OT: Outdoor Photographer Magazine.

Do any of you subscribe to it? If so is it any good?

I just found a coupon to get a subscription for $4 per year and I was thinking of it.

If you are interested click here. When checking out use the coupon code OUTDOOR.

I've been getting it for a few years now and I'm getting bored with it. The quality of the published images and their editorial skills have been slipping. That's all I'll say and wait unitl Todd jumps in with his rants about their quality. But it's fun to comb through it and find things to rant about.

I've also subscribed for a few years and $4 is not a bad deal as long as you make sure your order goes through (their subscription office customer service is horrible even for renewals and has misplaced my order in three different years). Expect to see in about half of the issues stories to the effect of: "Be a Digital Ansel Adams" or "Shoot like Galen Rowell" YAWN... I do enjoy consistently good columns from Bob Krist, Dewitt Jones and, even though they are very short, Franz Lanting whose images never cease to amaze. One ray of hope is over the past year they have started profiling some "up and coming" photographers like Ian Plant and Joseph Rossbach (even though we've known about these guys on NPN for years ). I can only hope that they will continue to recognize more excellent, deserving photographers who are still alive...

Per Aleks, here's my rant: When I consider subscribing to a mag like OP, I consider whether I think I can glean $1's worth of value out of each issue (or whatever the per-issue cost is with a subscription). Generally speaking, I always seem to get far more than that dollar's worth of value out of every issue, and therefore, despite some stupid stuff they've done in recent years -- Art Wolfe's undisclosed Delicate moon sandwich is high on that list -- I've been a subscriber for probably 20 years.

There. Rant over. Hope that wasn't too brutal.

In defense of OP, if you're a novice (as I'm trying not to be) and love outdoor photography, I consider it a must have. I've been a subscriber for over 15 years, and although most of the time I only get to thumb through it, I still look forward to each issue. I find the photos inspirational, and have long lists of places I would love to visit because of it. There's usually a couple of pages dedicated to outdoor photography workshops and the latest PS How To's. With all the latest and greatest cameras coming out, I feel too many pages are spent on rating them, but that is my only complaint.

I've been lurking around this site for the last couple of months and this is my first post. I am truly amazed at all the photos I've seen posted, and find this forum alone, is very inspirational. Great work everyone....please keep it up!!!

Linda Curtis
Casper, WY

I have been a subscriber since its inception. I don't have to agree with everything
that is in it. I certainly have received my share of useful tips over the years. Breath
deep and go for it. Spend $4. on a subscription.

I agree with Todd that it is well worth $1 per issue, which is what I pay for it. I always get something out of each issue, even though I find the "Make Prints like Ansel Adams!" and "Shoot Black and While Like Ansel Adams!" to be incredibly tiresome. About 80% of the content isn't usefult for me or is repetitive from issue to issue, but the other 20% makes it worth the subscription price.

I subscribed for about 10 years and quit it last year when I ponied up the bucks for RMNP. For my dollar I think I get more bang for the buck here than there. But it was a bunch more than $4 to renew. I'd say go for it. You can usually find at least 1 nugget in every edition that's worth the bucks.

For a mere 30 cents an issue, it's a no brainer.
If you don't care for it, simply let the subscription lapse.
And many, many thanks for the link!!

I've had a subscription for about 5-7 years and would agree with pretty much what has been said as well. But for $4 as John said it's a no brainer.

I had a subscription for a few years but grew tired of the repetitive nature of the content and quit subscribing. It just didn't feel like they're putting much heart into that mag. The articles feel incomplete and I didn't feel that I was getting even $1 out of each issue. I really have this feeling from so many of the magazines out there today. Sunset, gives me the same feeling from their travel and gardening sections, though I like their recipes.

I have enjoyed View Camera (LF oriented), Color (art/collector oriented) and Dwell in recent years. The articles in these mags generally feel as if they are written with more depth, though none are directly oriented toward landscape and Dwell is a oriented towards modern architecture and design, not photography at all.

Joshua said exactly what I would have said. It is still useful for new tech previews and Dewitt Jones' bi- or tri-monthly is worth 4 bucks any time! I was not going to renew my subscription until you posted this, so I guess I will reup one more time. Thanks for the tip!

I've been getting it for several years, and like it. I do wish I knew about the $4 deal before renewing a few months ago.
In any case, I'm not nearly as accomplished a photographer as many here, so I still learn something from most of the issues. I especially like the articles about shooting locations... And yeah, the endless Ansel Adams articles are tiresome.

I get mine for free--i go to the library and read all the back issues!

Thanks for the tip.

I've subscribed to it for about 5 years and I like it and have no major complaints. Basic Jones is my favorite column and they got some new guy contributing a column every now and then, I think his last name is Muench, I don't think I've ever heard of him before, but he seems alright.

I'll add to the chorus. It is generally a waste of money and an unfortunate use of dead trees. That said, there have been a few columns that have run over the years that change the way I see the world -- admittedly most of them were Galen's. I haven't had a subscription in years for exactly that reason, but was thinking of getting one again. $4 is probably worth it, though some of the issues are going to make you wish you spent that money on a latte instead.

I subscribed when I was a novice, but since they recycle the majority of their articles about every 9 months I no longer subscribe. I actually find Backpacker magazine a lot more useful for finding great landscape photo locations and other helpful advice.