Interviews

Interviews with photographers and photojournalists working at the forefront of their fields across a wide range of genres, from fine art to documentary to street to travel, and everything in between. PetaPixel allows photographers to share their experience, opinions, and insights to inform and inspire the global photography community.
A man wearing a gas mask crouches on the ground amid armed police officers in tactical gear; a camera lies on the pavement nearby. The scene appears tense and chaotic.

Photographer Tosses His Leica Away From ICE as He’s Tackled to the Ground

Photojournalist John Abernathy was tackled by ICE agents in Minneapolis last week and his last-ditch effort to save his camera was successful thanks to fellow photographer Pierre Lavie, who captured Abernathy's camera-saving toss in a now-viral image. Lavie's powerful portrait reflects the importance of photojournalism, captures the risks photographers face in the field, and, to the benefit of Leica, shows how rugged the company's cameras are.

A scuba diver underwater holds a long, glowing, translucent marine organism; on the right, a close-up shows the organism’s intricate, light-blue, threadlike structure against a dark background.

‘Pole to Pole With Will Smith’ Breaks New Scientific and Photographic Ground

In National Geographics new series, "Pole to Pole With Will Smith," viewers follow Smith and world-renowned experts on an adventure across the globe, starting at the South Pole and concluding in the season finale at the North Pole with stops in the Amazon, the Pacific, Himalayas, and Kalahari Desert along the way. PetaPixel chatted with Tom Williams, executive producer of "Pole to Pole," about the series and how it was filmed.

Left: A wall decorated with cowboy hat shapes, a window, and a row of chairs. Right: An abandoned, weathered U.S. Air Force jet resting on the ground under a blue sky with wispy clouds.

The Photographer’s Guide to Breaking Your Own Rules

After 25 years behind the camera, OM SYSTEM photographer Jerred Zegelis thought he knew the rules of photography. Shoot RAW. Stay neutral. Fix it in post. Art Filters are for amateurs. These weren't suggestions. For Zegelis, they were law, absorbed from forums, tutorials, and years of professional habit.

Then he invented a fictional town, shot an entire trip using a filter he once dismissed as cheesy, and intentionally started to break the rules. The Nebraska native calls the results the best work of his career.

A small yellow Kodak digital camera with a large attached lens is shown. On the left, the camera is held in hand facing forward; on the right, the camera is attached to a bulky manual lens, also held by hand.

What Happens When You Put Big Lenses on the Tiny Kodak Charmera?

The Kodak Charmera keychain camera has been a smash hit. Sold in blind boxes, the 1.6-megapixel retro-styled toy camera was one of the biggest photo gifts of the holidays. However, straight out of the box, its capabilities are arguably a bit lacking, thanks in large part to its tiny built-in lens. That's where expert camera modifier James Warner, or Snappiness as he's known online, comes in. What would happen if you gave the Kodak Charmera a better, bigger lens?

Two cheetahs rest closely together in tall grass on the left, while a close-up of a cheetah’s face with its mouth slightly open appears on the right, both set against blurred natural backgrounds.

Postman-Turned-Cinematographer Films Cheetahs In Brand New Ways

In National Geographic's latest documentary, "Cheetahs Up Close," Emmy Award-winning wildlife photographer and cinematographer Bertie Gregory travels to the Serengeti to capture jaw-dropping close-up footage of cheetahs as they rest, hunt, and of course, run. Gregory and fellow Emmy Award-winning wildlife cinematographer Tom Walker use long lenses, drones, and specialized equipment to capture remarkable shots, ensuring "Cheetahs Up Close" is as beautiful as it is exciting.

Left: A man in a plaid shirt, cap, and lanyard looks to the side at an outdoor event. Right: Black-and-white photo of a person standing in a grassy field under a cloudy sky.

How a Photographer From a Tiny Town Gets Big-Time Assignments

Mt. Olivet, Kentucky -- named after the biblical Mount of Olives -- is a hamlet in the smallest county in Kentucky. Population estimates vary, from 155 in 2023 to a bit higher number in the 2020 census. Photojournalist Michael Swensen, based in tiny Mt. Olivet, gets big-time assignments. His work has been seen worldwide via The Associated Press, Getty Images, The Washington Post, and more.

Split image: Left, a sea turtle seen from above glows with green bioluminescence in dark water. Right, a black-and-white scene shows people inside a dim, rustic room, one standing by a doorway while a child stands outside.

