Inspiration

Next time you're at the beach, forget about the sunset or the crashing waves or the light that's reflecting off of the water just so; if you want an amazing photo opportunity, all you have to do is look down at the stuff between your toes.

We're talking, of course, about sand. And if you're thinking that sand isn't exactly photogenic we have a feeling your opinions will change once you feast your eyes on what Dr. Gary Greenberg saw when he put sand grains under the microscope.

Creative women the world over have been documenting their pregnancies in, well, creative ways for a long time now. From stop-motion time-lapses to funny photo series we've seen some interesting things, but we've never seen this. This being a professional ballerina who continued dancing right up until she was about to pop.

These images by Chilean photographer Francisco Negroni of the Cordón Caulle volcano erupting are so jaw-dropping and mind-blowing that we're finding it hard to come up with appropriate adjectives. Billowing clouds of ash are joined by spiderwebs of Volcanic lightning to create a light show that truly drives home Mother Nature's terrifying splendor.

If you feel the Internet is short on inspirational content for budding photographers, then the folks at SmugMug have got something awesome in store for you. It's called SmugMug Films, and starting with the Benjamin Von Wong video above, the series will give you a glimpse into the lives of some of the most extraordinary and inspirational photographers of our time.

A couple of days ago we shared Adam Magyar’s incredible Stainless video series, shot from a moving …

Say what you will about Apple -- and there are many people who have a lot of not-so-nice things to say -- but the company knows how to put together an ad. From the funny Mac vs. PC commercials of old to this year's Christmas advertisement that brought many to tears, Steve Jobs vision of standing at the intersection of liberal arts and technology is often brought to life by these ads.

Apple's newest commercial gives the iPad the same treatment -- showing the gadget being used for everything from photography to filmmaking while a monologue about poetry from the movie Dead Poets Society inspires you into a creative frenzy.

If you've followed PetaPixel for any significant amount of time, you've seen Martin Schoeller's work. Heck, even if you haven't, chances are good you've picked up a magazine and seen at least one of his striking portraits, all done in the same beautiful and immediately recognizable style.

When you think of the Jersey Shore what are the first things that come to mind? The beach? The ocean? The amusement park rides? Summer? But there is one sight that goes completely unnoticed by so many shore goers each and every year in the town of Cape May. That sight is the night sky!

Sorry, Mom, but playing with your food rocks. Especially if you do it with the imagination and exacting detail that French photographers Akiko Ida and Pierre Javelle have poured into their series MINIMIAM.

Earlier this week, when stumbled across this two-hour presentation by iconic portrait photographer Greg Heisler, it took all the will power we had not to share it with you right away. In our world, being the "first" to report on a story is often very important, and it's an impulse we often have to resist because we're intent on getting the story right.

In this case, however, it had nothing to do with getting the story right and everything to do with sharing it at a time when we felt the majority of our readers would have enough time to watch the video from start to finish. Two hours is a long time to listen to one photographer speak, but in the case of Gregory Heisler, we think you'll find it's not nearly long enough.

DigitalRev's Cheap Camera Challenges are a big hit here at PetaPixel. Watching a pro use a less-than-capable camera to try and create something worthwhile is both hilarious and educationally valuable. Case in point: check out what cinematographer Phillip Bloom was able to do with a Barbie Camera and some creativity.

In our State of the Blog Address, we asked you what you want to see more of on PetaPixel, and one of the suggestions that came up most often was Tutorials, Behind the Scenes videos and other helpful educational content like that.

Well, we were listening. And so, we invite you to spend 15 minutes this lovely Friday watching professional photographer Karl Taylor at work in his studio.

Photography is hardly a cheap hobby to pick up, but even within photography, some branches are more expensive than others. And ranking pretty close to the 'most expensive' side of that line is astrophotography... at least the kind that will yield incredible photos like the one you see here by photographer Mike Hankey.

It turns out the rich, famous and powerful of today bear a striking resemblance to the rich, famous and powerful of yesteryear -- at least if you trust the photo series Iconatomy by George Chamoun and the followup series Then & Now by Marc Ghali.

We try to stay away from sharing too much of the same thing (although, admittedly, we've occasionally slipped up and shared the EXACT same thing more than once) but with 2013 officially in the rearview, it seems only right that we share at least one "one second per day" video from this past year.

You're probably already familiar with Karen Cheng (better known as "that one girl who learned to dance in a year and made an awesome video of it") and her motivational startup Give it 100 that is all about helping you achieve your goals by having you upload a video of your progress every day for 100 days and beyond.

It's already a phenomenal way to set a goal and stick to it -- if you miss a day it's obvious to everyone following you -- but Cheng and partner Finbarr Taylor have come up with something special for New Year's. They've set up a win-win challenge that lets you put your money where your mouth is when it comes to your New Year's resolutions.

In the Spring of 1980, just a few weeks before the infamous Mount St. Helens eruption that would take his life along with 56 others, photojournalist Reid Blackburn captured the volcano as it looked before it exploded.

