November 2013

Interview with Street Photographer Eric Kim

Whenever I look online for information or advice relating to street photography, Eric Kim’s name regularly surfaces. I’ve been reading his blog for a couple of years and in that time; I’ve watched his career and online prominence grow.

In comparison to other areas of photography, there’s relatively little advice online about street photography. But a number of photographers like Eric are helping to tackle this problem as well as build a solid and much-needed community for street photographers.

Photo Series Captures the Stunning Beauty of Siamese Fighting Fish

A few years ago, Bangkok-based photographer Visarute Angkatavanich started selling his work through microstock sites, and so he went in search of some interesting subjects to populate his gallery and generate some sales. Interestingly, he found what he was looking for in his own house: his pet fish.

Daniel Morel Awarded $1.2M in Damages in Lawsuit Against AFP and Getty Images

The Daniel Morel vs AFP/Getty Images saga has been going on since 2010 when the agencies first pulled his photos off of Twitter and distributed them without permission to several major publications. Now the saga has finally ended, and ended on very happy terms for Morel, who is walking away from the deal $1.2 million richer.

The Devil’s Photography Dictionary

Picture -- A representation in two dimensions of something wearisome in three. - Ambrose Bierce

I’m a fan of the satirical and cynical definitions of Ambrose Bierce, first written as a daily newspaper column and later collected in The Devil’s Dictionary. (It was originally called the Cynic’s Word Book, but so many politicians of the day called Bierce a Devil that he felt the new title more appropriate).

Beautiful Joshua Tree Time Lapse Captures Ecosystem Endangered by Climate Change

In May of 2012, filmmaker and photographer Sungjin Ahn set out to capture something both beautiful and somewhat rare: the Joshua Tree.

But what began as a simple time-lapse of the trees -- which can only be found in western Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah -- turned into something more for Ahn when he discovered that Joshua Tree National Park might someday lose the right to that name.

Foldio: The Uber-Portable, Foldable Light Box for Smartphone Photography

A new smartphone photography product is making some serious waves on the Internet ever since the launch of its Kickstarter campaign just a few days ago.

It's called Foldio, and it's an ultra-portable (foldable in fact) light box for smartphone shutterbugs who want to add a new dimension to their work or take some professional-looking product shots.

Photog Travels the World and Photographs Ancient Cultures that May Soon Disappear

A few days ago, we shared photographer Sasha Leahovcenco's inspirational project in which he photographed people in Siberia who had never had their photo taken. Photographer Jimmy Nelson's series/book Before They Pass Away is similar in that he, too, is probably photographing people who have never seen a camera.

But the project takes on a deeper, more tragic meaning as well. You see, as the name suggests, Before They Pass Away is about capturing photographs of ancient tribes and cultures that, before long, may no longer exist to be photographed.

Epic Self-Promotion: Photographer Has 400 Action Figures of Himself Made

Self-promotion is a tricky thing. We all know that marketing is probably more than half the battle when it comes to getting great clients (after all, no matter how good you are, they can't hire you if they don't know you exist) these days.

And now, as the photography market is becoming more and more saturated, the name of the game is "make an impression." There are tens if not hundreds of photographers available pitching your client... how are you going to stand out?

Evolution: Striking Black and White Photos of Vertebrate Skeletons by Patrick Gries

Working in concert with publisher Xavier Barral and writer/scientist Dr. Jean-Baptiste de Panafieu, photographer Patrick Gries has put together a book/photo series packed full of striking black and white photographs of vertebrate skeletons -- from tiny creatures to massive elephants, his book Evolution covers a vast swath of vertebrate natural history.

How Important is Style in Photography?

First, I'd like to start this article off with a little bit of a warning. This post is primarily aimed at people just starting to get into photography or people just beginning to make the jump from hobbyist to professional. That said, hopefully there's something below that can be appreciated by photographers of all levels.

Now, lets talk about style a little bit.

Interview with Deb Schwedhelm, Air Force Nurse Turned Underwater Photographer

Deb Schwedhelm is a wife, mother, former nurse in the US Air Force and professional photographer who specializes in shooting underwater. Her photographs have been exhibited widely and featured in numerous publications throughout the world. Visit her website here.