TIME’s Top 100 Photos of 2025 Tell Powerful Stories Through Incredible Images

At the end of each year, TIME selects its Top 100 photos of the year. As always, the 2025 edition is replete with superb photography, ranging from split-second action shots of important news events to powerful photos from longer-term projects, the collection is a compelling visual reminder of the major events of 2025 and, perhaps as importantly, photography's power in telling the world's most important stories.

A split image showing two scenes: on the left, a woman and a man laugh and clap in a stadium; on the right, two men in casual clothes chat and smile while holding drinks, surrounded by fans in yellow shirts.

Celebrities Are Changing How Pro Sports Photographers Work

Photographer Tammy Ljungblad has worked at The Kansas City Star for 36 years. She has never seen anything like the impact of megastar Taylor Swift on NFL games at Arrowhead Stadium and the broader Kansas City community.

A photo editing software window shows a horse in a green field. The horse is selected and highlighted in red, while editing tools and a histogram are visible on the right side of the screen.

How Two Photographers Transformed RAW Photo Support on Mac

As photographers using macOS know all too well, native macOS-level support for RAW image formats can be hit-or-miss, and new support can take months or years to arrive, sometimes never arriving at all. This means that photographers must rely on third-party software to process many RAW photos, and that support in Apple's own apps, like Photos, is spotty. However, not all is lost, as very talented engineers are working hard to overcome macOS's own RAW limitations.

A black and white split image: on the left, a shark with deep claw marks on its side; on the right, a small whale seen from above, swimming in dark water.

Matt Draper Held His Breath to Capture These Exceptional Underwater Photos

Acclaimed photographer and industrial designer Matt Draper's latest solo exhibition, Within One Breath, opens today at the Leica Gallery New York. The photos featured in the show were all captured on a single breath while freediving with Leica rangefinders and using only natural light, ensuring that the beautiful underwater environment was disturbed as little as possible.

A woman wearing a dark shirt and sunglasses on her head stands on a wide, sandy road holding a camera. The background is blurred with people and buildings visible in the distance.

Lynsey Addario: ‘There Was Never a World in Which I Would Not Do This Work’

Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Lynsey Addario has risked life and limb and been kidnapped multiple times to perform a photojournalist's most crucial and valuable mission: powerfully capturing and telling the world's most meaningful stories. Addario's incredible career, which spans more than two decades, is the focus of the brand-new National Geographic documentary, Love+War.

Two bear cubs stand on hind legs playfully sparring in a grassy field, while a bald eagle perches calmly on a branch against a blurred forest background.

Ethical Wildlife Photography: A Field Guide to Photographing Animals with Respect

A crew working for an unnamed wildlife photographer fed and used cellophane paper to lure a fox for the 'perfect shot' in Grand Teton National Park. Since the fox was conditioned to human food, park officials euthanized it. The photographer got his shot. The fox paid with its life. Learning about this event became the North Star for Arthur Lefo, an OM SYSTEM Ambassador who has spent almost a decade photographing iconic wildlife. Lefo believes that ethical wildlife photography isn't just about rules, but respect.

On the left, a hand holds a smartphone with a glowing abstract design on the screen. On the right, four young women smile and pose for a selfie on a sunny beach with cliffs and a pink-striped towel behind them.

How and Why Apple Built Its New Square Center Stage Front iPhone Camera

While each of Apple's latest iPhone models has a different rear camera system, they all feature the same brand-new Center Stage front-facing, or "selfie," camera. The base iPhone 17, ultra-thin iPhone Air, and flagship iPhone 17 Pro all have the same Center Stage camera, complete with its groundbreaking square image sensor and sophisticated new features. We sat down with key minds at Apple to learn more about the new camera and how it empowers mobile photography.

A close-up of a camera mounted on a tripod with an orange USB cable plugged into its side, likely for tethered shooting; the background is blurred.

How Tether Tools’ Custom USB Cable Solved a Huge Tethered Photography Problem

Tether Tools has long been a key player in the tethered photography community. This specialized but vital niche of the photography market has very specific cable requirements, which, when faced with increasing issues with USB-C PD, forced Tether Tools back to the drawing board. The company developed a brand-new USB-C cable, Optima, to deal with growing USB concerns on modern cameras.

Yellow geometric background with the black Evoto logo and text centered. The logo consists of an abstract geometric shape, and the name “Evoto” is written in bold, modern font to the right of the logo.

Evoto Believes it Can Beat Adobe at Its Own Game

At its first-ever brand event, Evoto One, Evoto announced a sweeping expansion of its platform with new desktop, mobile, and video tools. Evoto has lofty goals and some powerful, entrenched competition, but it likes its odds.

