Outdoor Photographer Rises From the Ashes as Wild Eye Magazine

There’s seldom good news regarding publishing magazines nowadays. But I was recently pleasantly surprised to hear that the late great Outdoor Photographer was rising from the ashes as the new Wild Eye magazine. Dan Havlik, former editor-in-chief of Outdoor Photographer, has taken the concept of the old magazine and brought it to the next level with Wild Eye.

Outdoor Photographer History

Steve Werner started Outdoor Photographer and published the first copy in 1985. He eventually moved on, and others took the helm. The magazine had a great run but finally collapsed in 2023 due to what has been described as “gross mismanagement.”

In its early days, Outdoor Photographer was the go-to publication for anyone who enjoyed taking pictures in the great outdoors. Some big names graced its pages, including Leonard Lee Rue lll, Dewitt Jones, Art Wolfe, George Lepp, and many others.

I was fortunate enough to work with them as well. Other than National Geographic, Outdoor Photographer was THE publication all dedicated outdoor journalists aspired to be published in. But like all good things, it seemed to run its course and in 2023 it published its last title.

My friend George Lepp was a big part of OP’s sucess.

Wild Eye is the new Outdoor Photographer

Wild Eye’s first issue is now on the newsstands and the web. Dan Havlik is the new Editor-in-Chief and our friend Miriam Stein Battles is the Managing Editor. They’re giving away the first issue of Wild Eye magazine for Free which includes stories and inspiring pictures from some of the world’s best nature photographers. Follow the link above to get your FREE copy. Let’s hope the new magazine does as well as the first version.