Culture

Photography is about far more than capturing an image. How photos are shared and what social issues are impacting the profession are just as important. PetaPixel regularly covers the stories around the culture of photography, how it affects society, and what cultural changes affect the art.
Split image: Left side shows a woman with blond hair posing as a man photographs her with a camera; right side shows an older man with gray hair holding a film camera, standing in front of patterned wallpaper.

Check Out These Rare Stereoscopic Photos of Andy Warhol In His Studio

The Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art in Washington D.C. has acquired more than 400 rare stereoscopic slides documenting daily life inside Andy Warhol’s New York studio, The Factory. Created in the early 1970s by artist and Warhol assistant Ronnie Cutrone, the images are now available for research, offering a three-dimensional view into one of the most influential creative spaces of the 20th century.

Collage of twenty diverse children posing in front of colorful backgrounds, each holding school supplies like books, notebooks, and backpacks, while smiling, gesturing, or expressing excitement and curiosity.

Lifetouch Promises It Didn’t Supply Photos of Children to Jeffrey Epstein

Rumors have swirled in communities across the United States that Lifetouch, the photography company famous for school pictures, has a connection to Jeffrey Epstein. The rumors have become so prolific that Lifetouch's CEO had to issue a statement refuting any claims that the company has any connection whatsoever to Epstein.

A triptych showing close-ups of fashion accessories: left, a person holds a green utility bag filled with red-handled tools; center, a foot in a black shoe and blue disposable shoe cover; right, a belt with tools and cords over denim.

‘Assistants’ Celebrates the Unsung Heroes of Fashion Photography

Behind nearly every iconic studio fashion photo is a stylist assistant. These unsung heroes often go entirely unnoticed to the outside world, but they are essential to the photographic process and vital members of the team. A new photography book, Assistants, brings fashion stylists from the background and puts them front and center.

Split image on a pink background: left half shows a pixelated camera icon, right half shows a Canon EOS R6 camera. Large white text reads "FLICKR'S 22ND IN NUMBERS" across the image.

The Most Popular Cameras on Flickr

Flickr is celebrating its 22nd birthday, a remarkable achievement. To mark the occasion, Flickr shared some interesting data and insights into how photographers use Flickr, which cameras they own, and what types of shots they like to share the most.

A black-and-white split image shows a woman’s emotional face with a tear on the left and her looking upward hopefully on the right. The word "unavailable" is vertically overlaid on both sides.

You Won’t See Another Super Bowl Ad Like This One

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos teamed up yet again with famous actor Emma Stone for what is very likely to be the only Super Bowl commercial this year shot on 35mm Kodak 2302 black and white film stock with Panavision lenses.

On the left, a man in sunglasses and a cap smokes in a busy street; on the right, in black and white, a person in a suit covers their face while a woman in front looks tired or sad among a crowd.

Photographer’s New Book Is a Time Capsule of Life in New York City

After surviving his fight with cancer and leaving behind his career as a lawyer, Xiomáro pursued photography as a career. His latest book, "Street Photography of New York City: Street Haunting in the Big Apple," embraces a candid, gritty look at New York City, seeking to capture culture and history as it happens.

A hand holds a smartphone displaying a white "X" logo on a black screen, with a blurred blue background and some silhouetted shapes visible.

French X Offices Raided as Authorities Investigate Explicit Deepfakes

French authorities have raided the Paris offices of social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, as part of a widening investigation into allegations that include the spread of child sexual abuse material and sexually explicit deepfake images, marking a significant escalation in European scrutiny of the company and its artificial intelligence products.

A black-and-white photo collage of a bearded man making three faces: surprised with hands on cheeks, smiling with pixelated "deal with it" sunglasses, and grinning while holding an object over one eye.

Uncovering the Secret Lenses Inside Old-School Analog Photo Booths

Photographer and YouTube creator Mathieu Stern loves vintage lenses. He also loves vintage analog photo booths. So Stern set out to find out exactly which lenses are used in old-school film photo booths so he could recreate the exact look at home. It was much harder than one might think.

A U.S. postage stamp featuring a scenic Colorado mountain lake is shown next to an older man in glasses and a yellow sweater standing in front of a framed landscape painting.

‘Colorado’s Photographer’ John Fielder Honored With Commemorative Stamp

One of the late landscape and nature photographer John Fielder's most famous photos captured in Colorado will be featured on the upcoming Colorado Statehood Stamp, released by the U.S. Postal Service to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Colorado becoming a state. It is a fitting honor for Fielder's legacy, who Colorado's governor calls, "Colorado's Photographer."

Three photographs of the Great Wall of China are displayed side by side against a pale background, each showing different angles and lighting of the wall winding through mountains.

Uncovering the History of How China Fell in Love With Photography

China is one of the world's biggest photography markets, even besting the Americas in terms of camera and lens sales earlier this year. However, China's rich photographic history is not well known in the West, something American photographer Ben Fraternale, who runs the excellent photography YouTube channel "In An Instant," hopes to change through his new three-part documentary series, "Inside China."

A black-and-white photo showing two blurry figures walking or cycling on a curved path, overlaid with a semi-transparent white swirl graphic. Sparse trees and poles line the empty, sunlit area.

