Outdoor Photography Canada Closing: How It Made Me a Better Pro Photog

It was mid-2011, and I was looking for a way to capitalize on my newfound love of photographing snowflakes. I had thrown the idea to numerous magazine, agencies, and business to see if they would bite. One publication responded favorably, asking me to write an article on spec. If they liked it, they’d consider publishing it. There was immediate excitement and immediate pressure. This could be a huge break for me in the industry.

Photos Found on USB Stick Found in Frozen Seal Poo

There have been plenty of stories of photos being found on lost cameras over the years, but here's a wild lost-and-found story you definitely haven't heard before. A USB drive has been reunited with its owner after it was found in a frozen slab of seal poo.

These Teens Were Asked to Edit Their Portrait for Social Media

The British photographer Rankin recently conducted an experiment for a project titled "Selfie Harm." He photographed 15 teenagers between ages 13 and 19 and gave them the untouched portraits to edit themselves. Each teen was instructed to retouch their face until it was "social media ready."

Why You Should Photograph Venice in the Wintertime

I last visited Venice a long time ago, and all I could remember were the crazy crowds. It's no wonder, because I visited in the summer. Last weekend, I decided to visit Venice in the winter with my girlfriend. People were saying "Why Venice? It’s not the season." But that’s exactly the point. I thought that visiting in Venice would be smart to avoid all the crowds, and I was right.

Flickr Pushes Deletion of Over-Quota Photos to March 2019

After limiting free accounts to 1,000 photo and video files, Flickr announced that it would begin deleting data from accounts over that quota starting on February 5th, 2019. Now Flickr has announced that it's giving users more time to download photos by pushing the wipe date back to March 12, 2019.

Don’t Let Social Media Ruin Your Photography

I’m at a Starbucks in Hanoi. Typically it’s a peaceful location where I can write and think, but today it’s overrun with young people smoking cigarettes, occasionally smiling and laughing, but mostly consumed with their phones browsing Instagram and taking selfies to reload their feed with an annoyed older man in their background typing away.

Canon EOS RP Revealed in Leaked Photos and Specs

Canon is gearing up to announce its second full-frame mirrorless camera following the EOS R. It you can't wait for the official announcement just around the corner, today's your lucky day: the upcoming Canon EOS RP has been revealed in leaked photos and specs.

The Benefits of Posting My Prices for On-Location Corporate Headshots

I made the uncommon decision to post my rates for on-location corporate headshots on my website. Some fear it will scare away clients before the photographer gets to explain the value in their work. Valid concern. Some want to gouge bigger clients who can pay more. That’s not the way I want to run my business.

Shutterstock Recreates Infamous Fyre Festival Promo Using Only Stock Clips

Fyre Festival was a "luxury music festival" that failed spectacularly back in 2017 after attracting a huge amount of interest with a viral photo and video marketing blitz. Shutterstock has released this 30-second video to show how the wildly expensive Fyre Festival promo video could have been created at a tiny fraction of the cost.

Shooting the New Kodak Ektachrome 100 in the City at Night

Last week, after much anticipation, I received back my first rolls of the new Kodak Ektachrome 100, exposed in Chicago over the Christmas holiday (thanks to Denver Digital Imaging Center). After all the hype and fanfare surrounding Kodak releasing a new chrome film this far into the alleged afterlife of film, I was excited to see the results. Spoiler alert: the wait was worth it.

The $10 Backdrop: Cheap vs Expensive Seamless for Portraits

Photography. It’s expensive. And who really has the money to buy all the name brand photo gear? I certainly don’t. With that said, expensive equipment does NOT make the photograph -- the photographer does, which is why I am exploring various non-photography-specific gear and using it for my photography.

Picfair: The All-In-One Solution for Selling Your Photography

Online options for selling your photography are complex, unfair, and disconnected. Marketplaces can give you exposure, but most of the larger names (if they let you in) make you sacrifice pricing control, rights options, and most of your royalties -- the vast majority of the money your images generate go to them, not you.

Ep. 311: M43 Gets Rather Serious – and more


Episode 311 of the PetaPixel Photography Podcast.
Download MP3 -  Subscribe via iTunes, Google Play, email or RSS!
Featured: Olympus Visionary, Jamie MacDonald

Understanding Flash Guide Number (and Common Misconceptions)

Mystified by talk of "guide number" and "flash power"? Gerald Undone made this helpful 10-minute video that explains everything you need to know about the light from strobes and speedlights, from common misconceptions to practical formulas that will help you light your shots.

Why Aiming for 100 Rejections is Bulls**t

A few years ago, I read an article online about an artist who was aiming to receive 100 rejections in a year. I understand his philosophy behind the article. Based on the number of rejections, there will be a number of accepted as well. So the higher the rejection number, the higher the accepted will be too.

10 Pro Tips for Taking Your Drone Photography to New Heights

Ever since I began traveling for work, I’ve looked for ways to capture the beauty of planet Earth from above. As early as the 1990s, I began experimenting with every alternative imaginable: ultralights, helicopters, seaplanes, hot air balloons and hang gliders. For me, the drone was simply a dream that materialized in front of me – the beginning of a new era that opened all the doors I desired and freeing me in my search for new photographic elements, perspectives, and composition.

This Lens Filter Faithfully Recreates the Look of Kodak Aerochrome IR Film

Kodak Aerochrome was a popular infrared film that produced a distinctive look photographers have utilized for various projects. Discontinued a decade ago, a 24-exposure roll of Aerochrome can cost over $80 these days. If you want the look of Aerochrome without the cost, the new IR Chrome lens filter for digital cameras was designed just for you.

Kodak Film Business on Brink of Being Sold: Report

Big news in the world of film photography: the Kodak film business is reportedly up for sale. Kodak Alaris is said to be looking to sell part or all of its business, and its film business, in particular, could be sold to another company within the next month or two.

How to Shoot an All-White Background with a Single Light

If you don't have access to a full cyclorama wall or large studio, you're in luck. In this 2-minute video, I'll teach you how to create a pure white background and light the subject using a single light source.