Features

PetaPixel's Features are in-depth, heavily researched stories designed to answer the most important questions on a topic. Where we flex our journalistic muscle, expect to find the best storytelling and original reporting the photo industry offers.
PetaPixel Staff
A Sony camera hovers above an open Amazon shipping box on a blue background with text that reads, “amazon prime day THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHY DEALS.”.

The Best Prime Day Photography Deals in 2025

Amazon's annual Prime Day event has kicked off, offering a range of deep discounts on a diverse selection of products, including many exciting deals for photographers.

Jeremy Gray
X-ray style image showing an open camera on the left, an open laptop on the right, and a large "X" in the center filled with clocks and mechanical parts, all set against a black background.

Photographer’s Illuminating X-ray Exhibit Has Been Years in the Making

Exceptionally talented commercial and fine art photographer Andrei Duman has spent years working on his fantastic X-ray photo series. The series, Beyond the Surface: The Art of X-Rays, is now on display in a massive exhibit at the world-famous Griffin Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) in Chicago. It is the culmination of years of dedicated work, and Duman spoke with PetaPixel about the honor and his project as a whole.

Jack Crager
The image is split in two: on the left, a dancer in a wide hat and flowing skirt leaps against a pale textured background; on the right, a black-and-white photo of a man and woman riding a motorcycle, the scene slightly blurred.

Dimensions of Reality: Alternative Views at PHotoESPAÑA 2025

In an era when AI and digital manipulation seem to be facing off with the veracity of traditional photography, it’s worth noting that image making has always been an interpretive art. Several historic exhibitions at PHotoESPAÑA 2025 in Madrid remind us that photographic depictions of the real world stem from the eye of the beholder.

Jeremy Gray
A collage with three images: a close-up of a puma in black and white; two scuba divers in wetsuits smiling, holding gear labeled "SeaLegacy"; and a vibrant underwater scene with a school of colorful fish.

How Love for Earth and Each Other Fuel Photographers Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen

Conservation and nature photography power couple Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen are the focus of the first episode of National Geographic's 2024 nature documentary series, Photographer. The episode won an Emmy this week for Outstanding Nature Documentary, demonstrating not only the compelling nature of the duo's photography but also the widespread appeal of their incredible stories.

Kate Garibaldi
A white egret with a fish in its beak, a black bear standing in green grass, and a barred owl perched on a tree branch are shown in three side-by-side photos.

I Took 6,000 Photos With the Sigma 300-600mm f/4: It’s Almost Perfect

In the world of wildlife photography, capturing fast-moving subjects from a distance requires the perfect blend of reach, speed, and image quality. Sigma, renowned for its high-performance lenses, has recently announced the launch of the Sigma 300-600mm f/4 DG DN OS Sports, a powerful zoom lens specifically designed for wildlife photographers.

Jeremy Gray
A stylized letter 'A' with a gradient color overlay. The top section features a vibrant pink and purple abstract design. The middle section showcases a detailed image of an owl’s eyes and beak, blending into the bottom section, which has a feather pattern.

Adobe is Now Tracking Generative Credit Use: What You Need to Know

Adobe is finally tracking generative credit use across the Creative Cloud ecosystem. Adobe has had a generative credits system for about a year and a half, but accurate tracking and enforcement of limits have rolled out slowly. Well, the Wild West era has ended. Generative credits matter, and it is, in fact, possible to run out of them and lose access to AI features.

Matt Growcoot
A man in a hospital gown stands on an empty bridge in front of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben in London, with scattered debris on the ground and a hazy sky.

Why ’28 Days Later’ Looked So Terrible

Today marks the general theatrical release of 28 Years Later, the third installment of the zombie film series. The new movie, directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland, has already made headlines for using iPhones to shoot the film which is actually a nod to the very first movie, 28 Days Later.

Jeremy Gray
On the left, a box labeled "Abode BETA TEST VERSION" with a red house logo. On the right, a digital illustration shows a creative software interface and editing tools, referencing design software.

Two Years Later, Abode’s Anti-Adobe Dream Remains Unrealized

It has been just over two years since unconventional multi-disciplinary artist Stuart Semple announced Abode, a suite of creative apps aimed at taking on creative industry monolith, Adobe. In the two years since, the Kickstarter project has continually missed deadlines but remains ongoing.

Matt Growcoot
A collage with three images: colorful aurora over Earth's curve, a large orange moon behind a city skyscraper at night, and Earth rising above the gray, rocky lunar surface.

Seven Mindblowing Space Photos Taken This Month

Each week, there are thousands of incredible photographs taken in space by NASA, ESA, telescopes, satellites, rovers, and beyond. Sometimes it feels like there is too much space content so PetaPixel has devised a handy article where you can see all of the best images of the cosmos this month.

Jeremy Gray
A man wearing glasses and a suit jacket, shown in black and white, looks upward with a contemplative expression. The background is dark, creating dramatic lighting on his face and hair.

The Cameras and Creativity That Brought the First Feature-Length Film on Apple Vision Pro to Life

As immersive video content becomes a prominent way to tell visual stories, talented visual artists like Elad Offer not only face greater challenges, but they have fresh new possibilities to deliver something the world has never seen before. One such example is Bono: Stories of Surrender, a new film available in both 2D and immersive versions, marking the first feature-length Apple Immersive Video film for the Apple Vision Pro headset. Offer was the film's Creative Director, tasked with making both 2D and immersive versions the best they can be for two very different mediums.

Matt Growcoot
A split image: on the left, a junkyard with debris and the New York City skyline, including the Twin Towers, in the background; on the right, a man in a tank top and painted jeans holds a small dog.

Fascinating Documerica Photo Project Focused on US Pollution in the 1970s

In the early 1970s, the United States was facing growing public concern over pollution, environmental degradation, and the future of the natural landscape. In response, the newly formed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a wide-ranging photographic initiative known as Documerica, aimed at capturing the state of the American environment and the lives of people affected by it.

Johnny Martyr
On the left, a vintage film camera with its lens cover open. On the right, a black-and-white photo of a musician playing an electric guitar on stage under bright lights.

Concert Photography with a 1950s Folding Rangefinder

Most concert venues do not allow interchangeable lens cameras into shows without special permission. But this simple means of distinguishing unauthorized professional photography and unstoppable casual snapshooting can invite creative photographers to blur the boundaries between these types of photography with unlikely cameras.