Educational

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

Thieves May Be Selling Your Photos on Shutterstock

While looking at my own images on Shutterstock, I noticed the Shutterstock algorithm was suggesting my photos as “similar” images. I thought it was a bug on the Shutterstock website until I noticed that others had downloaded my photos from other sites then uploaded them to Shutterstock. Shutterstock’s similar photos algorithm then noticed this and suggested the stolen photos along with my photos.

Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 GM ‘Built Like a Tank’, Teardown Confirms

After crowning the Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 G Master lens "...the sharpest lens we've ever tested. Period." LensRentals' Roger Cicala got the chance to disassemble a copy of the new lens and see if the build quality matched the optical quality. Spoiler alert: it does.

These Photos Ended Child Labor in the US

Photographs have the power to bring issues to the forefront of public consciousness and spark change in society. Here's a 6.5-minute video by Vox that tells the story of how photographer Lewis Wickes Hine helped end child labor in the United States.

Does Sony’s Crop Mode Mean I Need Fewer Lenses?

A major change -- and learning curve -- for me this year has been my switch from Nikon to Sony. I’ve already documented the story of my switch to Sony, but what I have since discovered is the huge possibilities -- or as some of us might call it the “confusion of options” -- that comes with owning a Sony Alpha camera.

This is Why Macs Are Slower Than PCs

If you're in the market for a desktop computer or laptop to do some serious photography work on, you might want to watch this 10-minute video first. Tech presenter Linus Sebastian of Linus Tech Tips explains why the thermals of Apple's Mac products generally make them perform slower than rival PC equivalents on the market.

Less Than 1% of People Can Ace This Color Test

How do you think your perception of color stacks up against the general public? If you're a photographer, have your eyes been trained to perceive color better than the average person? Here's a short and sweet test that can help you find out.

Why I Am Staying with APS-C

After a many year hiatus, I returned to photography as an avocation. In years past, I had been a semi-pro, using primarily Leica gear and film, of course at full frame. In those days the only significant half frame camera was the Olympus, which in spite of the smaller but more useful format gave a good account of itself. It did not hurt that Olympus glass was at that time some of the best coming from Japan, especially for snappy contrast.

How Google’s Handheld Multi-Frame Super-Resolution Tech Works

Since there are physical limits to how large sensors can be in smartphones, companies like Google have been pushing heavily into computational photography, the use of digital rather than optical processes to improve the capabilities of a camera. Here's a 3-minute video that explains how Google's super-resolution technology works.

How to Tell if Your Nikon Battery is Fake

B&H informed customers this week that it recently sold a batch of "subpar" Nikon batteries and is now sending out free replacements. Nikon is now confirmed that the "subpar" batteries were counterfeit and is advising photographers on how to check their own batteries.

Street Photography Compositions with the Ricoh GR III

At first glance, all we see is a dinky point-n-shoot camera; not much to it. It slips inside my front pocket, I mean, how powerful can it be? Well, photographers shouldn’t be fooled by its size and minimalism; like many of our subjects in the street. The Ricoh GR III is called a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” for a reason.

How I Manage My Data as a Pro Photographer

When I first started in photography, there was no method to my data management madness. When shooting on location, I downloaded my cards onto my laptop and upon my return home I copied everything onto my computer. Every now and then I would make a backup on an external hard drive that I kept in my office.

This Documentary Film Exposes How People Cheat at Instagram

#followme is a new documentary film about Instagram released on Instagram. The 49-minute film aims to expose the "lawless economics of Instagram," diving into the "shocking" world beneath the surface of a photo-sharing social network that's home to 1 billion active users.

Scientific Errors in Those Nat Geo Milky Way Photos

The night sky offers an unlimited source of markers (e.g. stars, constellations, Milky Way, etc.) that never lie about the time of year and location in the world you shot a night sky picture from. You don’t even need to be a professional astronomer or to double-check RAW files to prove it.

Rediscovering the Orotone

The modern orotone can be created in a number of ways, the most popular using a coating of liquid emulsion on a glass plate with a gelatine base. This method produces some excellent results with a minimum of effort.

5 Modifiers for Photographers on the Move

A little while ago I was teaching one of my lighting workshops and one of the attendees was looking to implement some of the set-ups I was sharing into his workflow. Seems simple enough right? Well, it turns out this photographer was a Formula 1 trackside shooter that needed to get portraits of drivers and crew.

Lens Filters and Landscape Photos

In this article, I'll discuss how I use lens filters in my landscape photography. Chiefly I use filters when I want to smooth the water in a waterfall, shoot long exposures, or balance the light in a scene.

