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Shooting Hockey Player Portraits from Below, Through Plexiglass

Ever since joining the San Jose Sharks two years ago, I’ve looked for different ways to photograph hockey and showcase our athletes. There was one specific photo that I had been thinking about for a while. The concept would be to create a photo from below the ice, as if looking up at a Sharks player inside SAP Center.

I’m a TV Show Set Photographer and This is My Process

I get asked all the time about my process: what applications I use, what gear I use, how I do what I do. So I figured, since I'm locked in my apartment by myself because of COVID-19, I might as well write my first blog post about it.

Behind the Scenes: Shooting a Bugatti Chiron Going from 0 to 250mph

Back in 2017, automotive filmmaker Al Clark and his team at OUTRUN filmed an impressive "0-400-0 km/h" commercial for Bugatti's latest and greatest supercar: the 1500bhp Bugatti Chiron. Now, after years of online speculation, Clark is finally revealing how exactly they did it.

In-Depth Breakdown Shows How to Properly Weather-Seal a Camera

Dave Etchells over at Imaging Resource has released a fantastic breakdown the dives deep on exactly how camera makers—Olympus specifically—go about properly weather-sealing their cameras. In keeping with Etchells' reputation, this video is the most comprehensive overview of the topic that we've ever seen.

My Portrait Session with Fidel Castro

It was my younger years. I had just published work from the Sudanese Civil War, and the Editor-in-Chief of Germany's GEO magazine, wrote that “Per-Andre risks life and limb for a good shot." Basically, I presume he meant I was a young fool, who took on assignments very few in their clear mind would consider.

Capturing Portraits in Indonesia’s Trash Dumps with a Dislocated Knee

I’ve always laughed when, as a photographer, people ask me if I can deal with a difficult client or shoot in a difficult situation. But even still, things are never going to be as bad as the conditions on my most recent trip – after this, I feel like I can shoot anywhere.

Fashion Meets Fantasy in the Stunning Photography of Bella Kotak

The latest installment of SmugMug Films brings up behind the scenes with fine art fashion photographer Bella Kotak, whose stunning imagery toes the line between fashion and fantasy, creating a look that's immediately recognizable and nearly always awe-inspiring.

Photographing the Contestants of Survivor 40 on a Deserted Island in Fiji

During my tenure working as a Senior Photo Director and a still’s photographer at CBS, no other show has captivated my interest like the reality-based competition series Survivor. While other reality programs have come and gone, Survivor has stood the test of time and exceeded all expectations for 39 seasons.

These Before-and-After Images Reveal What Goes Into My Photo Art

As a digital artist, I create images that are optical illusions, interesting concepts, and fantasy worlds. For this, I have to have tools to achieve my visions and this is where my retouching background comes into play.

Bringing a Giant 160-Year-Old Petzval Lens Back to Life

It was a normal Saturday afternoon in November when I walked into a flea marked. I met some friends there, looked around a little bit, and in the end I bought this Gasc and Charconnet 500mm Petzval lens in the hopes that I could bring it back to life.

Testing the Canon EOS Ra: Why It’s Worth it for Astrophotographers

Trevor Jones of AstroBackyard recently got his hands on a niche camera that will be extremely interesting to astrophotographers... and just about nobody else: the Canon EOS Ra. In the video above, he takes it out for a test shoot to show off the two features that set this camera apart when it comes to serious night sky shooting.

How to Make a Ground Glass Focusing Screen at Home

Did you know that you can make your own ground glass focusing screen? In his latest video, wet plate photographer Markus Hofstätter shows you exactly how by making a ground glass screen for one of his large format cameras.

Beautiful Behind the Scenes Film Shows the Making of the Leica M10

This beautifully-shot film from 2017 has been making the rounds again this morning, showing the making/assembly of the Leica M10. And like all "making of" videos that take us inside a camera or lens factory, it offers a mesmerizing look at the attention to detail that goes into assembling each digital rangefinder that Leica makes.

Layers of Being Human: A Tribute to Mexican Culture and Día de Muertos

A month ago I had the opportunity to visit my friends and colleagues in beautiful Mexico. After two colorful and unforgettable weeks touring Mexico, I swore that I would create a “tribute” image when I got home, trying to instill some of the visuals and feelings of the Mexican culture into it.

This Photographer Uses Clever Tricks for Extraordinary Photos

Jordi Koalitic is a Barcelona-based photographer who has racked up over 1.3 million followers on his Instagram by specializing in "creative photography." Koalitic shares not only his finished photos but also behind-the-scenes photos showing the tricks he used to create them.

Chasing the Ultimate Surfing Shot with Teenage Photographer Leroy Bellet

Red Bull TV's video series Chasing the Shot pairs cutting-edge photographers with world-class athletes to show what it takes to capture unparalleled action photography. And for Season One's main episode, they followed teenaged surf photography phenom Leroy Bellet as he set out to capture the surfing photo of a lifetime.

Hasselblad from Iconic Marilyn Monroe Shoot Expected to Sell for $300,000

Auction house Christie's is preparing to auction off the camera used by photographer Douglas Kirkland to shoot some of the most recognizable images of Marilyn Monroe. In honor of this impressive lot, they've put together a retrospective that takes you behind the scenes of this iconic and intimate photo shoot.

‘Piggybacking’ is the New Normal in Commercial Photography

After completing my degree in still photography at RIT, I grew up in NYC working in the motion world as a production assistant. My plan was to eventually direct TV spots, but I wanted to garner a solid background in the art of lighting from the still world first.

This Photographer Colorizes His Wet Plate Photos with Striking Results

Fine art photographer Borut Peterlin was recently commissioned to shoot some ambrotypes by costume designer Alan Hranitelj, but he went a few steps beyond your standard wet plate collodion photography. In addition to shooting some beautiful multiple-exposures, he also decided to colorize the scans, creating striking photographs the likes of which we've not seen before.

How to Shoot Refraction Macro Photos in Water Drops, Glass Beads and More

Refraction photography is an exciting subject that has been enjoying increasing popularity amongst photographers. You've probably seen refraction photos before: where an out-of-focus background appears sharply defined inside a crystal ball or a dew drop for example. In today’s post, we will examine this phenomenon and learn how to take beautiful photos by taking advantage of this effect.

How I Captured a Day-to-Night Composite on Expired Film

After my recent success at mixing vintage Verichrome Pan film with Kodak Instamatic film, I wanted to try this splitfilm trick again. And I wanted to create something that was a “day versus night” exposure, using the lights of an amusement park or the midway of a county fair to build my image.

Photographer Shares the Story Behind this Incredible Astrolandscape Photo

Two days ago, photographer Paul Schmit captured what he's calling "the most difficult and technical astrolandscape shot I've ever planned and executed." It's an incredible shot, showing the ISS transiting the sunrise in front of some picturesque radio towers atop a mountain peak. This photo was weeks in the making, but Schmit tells PetaPixel he almost missed it.

This Photo Was Not Staged: Wedding Photojournalism vs Photojournalism

This is an unposed, naturally caught moment at Rachael and Carl’s wedding at The Vineyard in Stockcross, Berkshire. It’s recently won a couple of awards from This is Reportage and the Wedding Photojournalist Association. It’s a striking image, and drew some criticism that it must be staged, or was not photojournalism. So I thought I’d explain why I believe this is wedding photojournalism, and how I came about taking this image.

Pro Food Photographer Debunks Viral ‘Food Styling Hacks’

Those "food styling hacks" videos that go viral online every few months might not be entirely truthful—in fact, they're often entirely misleading. Which is why professional food photographer Scott Choucino put together this video reacting to/debunking some of the most common hacks he's seen online.