Educational

PetaPixel's editorials are in-depth stories, thought-pieces, and opinions on the photography industry led by the minds of our editorial team.

Should Black and White Imply the ‘Age’ of a Photograph?

In many art practices, a new method or process does not usually automatically override the old one. You can still use berries and charcoal to paint a cave wall, paint on a canvas, or put pencil to paper. These do not become irrelevant just because a Wacom tablet can be used to make a digital illustration or a VR for a 3D painting.

When Should You Hire a Retoucher for Your Photography?

Not everyone needs to hire a retoucher, right? Well, that may be true, but I’d like to make the case that most people probably do need one. Let’s dive into the complex world of post-production, understand the art of it, and the time it takes to do well.

The Nikon Z9 mirrorless camera next to a stack of pennies

Is the Z9 the Cheapest Pro Camera Nikon Has Released?

Nikon has been rightly praised for the top end specifications of the recently announced Z9. It has taken the mirrorless space race to the next level, regaining lost ground to sit at the genetic top of the proverbial camera tree. While $5,500 is clearly a lot of money, is the Z9 the cheapest pro-spec camera the company has released?

32 First Photos from the History of Photography

Photography has been a medium of limitless possibilities since it was originally invented in the early 1800s. The use of cameras has allowed us to capture historical moments and reshape the way we see ourselves and the world around us. To celebrate the amazing history of photography and photographic science, we have assembled 32 photographic ‘firsts’ from over the past two centuries.

A photographer on the phone while doing a photo shoot

The Secret to Selling Your Photography is Finding Your Audience

Although it’s tempting to believe that anyone and everyone is a potential customer for your photography, your actual target customer base is much more limited. Finding customers who are likely to buy your photos without spending exorbitantly to acquire them is the key to any successful marketing campaign.

13 Camera Settings Every iPhone Photographer Should Know

If you do iPhone photography, common sense may say you pick up the iPhone, open the camera app and just start shooting. That’ll work, but there happen to be so many settings and features hidden within these phones that stump way too many people, even some of us pros sometimes.

How to Mix Flash with Ambient Light: A Step-by-Step Method

Can you think back to a time you were taking photos in a dinner scene and they just look "flash-y"? Why does flash never look natural? Well, in order to make flash look natural, you have to make flash part of the natural lighting scenario. Here’s how.

Photos of an Abandoned Underground Ammo Factory in Albania

In the 1960s and ‘70s, the town of Poliçan was one of the largest and most important armaments centers in Albania. For security reasons, most information about the site was top secret and the town itself was closed to foreigners.

Art Illuminates the Beauty of Science and Could Inspire the Next Generation of Scientists Young and Old

Scientists have often invited the public to see what they see, using everything from engraved woodblocks to electron microscopes to explore the complexity of the scientific enterprise and the beauty of life. Sharing these visions through illustrations, photography, and videos has allowed laypeople to explore a range of discoveries, from new bird species to the inner workings of the human cell.

Using a Flash for Insect Photography

I've shot thousands of pics of insects without flash and tens of thousands with flash. When the lighting is bright and sunny, the results can be good without flash. But when I venture out in pursuit of photo ops, I often encounter poorly lighted situations which are better with flash. If you study the work of experienced insect photographers, you'll find that most of them use flash.

Fully Loaded: The Complex Connection Between Guns and Cameras

“Why are guns and cameras so closely connected?” This is what I set out to explore and investigate recently through my own experience in film. Between starting the production and finishing it, one major event made this connection a lot darker.

A vintage photo of colonial explorers in the Australian wilderness

How Landscape Photographers Reinvented the Colonial Project in Australia

Colonial history overflows with commodities. From the early 1800s, wool generated extraordinary wealth for squatters and pastoralists and substantial investment in the Australian colonies. In the 1850s, gold motivated tens of thousands of people to work the earth or service the diggings. Coal, copper, tin, wheat, barley, and cotton all assumed importance at different times.

Why the Inverse-Square Law Might be ‘Wrong’ for Your Photo Shoot

Think you know the inverse-square law? How much of a "law" is it actually in the practice of photography? We are taught that the inverse-square law is the holy grail of understanding the laws of light. Some condense all the wonderful knowledge about light concepts to the inverse square law only. In this article, I want to invite you to take a step back and see how the inverse square law is wrong. Sometimes.