In 2011, former AP president Tom Curly had the ambitious idea that the AP should establish a bureau in North Korea, and the photographer the agency ended up sending to the country is a man you should, by now, be very familiar with: David Guttenfelder.

Guttenfelder's images, both in newspapers and on Instagram, have given the whole world a peek behind North Korea's own Iron Curtain, and in the video above he explains the power of photography as if pertains to this secretive and isolated world.

Update on 12/16/21: This video has been removed by its creator.

About a week ago, Reuters put together a powerful video featuring what it considered to be the "Photos of the Year" as taken by Reuters photographers.

Our quest to improve dogs' standing in the world of photography continues today thanks to an awesome photo series by LA-based photographer Lara Jo Regan that's bound to put a smile on your face. The series is called "Dogs in Cars," and if you like what you see you'll be happy to know that it's being made available as a 2014 calendar.

When National Geographic not only picks up your time-lapse, but also insists on interviewing you about it, you know you're doing something right. Then again, when you're time-lapse master Michael Shainblum, you probably don't need reminding.

If you live in a place that's not likely to see snow this winter, or you're bitter that the white Christmas you've been dreaming of decided to remain a dream, these stunning photos of the European Alps by Swedish photographer Jacob Sjöman will either ease the pain, or make you incredibly jealous. Either way, they're worth a look.

It may be hard to believe at first, but the photographs in this post are just that: photographs. Though they might look like beautiful abstract paintings, they are actually photos of volcanic rivers taken by Russian photographer Andre Ermolaev from way up in the air.

"Don't be afraid to be different." That is the moral of this video. Usually you save the moral for the end, but it is stated, restated and demonstrated so well with this shoot that it's worth starting the post with. Don't be afraid to let your creativity break the barriers of the proverbial box and try something different, because you might just stumble onto an idea as unique and creative as "Love Sick" by Simeon Quarrie of Vivida.

It being the day after Christmas, it's only appropriate that we share an awesome story that involves the giving of an amazing gift. If we can throw in a behind the scenes look at a complex classic car photo shoot, well, that's just a bonus.

Sixty-one years ago, when Dorothy and Donald Lutz got married, there was one conspicuous absence as they recited their vows: the wedding photographer... he never showed up. And while they can't go back in time and right that wrong, granddaughter-in-law and event planner Lauren Wells recently made sure that they would have a photo album worth envying.

Over the years I've tried to get better about reflecting on my work and life at the end of each year. Sure lots of people will claim to do this, but that usually just boils down to reviewing their Facebook page for a quick ego boost.

I'm talking about going in-depth. Go pull up those photos you loved at the beginning of the year and try looking at them again with a newly critical eye, do it when you're free of the fresh-born-photo sentimentality all photographer's (and really artists in general) suffer from. Try to figure out what went wrong in your failed work and what went right (purposefully or accidental) in the work that turned out good. Regardless of the conclusions you arrive at I can guarantee you'll be a better photographer as a result.

I don't have kids just yet, so I can't say from experience, but it seems one of the benefits of having a child is the ability to feature the adorable little guy or gal in creative photography projects. Examples abound: from Queenie Liao's wondrous naptime photos, to Nagano Toyokazu's series My Daughter Kanna.

Now, another great project has popped up on our radar. This one is called Cardboard Box Office, and it's the result of a parenting duo's creativity, an excess of packing materials and the addition of a baby boy to the family.

Reuters' photographers captured some incredible photographs in 2013, and now that the year is wrapping up, it's only fitting that they compile the best of them into a Photos of the Year slideshow that will hopefully inspire you to take on your photographic goals with renewed vigor in 2014.

Carli Davidson's photos and slow motion video of dogs shaking off water and spittle have been a huge hit with people all over the world. In October, the photos were even immortalized in a book by the same name, and while she was working on that book, Nikon caught up with her at her Portland, OR studio.

Editor's Note: There is a bit of strong and suggestive language used in a few of the scenes.

The Pro Photog Cheap Camera Challenge is one of our favorite segments that the folks over at DigitalRev put together. Beyond just proving the point that it's the photographer, and not the camera, that makes great pictures, the episodes are fun to watch and often very educational.

In the past they've put everyone from David Hobby to Vincent Laforet to the test, but this time they decided to up the ante. The victim this time around is world-class cinematographer Phillip Bloom, who will be embarking on this challenge with a not-so-capable Barbie camera in tow.

In order to make a little bit of money on the side, Toronto-based portrait and wedding photographer Alex Neary does some nannying, but she probably never expected that her nannying gig would be her ticket to viral photography success.

You see, for the last year and a half, she's been looking after a ridiculously cute and creative toddler named Henry, who one day decided that he wanted to turn the camera around and photograph Alex for a change. Thus was born the adorable photo series Henry's Concepts.

As if people up in the Nordic countries don't have enough gorgeous scenery to hold over our heads (my chances of seeing the aurora borealis in Alabama are far slimmer) we now have yet another thing to envy them for: light pillars.

