Abstract

Photographic essays, without compromise, of the most significant work in photography.
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Reviews (4)

Pretentious and Plodding
Aperture is THE premier photographic magazine today... which is to say it embodies all the fashionable cliches and pretentions of the contemprary post-modern scene.

Out of focus shots? Ragged borders? All here. Family snapshots reinterpreted as high art? We got 'em. Egocentric self-portraits by the dozen? Step right up.

The "art" in Aperture is uniformly artless, deadly dull, and devoid of any human feeling. But that's what the critics are selling these days.

Joyless Art
This magazine is full of ART (sound of trumpets here). The photographs are unfailingly serious, moody, joyless affairs. There is no room in its pages for smiles, love, or happiness.

As an example, the 50 year retrospective in 2002 had at least three photographs (all technically excellent) of bodies and one of an amputated foot (also technically excellent). Tucked in one corner of one montage was the only smiling face in the entire two issues of the retrospective.

So, if you like your art dark and depressing, subscribe. I'm looking for something a bit brighter.

ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHY AT ITS BEST AND A COLLECTIBLE
Aperture has one of the most outstanding reputations for bringing its readers the best in artistic photography. I own several editions of the publication which are put up in areas where they will be kept cool and dry because the magazine is so highly collectible. Some editions on auction have netted hundreds of dollars. And Aperture covers a wide array of subjects, from mailboxes out on country roads, to architecture, from rare plants, to bizarre special effects, Aperture brings you photography you'll want to look at again and again and again. You'll get photographs from some of the world's most renowned photographers, and you'll get them on pages so pristine, you'd think you were viewing them at a gallery. If you want a magazine that gives you "The All" in photography, Aperture has it. Oh, and one more note, from time to time Aperture offers its customers the opportunity to purchase rare collectibles, many of which are autographed by the photographers.

Pleasingly Interesting
Aperture mixes interesting pictures, that are satisfying to the eye with more mainstream pictures that would appeal to all categories of photographers. Aperture is for those who do not like there pictures characteristic of so called "normal family pictures" These pictures are amazing... Aperture magazine is amazing...If you are thinking that it is not worth the price, think again because Aperture will definantly have you taking and seeing your pictures in a whole new light. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

well worth reading
A great read for those interested in car audio. It keeps me up to date and informed on the newest equiptment. GET IT!! ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Shutterbug Magazine Review
Shutterbug magazine is a great magazine for people intersted in purchasing camera equipment due to the large amount of advertisements included in the magazine. Also the magazine includes reviews and previews of new camera equipment. The one problem with the magazine is that it gives very little photographic advice. So if your interested in purchasing new equipment and reading reviews and previews for new equipment, shutterbug magazine is for you. Because not only does shutterbug tell you about whats new and what to buy in camera equipment, it has around 30 different camera stores advertising cameras with two of the stores each with around 20 page ads.If your not interested in purchasing new equipment, and your just interested in photography advice, stay away from shutterbug.

Shutterbug Magazine (ads,ads, info, and then some more ads.
I find this magazine an excellent source for finding some current prices for equipment, but it falls short on the technical side. It is printed in a large format with many, many full page photographic dealer's ads. I have ran across some good articles, but find it more of a collection of... well... ads!

Not for point and shoot
Shutterbug is not an 'art' photography magazine. It's focused more on gear and commercial techniques than on artistic photography. (If you want artistic, check out Lenswork or a similar publication.)

For me, one of the more interesting features is Joe Farace's column that reviews photography websites -- looking for both great photos as well as good web design. As I keep my photos online (http://www.theragens.com/photos), this is a column that I look to for interesting ideas. Other columns are also interesting.

Still, I give this three stars. I read it every month but I look for inspiration to Popular Imaging for basic techniques and to Outdoor Photographer (UK magazine) or Outdoor Photography (US magazine) for topics that are more of interest.

Junk
I am cross posting this most of these photo magazines are published by the same company under a different name. I have read them ALL!

First, 77%+ of this magazine is advertisements. That leaves under 25% of material. The material that does remain is bare minimum informational and tends to just show "pretty photos". Coverage on camera gear appears skewed since EVERYTHING is GREAT. This leads me to believe advertisers sway them.

In short, this is an advertising pamphlet with a cover price. If you need information, typing "photography" in any search engine will give you more information in 30 seconds then a 10 year subscription.

I wrote the main company about the 77% issue and they stated that they are aware of the amount of advertisement and quoted a percentage higher then I stated. That this was necessary to continue producing a magazine of this quality.

Quality? OK, if this is quality then I don't know what to say other then the semi professional magazines are free of charge from the publishers, contain actual subjective information, and are produced on high quality paper with fewer than 30% advertising.

