Editorial

Film is Alive!… But it May Have a Terminal Illness

The defiant cry of the nostalgic hipster that’s become a hashtag: #filmisnotdead. But why? It’s 2019, people -- the digital camera reigns supreme; why won’t this analog trend die? Rationalism abandons the old way in recognition of the new’s superior efficiency. The combine harvester supplanted the scythe, clocks replaced the sundial, and electric lights extinguished the candle.

Photography is the Bastard Art

Photography is the bastard art. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is that everyone owns a smartphone and many of those people are under the mistaken impression that they are “excellent” photographers.

Rangefinder Cameras and the Power of Imagination

One of the most overlooked aspects of the rangefinder method of photography, when comparing it to other systems, is the role of imagination when it comes to the focus and pre-visualisation of the composition.

Where Mirrorless is Headed in 2019

2018 was an important year for mirrorless. As we kick off the new year, it's a good time for some reflection on the market. I've written quite a bit about where we are now that all the big players are seriously in the mirrorless game. This time I thought I'd write about what I think each company will/should be doing in the coming year+.

You Be You, I’ll Be Me: A Note to Photographers on Pricing

If you are a member of any photography groups, I can guarantee you've seen the issue of pricing come up often. One of the favorite activities of some photographers seems to be analyzing/criticizing how others run their businesses. It's wonderful to be able to ask for advice in these groups, but unsolicited criticism, or random rants on how everyone else is doing it all wrong and you're doing it right, are never okay.

What You Need to Know About Flickr Pro’s Adobe Discount

My name is Mattias Hedberg, and I'm a photographer based in Norrköping, Sweden. I was recently about to get the Flickr Pro upgrade and was hovering above the buy button when I decided to take a deeper look at the Adobe offer since it sounded a little too good. I was interested in other features of the plan also, but the Adobe one was very tempting.

How Misconceptions Can Affect Your Travel Photography Project

There is a particular obstacle that stands in the way of almost all travel, documentary and cultural photographers alike and, for some reason, no one seems to be willing to talk about it -- so I'm going to.

Defending ‘Needles in the Sewer’ and Photographing the Disadvantaged

One of my images has been subjected to criticism and scrutiny in a way that none of my other work ever has. The photograph in question is of a scene in London, Chinatown; a man reaches into a sewer while shouting about how someone threw his needles down there.

4 Good Reasons + 1 Barely Adequate Justification to Shoot With a Rangefinder

The SLR has been the dominant camera type in photography for the last 70 years. SLRs are more intuitive, easy to focus, and versatile when it comes to mounting lenses of any length. So why does the rangefinder, as a design, persist into the modern era? There is not a single reason why anyone should be using these archaic and fiddly cameras when more advanced and efficient machines exist.

A Guide to Shooting Portraits with Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Ektar is the reason I fell in love with film photography. My first roll completely blew all of my digital shots out of the water. I was used to the ugly JPEGS that my old Nikon D40 spat out and Ektar just gave me what I wanted -- sharp pictures, with silky grain and a look that I didn’t know how to edit for.

How I Got Banned from Photographing the Band Arch Enemy

Back in June I covered Fortarock, a fantastic metal festival in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. I had the opportunity to shoot bands like Dragonforce, Watain, Týr, Alestorm and Arch Enemy, all of whom are not only really fun to photograph, but also extremely talented musicians.

Tired of Lightroom? Ditch the Catalog and Try Adobe Bridge

Over this past year, an increasing trend in photography seems to be finding a viable alternative to Adobe Lightroom. Some have done it to get out from underneath the subscription service while others aren't pleased with what remains to be inconsistent speed and performance. It seems to be more of the latter than the former, with the Lightroom Catalog largely responsible for the latter.

5 Things More Important Than Camera Brand

Debating which camera brand is best is a sure way to create a lively discussion among photographers. It’s easy to endlessly discuss specs and online reviews and to think that the latest model will give us some missing edge. But what about when you really put images to the test with prints?

On Photo Contest Controversy and Criticism

I'm Allen Murabayashi, the co-founder of PhotoShelter. We recently launched our Guide to Photo Contests 2019, an annual look at contests around the world that we think are worth your consideration. Here's an excerpt from this year’s guide that looks at the sometimes controversial world of contests.

Are These Photographers Cheating?

Where is the line between acceptable photo manipulation and cheating in photography? That's the question photographer Jamie Windsor asks and explores in this new 12-minute video.

7 Ideas Motivating Me in My Photography Right Now

A huge part of my photo practice is not taking photos. Photography is an inner game. What comes out in our photography is the total expression of who we are, how we think, and what we see.

Analog is Left but Digital is Right?

Having learned photography in the time of manual analog film cameras, I know digital feels different. And for me, it’s all about the "left and right of photography."

On Attitudes, Arrogance, and Choice in Photography

Whenever PetaPixel has published an article about chemical photography in recent months, it has been met with a plethora of malicious, if not even downright hateful, comments. They're left by photographers who claim that only they may decide on how other photographers, their colleagues, or even hobbyists who simply enjoy photography for what it is may pursue photography as their passion or job.

The Best Photo I’ve Ever Taken Was a JPEG

Alright, I don’t know if it’s the best photo I’ve ever taken, but it’s one of my favorites and it’s been the most popular photo I’ve posted recently on Facebook and Instagram.

Photography: AI Everywhere

There are two major trends in photography today. The first is the ever-increasing numbers of photos being made. I can't even be bothered to look up how many billions of photos are being uploaded to Instickrbook every minute or every day or every year. It's a lot. This is usually talked about in terms of how many photos there are, and how we are drowning in them.

Learning Photography From a $90.3 Million Painting

Last month, legendary British painter David Hockney's 1972 painting titled “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” (shown above) sold for a jaw-dropping $90.3 million, the highest auction price ever for a living artist!

Can Hasselblad Compete Against Fujifilm in Medium Format?

Hasselblad. The company that went to the moon. A company known for producing some of the most iconic cameras in history. Since 1948, when Hasselblad produced its first consumer camera, it has built a strong reputation within the industry. As with many companies, it has had a few bumps in the road, but for the most part, it remains a highly respected organization.

Dear Camera Companies: Please Make a Fast Lens Between 50mm and 85mm

For some time now, my favourite portrait lens has been the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 art. This lens, as many of you may know, is simply incredible when it comes to performance. Even the price of this lens isn’t unreasonable when you compare it to some alternatives currently available.

How to Keep Our Photo Websites Alive After We Die

Recently I've been thinking a lot about how to keep my self-hosted photography website alive after I’m gone (no, I’m not dying anytime soon, though -- hopefully). My website is where all my passions are combined into one (travel, photography, web design and development), and I treasure it like my child. I really want it to last beyond my time on this planet, but the problem is how.

Does This Rhino Drone Video Help or Hurt Conservation?

22-year-old professional drone racing pilot Johnny Schaer has built a strong social media following on Instagram and YouTube with visually stunning video capture from his custom built drones.

4 Photography Rip-Offs You Need to Know About

In this 11-minute video, I’m going to be telling you the biggest rip-offs that I think are happening in photography and giving you my tips on how to avoid them. Hopefully this will save you some money on your photography journey and make you aware of the traps a lot of learning photographers fall into.