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.

Man Puts Up Website and Photo Memorial of His Life Before Committing Suicide

Some sad news has emerged from the Midwest today: The Kansas City Star is reporting that a former employee and blogger committed suicide yesterday outside a local police station. Prior to ending his own life, 60-year-old Martin Manley created his own memorial website that includes detailed information about his life, including photographs captured over the years of himself and his experiences.

Getty Museum Launches ‘Open Content Program,’ Shares 4,600 Images Free

When the words "Getty" and "Free" make their way into the same sentence -- as they have a few times before -- photographers tend to tense up before they read on. But when we say that the Getty Museum is sharing 4,600 images for free, there's no need to fret.

In this case, Getty doesn't refer to the stock photography company, but rather the J. Paul Getty Museum. And the museum's newly launched Open Content Program looks to be a positive addition for all.

19th Century London Street Photography by John Thomson

There's some debate over who the "father" of street photography was. Although Frenchman Eugene Atget is often granted this title, his work was mainly architectural, putting people second.

But there's another, lesser-known name that enters the picture (pardon the pun) as early as if not earlier than Atget: a Scotsman by the name of John Thomson.

Humor: What if Disney Princesses Shared Photos on Instagram?

I admit that I am an Instagram Junkie. To paraphrase that classic SNL line: "I got a fever and the only prescription is MORE INSTAGRAM." It's not that I really enjoy sharing images of my dog and what I had for dinner, it's more that I love looking at the uploads of those I follow. Following celebrities is a lot of fun, as you get to see a glimpse inside their world. What are they thinking? Where are they going? What are they doing?

BforBel.com knows this and took it a step further...all the way to Disney.

I Left My Camera Bag on a Train

Yep, it happened. It really did...

I just recently finished a whirlwind Euro-trip traveling with my sisters. The itinerary was Germany (where I am currently living as a soldier with the incredible fortune to be stationed there) to London to Dublin to Paris to Barcelona and back to Germany.

Photo Collector Robert E. Jackson on the Death of the Snapshot

Robert E. Jackson isn't exactly a household name, but his massive collection of one-of-a-kind snapshots has earned him a great deal of recognition in the right circles. Back in 2007, he was given an entire show at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. And some of his collection is currently on display at the Pace/MacGill Gallery in New York City.

He's a prolific collector with over 11,000 prints to his name, and so NPR's Claire O'Neill asked him to call in and talk with her about the snapshot, what it was, what it is, and whether or not it's in the process of fading away forever.

New Multi-Cam Rig May Soon Let Sports Fans Pick Their Favorite Camera Angle

There seems to be a growing desire among the networks to give sports fans the absolute best angle of the action when they're watching a game on TV, but what angle is that?

Sunday Night Football is tackling the problem by giving fans every angle with the newly installed FreeD system, but researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute are taking a different approach. With their new OmniCam360, they intend to give you both 360° views as well as the ability to choose whatever angle you like best.

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.

Alleged Serial Killer Stung By Courtroom Photo Critique

It's one thing, apparently, to be accused of multiple murders, sexual assault and breathtaking cruelty. But lousy photography skills?

That was the scene in a Northern California courtroom on Wednesday, as alleged serial killer Joseph Naso tried to establish his credentials as a photographer, a key part of his self-constructed defense as he faces four counts of murder.

Exploring the Art of Portrait Photography and the Role of the Portrait Today

Capturing our likeness has been a pursuit of the human race for thousands of years. From paintings of gods in Egypt and Greece, to portrait paintings of royalty, to the unabashedly narcissistic selfie of today.

In this week's episode of PBS Arts' webseries Off Book the topic of the day is portraiture, a subject each of the four interviewees takes on from their own unique angle.

Phone Thief Unwittingly Gives Previous Owner a Photo Tour of His Life

This is Hafid. About 4 months ago, Hafid stole a phone from a German tourist who was vacationing on the island of Ibiza, Spain. Hafid didn't, however, delete the original owner's Dropbox app or disable the automatic upload feature.

So ever since the phone was stolen, she has received periodic updates about Hafid's life in Dubai, which she has kindly uploaded to a Tumblr blog, complete with humorous commentary.

Nikon D800X: A Huge D800 DSLR Replica Created Out of Styrofoam

Yage Yang of Taipei, Taiwan is passionate about two things: snapping photos with his camera and building things with his hands. In June 2012, he decided that he would build a giant replica of a Nikon D800 out of styrofoam, just for fun. The project took him an entire year to complete, but the result, a "Nikon D800X," is ridiculously impressive.

Giant Sidewalk Camera Spreads Joy

Ever had trouble getting a quality smile from a client? Then you might want to think about building a giant replica of a Polaroid camera and plopping it on the sidewalk.

Conflict Photogs Reflect on the Realities of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

Conflict photographers like Michael Kamber and Louie Palu have spent years covering the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. They've lost friends, been very nearly killed themselves, and come back with incredible (and sometimes hard to stomach) photos.

Both of their work is currently on display alongside many of their peers' at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and in the short video above, they share the stories behind some of their most moving imagery. (Note: the above video contains some strong imagery)

Real Beauty Isn’t Retouched

Dove Canada is getting serious about promoting Real Beauty by going after art directors, graphic designers and photo retouchers -- basically anyone who distorts body image in print. In order to fight those who they feel create an unrealistic representation of what the body actually looks like, they created a "Beautify" action that can be downloaded for free from popular editing sites. The action appears to add a "glowing skin" effect when in reality, it reverts the image back to its original, unretouched state, thus driving home Dove's philosophy that "Real Beauty Isn't Retouched."

