Why Photography’s B&W vs Color Debate Is No Debate At All
In the 1950s, early color photography was widely scorned. Now it’s the default. What happened?
Philip Bloom Accuses Google of Using His Work in an Internal Video
Well-known British filmmaker Philip Bloom is accusing Google of using his work without permission or payment for an internal video that has since been leaked and published by major publications.
Conan O’Brien’s Take on the ‘Stuffed Anteater’ Photo Contest Scandal
Photographer Marcio Cabral's disqualification from the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year photo contest for allegedly using a stuffed anteater has been huge news around the world -- so big, that it's even made it onto a late night talk show. Here's a new 1.5-minute clip in which Conan O'Brien pokes fun at the scandal.
A Closer Look at the Stuffed Anteater Photo Contest Scandal
Brazilian photographer Marcio Cabral was disgraced last week after he was stripped of his 1st prize by the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Judges accuse Cabral of staging his photo using a stuffed anteater.
Photographer Drops Luxury Elephant Skin Bags After Outcry
Well-known Danish photographer Thorsten Overgaard has stopped offering luxury elephant skin camera bags for sale after word of the bags got some photographers up in arms.
NPPA Criticizes Sinclair for Local News Script, Sinclair Cancels $25K Donation
The National Press Photographer Association (NPPA) published a statement this week criticizing Sinclair Broadcast Group for its controversial on-air scripted message for local news anchors. Sinclair responded by canceling a $25,000 donation it had pledged. Now photographers and photo editors are speaking out in support of NPPA.
Adorama Angers Film Photographers with Article and ‘Stolen’ Photo
The camera superstore Adorama is closed this week in observance of Passover, but it still somehow found itself in the center of controversy among passionate film photographers over a pro-digital article and "stolen" photo.
BBC Accused of Photoshopping Jeremy Corbyn’s Hat to Look More ‘Russian’
The BBC is at the center of a controversy in the UK after its news program Newsnight was accused of Photoshopping politician Jeremy Corbyn's hat in a photo to make the opposition leader look more "Russian."
How NOT to Reply When Your Request to Use Photos is Rejected
If you're a business looking to license photos directly from a photographer, there are better and worse ways to respond if the photographer rejects your request and decides not to allow the use of their photos. That's what one convention recently learned the hard way.
Photo Contest Judges Raise Alarm: We Didn’t Judge Anything…
There's something strange going on with the International Photographer of the Year (IPOTY) photo contest. 11 of the 14 photographers listed as judges for the IPOTY 2017 contest say they weren't asked to judge a single thing before the winners were announced in February (and the other 3 couldn't be contacted).
Photographer Receiving Death Threats for Using Live Ducklings and Bunnies
A portrait photographer is receiving death threats this week after his photos began circulating online. Critics are accusing him of animal abuse over his use of live ducklings and bunnies in portrait photo shoots with babies and young children.
This Camera Store Receipt Will Make You Mad
Like many other types of businesses, camera equipment stores can make a lot of money by upselling, or convincing a customer to also purchase additional products and services. But how far can this upselling go before it becomes unethical? A new camera store receipt published online has many photographers furious and some crying "scam."
Did this Photographer ‘Try’ to Get the Shot, or Did He Nail It?
Vanity Fair contributor Joanna Robinson raised the ire of photographers with this tweet regarding an image taken of figure skater Adam Rippon by Getty Images photographer Dean Mouhtaropoulos.
Yes, Peter Lik’s ‘Moonlit Dreams’ IS a Composite
Photographers have been talking this month about best-selling landscape photographer Peter Lik's new photo, "Moonlit Dreams," pointing out that the image appears to be a "faked" composite instead of a single "real" exposure. It has since been confirmed that the photo IS a composite.
College Sports Photographer Was Paid by Other Schools While On the Job
The chief photographer of the University of Tennessee Athletics Department is now under investigation and on paid leave after a state investigation found that he photographed athletes from other schools for those schools while on the job.
Couple Accuses Wedding Photog of Fat-Shaming Them with Photoshop
An Ohio couple is publicly accusing a wedding photographer of "fat-shaming" them after discovering that some of their engagement photos had been Photoshopped without their consent to make them look skinnier.
Energy Dept. Photog: I Was Fired for Photos of Rick Perry and Coal CEO
A former US Department of Energy photographer is accusing the US government of firing him for leaking photos of a private meeting between energy secretary Rick Perry and a big coal CEO.
TV Star Asks for Free Wedding Photos in Exchange for Exposure. Oops.
A UK reality TV star has rubbed the photography community the wrong way after it was revealed that he has been asking wedding photographers to shoot his upcoming wedding in exchange for social media exposure.
Canon Can’t Tell This Photo Contains Stolen Elements
Canon generated some controversy this week by widely sharing a photo that contained portions taken without permission from a shot by photographer Elia Locardi using a Fujifilm camera. The company has now responded, but instead of issuing an apology, it's clear Canon can't tell that the infringement occurred.
H&M Slammed for Photo of Black Boy in ‘Monkey’ Hoodie, Mom Hits Back
The clothing giant H&M sparked controversy this week after people noticed a photo in its online store that showed a black child model wearing a hoodie sweatshirt with the words: "coolest monkey in the jungle." Now the boy's mom is speaking out and criticizing the critics.