Graphic that shows text, learn 80% of photoshop in 15 minutes

Learn 80% of Photoshop in 15 Minutes

Although Photoshop has many tools to cover practically any post-processing desire, it is daunting to newcomers as a result. To help make the program easier to jump into, photographer PJ Pantelis has shared a brief tutorial that equips photographers with a handful of top tools to get started in Photoshop with ease.

A vibrant green aurora borealis swirls across the night sky above snow-covered mountains, reflecting on the calm surface of a lake with grassy patches in the foreground.

How to Find and Photograph the Northern Lights

The northern lights, otherwise known as aurora borealis, are the winter-time spectacle that sees northern skies filled with incredible dancing lights. Caused by the interaction of photons exciting the gas molecules in Earth’s atmosphere, they can appear as green, pink, or blue. Photographing them is near the top of almost all photographers’ wish lists, but getting a good shot is decidedly difficult.

10 Common Photography Website Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

When we think about websites, search engine optimization (SEO) is often top of mind. How is Google ranking you against other similar photographers? Are you showing up on the first page of search results? There’s no doubt SEO is important for every photographer to consider. However, there are some big misconceptions when it comes to SEO.

How to Simulate Long Exposure with an iPhone Without ND Filters

Right off the bat, I’m going to add the disclaimer that this tutorial will probably not be for every type of photographer out there. If you have no interest in exploring the creative opportunities that mobile photography offers, then this video may not be for you.

Cottingley Fairies: The Photo Hoax That Fooled Kodak and Arthur Conan Doyle

Just after the Christmas of 1904, a group of lucky children nestled into their seats at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London for a night of whimsy and wonder. There, they witnessed the first adventure of a boy who could never grow up, clad in autumn leaves and cobwebs. Their eyes expanded with delight as he entered the room of children just like them, on a mission to retrieve a friend.

Fashion Terms Every Fashion Photographer Must Know

Fashion photography is about, well... fashion. As simple as that sounds, many photographers still get caught up in the technicalities of it without giving too much attention to the subject. In this article, I will go over some of the most common fashion terms that every photographer must know when working with fashion.

A Basic Guide To Success in Concert Photography

As a 20-year old concert photographer, one of the questions that I get the most is: “How did you manage to land a touring job so quickly and at a young age?” Here are a few tips that I used when navigating my way into the concert photography industry.

Three Easy Portrait Lighting Setups for Small Spaces

One of the hardest things I experienced as a beginner was not knowing how to create a simple lighting setup. I’d always imagined elaborate lighting setups of three to six lights or more, and it’s why I began to shy away from working in a studio.

Get Hired: Harnessing the Power of Social Media and Your Archive

How can you distinguish yourself from other photographers? That’s the essential question every photographer embarking on a marketing strategy should be asking. But when it comes to a dedicated marketing strategy, there are a lot of options: email newsletters, printed promos sent via snail mail, social media posts, networking at in-person or virtual events, even cold calling editors.

Photography Abbreviations and What They Mean

The world of photography is filled with abbreviations that allow longer words or phrases to be more easily communicated. If you're just starting out as a photographer, however, they could be more confusing than helpful, and this guide was put together just for you.

How to Do Email Marketing as a Photographer: Here is Expert Advice

There’s a reason that 64% of small businesses use email marketing to reach customers. Email marketing is a valuable tool for photographers to promote their work to potential and existing clients. Virtually every person on the internet has an email address, and email marketing is an effective way to send messages directly to customers and gain prospective clients by reaching an already engaged audience.

What Makes a Great Model? Things to Look for as a Photographer

When casting a model, several factors are at play. Some cast models based on how they look, others cast them based on who they know. But, what is a good model? Are there traits that good models share? Here are some that I have noticed.

How to Leverage Lightroom’s New Masking Tools in Your Workflow

Unless you’ve just emerged from a nuclear fallout bunker, you’ve likely already heard about Lightroom’s impressive new masking tools that Adobe announced at their annual Adobe Max conference. In fact, PetaPixel’s Ryan Mense wrote a wonderful hands-on article covering the expanse of these new masking tools.