your skills. It’s got excellent expert advice as well as inspiration for better images.
The articles cover contemporary topics, such as post-production, gear reviews, useful photography tips, and in-depth interviews with the pros. A digital subscription will run you $78.90 per year, but it’s money well-spent.
8. Photo Review Magazine – Australia
This is a quarterly magazine that has great information for photographers of every level. The magazine has tips that are written in an easy-to-read style, and they cover everything from what camera to buy, to shooting, organizing, and then editing and printing your photographs.
They also feature high-quality images from professional photographers in their portfolio section. And, the content then gives details about just how those pros got those inspirational shots. When they review equipment, they do so thoroughly with great details regarding performance. A subscription will cost you $19.90 per year, so it is an affordable choice.
9. British Journal of Photography – United Kingdom
This is one of the oldest photography magazines in the world–it was founded in 1854! It is also Britain’s most popular photography magazine. As the name implies, it is based in the UK, and it focuses on fine art and documentary images.
Each month, the content of the magazine is organized around a theme, such as wildlife photography or documentary photography. It also includes interviews with some of the best and most famous photographers from around the world.
10. Amateur Photographer Magazine – United Kingdom
This is a weekly magazine that was first published in October of 1884. It offers the latest news and reviews regarding photography and the necessary gear. It helps amateur photographers take their skills to the next level by offering advice on creating meaningful images.
The features include reader portfolios, unbiased product reviews, technical tips, tests on equipment, and general information regarding film and digital photography. The ‘photo insight’ section explains, in detail, how particular images were captured by the photographer. There is also a ‘reader’s spotlight’ section that features selected images submitted by readers. And, there’s a section for readers to ask technical questions and get expert advice. A subscription runs £22.99 per quarter, including 12 issues.
11. PhotoLife Magazine – Canada
This is a great photography magazine in terms of both content and quality. It’s a bimonthly magazine aimed at the beginner and intermediate photographer. It has great layout and design, and features with stunning images–the technical details of which are provided to the reader.
The articles are themed in accordance with the seasons of the year. There are also interviews with famous photographers and annual photo contests. Of course, the magazine offers gear reviews, tips for shooting and post-production, and photography techniques for the various photographic genres. A subscription will run you $29.99 per year.
12. PhotoEd – Canada
This magazine is published in Canada, and has the specific goal of educating and inspiring Canadian photography students. It’s a theme-based magazine that is written and curated by professional photographers.
It has an educational structure that features tutorials, how-to’s and guides. It also has a reader’s section that features images from new learners. It is published three times per year, and costs $20 CAD per year, whereas their fall 2019 “documentary photography” issue costs $8.
Technical Magazines
13. Black and White Magazine
This magazine is one that is dedicated to fine art photography. It focuses on profiling artists and displaying images which readers have submitted. The images are fine art black and white photographs, and it includes both digital and film photography.
It is full of inspirational photographs that will show you how to create more than a photo; rather it will help you create a work of photographic art. It is considered a great magazine for any level of photographer out there. Yearly subscriptions run $35.00.
14. Digital SLR Photography
This is another photography magazine aimed at beginners and intermediate amateur photographers who are interested in digital photography. It showcases reader’s images, and it has an expert critique section that helps readers understand how to take their images to the next level.
The expert panel reviews images sent in by readers and demonstrates how to improve them. The majority of the images are published with the technical details so that readers can see how they were produced. The magazine also reviews less common, but more budget-friendly, brands to show beginners that they can still get great images without expensive gear. An annual subscription runs £45, and there are 12 issues per year.
15. Nature Photographer
This is another magazine that is only published three times per year. It is considered one of the top photography magazines for beginners, and therefore, it is structured like a guide. The content helps beginners learn different aspects of nature photography. It has very few advertisements, and the articles are easy to read. It is also community-centered, and features a section where readers can submit their photographs for possible publication.
The content also researches locations known for great wilderness photography, and offers plenty of advice on different techniques from macro to wildlife, and from landscape to seascape. The published images also include essays by the photographer explaining how they captured that image. This kind of human touch inspires photographers to go out there and capture some stunning images themselves. Subscriptions start from $26.