I don't know about you, but if I downloaded a skin enhancing action only to find it reverted my image back to the unretouched state, I'd be throwing out all my Dove products in protest.

Humorous Video Pokes Fun at the Food Pic Fad

Professional food photography is a legitimate pursuit that takes some serious skill. It's done in a studio, with professional lighting and often enlists the help of a professional food stylist to get the shot just right.

Food pics are a different matter, often taken in a restaurant with a cell phone while the other people at the table wait impatiently to dig in. The humorous clip above pokes fun at the latter.

Creating a Fantasy Skateboarding World With a High Speed Camera and Powder

There's just something about skateboarding that attracts photographers and videographers. Whether they're traveling the world photographing crazy tricks in exotic places, or shooting 1000 fps footage of tricks that haven't even been named, camera junkies are always finding new and interesting ways to capture the sport.

Sebastian Linda's newest video does just that. By using high-speed cameras, some creative camera movements and colored powder, he's managed to create a magical skateboarding world through the lens of his camera.

Wanted: Recreating Mug Shots Taken in the 1920s and 30s

Back in 2009, award-winning editorial art director and artist Mark Michaelson released his book Least Wanted: A Century of American Mugshots. In it he had compiled more than 10,000 mug shot portraits taken between the 1870s and 1970s. Portraits of the "punks, sneaks, mooks and miscreants" he referred to as the "Least Wanted."

For his portrait series Wanted, London-based photographer Nick Dolding decided to recreate some of the most striking of the mug shots found within Michaelson's book.

Hotshot Firefighter Takes to Instagram to Document His Crew’s Heroics

In the world of firefighting, a "hotshot" is a firefighter who specializes in containing forest fires before they reach inhabited areas. Gregg Boydston is one such "hotshot." Part of a 20-person crew that is available to travel all over the nation, he does one thing that most firefighters don't: he brings his iPhone along and uploads photos to Instagram.

Fixed Camera Stands Help Tourists Snap Photos of Themselves

Having to ask someone to take your or your group's picture can be an awkward experience for everyone involved (including the photographer). And although there are apps that will re-insert the photographer digitally, an ingenious little addition to the tourist island of Enoshima takes a significantly more "analog" approach at fixing the problem.

A Geraldo Rivera Selfie Tutorial

Warning: This post contains somewhat inappropriate viral images of a well-known American talk show host. Reader discretion is advised. Also, please, please look the other way if you're only interested in reading serious articles.

To: Mr. Geraldo Rivera

From: Cheri Frost speaking on behalf of Everyone

Re: Bathroom Selfies

Chief White House Photog Pete Souza is Now an Instagrammer

How do you take the next step after rising from humble newspaper shooter to chief official photographer for the White House? You start sharing pictures of your lunch, of course.

At least that's the strategy for Oval Office documentarian Pete Souza, who opened his new Instagram account Wednesday with an image of healthy snacks aboard Air Force One.

AP Photographers Upload First Instagram Videos from Inside North Korea

Back in February, the AP's David Guttenfelder and Jean Lee were some of the first to begin uploading Instagram photos from inside the closed off country of North Korea. A rare look inside a normally very mysterious country, both of their Instagram accounts became the subject of many a headline.

Now, a few months later, the same two photographers are taking advantage of Instagram's new video capabilities to give us rare, unfiltered, 15-second glimpses of life inside Kim Jong-un's isolated country.

4-Year-Old Murder Victim’s Photo Adorns Child Care Advertisement

You're looking for an image to illustrate your ad promoting child-care services and find a portrait of an adorable tot, obviously free for the taking because it's on the Internet. What could wrong?

More than you could dream up in your worst nightmares, as promoters of the Montreux Jazz Festival have learned after misappropriating an image of a child who turned out to be the victim in one France's most notorious murder cases of recent times.

The War Against Photography is Growing Alongside the Use of Security Cameras

The western world was sent into a brief paranoid frenzy when whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked government information about the surveillance of the National Security Agency (NSA). I say brief, because it seems to have been forgotten by a large number of people; it seemed like it was just more news. The revelations, and more that followed, showed how the NSA record phone calls and data and more controversially; that they use information from emails and social networking sites.

Blast From the Past: Take a Trip on New York City’s Subway System Circa 1905

In the past, we've had occasion to share some great color film footage that showed London and the UK as a whole all the way back in the 1920s. We've even shown you some stateside footage shot by a French tourist in the 1930s.

The latest bit of historical footage we've come across isn't in color (unfortunately), but it does show a New York City staple right after it was first built: The New York City Subway System.

The Policy of Banning Only DSLRs from Concerts is Ridiculous

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros are due on stage in 15 minutes and I walk up to the doorstaff ticket in hand. They tear the ticket and ask to look in the camera bag for deodorants and liquids. I'm not too sure why. This is the Trinity Centre in Bristol with a capacity of 650 and normally holds community events.

The doorman tuts and says “Interchangeable lens.” I'm a bit confused. “Tour manager has said no interchangeable lens cameras, sorry.” I returned to my car, out the equipment in the boot and went back to the gig.