September 2013

Amazing 19th Century Photographs of the American West by Timothy O’Sullivan

Photographer Timothy H. O'Sullivan is perhaps best known for his photos of the Civil War, which include his famous "Harvest of Death" photo. But after covering the war, O'Sullivan decided to strike out West, and when he came back, he brought with him some of the earliest photos of the (quite literally) "wild" American West.

Humorous Ad Paints an Accurate Picture of Smartphone Photo Culture

If you've been to a play or other event put on by your child's elementary school recently, you might have experienced something similar to what the Nokia ad above depicts. Meant to tout the prowess of the Lumia 1020, it does a better job at showing just how close we've gotten to ridiculous when it comes to smartphone photography.

Video: Educational Tutorial on the History, Physics and Uses of Cinema Lighting

Back in April, we shared the first of cinematographer Mark Vargo's informative series of videos on different photographic concepts. The videos are meant to educate photographers and videographers alike on these concepts so that they might "unleash their creative potential."

The first video was on the types and uses of light meters, and now Vargo has finally released the second video in the series, dubbed "Let There Be Light."

Check Out This Camera-Themed Version of the Space Invaders Arcade Game

It's Labor Day here in the US, which means most people (read: not the PetaPixel staff) are taking the day off, siting at home and possibly getting ready to fire up the grill in the next few hours. Whether you're at home or at work though, if you're looking to kill some time, we've found a great solution for you.

Street Photog Visits North Korea to Shoot Everyday Life in the Mysterious Country

We've had precious few chances to get a glimpse into the secretive country of North Korea. With the exception of a few AP photographers working out of the DPRK who have taken to Instagram to share their work, photos of the people of North Korea are rare. It's not like your friends' Flickr streams often fill up with photos from their recent North Korean vacation.

That's exactly why Stockholm-based photographer Simon Röder wanted so badly to go there. And after some planning and a few obstacles, the street photographer was able to turn the trip into a reality, and come back with the photos to prove it.

Pixy: A Low Cost Camera that Recognizes and Follows Objects by Color

Camera technology is always being used/tweaked in one way or another to yield surprising or novel results. In some cases, that means creating a camera that sees like a bug's eye. In others, one that perceives only motion, like a retina.

The most recent camera innovation we've stumble across falls a bit closer to the second of those. It's called Pixy, and it's a color-detecting camera that might some day soon be the eye with which your friendly neighborhood robot sees and interprets the world.

Eric Kim Allowing High-Res Downloads of His Work for Free, Going ‘Open Source’

Street photographer Eric Kim has always believed in the value of 'open source.' Usually a term reserved for software and code, open source is a development model that promotes free public access and redistribution rights for a product.

Much of what Kim has put out into the world -- be they videos or ebooks -- he's made available in the same way: use, alter and share as you'd like. And now, he's adding his photos to the list of things the public has almost unlimited access to.

Brand Licensing and the Nikon Phone

By this point, the crippling blow dealt to compact cameras by the rise of smartphones is old news, but camera manufacturers are now mounting counterattacks. They've certainly suffered for long enough. Sales for compact cameras fell by 30% in 2011 alone, and kept on falling. They're at 102 million units for this year, compared to 144 million units just three years ago.

Rumor: Sony to Launch ‘Extraordinary’ E-Mount Camera with a Moving Sensor

No doubt there are both Sony fans and detractors reading this right now. But if there's one thing even the detractors can't say about Sony at the moment, it's that the company isn't innovating.

Sony's upcoming lens cameras (SmartShots?) are so out there CNET didn't even believe they were real, the rumored full-frame NEX camera has the mirrorless crowd abuzz, and now, it seems the company has yet another "extraordinary" invention on the way.

Zany Picture Frame Concept Encourages ‘Vandalism,’ Let You Draw on Your Pics

Typically, the only people who would take a marker to your pictures would be your kids when you're not paying attention. But wouldn't it be at least a little fun to pretend you were a kid again, take out a marker, and just go to town on a few of your photos?

Designer Brian Khouw obviously thinks so, which is why he came up with a concept picture frame dubbed the Vandalijst -- a frame that actually encourages you to doodle on your photos.

Video: Wedding Photographer Blocks the Videographer’s Shots

Update: Unfortunately, the video has been taken down since we put this post up. We'll keep an eye out and get it back up if and when it is re-uploaded.

Wedding photographers have complained before (and for good reason) of people getting in their way while they try to do their job. In the video above, however, the tables have turned. It's not a guest getting up and standing in the middle of the aisle, blocking every shot. The one in the way is actually the photographer.