burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

A key reason people do that is the cost of buying them. If the advertising model still worked, and could support mass distribution of cheap subscriptions as it did 40+ years ago, people would still subscribe.

Unfortunately, advertising has moved to the Internet. So have any remaining "magazines" with savvy managers.

The unfortunate thing about paper and ink is that it costs a lot to print, package, ship, or mail the finished goods. Internet distribution of the same information is instant, and distribution to any number of subscribers is comparatively inexpensive.

Unfortunately for a LOT of editorial organizations, it took too long for their neanderthal publishers to realize that the paradigm had shifted their golden goose to an entirely different model. The "frogs were cooked before they realized the pot was on to boil."

It's probably time, once again, to reflect on just how much change electronic media have wrought in the past 30 years. Smart entrepreneurs were conceiving the elements of these changes as far back as the mid-1960s. But as usual, few companies saw what sorts of changes were in store for them until a new round of competitors was eating their lunch and kicking their desk chairs out from under them.

I need only look around my house to see the evidence... A turntable I seldom play, an AM/FM radio from 1980 that I play in my copy stand room, a cassette deck in the basement, a CD changer and a DVD player in the attic... and a shelf of old magazines in the closet.

"Why do you keep these?" My wife keeps asking about the magazines. I've run out of excuses. They're all archived online! Every last one of them is out there.

YES, vinyl is still alive, broadcasters are still broadcasting, CDs are still better than MP3s for in-home, in-car high fidelity, but DVDs are a terrible way to watch movies, and cassettes still hiss and jam. I considered buying a Blu-Ray recorder, but why? Everything is online now. And why do I want to buy a movie I'll watch once or maybe twice? Most of the used media stores we used to visit to trade old records, video games, and books have gone out of business.

So curse me for not being a luddite, and for embracing the online world as a preference. My smartphone and laptop are my media creation and consumption tools of choice. Screens are a lot more efficient than any hard media, and I can take them with me.

In 1974, my classmates and I often took our books outside and sat under giant oaks on the Davidson campus to study. But in 2024, my twins say, "why study a book under a tree, when the laptop gives you a whole world-wide library, and lets you type your notes into a database and then copy them into a term paper, complete with reference footnotes? When done, you just email it to your professor via the hotspot on your phone. Then you can play a game, watch a movie or a concert, or listen to some Internet radio." They hate paper.

I'm so thankful I grew up with an interest in, and a knack for adopting, new technology. It's been a liberating force in my life.

bvogel Loc: Evergreen, CO

I mentioned Cameracraft yesterday but forgot to state a magazine that I have been subscribing to for years: Black & White. Comes out of California. 160 pages of fabulous black and white photos. Next to no advertising. If you are into B&W go to BandWmag.com.

adm

A propos the above, online "magazines" may be sufficient to convey information about new gear as well as tips and tricks. However, there is no substitute for seeing a fine art photograph printed on high quality paper, assuming we have no access to the original. One of the reasons "Lens Work" cited for cutting back to quarterly is that they did not want to print on lower quality paper. This is lamentable but understandable. Humans are corporeal beings and have an innate desire to touch and handle things. Even the smell of the paper is part of the aesthetic experience. You can view the "Mona Lisa" online. Yet people will travel thousands of miles to go to the Louvre to see the real thing.

MrBob Loc: lookout Mtn. NE Alabama

I would walk a mile for Galen Rowell and Dewitt jones.... Actually a Camel short would be REAL tasty.

srt101fan

I think I agree with most of what you say, but reading a magazine on a screen, especially a small one, sucks big time! I would prefer a paper copy anytime.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Pinch and squeeze on a phone. Zoom in/out has controls in MacOS and Windows. They have always worked for me.

MrBob Loc: lookout Mtn. NE Alabama

Kind of like " Audio " books as opposed to hard copy... As long as you stay awake... !

Longlens24 Loc: Cedar Park, Texas

The last major publication was "Outdoor Photography" which went out of business in 2023 primarily because ( according to the Publisher)advertiser revenue was inadequate, although there were enough subscribers.
Stan

BebuLamar

This is I hate the most. Zoom in/zoom out. That's why I want very large screen and very high resolution so I never need to zoom in or out.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The iPhone 15 Pro Max has 2796 x 1290 pixels, displayed at 460 PPI. It's VERY sharp and easy to read down to about 4 point type if your vision is properly corrected.

My MacBook Air resolution is scaleable to 2560x1600 pixels, presented at 227 PPI. I keep it set to 1440x900 *displayed* pixels (which are still presented at 227 PPI due to scaling, so the image is quite sharp). Viewing a letter-size document full page, with 12 pt. text, it is quite readable at 56% of actual size. To me, it is MORE readable than the same document reduced to that size on my printer. At 100%, the text is almost intimidating.

In my office, I use a 27" 4K monitor (3840x2160 pixels), which displays two full pages side by side at 125% or so. I just navigate PDFs with Page Up and Page Down on the extended keyboard. It's a lot easier than holding a paper document, turning pages, etc.

It's amazing to me what I got used to by doing it long enough.

Diocletian

digital-photography-school.com

has some interesting ideas...depending on your level of knowledge. Info, photo ideas for practice, examples. I get a weekly email reminder of new stuff to photograph....

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

Not jost are the magazines going so are the GOOD books

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

I used to enjoy Basic Jones and his calm approach to photography.

MrBob Loc: lookout Mtn. NE Alabama

Yes, he always injected a little philosophical thought into things...

RodeoMan Loc: St Joseph, Missouri

Yes, it was if you want to improve your photography, it was more about getting right with yourself rather than getting better equipment. He would include a personal example from his own experience to illustrate his point. Thanks for reminding me of him.