Review: “Digital Photo Pro” Mag
Review: “Digital Photo Pro” Mag
Many times when I walk into a mega-bookstore like Borders or Barnes & Nobles, I get intimidated by the number of photography publications out there. There’s a sliver of glee at the wealth of information and creativity available to flip through, but often we just don’t have enough time to read every page.
Here’s my attempt to cateogorize the good and bad, to filter out the ‘must-haves’ from the ‘look-goods.’ For now it’ll just be books and magazines, though more emphasis will be placed on the glossies because, well, they’re cheaper to try for the first time.
My first ever review is of Digital Photo Pro. The issue I have (and shown above) is July/August 2009. Running at 114 pages, it’s cramps in significant content, with not as many ad pages at the back as other photo mags that I’ve seen.
Within the issue, I was looking for articles of substance, with information, insight and tutorials that aren’t so easily found online or in mags aimed at a more amature audience. What I discovered was a pleasant mix of both. The Greg Ludwig feature, which accounts his experiences photographing Moscow for a National Geographic, stood out the most. Access to such qualified photographers is what I’m looking for.
Another big draw were the trend topics — the onslaught of video for digital photojournalists, and the importance of insurance for professional photographers. Both topics are highly relevant for my work, and the information put out taught me a few things I never knew. One more thumbs up for the magazine.
This issue had a theme on ground-breaking lenses, led by a couple of technical features on the latest crop of lenses and low-light capabilities of new cameras. Although they were considerably meaty in photo jargon, they did try to explain it in a succinct manner for readers of all levels to follow.
On the downsides, a couple of profile features felt thin and made me wonder why I had to read about this particular photographer. Since my desire is for sophistication and depth, these articles fail the magazine in this regard.
But here’s the biggest boo-boo against buying this mag off the newsstand. The articles can be found free on their website. Yes, even the latest ones from this issue. Reminds me of Popular Photography, where you can also find their articles online. To be fair, many American publications are suffering for this disease of offering their content online for free while they charge for a print version.
Final verdict: A magazine worth reading, but do it online.
