24 Hours in the Forest for Only 1 Photo: A Lesson in Patience

With well over 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, landscape photographer Thomas Heaton is popular for his behind-the-scenes window into life in the outdoors. On the recent shoot seen in the 11-minute video above, with incredible patience and dedication, Heaton spends 24 hours in the forest to capture just 1 image.

What Makes a Photographer?

In an age where everyone has a camera in their pocket and fashion magazine covers are being shot with iPhones, what makes a photographer? Erik Wahlstrom muses on what he calls ‘the democratization of photography’ in this 5-minute video.

Schlieren Photography Lets Us See an Invisible World

Have you ever wondered what a gale-force sneeze would look like if you could see air currents, temperature gradients, and differences in pressure and composition of the air? Or, less disgustingly, the strike of a match? This fascinating 6-minute video demonstrates Schlieren photography, which makes the invisible visible.

Disney Scenes Recreated as Photos

Louisiana-based photographer Savannah Kate Bridges shoots custom portraiture for clients in a variety of genres, but in her free time she has been working on a series that faithfully recreates beloved fairy tale scenes from Disney movies as photos.

Get Your Creative Juices Flowing with the Boring Room Challenge

Every photographer and filmmaker will likely one day find they have some kind of creative block, and breaking through this can be a total nightmare. One of the best ways to do this is to force yourself to be creative in a really dull, plain situation. In this challenge by Brandon Li, a boring hotel room becomes the setting for a dramatic film sequence.

How to Create a Double Exposure Portrait Using Photoshop

The artistic effect created by compositing images in a double exposure is certainly nothing new, but the masking techniques learned in constructing this kind of image in Photoshop are valuable in all sorts of post-production. This 9-minute video from Eye Stocker will show you how to combine a portrait of a woman with a photo of pine trees.

This is How Smartphone Cameras Have Improved Over Time

I was curious about how resolution (megapixels), aperture sizes, and sensor sizes have improved on smartphones over time. With the advent of phones with two back cameras with different focal lengths, like the iPhone 7, LG G6 and ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom, I also wanted to look at how the number of camera modules on a device has increased.

Review: Is the New Microsoft Surface Pro for Photographers?

The soul of an image is not always visible in what the viewer sees, but lives in what the photographer experienced. Uneducated eyes are often all too quick to criticize a black and white image by Henri Cartier-Bresson, without taking into account what he had to create with, and the cutting edge that his work represented in the early 1900’s.

A 3-Part Guide to Nailing Exposure In-Camera

Shooting RAW gives you a lot of latitude to make exposure adjustments in post, but it’s still vital to understand how to correctly expose a scene to avoid clipping highlights and destroying shadows. This 3-part series from photographer Greg Benz will teach you everything you need to know to get the shot.

30 Composition Styles for Taking Good Pictures

Ever since I decided to start learning photography, I’ve been looking for a good catalog of composition ideas. Once you figure out the mechanics of how a DSLR works, getting good at the composition of your photos seems to be the 80/20 of rapidly improving at photography.

Magnum Photos Receives First Outside Investment in Its 70 Year History

Magnum Photos, one of the most prestigious photographic agencies in the world, is celebrating a storied 70-year history this year, but it is a history that has not been without financial trouble. The agency has recently announced that they will be taking outside investment for the first time to help them grow and innovate in the digital age.

7 Quick Tips to Revolutionize Your Still Life Photos

It's difficult to stand out from the crowd in still life photography. When someone picks up a camera for the first time, still life is probably the initial thing they try. Therefore the internet is packed full of still life images, but these tips will help to give your photos an edge.

Shoot Better Golden Hour Portraits by Harnessing the Sun

The golden hour is popular amongst landscape photographers, but it is definitely worth utilising this for outdoor portraiture. By positioning the sun behind or in front of the subject, the lighting is changed dramatically. It's just like having a giant light on in the studio, but it is golden and delicious in the evening.

Instagram to Clearly Label Sponsored Photos with Product Placements

When Facebook took over Instagram, it was clear it would adopt the same changes seen in Facebook news feeds that are known so well. Algorithms push certain stories higher in feeds, rather than displaying them in chronological order. Now, sponsored posts will be clearly labelled in a bid to out paid product placement on the platform.

Foreigners Are Photo Ops in China

If you're a tall white guy walking around in touristy parts of China, there's a good chance you may be stopped by random people and asked to pose for a photo. This strange phenomenon can be seen in this 3-minute video recorded a few years ago by comedian Paul Ogata. It's titled, "Yes You May Photograph My White Guy."

My Worst Nightmare Came True: I S**t My Pants on a Photo Shoot

Hey guys. I'm a long-time PetaPixel reader and guest writer, but to avoid tarnishing my photography business forever and making my clients super uncomfortable, I’m going to use a pseudonym for this story of my worst nightmare coming true. Just call me Ernst Barnak.

8 Tips for Shooting an Award-Winning Tornado Photo

I’ve been photographing extreme weather for 25 years. After publishing tips on how to photograph lightning here back in March, I was asked to share any tips I have in capturing an award-winning tornado image. So, here I go…