Inspiration is important for web and visual designers. It’s what gives you new ideas, shapes and influences your style, and energizes and increases your passion for visual art. And visual art that’s of a different medium from yours can be an even greater inspiration—like photography—since you’re getting a fresh outside perspective. This article features 20 inspirational free downloadable photography magazines.
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Or, you could browse our extensive Photography Archives
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All these photography magazines showcase inspiring photos, and all the issues are free to download in a PDF format or view online. So without further ado, here are 20 inspirational free downloadable photography magazines:
And I Still Miss You
And I Still Miss You is an incredibly-stylish magazine that features work by a selection of photographers – and sometimes artists. Photographs range from people to scenes to nature to conceptual and anything in between.
Download free issues of And I Still Miss You here
Beat
Beat is a young generation magazine entirely formed by photo projects. Each issue focuses on certain topics, and the questions are attempted to be answered via photographs to augment verbal communication.
Download free issues of Beat here
Canvas
Canvas features stylish and emotive photography – especially focused on people. Each issue features a certain focus (skin, gender, the future, black and white, music, and so forth) and the showcased photographs then explore that theme.
Download free issues of Canvas here
Democratic Books
Democratic Books features a photographer exploring an idea or theme or giving a photograph-based report-of-sorts in each issue (or “book”). The photography explores a concept or documents people’s lives, events, and whatever else.
Download free issues of Democratic Books here
Five to Nine
Five to Nine explores what people create in their free time. In its two year run, the magazine has published works from nearly one hundred different designers and artists, and have welcomed Karl Frankowski & Damien Correll as guest curators.
Download free issues of Five to Nine here
I Can See Pixels
I Can See Pixels about cell phone photography. It strives to give professionals, students and amateurs a platform to explore and establish cell phone photography as a new and independent means of expression.
Download free issues of I Can See Pixels here
the-ideo
the-ideo is a Hong Kong-based and non-commercial platform of the founders’ photo works. They strive to find some new ideas outside of their day-to-day stuffy jobs, which they then post in issues of the-ideo. Each issue focuses on a different theme.
Download free issues of the-ideo here
Invisible City
Invisible City is dedicated to showcasing contemporary art and writing by emerging artists from Australia and around the world. Each issue will explore a contemporary theoretical idea through images, creative and critical writing.
Download free issues of Invisible City here
Jetpac
Jetpac featuring creative, fun, conceptual, and all-round good photography – in addition to illustrations, designs, comedy, poetry, interviews, reviews, and anything else that’s good with the world.
Download free issues of Jetpac here
Kiosk
Kiosk is a self-described “collaboration of 2 people. A dialogue, a ping-pong by mail. An Exchange of data, images, drawings, texts during one month.” Basically, each month an invited artist proposes and exchange with another artist, and the results are published.
Download free issues of Kiosk here
LAB
LAB is a not-for-profit publication that showcases the work of culture makers – photographs and other visual mediums. LAB is about learning, making, and contributing to the collective creative culture. It’s a self-described “wunderkabinet of creative culture. With a cherry on top.”
Download free issues of LAB here
Loom
Loom is a Germany-based English-language magazine (and iPad app) that simply showcases amazing and inspiring photographs. Of people, fashion, scenes, nature, and more – all stylish and sometimes conceptual.
Download free issues of Loom here
P+M
P+M is made for photograph and music lovers. Featured photography is shot around Japan and focuses on people, fashion, cities, and nature, among other things in Japan. Each issue also includes a interview and music from an artist in MP3 format.
Download free issues of P+M here
pict*re
pict*re is filled with photos (as well as stories, interviews and how-to’s) from Flickr users. In other words, it’s a sort of a “best of” of Flickr photography.
Download free issues of pict*re here
Polarama
Polarama explores integral photography – displaying a 3D image without the use of special glasses.
Download free issues of Polarama here
Poncz
Poncz gathers photos from both professional and amateur photographers that present a certain style of life, feelings and emotions. Poncz describes itself as having passion towards photography with its different visions and ideas from all around the world.
Download free issues of Poncz here
They Do!
They Do! showcases creative individuals’ work. Each issue has a theme, so you get a cohesive set of photographs (along with other mediums).
Download free issues of They Do! here
Unless You Will
Unless You Will showcases a vision within photo-based art. The goal is to bring together a collection of notable photographers from around the world—particularly those who add layers of meaning and capture these feelings—and present their work with honesty and not too many frills.
Download free issues of Unless You Will here
Vanity Teen
Vanity Teen captures adolescence in photographs. From experimenting with social identities to finding a place in the world to self-referential narcissism, Vanity Teen showcases it in stylish photos.
Download free issues of Vanity Teen here
Wip
Wip—’Work in Progress’—hosts unpublished work by various photographers. The photographs don’t necessarily have to constitute a finished series, but they can be parts of a recent or older work in progress. “Stray” photographs are sometimes also included, if the photographer feels they are part of his own work in progress.
Download free issues of Wip here
What Are Your Favorite Free Downloadable Photography Magazines?
Over to you: what are your favorite free downloadable photography magazines? Feel free to share your picks in the comments section below.
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