Time Machines Exist — They Are Called Photographs

The concept of a time machine was first described by H.G. Wells in his book The Time Machine in the year 1895. That was 57 years after Louis Daguerre invented his photographic technique, the daguerreotype.

A collage of three images: a gloved hand examining a photo with a ruler, a close-up of a vintage camera viewfinder and lens, and a black Leica 110 camera showing its lens and viewfinder.

The Most Special Cameras, Lenses, and Photos in Leica’s Archives

Leica counted down the days to Christmas in style, delivering daily videos that showcase "the most special things" in the company's archives. As is tradition, the photographic advent calendar of sorts concluded yesterday, Christmas Eve, and we thought a nice little Christmas present to our passionate readers was a recap of Leica's Christmas countdown.

A smartphone displays the TikTok logo on its screen, positioned in front of a blurred American flag in the background.

The Long-Discussed US TikTok Deal Is Finally Happening

Chinese company and TikTok owner ByteDance has signed a deal to transfer the majority of its U.S. operations to a group of investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. This deal arrives after months of stops and starts, deadline extensions, and even failed deals.

On the left, a black-and-white image shows a crowd of distressed people reaching out. On the right, a person walks through a landfill carrying a large sack of waste on their back, surrounded by trash and birds under a cloudy sky.

These Are the Winners of the Huge, Annual $67,500 Photography Grant

The winners of the annual W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography -- one of the largest grants in support of the photographic arts that opened for entries in July -- have been announced and the winner is Palestinian-American Maen Hammad, for his project Amira’s Castle, an ongoing exploration of his grandparents’ lives and his own documentation of the Palestinian present.

A collage-style movie poster featuring "THE STRINGER: THE MAN WHO TOOK THE PHOTO" with layered images of a photographer, people reviewing photos, and a pensive man, all set against a misty landscape.

Dave Burnett Says ‘The Stringer’ Used His Photos Without Permission or Attribution

Earlier this week, world-renowned photographer Dave Burnett broke his silence on the issue of Nick Ut and his authorship of the photo "The Terror of War" through an opinion piece published in The Washington Post. Yesterday, he elaborated on that story and not only doubles down on that stance, but also alleges "The Stringer" used his photos without permission or attribution -- a blatant violation of the law.

Colorful illustration of a pink-haired person holding a camera and smiling, with vibrant yellow, blue, and pink background. The image includes the logo and text: "CP+ Camera & Photo Imaging Show 2026.

The 2026 CP+ Photo Show in Japan Will Be the Biggest Ever

The CP+ Camera and Photo Imaging Show is returning to the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Center just outside of Tokyo from February 26 through March 1, 2026. In recent years, it has become as important as the now-defunct Photokina once was, and the 2026 show is cementing that: it will be the largest CP+ ever.

Four women in colorful, form-fitting 1960s dresses and white heels stand on a city sidewalk near a storefront, chatting and posing. Two are facing the camera, while two are turned slightly away.

This Colorful Joel Meyerowitz Photo Is the Leica Picture of the Year 2025

American photographer Joel Meyerowitz (b. 1938) has been an exceptionally influential photographer since the 1960s. He helped color photography earn respect in fine art circles, and his street photography exudes unmistakable style. One of his most famous photos has been named the Leica Picture of the Year 2025.

Two men sit at a table with colorful One Piece anime artwork spread out in front of them, against a plain white background. Both men are wearing glasses and formal jackets.

How a 150MP Medium-Format Camera Preserves Japan’s Historic Manga

For many, digital cameras are tools for creating art. However, in some very specialized applications, high-resolution digital cameras are used to preserve it. In Japan, Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage is using 150-megapixel Phase One medium-format cameras to digitize manga, ensuring that fast-fading artwork is preserved for generations to come.

A person lies in bed under a blanket at night, staring at a smartphone that emits a blue glow, illuminating their face in the dark room.

TikTok and Instagram Reels Cause Real Brain Rot, Major Study Finds

Anyone using the "eye test" would probably find that short form video, popularized by TikTok and now found everyone online, is bad for the brain. But a new study from the American Psychological Association now directly ties short form video content with significantly diminished mental health. In short -- pun intended -- it's rotting brains.

A split image showing two scenes: on the left, a woman and a man laugh and clap in a stadium; on the right, two men in casual clothes chat and smile while holding drinks, surrounded by fans in yellow shirts.

Celebrities Are Changing How Pro Sports Photographers Work

Photographer Tammy Ljungblad has worked at The Kansas City Star for 36 years. She has never seen anything like the impact of megastar Taylor Swift on NFL games at Arrowhead Stadium and the broader Kansas City community.

A metallic figurine of a woman photographer with a camera is shown on the left; on the right, a black-and-white photo shows a woman wearing glasses taking a photo of people outdoors with a camera.

‘Army Men’ Figure of Pioneering Combat Photographer Helps Kids Process War

War Toys has worked with the estate of the late, great photojournalist Dickey Chapelle to create a remarkably accurate and detailed 1:32 scale figure of the photographer. This figure, which includes Chapelle's trademark glasses, earrings, and Leica and Nikon cameras, will join a larger set of noncombatant figures for an educational board game that focuses on the people who work for peace in war and combat.