True Photo Journal
Another hefty magazine for the magCulture site this week: 200-paged, glossy True Photo Journal sets out to showcase the unpublished, personal work of some of the best contemporary and yet-to-be-discovered photographers around. The idea is to show their ‘true’ work: the material that is usually hard to get passed constraining editorial rules and limited formats.
To select the showcased work, editor and fashion photographer Brendan Freeman followed a trail of suggestions, starting with one photographer and asking them whether they knew of someone else who would be a good fit for the magazine. As a result, the publication feels organic, and the fact that all of the work is personal means that there is something very honest and open about the spreads.
The different shoots, or chapters, are eclectic – and together they feel like a collection of short, enigmatic stories. Annemarieke van Drimmelen’s earthy, soft portraits are up-close and intimate (above), whilst Vinca Petersen’s analogue road trip snaps (below) are a different, edgier kind of intimate – more energetic, narrative-driven and friendly.
Alarming, neon photos by Jason Evans resemble visual tongue-twisters and provide the magazine with an arresting and playful dimension (above). Awkward photographs of teenagers at London’s Ministry of Sound by Charlotte Wales (below) demonstrate the breadth of different kinds of visual stories within the publication, yet like all the other examples, these pictures tap into something private, almost secretive.
Last week we posted about photo journal FOG, and a week before that we wrote about photography/ poetry magazine Der Greif. Independent photography publications are currently thriving, with new ones cropping up weekly. Whilst tumblr has been an incredible leg-up in the industry for getting work noticed, substantial printed magazines like True are the favoured medium for collections of images that demand thought and patience – they’re almost like portable galleries meant for serious contemplation in an armchair at home.
Creative director: Peter Hughes
Art direction: Assembly, London