A collage of three photos: a stone bridge over a river in a city, people walking through a covered, illuminated shopping street at night, and a woman with dark hair wearing a white top and heart necklace.

Photographer Captures the Stillness and Emotional Depth In Everyday Life

Modern photography is often defined by speed, filters, and fleeting trends, yet Kerwin Mallari has carved a distinctive path by focusing on stillness, intuition, and the subtle beauty of everyday life. Surrounded from an early age by his father’s extensive collection of photographs, he developed a profound appreciation for the stories that images can tell.

A young woman with vibrant purple hair, wearing a blue patterned dress, poses with her hands near her head on a bustling, colorful city street with blurred people and lights in the background.

How Lomography Brings 19th-Century Optics to Photographers in 2025

Lomography announced a new line of Petzval lenses in July. The five prime lenses range from 27mm to 135mm and, in some cases, deliver all-new lenses built by recalculating Joseph Petzval's original designs for his iconic 19th-century portrait lenses. Here's how Lomography's engineers brought a nearly 200-year-old optical design back to life in 2025.

Three photos: A boy plays with bubbles outdoors; a smiling woman holds a giant elephant plush toy at a fair; a girl blows a party horn while holding a large stuffed hamster.

Photographer’s Portraits of People With Prizes Captures the Fun of Fairs

State fairs are a trademark part of the American Summer experience. Many have fond memories of going to their local fair, partaking in fried foods, and trying their luck at challenging fair games to win big, fun prizes. Photographer Carlos Gonzalez went to the Minnesota State Fair to get portraits of fairgoers with their precious prizes, capturing the magic and wonder of fairs.

Two hands hold up a newspaper with a blue header and a camera, while two other hands hold a newspaper with a black "DAILY NEWS" header, against a pink background.

Photographers Are Finally Getting the Credit They Deserve In News Media

When The Washington Post sent a reporter to Utah to cover the shrinkage of Great Salt Lake, the writer collaborated with local independent photographer James Roh who knows the territory, and helped with crucial reporting. This is increasingly the norm.

A man with a white beard sits on worn steps outside a house (left); an aerial view shows a flooded neighborhood with partially submerged houses (right).

Nat Geo’s ‘Hurricane Katrina’ Documentary Removes the Gap Between the Past and Present

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the devastating Hurricane Katrina, which killed nearly 2,000 people, primarily in Louisiana and Mississippi. National Geographic's new documentary series, Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time, transports viewers back to the chaos and destruction Katrina wrought in New Orleans, and shines a much-needed light on the people and stories that were ignored back in 2005.

A black Canon EOS digital camera with a large lens is shown against a blurred background with colorful bokeh lights.

Canon Says Smartphones Didn’t Destroy the Entry-Level Market and Could Help It Grow Again

Although improving smartphone image quality has dramatically reduced the size of the entry-level camera market, Canon believes that this same, shrinking market can be revitalized by convincing a generation of mobile photographers they can create better photos and videos with a traditional camera. If Canon has its way, the entry-level market is not just alive, but also has genuine potential for growth.

A split image: on the left, a device illuminates a glowing red sphere in a dark room; on the right, a computer workstation with specialized equipment and a monitor displaying a photo of a hallway.

New Multispectral Film Scanner Is a Breakthrough for Analog Photography


Saskatchewan-based Film Rescue International (FRI) develops and digitizes old film, whether it's rolls of precious family memories or vital historical archives in museum collections. To deliver the best possible results in an increasingly challenging, stagnant film scanning industry, FRI built a cutting-edge multispectral film scanner.

A young person wearing a cap and camouflage jacket looks down while holding a toy or replica rifle, standing in a dimly lit area with blurred lights in the background.

A Photojournalist Took a Fujifilm Instax Camera to a Mexican Cartel Wedding

Mexican-born American photojournalist Henry Craver recently traveled to Michoacán, Mexico, a region controlled by organized crime, to document life with his film cameras. However, after running out of film, he boldly took a Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 camera to a wedding and photographed gun-toting cartel members. A bizarre juxtaposition -- instant film and organized crime -- Craver returned home to New Jersey with spectacular photos and an even more exciting story.

A glowing, colorful nebula with swirling clouds of blue and orange gas set against a vivid red space background filled with stars.

Photographer’s Incredible Nebula Photo Took Three Years to Capture

Tennessee-based astrophotographer Jeffrey Horne is an exceptionally talented photographer, capturing photos of deep space that expertly blend science and art. Horne's latest image of the Spaghetti Nebula (Simeis 147) combines 569 hours of exposure time captured over the past three winters. Few photographic genres test a photographer's patience quite like astrophotography.