A worthy iPad photo magazine.

The cover of the inaugural issue. Click the picture,

The first issue of ‘Once’ for the iPad is available as a free download from the AppStore and it’s something I suggest you get. The magazine does everything right in contrast to the BJP which does just about everything wrong.

First, it downloads fast and loads quickly.

Second, content is limited to three photo essays, some with nicely integrated sound clips.

Third, navigation is excellent – intuitive, direct and simple. Everything about this says “Designed for a touch tablet”.

Display quality on the iPad is as good as it gets – just like looking at Kodachrome slides on a light box.

The magazine is a sort of modern LIFE, with traditional high quality photography accompanied by excellent writing. True photojournalism. There are no advertisements and no equipment reviews. The focus is on the pictures and the story.

The first issue has articles on the dispossesed people living in the no man’s land between Russia and Georgia in the aftermath of the hostilities there; on the last suvivors of an ancient lifestyle in Greenland – this piece is quite special; and on a retirement community in Arizona. Typically these include a 5 page essay and 20 photographs. Unlike with the BJP, there is no bloat so there are no attention span issues, nor is there any frustration in finding things.

Recommended. Let’s hope it’s published more than its title suggests.

Update August 24, 2012:

Sadly, as the following email indicates, Once has folded after just 11 months:

Seems it’s pretty much impossible to make money at these things.