One of the benefits of having a YouTube Channel and blog on wildlife photography is that I occasionally get contacted by brands and asked if I want to review a product. Usually this tends to be more gear related so I was very happy when asked to check out the Journal of Wildlife Photography.
2022 saw me becoming a lot busier with work, starting workshops, publishing a course and keeping up with my YouTube Channel meant that continued learning sometimes took the backhand. I’m determined to spend more time on professional development and learning this year, and the Journal of Wildlife Photography had provided me with the perfect opportunity.
As I’ve been working my way through some of the issues from 2022, what really stood out to me was the high quality of the contributing writers and the emphasis on conservation. This is something that’s really important to me and I wouldn’t be recommending the Journal if it didn’t align with my ethics and personal approach to wildlife photography.
The Journal of Wildlife Photography is a membership-based publication that offers a wealth of benefits for wildlife photographers of all skill levels.
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, a membership to The Journal of Wildlife Photography can help you improve your skills, stay up-to-date on the latest trends and techniques, and connect with other like-minded individuals.
High quality quarterly issue
Every quarter, a new issue of the Journal of Wildlife Photography is published and made available to to download. The Journal is packed full of high quality articles on wildlife photography covering photography learning aspects, conservation, animal behaviour and so much more. You also get access to the back catalogue. I’ve download the new issues of the Journal, previous issues and the pdf booklet to my iPad so that I always have something exciting to read weather I’m traveling or just a bit of bedtime catchup.
Access to resources
One of the biggest benefits of a membership to The Journal of Wildlife Photography is access to the publication’s extensive archive of blogs, articles, tutorial covering a wide range of topics related to wildlife photography. Get all back issues of The Journal of Wildlife Photography going back to 2018 with 4 issues published each year. There’s also a large collection of blog posts, Lightroom and Photoshop training videos. (The Lightroom tutorials are a little dated now as Lightroom has recently gone through some major changes with their use of layers. However, I still think there’s still something to learn from the tutorials, but personally it’s the Journal itself that I enjoy the most).
Monthly photo competitions
Starting February 2023 The Journal of Wildlife Photography will host a monthly photo competition where the winners will be featured in the quarterly Journal with a chance to tell the story behind the image. The winning photos will also be featured in the monthly newsletter that goes out to over 90k subscribers and prizes will include gift cards and gear with a value of $250 or more.
Community
Join the Journal of Wildlife Photography Facebook group with over 30k members. Connect with other photographers, share tips and advice, and get feedback on your work. I’ve been told that the community aspect for members of the Journal will be taken to a new level with virtual seminars, one-to one mentorships, virtual workshops and skill appropriate groups. I’m excited to see the development of of the community as we head into 2023.
There are two ways of signing up, one year or a lifetime membership, I would recommend a 1 year subscription first, see if you like it and then upgrade to the lifetime membership if you do. They’ll give you what you already paid for the 1 year as a discount when you upgrade, so that you pay the same price as you would have had you gone for the lifetime membership right away.
Overall, a membership to The Journal of Wildlife Photography is a valuable investment for any wildlife photographer. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned professional, the publication’s resources, educational opportunities, and community of like-minded individuals can help you improve your skills and take your photography to the next level.
The link to the Journal is an affiliate link, which means I get a small commission for any purchase you make at no extra cost to you. Rest assured I’m very careful about recommending gear and subscriptions and would not recommend the Journal had I not researched it and thoroughly enjoyed and found value in the content.
I bought a lifetime membership. Initially I joined because of a contest and was disappointed. I think they need to find a way to assess who is a beginner, intermediate, and advanced. They offered me a refund but I declined and dug into their articles and find their writing to be of excellent quality. I have learned a lot as a beginner and have no regrets.
Good to hear that Yvonne 🙂
Just be aware that their ‘lifetime access’ purchases aren’t quite what they seem to be. I bought one and when I went back to review the info a year later, It had gone. I got one response from them saying 2 of the items were no longer available and a link to another, which didn’t work.
Since then, they haven’t replied to my emails. I couldn’t recommend them on this basis – as I’m not convinced I haven’t been taken in by slick marketing and style over substance?