EPOCH is a new, independent publication placing the contemporary in dialogue with history. Here, editor-in-chief Francesca Gavin sheds light on the ideas and processes behind the magazine

EPOCH is a new, independent publication placing the contemporary in dialogue with history. Here, editor-in-chief Francesca Gavin sheds light on the ideas and processes behind the magazine
Rolling Stone UK’s art director commissions photographers for its print and digital platforms. Here, Hambis sheds light on his creative process
The second issue of Kyiv-based photography magazine Saliut came out a few weeks before Russian troops invaded Ukraine. Here, the magazine’s director Dana Pavlychko tells its story
Safar Journal highlights arts and culture stories from across the Middle East and North Africa region. Here, the editorial team reflect on their recent projects, ethos, and photo selection process
Prioritising Black and Brown voices in arts and culture, magazine founder Azia Javier discusses the editorial process
Atmos Magazine’s photo director gives an insight into her artistic process, the photo industry, and what makes a good cover.
Our Creative Brief this month is Lucy Conticello, the director of photography at M, the magazine arm of French newspaper, Le Monde
“I am mostly self-taught, learning from experiences. I definitely didn’t follow a conventional art student route”
“It was moving to London that got me interested in publishing,” says Sarah Barnett, who relocated to the capital from Manchester with a multimedia degree and experience working in an interactive agency. She quickly got a job at Progressive Content marketing agency, and later became the art editor of Economia magazine, working with Rebecca McClelland (formerly photography editor for New Statesman, Port and Wallpaper*) and photographer Catherine Hyland. Together, they had “the challenge of trying to push the creative boundaries of an accountancy magazine,” she recalls. “We worked with some of the best portrait photographers and that definitely influenced me in how I work with photography today.”
In 2016, she became the art director of N by Norwegian, spearheading its recent redesign to allow more room for photography series, demanding a “whole new level of editing”, says Barnett. “We might be an in-flight publication, but we’re more than just travel.”
How do editors discover new talent? How do magazines collaborate with freelancers? What does an editor look for when commissioning photography?
Through interviews with photo editors and art directors from publications such as Huck, Atmos, Glorious and A3, Creative Brief explores how different publications employ the photographic medium.
“Be intentional about your art and trust your creative instincts,” explains Azia Javier, founder of A3. “Creativity is all in the journey, not the outcome.”