99% Commercial Magazine
I don't want to talk a lot about this magazine because the reason is so simple THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS MAGAZINE except ads and ads and ads from the very first page till the last one !"you will find few pages of ads even before the index "
it might have 7 or 9 good pages in each issue but so what ? you can find such info anywhere !!
...
lets say an honest word about it
if you are one of those who likes to sell and buy cameras it might be good for you , but if you are interested in real art photography think of something else ... Read more

Abstract

Aimed at photographers, provides informative articles on all aspects of amateur photography, how-to features, columns and portfolios.
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Reviews (7)

A decent introduction to photography with unhelpful reviews
This magazine is basically composed of how-to articles and reviews. The articles are a good introduction, the reviews are unhelpful.

I learned most of what I know from reading this magazine and other "enthusiast" magazines like it. If you read it for awhile, you'll notice that the how-to articles repeat themselves fairly often, so the articles eventually get old. Although they are helpful for new photographers, they would be better off just buying a good textbook on beginning photography.

The reviews, like those in all magazines I've encountered, are almost entirely a waste of time. They will always be very positive (the mag won't bite the hand that feeds it), and don't offer meaningful critiques or comparisons to the competition. Find a good review website, like dpreview.

Garbage
I am cross posting this most of these photo magazines are published by the same company under a different name. I have read them ALL!

First, 77%+ of this magazine is advertisements. That leaves under 25% of material. The material that does remain is bare minimum informational and tends to just show "pretty photos". Coverage on camera gear appears skewed since EVERYTHING is GREAT. This leads me to believe advertisers sway them.

In short, this is an advertising pamphlet with a cover price. If you need information, typing "photography" in any search engine will give you more information in 30 seconds then a 10 year subscription.

I wrote the main company about the 77% issue and they stated that they are aware of the amount of advertisement and quoted a percentage higher then I stated. That this was necessary to continue producing a magazine of this quality.

Quality? OK, if this is quality then I don't know what to say other then the semi professional magazines are free of charge from the publishers, contain actual subjective information, and are produced on high quality paper with fewer than 30% advertising.

An Equipment Junkie's Magazine
Like most magazines aimed at the amateur, Photographic is predicated on the idea that better equipment equals better photography, and that to be a real photographer one must constantly be upgrading to the latest and the greatest. Sure, there are also columns and articles on "technique"- though often as not they're about using a particular piece of equipment you haven't yet purchased but which is obviously exactly what you need to makie those great Ansel Adams pics you've admired.

I read Photographic for many years- my father subscribed to it- and when I was a child I, too, bought into the idea that better gear would make me a better photographer. Fast forward 20 years, and I found myself doing some magazine illustration work with a 20 year old Nikon F2 and a hand held light meter. No automation, no modern electronics, and nothing in my camera bag made after 1978. And surprise of surprises, the photos came out just fine.

Not For Me!!
I just reviewed American Photo with enthuiasm. I am not a professional and certainly love photography for the beauty of looking at it, not shopping shopping shopping for it (I mean lenses, cameras, tri-pods, etc etc)! This mag is selling way too much [stuff] for me. Maybe a professional appreciates it a lot more? But my boyfriend is such professional and seems to agree with me. There are a few things in there but they seem to be few and far between. Not worth the subscription to me!

Products&How to - magazine
I used to get PHOTOgraphic magazine from the stand since several years, and read total issues of >6 issues/year. I found it easey to read and injoy, but it lack the depth and comperhensiveness. I encourage every amature and technique oreinted photographer to have it every month. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Do NOT ORDER
I ordered this magazine in January and as of June 4, 2004 have not received it. It was supposed to be here between April and May. I wish there had been other reviews of this before I placed my order. I will not order magazines through Amazon.com again.

Worst Place to Order this Magazine
This is not a review of the magazine but rather Amazon.com...I ordered this magazine in early December of 2003 as a Christmas gift for my niece and as of June 1st she has yet to receive an issue. Oh yeah, but I received two today, the April/May issue and June/July issue. They sent the magazine to the billing address, I guess I am lucky I received the magazine at all, of course I have called them three or four times to find out when she would receive her first issue. Save yourself the aggravation and order this magazine elsewhere.

do not order
I ordered this magazine in August 2003 and have yet to receive a single magazine, despite phone calls to find out why. do not order from this site.

Do Not Order
Order was placed in Sept. Called Synapse to ask where my magazine was in Jan. They never called back and were no help. Finally got magazine in MARCH!. Guess what, was the WRONG magazine. Right. Do yourself a favor and order from the card in the magazine itself.

PLEASE READ!!!!!!!!!
I also ordered my subscription to this magazine in November and have yet to recieve my first issuse. I have been charged on my credit card and figured i'd wait for it but it is now March and im getting really annoyed. I do not give this a 1, because can not rate the quality of the magizine for obvious reasons. I would adivse you not to order this magazine through this website. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Special Effects Journal
This is thee Special Effects journal. Nothing else comes close. If you want indepth, behind-the-secenes information, on what's happening on the cutting edge of special effects in cinema, accompanied with lush color visual photography on every page, than this is the journal that brings you the indepth behind the scenese of the craft and it's wizardly practicioners.

