ANDREA COSTANTINI THE MAN BEHIND THE DIGITAL DOWNLOAD ONLY ARTS & PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE, PHOTOGRAPHIZE MAG

PHOTOGRAPHIZE MAG
PHOTOGRAPHIZE MAG

Hi Andrea, tell us a bit about yourself and where the idea for photographize mag came from and its evolution? 

I was born in 1977 in Pescara (Italy) where I grew up and started my training as photographer and graphic designer. I always had a great passion for art and I turned my passion into a profession initially becoming an illustrator and graphic designer and an artist later. My art is full of symbolism and I try to give a surreal depiction that balance thought and imagination. As an artist I have the opportunity to travel around the world for my exhibits and enjoy the beauty of artworks created by many fantastic artists. And this is how the idea of Photographize came to my mind at first. In 2009 I moved to Washington DC and I new I wanted to create something new and different. My goal was to make the beauty of art available for everybody, give everybody the opportunity to see the art that I came in contact with, and enjoying it. So, first I made Photographize logo, which I have recently renovated, and I involved few artist friends of mine, and then, over the time, I ended up contacting more and more fantastic artists from all over the world! Unexpectedly it has been a complete success, all of them responded with enthusiasm and my adventure started to became bigger. Photographize started with the idea of offering pure images and still today does not pretend to give you any lecture of the reality, it only offers a stimulus for your mind and the knowledge of different artists. Since January 2017 I started another challenge: Phôze, a quaternary beautiful black and white magazine who totally dedicates its space to the passion for monochrome photography.


(IMAGE SUBMISSIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHIZE MAG)

 

Your the founder, editor and publisher, how does that work, whats the process in creating an issue?

I personally choose and contact some of the artist and they can publish for free, but everybody can submit their artwork and I look at every submission personally. I go through all the applications and I choose the images that better represent the philosophy of Photographize. In every issue I’m looking for a convincing balance of colors, shapes and visual impact. The perfect mixture of surrealism, a little view on the fairy tales world but always centered on photography. After I choose the right group of artists I start working at the layout and the graphics that will accompany the images. Since last year I also give the opportunity to make advertising to artists, companies, art galleries. But the all idea of Photographize is not around a business, is about sharing and celebrates the power of images.


(IMAGE SUBMISSIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHIZE MAG)

 

The magazine is available exclusively in digital downloadable format, whats the advantage of this and how can someone get a hold of a copy?

Publishing on line is the future! With the advent of the ebooks the way to read books and magazines is clearly changed. People like to share ideas, to communicate and look for news and information quickly and everywhere. They can enjoy Photographize while going to work or taking a break during their day and they can share their impressions with friends. Photographize offers pure images, it does not pretend to give you any lecture of the reality, it only offers a stimulus for your mind and the knowledge of different artists. The pdf is easly downloadable and it can be printed in different ways, from a simple printer, through the upload on website that are specialized in mag-books printing or trough any fine printing service. I think it give everybody the freedom of choosing how to enjoy Photographize.   


(IMAGE SUBMISSIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHIZE MAG)

 

The content in each issue is wonderfully varied and unique, tell us a bit about the curation process?

Most of the images published on Photographize are surrealists or they undergo digital manipulation process. This is the core and the spirit of Photographize but every issue is a project and I’m the only one who works on the project. I follow many artists during the year, I travel to see exhibitions but I also look for personal websites of young artists that can catch my attention. I start thinking of what I would like to offer to the view of my followers, what can catch their imagination and give them new stimuli. Whit this in mind I contact the artists. Usually I choose ten artist/photographers in the contemporary art scene around the world and for each of them I select 5-7 artwork. After their agreement, I start building the magazine that is published bimonthly, six issues per year.

 

For the artists out there, how does one get involved with the publication, what are the steps for getting their works included and what tips can you give them on applying?

As I mentioned before, I personally look at all the submissions received through Photographize email or website, it’s a challenging and stimulating process for my mind and I often get to discover some great artists. So I encourage everyone to submit their work. If the pictures are chosen to be published on Photographize, I will get in contact with the artist and share my interest to get a formal approval for publication. I ask for Hi-Res images under the agreement that I will not use them for anything else but the agreed publication. In my choice, I’m looking for an original point of view, for images that can capture my imagination and immediately stimulate my mind. The real tip I can give to people who wants to apply is “originality”. Do not settle for simple photographs. If photography is your path you need to find something unique to make your art different. Today many people are able to take pictures, but only few are able to be truly original. Beauty has always had a unique charm for me, and what I try to do with Photographize is representing the peculiar astonishment and that sort of respect that beauty arouses in me. What I intend to do as an editor is to contribute to the search for beauty to be seen and I do this through all the images.


(IMAGE SUBMISSIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHIZE MAG)

 

The magazine has gained quite a following since its conception, what plans have you got for it going forward?

I just changed the layout and modified Photographize logo. My goal is to expand the kind of experience I’m offering with this mag without changing the simple and immediate way used in our publications. My fan page on FB is constantly growing with hundreds of likes and comments every day! It gives me an immediate feedback on my work and I can make people talking about what I do. There are two major reasons why I will continue expanding on social networks: you have a good feeling of how the new generation of artists starts to build the future and you can attract people that normally will not read a mag like mine, simply because they don’t know yet they like art! Since Photographize became a community of people that love photography and images I like the idea of giving them the opportunity to share their ideas and promote discussions. In 2016 I dedicated a little space on Instagram to the mag and I hope to see it growing and maybe make it a special space for innovation!


 

CHECK OUT MORE, OR DOWNLOAD AT www.photographize.org / https://issuu.com/photographizemag

INTERVIEW by HANNAH SMITH