Some photographs happen in an instant. Others take years to arrive. For more than a decade, I carried a very specific picture in my mind: a lion at complete ease, drinking from still water, everything calm and in balance. I knew how it should look, the light, the posture, the mood, but in the field, the moment always slipped away.
I sat on the floor surrounded by backpacking gear like I was in the middle of a summoning circle, carefully setting a headlamp on a gram scale in front of me. 47 grams. Not bad. I kept weighing items one by one, trying to find any unnecessary weight to cut, before I hefted my heaviest single piece of gear onto the scale and winced. 915 grams.
A novel AI model from MIT is blending science, art, and technology to inspire a deeper connection to the natural world, proving that generative AI doesn’t have to be soulless.
Every few years, I write an updated version of the Film Grain Emulation guide. I do this because my passion drives me to learn more, and my understanding of film grain changes significantly.
Each year, my photographic instrumentation students build very simple focus stacking systems. After several years, I decided to construct a more advanced version that could move a stepper-motor-driven stage to precise positions, automatically collect a series of images, and then manually use a stacking program for combination into a single high-depth-of-field image.
Hasselblad is one of the most storied names in photography. The company was founded in Sweden in 1841 as a trading business, but by the early 1900s, Victor Hasselblad began producing cameras that defined the brand and set a new standard for precision and design.
I shoot digital. I don’t do film, and I have never touched a film camera. I have never spent hours in a darkroom waiting for a print to appear under red light. My photography career began entirely digital, and I have grown to appreciate the possibilities it offers. Every modern camera provides clarity, precision, and control that film could never fully deliver. Every detail, every color, every expression is there, ready to tell the story as it happened.
In e-commerce, photography isn’t just a picture—it’s the customer’s only connection to the product. A shopper can’t hold the glasses, feel the texture of the frame, or judge the true glossiness of the metal. When the image doesn’t reflect reality, the result is disappointment, higher return rates, and ultimately, a loss of trust in the brand.
As I passed through the airport security in Managua, Nicaragua, on December 30th, 2024, my heart sank -- the LowePro camera bag had been flagged and was being taken aside for checks. The handler found what he was looking for: my DJI Mavic Pro Drone.
When The Washington Post sent a reporter to Utah to cover the shrinkage of Great Salt Lake, the writer collaborated with local independent photographer James Roh who knows the territory, and helped with crucial reporting. This is increasingly the norm.
I rediscovered an old love while writing an article about using M lenses on my Panasonic S5 IIx. My old love? Rangefinder cameras.
It is hard for anyone to deny the positive effect that the transition from film to digital has had on photography. The sheer number of photographs taken each year has increased exponentially in the digital age, particularly now that cameras are included on nearly every cell phone. But we have lost one aspect of photography: the photo album.
One night in 2018, I was viewing the international space station through a telescope in the observatory of Helsinki. Suddenly, I looked into the opposite direction and there, for the first time ever, I would see the northern lights dancing over the city below. The experience was otherworldly and I wanted to see them again and again.
The camera isn’t dying: it’s disappearing, not into nothing, but into something smaller, smarter, and always connected. For more …
An enduring legacy of broadcasting hero Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965) is the prestigious Murrow award, a highly sought-after honor bestowed by a media association with a name that starts with “Radio.”
Limitations are a blessing and a curse. I always wanted more, a better camera, more pixels -- name it, and I wanted it. Until I found out, that having more also gave me creative paralysis.
I’ve been a photographer for 14 years — ten in Boston, Massachusetts, and the last four in Austin, Texas. I’ve photographed weddings, concerts, portraits, travel stories, and countless events where the light was less than perfect.
On the morning of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's scheduled interview with archivist Oleksandra Buzko, her phone rings unanswered.
Photojournalist David Swanson was shot in the arm while he was embedded with U.S. Marines in Iraq in 2004. Later, he won the Pulitzer Prize for coverage of school violence in Philadelphia.
Over the past few product generations of the GoPro line, we’ve seen a ton of advancement in the feature set offered by everyone’s favorite action camera. Not only can it go anywhere and do pretty much anything you ask it to, newer models can even record in 10-bit log formats, in resolutions higher than 4K, in an 8:7 aspect ratio for ultimate flexibility in post.
Is your digital archive filled with vintage footage from early DSLRs, prosumer camcorders, or first-gen smartphones? Chances are, they are blurry, noisy, or even frozen in spots.
Newborn photography is one of the most beautiful yet delicate branches of photography. It is a field that combines artistry with significant ethical responsibility. Newborns are among the most vulnerable subjects to photograph, and even the slightest negligence can result in serious and irreversible harm.
It’s 7:30 PM. Sunset begins in Marblehead and a full moon starts to rise, right over the cast iron skeletal structured lighthouse, built in 1896. I’m standing next to several other photographers at Fort Sewall -- a great vantage point to view the lighthouse from -- and we all have our lenses pointed in exactly the same direction. Same spot. Same composition.
During decades of seismic change in media, mid-career visual journalists supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation returned to college to learn new skills, earn master’s degrees, and share knowledge with younger students.
Marit van Ekelenburg turns “fear into fascination” by revealing the beauty, diversity, and ecological importance of insects and other invertebrates through macro photography.
Winning the Communication Arts Photography Annual is never a solo achievement. The truth is, behind every great image stands a community; mentors who took the time to teach, assistants who stepped in when it mattered most, and a crew that believed in the vision. A photographer’s journey is built on the shoulders of many, and this year’s honor means more to me than ever before.