For a recent project, Montreal-based photographer Benjamin Von Wong wanted to do something interesting: he wanted to create 'world within a world' style photographs WITHOUT using any Photoshop to achieve the final effect. It took some creativity and help from some very talented set designers, but in the end they pulled it off!

Photographs of galaxies far far away rarely convey just how large what you're looking at really is -- after all, how can you even fathom something that is measured in light years across. But these photos of the cosmos do an even worse job. By applying the tilt-shift effect in post, these photos show galaxies and nebulae look like they could fit comfortably in the palm of your hand.

If you don't want to cry today, we suggest you skip this one. That being said, for the love of all that is holy, please don't skip this one! The tears are more than worth it when you hear the story behind these touching and at times heart-wrenching daddy/daughter photos.

As a self-appointed pundit, I spend a fair amount of time criticizing the photography industry, but I have a little secret ... I love photography! And 2013 brought yet another year full of strange, interesting and inspiring moments in photography. Let’s go on a little journey ... in no particular order.

Say you and your girlfriend are both photographers. And say, also, that you've been together for four years and you've decided it's time to send out your first Holiday card as a couple. There's only one issue: you celebrate Christmas and she celebrates Hanukkah. What are two photographers to do?

Why, you turn the studio you work at into a creative half-Christmas half-Hanukkah scene and shoot a Holiday card so awesome the entire Internet takes notice, that's what you do!

We hope you never get sick of hearing about stories that show the true power of photography to affect change, because I doubt we'll ever get sick of finding and sharing them. The most recent such story we've stumbled across is told by photojournalist Marcus Bleasdale, whose work has already helped curtail the efforts of warlords in Africa who are exploiting children in their attempt to rule Congo.

A fashion photographer's job is, at its most basic level, to draw attention to the clothes he or she has been asked to photograph. But how does one make their fashion shots stand out when there are so many more out there, often bookending your own shoot inside the very magazine you're featured in?

Montreal-based photographer Martin Tremblay (also known as Pinch) figured out a way to turn fashion photography on its head... he literally turned it on its head!

There are selfies, and then there are self-portraits. Make no mistake, these are two very different things, in the same way that a photograph differentiates itself from a snapshot. So while the word 'selfie' might be in the midst of experiencing its 15 minutes of fame, it would be an injustice to call photographer Kyle Thompson's gripping self-portraits 'selfies.'

In a world dominated by too many photos and too little photography, one of the pieces of advice we stumble across fairly often from masters of this craft is to simply "slow down." Andy Romanoff is one such master, and his project "Seeing the PDC" -- for which he spent 6 months photographing the Pacific Design Center in LA -- is a testament to slowing down and really seeing what it is you're trying to capture.

We're not entirely sure if this is the first of its kind, but this surreal stop motion animation is definitely the first we've run into that was shot entirely on Google Glass. Yep folks, the future is here, and it's reaching into the past for its animation techniques.

It’s that time of the year when we all take a moment to reflect back on the major events that will forever be remembered, the trends that changed our zeitgeist, and the pop culture phenomena that will soon be forgotten.

For the photo industry, this was the year that the word “selfie” was coined Webster’s Dictionary’s word of the year. In such a context and with so much of the conversation focused on the mobile photo taking frenzy, it almost started to get a little too easy to overlook the stories out there that, if not for the photograph, would not have been told nor raised in our collective social consciousness.

Michael Shainblum is a name that has come up a few times on PetaPixel, and it's always associated with a spectacular time-lapse that earns many a "beautifully done" and even the occasional "hot damn." And now, thanks to The Creators Project, we get to go behind the scenes with Shainblum as he creates one of his masterpieces.

Here is a good example why it is so important to work the scene to get the best results from …

Photoshop takes a lot of flack in this day and age, especially when it comes to the beauty and fashion industries that consistently publish overly manipulated imagery. Often that 'flack' doesn't give us much to laugh at, but a recent project by East Carolina University student Anna Hill does.

She put together four mock Photoshop ads that poke fun at just how far the beauty industry often takes photo manipulation.

We love a good photo series that can put a smile on our faces, and when those photos are also being taken for a good cause, well, we really couldn't ask for more. Such is the case with the 2014 NYC Taxi Drivers Calendar.

Who says you need to travel to exotic locations to capture the aurora borealis in action? Sometimes, all you need is a window seat on a trans-Atlantic flight from London to NYC -- at least that's what happened for one lucky amateur photographer recently when he was treated to one heck of an 'in-flight movie' right outside his airplane window.

Light-painting, like time-lapse, is a genre of photography that is packed full of talent, making it really hard to pick quality work to feature (if you haven't already, check out this list of 10 amazing light-painting photogs you should follow right away).

We were thrilled, therefore, when we stumbled across Nicolas Rivals' series of steel wool light painting Rorschach tests dubbed, simply enough, Light Rorchach.