Cinefex is the special effects JOURNAL! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

solid, dependable reviews
Information is essential for the success of our business. This publication seems to major on solid, dependable reviews.

An Excellent Magazine
The Absolute Sound is an outstanding magazine for the serious audio enthusiast. There are two main reasons why I would recommend this magazine.
The first and (to me most important) reason is that this magazine looks at the US market. Components available here are reviewed and rated according to their US price levels. Most of the high fi magazines out there today are from the UK and carry reviews and ratings based on that market. Since relative prices for the same components can be different across the pond, the ratings (which always take the price point of the component into account - eg no $500 amplifier can sound anything but bad next to something 20 times its price) in the UK magazines aren't always a good reference for US readers. Another point of difference is that that certain brands aren't available in both markets - Klipsch, Polk and Theil speakers being examples of items common in the US but not in the UK.
The second reason to recommend this periodical is that it reviews the sonic quality of items in terms serious listeners cannderstand. Audio components and recordings are described as they would sound. The dense technical descriptions and tests are omitted here, since not everyone (myself included) can fully understand them. The descriptions of how you would percieve the sound is what they pay attention to, and pay attention to well.
Add to the above factors the range of products (though as other reviewers have mentioned, the universe of products they examine is very limited compared to the overall electronics market), the honesty and accuracy of the reviews and you have a magazine that is a good read for anyone interested in Hi-Fi.

Very High End Audio Information
This review is not intended to be worthy of its subject, but I'm surprised no one else has proferred, so here is some brief comment, until a more educated audio reader comes along (hopefully soon).

I first picked up this magazine at Tower Records last year. It only comes out once every couple of months, it is expensive, and it is thick. You will not be done getting everything out of it in just one or two brief readings. If you are "into" audio, or if you have really caught the bug, this is a magazine that will help you define the unatainable heights.... the super-expensive Ferrari-level equipment that few of us will ever own but is fun to read about. I also have found in reading just two or three issues that there are sometimes highly educational pieces that really delve into important current topics in-depth.

Absolute Sound is a sort of no-compromises, not-going-to-cave-in to the latest industry fad magazine, and in a way it's kind of offensive because most of us need or want to hear about the latest industry gizmos and many of us don't want a cost-no-object assessment for our purchases.

But the strong point of Absolute Sound is the real commitment to trying to discern the very best Sound, with cost being more-or-less not so much of an object.

There is also of course some review of music and recordings, as there should be.

I've found AS to be educational and so I recommend it, particularly for those who are well-heeled enough to afford the best Sounding components and recordings, or who have a super-interest in reading about them.

Absolute Sound: Taking Audio/Music Reviewing to a New Level
Two things will impress a first time reader of The Absolute Sound: 1) The distinctive "tell-i-like-it-really-is" equipment reviews, and 2) the sheer depth and breadth of music review coverage (each issue contains separate music review sections for popular, classical and jazz). Rather than bombarding you with graphs and technobabble, equipment reviews in The Absolute Sound give you a very clear idea of how components sound in the real world (and without mincing words; when components have sonic flaws, reviewers say so in plain English). Music reviews are astute and insightful, and do a lot to point you toward new music you might not otherwise discover. Finally, the editorial staff is a virtual "Who's Who" of high-end audio; the team includes editor-in-chief Robert Harley (author of well-loved Guides to High End Audio and to Home Theatre), Harry Pearson (a legend in high-end audio reviewing, and the founder of The Absolute Sound), and J. Gordon Holt (the unofficial "patriarch" of US audio reviewers, and the founder of Stereophile). ... Read more

Reviews (2)

on point
i often read this Magazine at my Local Book Store&it truly hits home.I Play Keyboards myself&always read on what they have to say on the latest technology also Interviews with different Artists&the Sounds they are Vibing On.you can't miss with this Magazine.very detailed on the subject matter.

Keyboards and more
If you are a keyboard player, you probably already know about this publication. You are aware that there is no other magazine that fills this niche quite as well (although Electronic Musician comes close). You likely are a subscriber already, or you pick up an issue at the newstand every month. But anyone, keyboard player or not, who is interested in making music with technology, would be served well by checking out this magazine. "Keyboard" is almost a misnomer, actually, because, while keyboards are emphasized, there is much here regarding recording and using computers for creating music. Strange as it may sound, sometimes keyboards get short shrift in favor of coverage of software and technology. The crux of this magazine, to me, is the product review section. If an item wins a "Key Buy" designation, you know it is worth adding to your musical arsenal. It's worth saving the back issues for reference. All in all a splendid magazine for musicians. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Cool to look at, but when it comes to reading...
... I don't know. I guess my major complaint is that, if you aren't already privy to the latest in fashion, music, etc (like the other reviewer said, and he's quite right, this is a very hip magazine), then you'll probably feel pretty lowbrow. They don't really try to familiarize you with what's cool like GQ or DETAILS does; you're either in or you're not. However, it's definitely better than FLAUNT, which seems to be trying to imitate BLACK BOOK, in that the photography isn't as pretentious and the articles have a little more substance.