If you’re someone who makes a living by creating things with your computer, or even an enthusiastic hobbyist, chances are that eventually, you’re going to need more room to store all of your stuff than can be provided by the drive(s) built into your computer. Arguably more importantly, if you’re especially attached to some of the work you’ve done and would like to protect it from loss, you’re going to want some method of backing up your data.
For photographers, Tokyo is more than just the vibrant capital of Japan; it's also an endless series of photo opportunities. But beyond the viewfinder, it’s also home to an impressive array of camera shops, each offering something unique and filled with special character.
Night skies. Distant wildlife. Handheld footage from earlier DSLR cameras with tiny sensors and high ISO. This is where cameras -- even the most capable ones -- begin to struggle. The result? Noise. Sometimes it's manageable; often, it's not. In fact, these grain, random specks, and compression artifacts have long plagued photographers and videographers.
Color grading is a crucial creative adjustment that enhances storytelling and evokes emotions. In portrait photography, it plays a significant role in establishing the mood of the subject. This article explores how to craft color grading in portrait photography, from sourcing inspiration to achieving the final result.
At the start of a tough multi-day assignment to cover the Texas floods, a news photographer based in San Antonio visited a family reunification center and met someone so laden with grief that the photographer wept.
Astrophotography has exploded in popularity over the past decade, thanks to ever-improving sensors, automated tracking mounts, and processing software that practically polishes your stars for you. But in a digital world obsessed with data, sharpness, and pixels, I found myself increasingly disengaged.
In an era when AI and digital manipulation seem to be facing off with the veracity of traditional photography, it’s worth noting that image making has always been an interpretive art. Several historic exhibitions at PHotoESPAÑA 2025 in Madrid remind us that photographic depictions of the real world stem from the eye of the beholder.
The old canard that baseball is boring and repetitive prompts young photographer Tanner Pearson to re-tell how Guardians power hitter Jose Ramirez smashed a ball three within inches of his head. The ball speed from the bat was 103 miles per hour.
When the Midjourney newsletter hit my inbox late at night, one line stood out: "Video is now live for everyone." That was enough. Sleep had to wait.
“Unique” is an overused adjective that, at times, does not measure up. But the Met Gala is a unique spectacle of celebrity fashion, with individual ticket prices at $75,000 or $350,000 and up for a table for ten.
Maxim Dondyuk (b.1983, Ukraine), winner of the W. Eugene Smith Grant, is a research-based photographer and artist who combines fieldwork, historical inquiry, and personal reflections with the medium of photography, video, text, and archival materials.
Last month, I made a photograph at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. A candid image. Unposed, unplanned, and deeply human.
Back in 2015, a question popped into my head during a weather hold at a New Jersey helicopter hanger: “Could you capture the entire island of Manhattan in a single image?”
We have all seen the online drama and hate that has been thrown at the recent photographs of Pamela Anderson, age 57. This Canadian-American actress, model, and media personality has been the center of attention for nearly four decades.
Professional news photographers with credentials face pressures from all sides in the chaotic confrontation in Los Angeles, says Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist David Swanson.
Warmer weather is here and with that comes more opportunities to get outside and capture all that the world has to offer. Before setting out on your next shoot, make sure you have the right gear on hand so you’re ready when the perfect moment arises.
Father’s Day is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate the special dads in our lives who have a passion for photography than by treating them to some truly unique and thoughtful gifts?
Although not heavily promoted by manufacturers, the digital zoom feature included in many recent camera models has significantly improved since it was first introduced in the mid-2010s. Early versions were crude, simply enlarging a portion of the sensor’s data without additional processing. As a result, images were widely criticized for poor detail and heavy artifacts—and that reputation still lingers.
Most concert venues do not allow interchangeable lens cameras into shows without special permission. But this simple means of distinguishing unauthorized professional photography and unstoppable casual snapshooting can invite creative photographers to blur the boundaries between these types of photography with unlikely cameras.
In September 2024, I was passing through the Jubilee Market in Covent Garden when I found a ZEISS IKON NETTAR at a vintage camera stall. Nearly 90 years old, it sat between light meters and cracked lenses—quiet and unassuming.
The widely published choke-gesture photo from the NBA playoffs showcases the enduring power of a single image to capture and ignite sports passion. In this case, the photographer had line of sight for a second to make the photo.
Aquatic stalking is a hunting technique used by polar bears to catch seals. Unlike the traditional method of waiting by breathing holes in the ice, aquatic stalking involves the bear swimming stealthily through open water or diving under ice to approach seals resting on the ice’s edge. Polar bears use their white fur as camouflage in snowy or icy environments, allowing them to blend in and get closer without being detected. When close enough, the bear launches a sudden, explosive attack, often breaking through the ice or lunging from the water to catch the seal. This method requires patience, strength, and precise timing, as seals are highly alert and quick to escape into the water.
We’re excited to announce the "Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer Giveaway”! Once again, we’ve partnered with some outstanding brands to offer an incredible prize package. One lucky winner will receive a LUMIX S5II full-frame mirrorless camera with a 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, ProMaster’s Epoch 328/4W Tripod Kit, plus a collection of other unique photography products.
So… you’ve got a decent following on social media, and you’re looking to cash in? Want to travel for free, get all your expenses covered, and “grow” your portfolio without doing much? Do you want to run your own photography tour, which will make you shine like a famous and successful travel photographer?