DARWIN is an independent photography magazine from the UK. We had a few questions for the editors.
Why did you start a printed magazine? why not publish online?
We
run Darwin 50% online and 50% in printed form. So with our printed side of
Darwin there is something more physical than virtual which is nice. Its more
tangible and exciting to have a photography magazine in front of you that you
can pick up and look at right? Its the quality of print, paper and fine finish
whereas online those elements don’t come into play.
It
also allows us to have an increased level of control over how the audience
views the work and how we present it. Which is a process that is interesting and
a great part of editing together something that will end up being made up of
paper and ink rather than a digital PDF.
I
guess our last reason is that it’s great to have something physical, off setting
our online content.
You are an independent magazine, is it difficult to get by without
adds?
There
are positives and negatives to advertisement in photography magazines from both
an Editors point of view and the viewers. Darwin for both of us has never been
about financial gain. Building your readership with every new Volume that comes
out, the magazine will grow and get better as time goes by.
But
it’s as difficult as you make it.
What is the goal of Darwin Magazine?
The
main goal is to showcase Contemporary photography and to grow our online and print
platforms respectively to achieve a wider audience and reach for the
photographers and writers we work with.
But
we also value the idea that we must present photographers work in the same
light regardless of previous merit or exposure, treating every body of work we
see for what it disserves. Giving publicity to great bodies of work, books, and
exhibitions regardless of the name attached.
What are your favorite magazines?
There
are so many great ones out there at the moment, its difficult to pin them all
down. We’re regular readers of Source, Photoworks, Aperture and Foam. There are
a few independents that have been doing great stuff that we’ve had the pleasure
of getting to know from Show Me Pictures, MiniClick.
But
also recently Of the Afternoon are developing into something interesting and
also the new issue of Boat Magazine (Reykjavík) is brilliant.
What keeps you going while editing a new issue?
Both
of us find it really exciting; communicating with different photographers,
sharing our ideas, we have a great relationship when it comes to creating
content and ideas. It can get quite interesting!
We
look for different things in work, and our tastes differ which is really useful
when you’re creating something.
We
really enjoy looking at submissions people send in, we always get such a high
standard from people it becomes really tricky to decide who should go into
print. We have a good balancing act as editors to put together a Volume of work
that gets featured, and seeing how that develops is fun
We
enjoy what we do, which is the main thing!
Also
we have a new website that’s just been launched.
@darwinmagazine
facebook.com/darwinmagazine