My last (subjective) complaints: the covers usually have celebrities I sort of consider to be overexposed (Jay Z, Adrien Brody, et al), and this is the magazine that Norman Mailer's stupid son/grandson (I don't remember which) John Buffalo Mailer wrote a piece in that has since catapulted him into HIGH TIMES fame (nepotism is never cool).

The Hippest Mag Around
Starting as a quartely publication, Black Book has vaulted to bi-monthly releases and the highest level a magazine can aspire to reach. The publishers have their finger on a pulse that pumps literary, fashion, music, entertainment and art style onto eye catching pages. I haven't missed an issue and never will. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

It's a wonderful magazine
If you're interested in photography and have an open mind about photographs, you should check this magazine out. Each issue contains at least one prose 'article', none of which has ever impressed me. But fortunately, the magazine's content is 99% photography and it quite often impresses me. Though the photographic content is not always consistently engaging, I've yet to see an issue in which at least one of the featured photographers doesn't expand my notion of what's beautiful or what can be done with photography.

the most beautiful photo magazine being published
I wait with longing for this beautiful magazine to show up on my door step and have collected every issue since #3.

Everything about the magazine inspires me - the photography, the writing, the design and the printing.

The staff has a great eye for new talent and does a wonderful job of balancing the emerging artists with the more established talent.

This magazine showcases fine art photography like no other publication currently on the market and a subscription to this magazine is a must-have for any one seriously interested in photography. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This magazine is anything and everything you want
I am a computer videomaker myself, and if there is one invaluable resource avalible on the comsumer market, it's COMPUTER VIDEOMAKER. It reviews hardware, software, cameras, computers, and even gives you tips on how to make your videos look more professional. The articles are concise, accurate, and well written, so you don't have to search to find the information you are looking for. This magazine has made me a well informed videographer, and there is no doubt that it has helped, and will help how I plan, execute, and enjoy this incredibly rewarding hobby. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great graphic design magazine.
If you are into graphic arts, this magazine is a must have in your list of subscriptions. It's worth it especially for interviews and articles about artists from all over the world. Photoshop User magazine lacks a little on that standpoint, and How magazine is more focused on design companies than on digital artists.

Design Graphics also contains techniques for Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. If you already have a subscription to Photoshop User, or Computer Arts, fear not, as somehow (sheer luck, or agreement between the editors), the techniques rarely overlap from one magazine to the other.

Part of the magazine is set aside for reviews of new software and hardware, with lots of side by side comparisons. One could argue that the reviews are a little dry, much like a technical description of the product, without an opinion. I personally like it better when the reviewer gives me his/her opinion about what they are reviewing. But I guess that's a matter of taste.

Another small "problem" with this magazine, is that it is published in Australia. If you live anywhere else in the world, once it makes it to your house, the news it contains are slightly old. Not a big deal, and surely nothing the publisher can do anything about. :)

Conclusion: Design Graphics is more art oriented than it is industry oriented, and that's definitely a nice change that sets it apart from its competitors. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

IN PRAISE OF B&W Photography and the Printing Art.
I was on vacation in Miami last December and picked-up a copy of this magazine-B&W.It is the best photographic magazine I have ever seen or read.It is the best tribute to black and white photography as an art form. The prinitng quality is equally as superb and highly compliments the new technology in printing.It gives new meaning to the words photo finish. Unfortunately the magazine is only avaliable in the United States so I have had to subscribe using my son's address in Miami. It has inspired me to further improve my work as an artist,photographer, who considers black and white photography as the only true art form and dismisses digital "photography" as not being photography. Norris Hall,Belmopan, Belize, Central America.

My favorite photo magazine
Every issue of this magazine provides a great collection of black and white imagery. I like this magazine in particular for two reasons, the focus is on excellent images, not advertising, reviews, or articles, and what they do choose to print they print very well. The quality of the paper and printing is truly excellent. The subject matter covers most of the traditional photo styles, landscapes, nudes, impromptu slice-of-life pieces, still-life, abstract, etc. Generally every issue contains an interview with a pro and his/her work. There is also a large section of "space for hire" for photographers to submit samples of their work for sale or representation (note: very pricey to submit work, and here's where the image quality fluctuates wildly). I have found this magazine to be an idea-generator and photographic inspiration. I know I'll want to hang on to issues to enjoy for many years. ... Read more