True’s sixth issue thoughtfully showcases emerging and established photographers

Photography-focused publication True is known for collating together some of the medium’s most fascinating names. But rather than traditional profiles on photographers that fans may have seen already, True reaches out to creatives it admires and commissions them to provide something new. It could be an old project that never saw the light of day, or an idea the photographer in question never had the chance to complete. To emphasise the unique quality of these often personal series, the magazine places them centre stage with little to no words featured at all.

True’s sixth issue, which is created by London-based studio Assembly, continues its tradition of presenting a brilliantly broad photographic style. Each issue begins by gathering the four-person editorial team and discussing “which artists are inspiring us at the moment, either established or emerging,” treating each photographer’s work with equal importance. This has always been the key characteristic the publication has been centred around, existing “to show work that feels authentic”, as well as “a sense of intimacy with each issue.”

The team whittle down a selection of practitioners who “we think will be most excited to create a portfolio of work with True’s brief to experiment, create or revisit,” the team tells It’s Nice That. Then, the magazine leaves them to it, placing trust in the photographer at hand to create work which attracted True to them in the first place, before catching up about “furthering the concept and working through the edit.” Its design takes into close consideration how best to present the work at hand, with some images blown up full-bleed to showcase minute details, while other series are contemplatively placed together as diptychs.

This thoughtful approach – one which places as much importance on discussion and curation as the work itself – proves beneficial with this most recent sixth issue. A doorstop of a magazine, measuring in at just under the dimensions of A3, True acts as a tomb of image inspiration. With photography hero Jim Goldberg providing a cover and Arnaud Lajeunie and Georgia Pendleberry another, the publication features so many stories to stare at, particularly the work of Jenna Westra and the magazine’s own recommendation to keep a close eye on: Kalpesh Lathigra.

True’s sixth issue is now available via Antenne Books.