UFC Bans Photographer Over Instagram Comments
A photographer has been banned by the UFC over offensive comments he made in an Instagram post against a female mixed martial arts fighter.
US Says DJI Camera Drones Are Spying for China, DJI Calls Claim ‘Insane’
DJI camera drones are likely spying on the United States for China. At least, that's what a newly uncovered US government memo claims. DJI has responded by calling the allegations "insane."
Photo of Android Gets a Top Prize in Prestigious Portrait Contest
One of the world's prestigious international portrait photography competitions has sparked a conversation about the nature of portrait photography after it awarded a top prize to a photo that doesn't even show an actual human being: the portrait is of an android.
Photographer Apologizes for Editing Actress’ Hair Out of Cover Photo
A photographer is publicly apologizing this week after actress Lupita Nyong’o took to social media to complain that her hair had been edited out of a cover photo on the women's magazine Grazia.
Newsweek Slammed for Cover Photo of Phallic Balloon
Newsweek is getting widely criticized after sharing a sneak peek of the cover on the November 17th issue of the magazine. To illustrate the lead article about sexual harassment, the magazine decided to use a photo of a feminine hand sticking a needle into a phallic balloon.
Amazon Has a Book on ‘How to Seduce Women Through Photography’
Famous photographer Terry Richardson was just banned by top fashion magazines this week after years of being accused of sexual harassment by models. Now there's a book being sold on Amazon that photographers are speaking out about. It's titled: An Introduction to Camera Game: How to Seduce Women Through Photography.
Chinese Museum Pulls Photo Exhibit Comparing Black People to Animals
A museum in China has taken down a photo exhibition that placed photos of black people and African animals side-by-side. The exhibit had attracted outrage from around the world after images of it were shared online.
Famous Greek Monastery Bans Foreign Weddings Due to One Raunchy Photo
Foreign weddings are now banned on a famous monastery on the Greek island of Rhodes after a British couple decided to shoot a raunchy wedding photo and share it online.
Woman Says Viral Boudoir Photo Shoot Got Her Fired
A plus-size Texas woman says she was fired from her job last week after a steamy "body-positive" boudoir photo shoot she did went viral online.
Nikon Slammed for Promoting D850 in Asia with 32 Men and 0 Women
Nikon is being criticized this week for its selection of pro photographers promoting the new D850 DSLR in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Take a look at the professional photographers in the lineup, and you'll see 32 men and zero women.
Woman Stripped of Prizes After Using Public Domain Photos to Win Contests
A Swiss photographer has been stripped of two awards after it was revealed that she had submitted a Thai photographer's public domain photos as her own to win honors in contests.
Is This Eclipse Photo #FakeNews?
Much ado about nothing or a serious ethical breach of photojournalistic norms? A debate emerged on Facebook when freelancer and Pulitzer Prize winner Ken Geiger’s image appeared in the National Geographic Instagram feed and in a slideshow on the NatGeo website. The image was a composite of multiple images created in-camera that resulted in an photo that never existed because the eclipse was never positioned against the Tetons as depicted.
Los Angeles Bans Photos at Concerts in Public Park
The city of Los Angeles is banning photography at free concerts in a public park, and photographers aren't happy about it. Several prominent photographer, journalist, and civil rights organizations have joined forces in writing a letter that protests the policy.
Ex-Bowens Employees Furious About Handling of Liquidation
The 94-year-old UK-based lighting brand Bowens surprised the photo world last month when it abruptly closed shop and went into liquidation, citing the rise of cheap Chinese brands and fierce competition. The death of a beloved photo brand is (sadly) not too unusual, but former Bowens employees in both the UK and in China say they're furious about how they've been treated during this process.
Photographer Wins $20,000 Prize for ‘Photo’ of Scratches and Spit
A top portrait photo contest in Australia has sparked an outcry this week after awarding its $20,000 top prize to a "photo" of scratches and spit.
Capitol Hill Police Forced Journalists to Delete Protest Photos, Reports Say
Capitol Hill police officers in D.C. are being accused of violating the First Amendment after reports emerged that journalists were forced to delete photos and videos of protests at the Senate.
Souvid Datta Caught Staging Photo in ‘Master of Photography’ Finals
Controversy-stricken photographer Souvid Datta has raised some photographers' eyebrows again, this time on the European reality TV photo competition Master of Photography. In the final round of the contest, Datta admitted to staging one of the photos when questioned by the judges.
Photographers, Register Your D*mn Copyright
Photographer Max Dubler struck a nerve last week with an article documenting the theft of one of his downhill skateboarding images. After finding a skateboard brand using one of his photos without authorization, he did as he always does: he contacted the offending party and requested a payment of $25 for social media usage.
Photobucket Just Broke Billions of Photos Across the Web
Since 2003, the popular photo hosting service Photobucket has been letting users upload and host images for free on their servers. They have over 10 billion images stored by 100 million registered users. But now they're going to start charging, and that means billions of images around the Web are now broken.
Laguna Beach Edits ‘Non-Commercial’ Photo Permit After Outcry
Earlier this month, we reported that the city of Laguna Beach, California, required photographers to pay $100+ for a photo permit even if they were shooting non-commercial photos on public land. After word of the policy spread and complaints began flooding in, Laguna Beach has now changed its policy, making it clear that personal photography is free to do on public property.