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.
A special edition 18mm F6.3 camera lens themed after Ultraman is shown in packaging with an Ultraman figure on the left and a close-up of the lens with Ultraman graphics on the right.

Ultra-Thin SG-image Pancake Lens Gets the Ultraman Treatment

The famous Japanese science fiction franchise Ultra Series, also known as Ultraman, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The relatively new lens company, SG-image, is getting in on the party with an Ultraman-themed limited edition version of its 18mm f/6.3 pancake lens for APS-C mirrorless cameras.

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.

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.

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 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.

Two split-screen scenes: On the left, three adult men with serious expressions sit outdoors among trees; on the right, an older man with a white beard, hat, and glasses leans forward, with trees and two blurred figures in the background.

How Netflix’s Award-Winning ‘Train Dreams’ Was Shot to Look Like Beautiful Old Photos

Based on the novella of the same name, Netflix's new film "Train Dreams" is shot to look like photos from the era in which the movie takes place: the early 20th century. Although shot on modern Arri Alexa 35 cameras, the film employs a 3:2 aspect ratio, is almost entirely lit with natural light, and has an exceptionally filmic, beautiful appearance.

Three side-by-side photos show a digital camera's screen displaying a bright purple image with waveform and histogram data, set up indoors near a window with blinds and a desk in the background.

Photographer Engages Hasselblad and Pictureline in Very Public Dispute on Social Media

Last week, photographer Dan Martland published a video on Instagram where he claims that a two-day old Hasselblad X2D II 100C that he purchased from Pictureline started to significantly malfunction. After trying to work with Hasselblad directly to resolve the issue, the camera company and Pictureline both declined to replace the unit, citing severe water damage.

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.

Two vintage cameras are displayed side by side on a white background; the left camera is black with gold accents and the right camera is gold with red textured details.

Five of the Most Expensive Cameras and Lenses Sold at the 47th Leitz Photographica Auction

While the late Pope Francis' one-of-a-kind Leica kit selling for around $7 million made the biggest headlines, there was a lot of incredible photo gear that sold for huge sums at the recent 47th Leitz Photographica Auction in Vienna, Austria, including a Leica MP black paint that sold for about $1 million, a wild Leica I Mod. A Luxus special outfit, and much more.