study

Photos of Light, Shadows, and Lines at the BMW Headquarters

BMW's headquarters are an iconic landmark in Munich, Germany -- the uniquely designed complex was deemed a protected historic building in 1999. Munich-based photographer Skander Khlif visited the tower and shot a series that studies the light, shadows, lines, and silhouettes.

Instagram Likes and Comments Drop 33% in a Year

Instagram boasts over 400 million users now and has never been more popular. But even though user growth charges forward, the interaction rate by users appears to be trending downward. A new study reports a 33% drop in Likes and Comments over a one year period.

80% of People Think They Take Excellent Photos, Study Finds

The saying goes that "you are your own worst critic," but when it comes to photography, a Canon photo trends study finds that the old adage simply doesn't track. In fact, the vast majority of people think their photography is 'good to excellent.'

One Woman Photoshopped by 18 Countries: Beauty Standards Revealed

Last year, journalist Esther Honig published a viral series of images showing how photo retouchers in 27 countries around the world "enhanced" a portrait of her according to their cultural preferences. Inspired by that project, the UK medical website Superdrug Online Doctor just published a similar experiment that explores body image.

Study: Flickr Photos Can Predict People’s Movements

Before you head out for your next vacation, you may want to consider what your photos on Flickr reveal about your travel plans. A new study published in the Royal Society Open Science journal used machine learning algorithms to model the mobility of individuals.

By analyzing the embedded timestamp and geographic information within photographs, the researchers were able to accurately predict where a person is most likely currently located and where they may be headed in the future.

Filtered Photos Are 21% More Likely to Be Viewed

Popularized by the likes of Instagram, photo filters are divisive in the world of photography: some people love using and viewing them, while others hate what they've done to the medium. No matter which side of the aisle you find yourself on, one thing is clear: filters can have a big impact these days on how popular your shared images are.

And that effect has now been quantified: it turns out filtered photos are 21% more likely to be viewed online than their original, unprocessed shots.

Photo Sharing is Hurting Our Enjoyment of Life, Study Finds

Smartphones and social networks have made snapping and sharing photos extremely easy to do, allowing us to preserve our memories and broadcast our experiences. It's not all positive, though: there are downsides to our snap- and selfie-happy culture.

A new study has found that 58% of people believe that "posting the perfect picture has prevented them from enjoying life's experiences."

The Importance of Cameras in the Smartphone War

When new smartphones are announced these days, the camera quality and specs are usually front and center. If you're wondering why manufacturers focus so much on mobile photography, check out the chart above: taking photos is the most used feature of smartphones alongside text messaging.

A Film Vs. Digital Study

In an effort to prove to myself, my family, and my friends that I am not nuts to lug 6+ pounds of medium format camera gear up the mountainside I conducted my own tests over the last few weeks.

Sure one could set up a Resolution Target but that would not be a “real world” test, no sweat and sore muscles.

Canon Report Finds 18% of People Bought Counterfeit Gear Unwittingly in 2013

It’s no surprise that a market as vast and broad as photography is going to have problems with counterfeit gear, but the problem might be more prevalent than you think. According to a recent study commission by Canon, it's estimated that some 18% of consumers have purchased counterfeit goods without knowing it, despite the fact that companies like Canon often try to educate customers about this sort of thing.

Taking Photographs Weakens Memories, Psychological Study Finds

Here's something that both photographers and the typical millennial have to look forward to in old age: Your memory is going to suck because of all the photos you took when you should have been paying attention to what was happening around you.

That's the upshot of a new psychological study that finds you can have a good photographic record of an event or a good memory, but not both.

Learning Photography Boosts Memory in Seniors, Study Finds

Good news, camera weenies -- not only does photography make you attractive and rich, it helps your brain stay sharp as you age. That's the conclusion of a new University of Texas study that evaluated a number of different types of activities to see how they affected cognitive skills -- particularly memory -- in the elderly.

Are Selfies Killing the Photo Album?

Young people love to take selfies and don't really care about printing photos and putting them in albums. That might not be the biggest shocker of the year, but a new British survey at least puts some numbers to this amateur photography trend that's leaving us with a lot fewer prints and a lot more digital clutter.

Uploading Too Many Photos to Facebook Makes People Like You Less, Study Finds

Those of you who have been waiting for a scientific reason to tell some of your friends to stop cluttering your Facebook News Feed with a new photo every 5 minutes need wait no more. A new study out of the UK examining the effects of sharing photos on social networks recently found that uploading too many photos (as well as the wrong type) can actually make people like you less.

What is it About Photographs That Makes People Click?

Why is it that some photographs go viral online while others are left by the digital wayside? Are there certain elements in photos that make them more "sharable" to Internet users?

Curalate, a company that creates social media analytics software, decided to tackle this question by analyzing the photographs published by brands to Pinterest.

Survey Reveals the Average Day Rates of US and UK Photographers

Eposure, a UK company that brings commercial photographers together with the companies that need them, recently released the results of a survey they conducted about the day rates of UK and U.S.-based photographers. And even though some might expect that the vast majority are charging a pittance in our photography-saturated world, the outlook isn't as grim as you may think.

The Great Compositions of Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt

Has someone ever asked you why you like an image? Beneath the surface of great picture, there is a geometric design in hiding. During World War II, photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt worked for the early version of the Associated Press and went on to become a Life Magazine photographer, taking over fifty cover shots for them. Without getting too deep into Eisenstaedt’s personal story, I will say that he started photography with very little formal training.

Pro DSLRs Lose Value More Slowly Than Consumer Ones, Study Finds

New cameras are like new computers. Both of them depreciate quite quickly as new technologies and new models are churned out year after year. This presents a perpetual problem for photographers, as many constantly grapple with the question of whether to upgrade their camera to a more recent model, or whether to purchase a higher-end model so that it keeps its value longer.

Market research software company Terapeak recently did a study that looks at depreciation in Canon EOS DSLRs. The results are pretty interesting.