The man behind the issues

Hi,

My name is Michael and I am the man behind the issues. 

I have never really touched on myself since starting Image 34 in 2015, which was for a range of reasons. 

The main one, I always felt my face didn’t fit. Not with Image 34, that would be crazy, I built this from nothing, I mean in the industry. I don’t exactly look my age and I felt if I showed who I was people might not take the magazine seriously. This was very apparent when meeting with singers or models for shoots, who clearly didn’t expect to see my face greeting them. I wanted everyone to judge my work as a photographer and the quality of the issues rather than judging me. I also wanted the magazine to be about well... the magazine. I never felt people would need or want to know about who I was. But now with the re-brand I don’t see why I should hide it anymore.

I want people to see how what this magazine has achieved hasn’t been because of a huge team. Yes, of course I am grateful for everyone who has worked with me on various issues, the magazine wouldn’t be here today without them all. But every late night, every hard decision and then making it happen has been down to me. 

Lets start at the beginning... I originally created the magazine after actually not enjoying University (yes I said it). I didn’t connect with my course, but when you have struggled half way through and have a big old debt to your name you might as well see it through. To keep myself busy I went to the drawing board and decided to mix my love for magazines and photography and create my own.

With no training or industry knowledge I never thought for one second that the magazine would turn into what it has to today. Sheer determination and passion is what kept me going. I struggled and still do struggle keeping the magazine going whilst keeping a social life, a relationship and holding down a full-time job. Oh yes you read that right. Image 34 is created from the blood sweat and tears after normal working hours are done. My poor partner has to suffer long evenings on shoots holding reflectors and countless evenings of me half listening to him whilst I edit in front of my Mac. Which was the main reason behind not shouting about me, because I never really wanted people to know me. I didn’t want them to see the magazine as not being a serious publication if the magazine didn’t have a full team in an office somewhere. Sorry to spoil the illusion, just the dog and I in the living room. 

 When I look at the magazine’s stats. When I look what Image 34 has achieved, I couldn’t be prouder. Now I want to sing about how what I have managed to achieve what I have as a solo creator.

This rebrand was much needed. As I said I work full time and the issues started to slip. Although the content was on point the layout, logo and feel of the magazine were missing something. I knew I couldn’t rebrand as well as producing issues. So I took the tough decision to slow things down and stop publishing for a while to focus on the re-brand. But here we are back and hopefully you will agree better than ever. 

I hope enjoy you enjoy the new look and now future content we post.