Interviews

Interviews with photographers and photojournalists working at the forefront of their fields across a wide range of genres, from fine art to documentary to street to travel, and everything in between. PetaPixel allows photographers to share their experience, opinions, and insights to inform and inspire the global photography community.

The Challenges Women Face in Motorsports Photography

Motorsports photography isn't a space traditionally associated with or particularly welcoming of female photographers, but one woman -- Alison Arena -- has made a name for herself in this industry and is now coaching others to follow suit.

Photographer Allison Stewart Explores the Construction of American Identity

I was blown away when I first saw Allison Stewart’s series, Bug Out Bag: The Commodification of American Fear. The work zeroed in on the mindset, ubiquitous paranoia, or to borrow from Hunter S, Thompson, our collective “fear and loathing” of America today. Her photographs of ‘preppers’ and how they plan for the worst just seem so America 2021.

How to Start a Photo Magazine in a Pandemic

The past few decades have been unkind to photo magazines. Many industry stalwarts have gone defunct, while others have moved to online editions only. Ironically, many photographers still believe in the photographic print, even though they might contend that the vast majority of image consumption happens on mobile devices.

The Difficulties One Woman Faced to Become a Photojournalist in Somalia

Breaking through the barriers of cultural and gender norms in Somalia, Fardosa Hussein shares what it took for her to be able to practice what she is passionate about -- photography, videography, and journalism -- in a place where such a career is viewed with hostility and is, at times, dangerous for women.

Talking Business with the ‘F**k Gatekeeping’ Crew

In April 2021, photographers Carmen Chan, Emiliano Granado, and Jared Soares launched F**k Gatekeeping, a “professional photographic knowledge base” composed of a website and Instagram account to share their business experience with other photographers.

Andrew Hallinan Translates Fine Art Street Photography Into Social Action

Brooklyn-based photographer Andrew Hallinan has been attending Black Lives Matter protests for a year. As he started to bring his camera on marches, he began to capture the police in striking rave-like flash photographs, blending fine art and social action.

Hannah Yoon’s Subtle, Powerful Photos of the Atlanta Spa Shooting

While overall hate crime dipped in 2020, hate crime against Asians increased dramatically in a number of cities around the country. That trend has unfortunately continued into the early parts of 2021, most visibly manifesting itself with the killing of 8 people (six of whom were Asian) in Atlanta on March 16, 2021.

Nat Geo’s Editor-in-Chief Answers Her 7 Most-Asked Photography Questions

Susan Goldberg has been editor in chief at National Geographic for seven years. In the history of Nat Geo, which started in 1888, she is the 10th editor and the first woman. The yellow-bordered magazine, one of the most widely read magazines of all time, has always been known for its dramatic photography and is published in 35 languages.

Shutterstock Picks Its Top 10 Photos of 2020

Shutterstock Editorial has just revealed the photographs that documented the historical moments that dominated 2020, a very different year from any other. The year started normally with red-carpet shows like Oscars and then veered off dramatically to pandemic and protests and is winding up with hope as news of vaccines emerges.

Canon: We Don’t ‘Cripple’ Cameras, Idea is ‘Conspiracy Theory’

Much has been made of the overheating time limits of the Canon EOS R5 and R6 and the fact that the overheating timer can be bypassed with seemingly no ill effects. But Canon has now gone on the record to confirm that they did not intentionally hamstring their latest mirrorless cameras to protect other camera lines from self-cannibalization.

Mental Health Help for Photographers (And Everyone Else)

As amusing as some COVID-19 memes and tweets have been (not to mention a welcome break from the endless news cycle), we want to be very clear about the importance of taking care of your mental health right now.

3 Freelance Photographers on Covering COVID-19

As uncertainty and anxiety over coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to proliferate, media organizations have tasked a handful of freelance photographers to document the outbreak.

21 Questions with Michael Runkel: The ‘Most-Traveled’ Photographer Alive

Travel photographer Michael Runkel has visited every country on Earth and shows no signs of slowing down. The German native chats with photographer Trey Bohn about going to outer space, the coronavirus outbreak, what makes a good travel photo, and why long-term travel with kids doesn’t suck.

Rob Carr on Shooting the Super Bowl, and Why He Shoots Canon

If you're a sports photographer at any level in the United States, the dream gig would be to shoot a national championship: the World Series, the MLS cup, the NBA Finals, the Stanley Cup, or perhaps the most coveted of all, the Super Bowl. For Getty Images Chief Sports Photographer Rob Carr, that dream is a reality.

The Story Behind a Photo Project: ‘State of Decay’ by Alejandro Cegarra

It’s Martin Kaninsky from the All About Street Photography YouTube channel, and today I would like to talk about a series of photographs that placed 3rd for Long-Term Projects, Stories in the 2019 World Press Photo competition. It's State of Decay by Alejandro Cegarra.

An Interview with Photographer B.A. Van Sise

B.A. Van Sise is one of the world's busiest travel photographers and a Nikon travel photography ambassador. A frequent contributor to the Village Voice and Buzzfeed, his work has also been featured on the cover of the New York Times, on PBS NewsHour, the Daily Mail, and on NPR. A number of his photos are in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian.

A Chat with War Photographer Lynsey Addario

Lynsey Addario is an American photojournalist who's well known for her work on the front lines of conflict and human rights issues. In this 8-minute video interview, VICE sat down with Addario and talked to her about everything from life and death to journalistic truth.

The Canon 1DX Mark III is Shaping Up to be a Killer Mirrorless Camera

The Canon 1DX Mark III is shaping up to be one of the most exciting mirrorless cameras on the market, matching or outpacing the current industry standard in the Sony a9 and a9 II. Yes, you read that right: if the upcoming 1DX Mark III only has the features that were teased yesterday, it will be a killer mirrorless camera that just happens to have a mirror.

Meet Henry Diltz, The Official Photographer at Woodstock

Henry Diltz was the official photographer at the legendary Woodstock music festival back in August 1969. Here's a 6-minute video directed by Scott Hanson for Keeper in which Diltz tells the story of how it all happened (note: there's a bit of nudity).

Inside the Mind of a Self-Portrait Landscape Photographer

Lizzy Gadd is a self-portrait landscape photographer. After finding awe-inspiring outdoor locations, Gadd steps into the frame and becomes a human element against a backdrop of wilderness. Smugmug Films just released this 7.5-minute short film that takes us into Gadd's mind and work.