PetaPixel: First off, tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. You were a nurse in the Air Force before becoming a photographer, right?

Deb Schwedhelm: I grew up in Detroit, Michigan. After two years of nursing school, I decided to enlist in the Army Reserves. After boot camp and Advanced Individual Training (to become a Unit Supply Specialist), I returned to college and finished my Bachelors in Nursing. I then decided to become an Active Duty Registered Nurse, which I continued to do for 10 years. In 2003, I separated from the military in order to pursue a cochlear implant for my hearing-impaired daughter. In 2006, I purchases a DSLR and begin teaching myself photography -- a longtime dream of mine (more on that below).

Steve Winter Gets Up Close and Personal with a Curious Tiger Using a Robot Rig

National Geographic photographer Steve Winter is a big on the big cats. After all, he was willing to spend 12 months chasing after the perfect mountain lion shot. In the video above, he didn't have to exhibit that sort of patience, instead he had to control a finicky robotic camera rig as best he could and try to snap some awesome photos of a curious tiger.

Parents Keep Their Kids’ Imaginations Alive with Creative ‘Dinovember’ Project

Parents Refe and Susan Tuma aren't big on Movember, at their house November is reserved for a different tradition: Dinovember. Documented in photos on the project's Facebook page, the Tumas spend November keeping their kids' imaginations alive by convincing them that every night, their dinosaur toys come to life and get into all sorts of trouble.

Instagram Available for Windows Phone, Lacks Some Key Features

Yesterday, Windows Phone shutterbugs found reason to rejoice when news came down the pipeline that Instagram had finally arrived on their platform. But that happiness quickly turned to grumbling (or in some case downright outrage) when they found that the Windows Phone version of Instagram was woefully under-featured compared to its Android and iOS brethren.

Peter Hurley Shares His ‘Most Incredible Tip for Looking Photogenic’: Squinching

Back in February of 2012, portraitist Peter Hurley shared an awesome tutorial that showed how to accentuate your subject's jawline in portraits and instantly make them look much more photogenic. That video went insanely viral amongst photographers, and now, Hurley has finally released a followup in which he shares what he calls "his most incredible tip for looking photogenic."

Adobe Opens Up CC Photography Bundle to Everyone for a Limited Time

When Adobe officially announced its special Creative Cloud plan/bundle for photographers, there was a catch: you had to own Photoshop CS3 or above in order to qualify for the special $10/month pricing. Well, no more. For a limited time, Adobe is lifting that restriction and making the special bundle available for everyone.

Photographing Those Who Have Never Had Their Photo Taken, a Journey to Siberia

Twice, once in 2011 and once earlier this very year, photographer Sasha Leahovcenco packed his bags and travelled to the ends of the Earth to bring photography to those who have never had their photos taken. As you might imagine, the experience left Leahovcenco a changed man, and when you look through the photos he came back with, you begin to understand why.

New Technology is Making it More Difficult to Conceptualize Photography

A few weeks ago, I found myself wandering around a local career fair -- the type of event I normally find pretty loathsome, or at least overcrowded an unhelpful. This time though, a fun surprise: representatives from Snapchat and Shutterfly stood at booths right next to each other.

Oh boy! I couldn't turn down the chance to chat with some folks more or less connected to the photo industry.

First Leaked Photos of the Nikon D3300

It seems like we just got done with a round of leaks and rumor frenzy that had everyone in speculation overload, but now we have something coming out of the Nikon camp -- or rather leaking out of the Nikon camp: the first photos (if legit) of the Nikon D3300.

BTS with Kirsty Mitchell as She Begins the Final Chapter of Her Wonderland Series

We first shared the jaw-dropping fairytale photographs that make up Kirsty Mitchell's Wonderland series in May of 2012, some three years after she began her journey and just as her work was going so viral online that her reply to our request to feature her work was a "yes" followed by a "thank goodness I upgraded my servers!"

Now, four and a half years after she began Wonderland as a tribute to her mother who had recently passed away, she has officially embarked on what she is calling the final chapter in her Wonderland series.