Google Pixel 9 Pro Review for Photographers: It’s All About AI

A person holds up a Google Pixel smartphone facing the camera. The phone's camera array is visible. The person has a beard, mustache, and gray hair. "PetaPixel Reviews" is prominently displayed in text on the left side of the image.

As I write this, there is a Pixel 9 Pro XL in my hand with a beautiful, newly designed camera bump -- but what's inside is largely the same as what we've seen before. Sure, Google says they're more durable, have a longer battery life, and feature a redesigned imaging pipeline from the sensor to the photo, but what is the real improvement from last year's model? Well, some would say that the improvement isn't real at all, because the Pixel 9 is all about the powerful new generative AI tools added to the Magic Editor.

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How Does Your RAW Processing Software Affect Your Images?

When shooting on a digital camera, it’s considered fairly standard practice to shoot in a raw format or raw + JPEG. The reasoning for this is simple: shooting in a raw format like Nikon’s .NEF, Canon’s .CR3, or Sony’s .ARW will record the full, unprocessed, unadulterated data from your camera’s sensor, preserving as much dynamic range and detail as possible allowing you maximum flexibility in post to push and pull the image before exporting it as a JPEG or PNG.

An open photography book displaying a landscape image of a rural scene with a fence and golden foliage. A black camera with a strap is placed on a wooden table in the background. The image has a warm and tranquil ambiance.

WhiteWall’s New Coffee Table Book Is a Beautiful Way to Show Your Photos

Years ago, German photo lab and printer WhiteWall began offering high-quality, custom photography books. While the product line persists in some locations, including Europe, photo books were removed from the American market. WhiteWall has brought photography books back to the U.S. in the form of the WhiteWall Coffee Table Book.

I Hope Adobe Can Overcome Some Photographers’ Vitriol

Black and white photo of a modern building with the Adobe logo prominently displayed on its facade. The building has large, square windows and the sleek design typical of corporate architecture. The Adobe logo consists of a stylized 'A' and the word "Adobe".

This week, PetaPixel published a podcast where the entire premise was simply posing questions provided by photographers to Adobe. But just the act of publicizing those answers immediately turned some viewers off, showing a huge number need to see action, not words -- if anything at all will work at this point.