16. Silvershotz
This was originally called Black & White enthusiast. In 2004, the name was changed to Silvershotz, and the format of the magazine changed to an online interactive platform. They do print an annual book each year in November, and it features 25 portfolios from their online publications. Its content now focuses on contemporary photography portfolios from around the world.
The articles are themed, and the content also includes technical information, in-depth interviews, and book reviews. Readers can share images on Facebook, and vote for their favorite photographers. Each year, the top 15 photographers are chosen from that platform and featured in the annual print edition.
Another great feature of this magazine is that there are no advertisements–just great photographs. The magazine subscription offers two options–silver or platinum ($25 or $40 per year).
17. Aperture
This is a quarterly magazine founded in 1952. It covers a wide range of subjects including topics as diverse as outdoor photography and architecture photography. It features some of the most famous photographers from around the world, the prints are high quality, and the images also include some of the best writing related to art theory and history. These are important topics, the basics of which every aspiring photographer should know.
The content pushes photographers to think from a different perspective and strive to produce unique images. The magazine also produces content about new ideas in the field, debates, projects, and more, all centered on a theme for that issue. It also has fewer advertisements than other magazines, so there is less distraction from the rich content. It is one of the pricier magazines, but the content makes it worth the money. There are a couple of subscription options ranging from $59.95 per year to $110 per year.
18. Better Photography Magazine
This is an Australian magazine that is aimed at both amateur and professional photographers. It focuses on the information you need about photographic techniques that will allow you to capture the best images. It is published quarterly, and each issue has information that will be valuable to both novices and pros.
The articles feature interviews with successful photographers, and include detailed information alongside the samples of their work. They also focus on the stories behind the photos. Additionally, you’ll find equipment reviews, readers’ photo galleries as well as competitions and information on workshops.
All of the content is aimed at helping you improve your skills. A subscription will get you access to all the back issues, and it costs $49.99 per year.
19. Black and White Minimalism
This magazine, as the name suggests, focuses on black and white images that are of reduced complexity for a minimalist style. The focus is on the balance between light, shadows, and grey tones. It is really an art form, since the images use very few details to convey the concept of minimalism while, at the same time, they create a unique visual experience.
There are also interviews with the artists, who detail how they captured such a unique image. The magazine is free if viewed online, and readers can also submit their images for possible publication.
20. Digital Camera
This magazine is also known as Digital Camera World, and it is a British magazine. It is considered one of the best magazines for DSLR photography and mirrorless photography. For those of you who don’t know, mirrorless photography refers to cameras that are always exposed to the light source.
This magazine is an excellent way for beginners to learn more about that. It offers 13 issues per year that run $6.46 per issue for digital issues, and $8.62 for print issues. You can also get both a print and digital copy of an issue for $11.92. The magazine also covers information about the latest equipment as well as tips and techniques that the experts use.
21. Shutter
There’s a couple of reasons this is one of the best photography magazines for beginners. First, it’s the perfect blend between art and business. The goal of the magazine is to provide current, in-depth, educational content for both wedding and portrait photographers.
They use the latest techniques and the content is relevant to the audience, which is conceived of as aspiring professionals. But, the content is easy-to-read for all levels of photographers, and the tips are relevant for many other genres as well. For example, a current article is about creating a successful photography narrative, and that’s relevant for any genre. Another reason this is a great photography magazine is that it is free if you view the content online. If you prefer a printed version, it’ll cost you $49 per year.
Each of the magazines listed above offer beginners expert advice on taking stunning, memorable images. If you’re an aspiring professional or just an avid amateur, these magazines are a great way to improve your skills and capture the images that will leave you breathless.
Whether you just want general information or you’re looking for tips in a specific genre of photography, these are the best photography magazines to consult in order to take your skills to a higher level. They offer practical advice from the experts on how to improve your images and capture compelling, innovative, and spectacular photographs.
A few of these magazines are free if viewed online, and many more are budget friendly, and so, there’s no reason why you can’t utilize these great resources to improve your photographs. And, many of them allow readers to submit their own images for review and possible publication. There’s also great advice for professionals in these publications! So, if you’re looking to improve your photos, look no further than the pages of any one of these great magazines for photographers.
