opinion

SanDisk

SanDisk’s Name is Now Mud

Due in large part to its abysmal response -- or rather, complete lack thereof -- to widespread reports of the failure of its portable SSD products, the SanDisk brand name is now mud.

Police drones

Police Are Putting More Drones in the Skies, But Are We Safer?

While PetaPixel editor-in-chief Jaron Schneider implores drone manufacturers to make drones compelling enough to jump through regulatory hoops in the United States, law enforcement and first responders in the United States are finding plenty of reasons to fly drones. However, some critics wonder if existing limits are sufficient to curtail the questionable use of drones, especially by police.

Less is More: How Minimalist Gear Changed My Photography

In my daily routine as a photographer and filmmaker, I work with two Canon EOS R5 cameras. Along with the standard f/2.8 zoom lenses, I also carry a few prime lenses in my camera bag, such as the RF 50mm f/1.2 or the RF 85mm f/1.2.

AI paranoia

Photographers are Turning on Each Other in Their AI Paranoia

The great photographer panic over artificial intelligence (AI) has been underway for some time, but it reached new heights this week when a photo competition disqualified a genuine photo after the judges became suspicious that iPhone photographer Suzi Dougherty was trying to trick them.

Generative Fill

So, Who Owns a Photo Expanded by Adobe Generative Fill?

By this point, you've probably seen Adobe's beta of Generative Fill in Photoshop, which allows you to expand a photo beyond its original borders. It is an incredible feat of technology, but brings up complicated questions: who owns that new, expanded photo? Is it copyrightable?

Art and A.I.: Debating the Definition of Creativity

We have all marveled at the latest imagery artificial intelligence (A.I.) produced. This remarkable technological tool enables the swift creation of imagery by providing the algorithm with concise textual prompts.

What I Actually Love About Personal Photography Projects

I remember when I first became a professional photographer and I was devouring advice from those further along in the path than me. People talked about personal photography projects and how important they were. They were important for developing your skills and getting noticed and setting yourself apart, but in my experience, there’s something more important.

Photographing a State of Uncertainty: The Coronation of King Charles III

When I made images documenting the mourning period after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II there was a complexity to the situation that I wanted to convey. I wrote about navigating different manifestations of grief, as well as that grief in the context of the wider political relationship between the deceased and the citizens of the UK.

Sony Didn’t Have a Clever Mirrorless Plan to Fool Canon and Nikon

Long-time Sony executive Shigeki Ishizuka recently gave an interview in which he candidly spoke about early developments in the imaging division and how the flip to mirrorless was part of a longer-term plan to unsettle the camera market. Was this really a clever strategy or a re-writing of history to fit the narrative?

Why Buying a $14,000 Lens Made Sense for Me

When Nikon announced the new Z 400mm f/2.8 TC lens, lots of people asked if I was going to buy one. My answer? “No way, I’d be crazy to spend $14,000 on one lens.” So I guess I’m crazy, because now I have one. Here’s what happened that changed my mind.

AI Imagery May Destroy History As We Know It

Artificial intelligence images have the potential to misinform the future. For the first time in the technological present, we are on the cusp of a life-and-art-altering explosion of intentionally created dis-informational imagery.

Are Photography Conventions Still Relevant?

The alarm on my phone sounds at 4 am. For a few bleary seconds I think, this can’t be right…but then it hits me: I have a plane to catch. Not only me, but my wife, our four kids, and my mother-in-law need to cram ourselves and all our bags into the minivan and be on the road by 4:45 am. We are headed to St. Louis for my last photography conference of the year: Shutterfest.

UK speed camera

Yes, the UK Speed Camera Icon Really Is a 19th-Century Camera

Last week, a Twitter user took to the social media platform to share something they learned about the speed camera sign, saying that it isn't a bellows camera, as they had thought "for years," but rather that the symbol depicts a "boring CCTV camera pointing towards the viewer."

A.I. Imagery Is Not Photography, It Never Will Be

We've all seen the images surfacing online of portraits with seven fingers on one hand and two left feet. Recently, the internet has been inundated by imagery coming from prompted artificial intelligence programs such as Midjourney, Jasper, and DALL-E. The world has been captivated by the potential these new neural networks bring to the creative space.

On ‘Exploitation’ in Photography

I recently wrote about the importance of discourse on the ethics around photography, where I offered my perspective on why rules and doctrines around decision making can diminish your ability to stand behind your work, justify your decisions, and really take responsibility and ownership over your vision.

Adobe Firefly Review

Adobe Firefly is Way Behind: Is the Commitment to Ethics to Blame?

Last week, Adobe made waves by announcing the beta release of its new text-to-image generative artificial intelligence (AI) model, Firefly. Adobe says its new platform wasn't built using stolen images, but rather, as Adobe boasts, Firefly has been trained using Adobe Stock images, openly licensed content, and public domain content.

A Perspective on Photography as Meditation

Some years ago I wrote about the (now fairly obvious seeming) perspective of photography as a process of grounded, present awareness in order to achieve a result.

Photographer at sunset

DPReview Leaves Massive Shoes to Fill

How I feel about losing DPReview is difficult to put to words. The brand has been a mainstay since I took up a camera and the space that they leave now is one that I don't think will ever be properly filled again.