Shooting the Milky Way in Missouri

Living in St. Louis almost my entire life, I was lead to believe the lights of the bustling city were too bright to make seeing stars anywhere nearby impossible. As I grew older and started getting serious about photography, I realized that was correct... kinda.

A Guide to Basic Camera Straps: Are You Using Yours Wrong?

If you're a relatively new photographer who's using the strap that originally came with your camera, here's a 10-minute video that may be helpful to you. In it, photography educator Phil Steele runs through the basics of camera straps while offering some helpful tips and tricks you may not have learned before.

Film vs. Digital: This is How Dynamic Range Compares

Photographer Bill Lawson wanted to compare the dynamic range of film and digital photography, so he recently went out and shot 10 stops overexposed and 10 stops underexposed for a 21-stop comparison to see how far you can go before the photo is unusable. He shares the results in the 7-minute video above.

How to Land a Photography Assistant Job

I firmly believe that assisting a photographer whose work you admire is one of the greatest learning opportunities available to us and can provide invaluable experience.

3 Camera Settings To Master For Landscape Photography

When you purchase a new camera, how much time do you spend reading the manual? I find most camera manuals rather difficult to follow along with, and I for one very rarely use them. What’s interesting is that camera manuals only describe the technical “how to” side of things, like how to turn on your camera or how to attach a lens, but it doesn’t tell you how to truly become comfortable with your camera.

Rare Photos of Hitler from Glass Plates by His Personal Photographer

Hitler's personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann, was one of the infamous dictator's primary propagandists, and tens of thousands of the photographer's photos exist on glass plate negatives. Now a large number of those rare photos are being revealed with a new level of clarity through a digitization effort by the National Archives.

Adobe Made a Quiz That Reveals What Creative Type You Are

Adobe just launched a fun little online quiz that helps creatives figure out their creative type. The "simple and relatable yet robust and science-informed creative personality assessment" is inspired by popular personality tests such as the Myers-Briggs and the Enneagram.

The Cameras That Shot the Winning Photos of World Press Photo 2019

World Press Photo just announced the winning photos for the 2019 edition of it's world's most prestigious photojournalism contest. Camera metadata shared alongside the top photos is again providing us with an inside look at what gear the world's top photojournalists are using at the moment.

Creative Lighting Using an Optical Snoot

I am always looking for new and easy ways to light part of an object or create interesting light in an image, and I think I have found the perfect tool for just that and so much more! Pixapro's Optical Snoot has opened up a more efficient way to be able to do this.

Recreating the First Color Photo Ever Made

In the "Olden Days," professional science was still in its infancy. People who trained in science and practiced science were using every ounce of creativity and imagination at their disposal to discover the nature of the world. They were scrappy and inventive. In this article, I will outline a modern replication of the experiment that produced the first color photograph ever made.

How to Take a Picture of a Black Hole

The first-ever picture of a black hole was unveiled yesterday, generating a huge amount of interest and excitement across the world. But how exactly was this picture captured? Well, it definitely wasn't as simple as "pointing and clicking" a giant camera.

Footprints on the Moon: Photos with a Different View of the Moon Landings

In 2009, NASA launched an orbiter around the Moon with the goal of capturing high-resolution images of the surface, including sites explored by Apollo missions. These images of incredible precision also aimed to convince some of the veracity of the Apollo missions.

Truths Learned After 3 Years in Stock Photography

Landscape photographer Rachel Lerch spent the past three years selling some of her photos through stock agencies. In this 20-minute video, Lerch shares all the truths she has learned about how the story photo industry works and whether it's worth getting into.

The Model Release in Travel Photography

While most commercial photographers know about copyright laws and the use of a model for their images, it seems the answer isn’t so clear when it comes to travel photography. If you’re traveling the world with your camera, what laws apply for you and for your subject?

Recreating the Look of 1850s Tintypes in Digital with Math and Science

While I was visiting San Francisco, Kristy Headley, a dear friend and fellow engineer, showed me her studio. There I was lucky enough to sit for her while she did some vintage tintyping. Tintyping was one of the earliest forms of photography, popular in the 1850s.

Focusing the Lens on a Clean Drinking Water Project in Kenya

In 2018, the NYC camera superstore Adorama sponsored 8 water tanks in collaboration with the non-profit Ubuntu Life to bring easier access to clean water to the Maasai tribe of Kenya. Photographer, Sony ambassador, and travel guide Erin Sullivan visited the country to capture the human stories of the effort and to discuss ethical travel photography.

Breathing New Life Into Old Civil War Photos Using Animation

My name is Matt Loughrey, and I'm an artist based in Ireland. I occasionally work alongside libraries and museums with projects to develop their visitor experiences. Over time I have become familiar with a handful of photographers.