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.

Randy Johnson: From Hall of Fame Pitcher to Pro Photographer

Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Randy Johnson is a passionate and skillful photographer pursuing wildlife, music concerts, and travel photography. When Johnson retired from Major League Baseball in 2010, he returned to his photography major (photojournalism) from 1983 to 1985 at the University of Southern California.

National Geographic Space Issue

National Geographic’s Space Issue Finds Humanity in the Vast Expanse

National Geographic's special Space issue is available now, full of amazing stories and images all about space. From articles about how the James Webb Space Telescope is rewriting astronomy and astrophysics to humankind's return to the Moon as part of the NASA Artemis mission, the NatGeo space issue has something for everyone with interest in the universe.

What Camera Do You Bring on a Trip to the Edge of Space?

When making PetaPixel’s documentary about Blair Bunting’s U2 photo shoot at the edge of space (which you should really watch now if you haven’t), one thing we decided not to focus on was the camera gear. But we love talking about cameras and lenses, so Chris sat down with Blair the evening before his epic shoot to discuss the equipment he was bringing up in a U2 spy plane.

Ricoh Opens Up About its Pentax Film Camera Project and More

Ricoh chose not to exhibit at CP+ earlier this year, so I took advantage of my extended stay in Japan to visit their corporate headquarters in Ota-ku, Tokyo. (Ota is southwest of central Tokyo, about a 50-minute train ride from where I was staying in Asakusa, on the northeast side of the city.)

Fujifilm Opens Up About AI, 8K Video, Entry-Level Cameras, and More

While attending the CP+ 2023 show in Yokohama earlier this year, I met with representatives of Fujifilm and had a chance to ask them about the reasons behind some camera features, the details of a recent firmware update, specifics about some of their future plans, and some more philosophical questions about 8K video and whether there’s still a place for “entry-level” models in the industry these days.

James Webb Space Telescope interview with Joe DePasquale and Alyssa Pagan

How Editors Blend Art and Science to Bring NASA’s Space Photos to Life

Since it began its full scientific operations at the second Lagrange point (L2), about one million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth last year, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has enchanted people around the world. Webb's photos have inspired many people to learn more about space and look at the night sky with unprecedented wonder and curiosity.

Brian Skerry

The Return of the Great White Shark Through the Lens of a Photographer

Although sharks are under significant threat worldwide, great white sharks are appearing in greater numbers around Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a popular tourist destination. In the new television special, "Return of the White Shark," National Geographic takes a closer look at the shark population around Cape Cod.

Tamron Opens Up About 3rd-Party Lenses and the Transition to Mirrorless

While attending the CP+ 2023 show in Yokohama, Japan, back in February, I had the opportunity to meet with independent lens manufacturer Tamron. It had been a very long time since my last official contact with them, and a lot has changed over the intervening years. (The last time I attended a formal Tamron event was all the way back in 2015, when they introduced their excellent f/1.8 wide-angle primes.)

How the Official Coronation Portraits of King Charles III Were Shot

Hugo Burnand, the photographer who captured the official photos of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla last May, has also photographed their wedding in 2005, the king's 60th birthday in 2008, and the wedding of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales in 2011 and many other royal events.

NASA Curiosity Postcard

The Inside Story Behind Curiosity’s Time-Blended Mars Panorama

Earlier this week, NASA shared an incredible time-blended composite panorama its team captured with Curiosity's navigation camera. PetaPixel spoke with Doug Ellison from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in southern California, the man who planned, captured, and processed the photos to make the "postcard."

What Canon Thinks About Third-Party Lenses, AI, 8K, and More

It might come as a surprise to many readers, seeing my byline on an industry-interview article here on PetaPixel, not to mention one from the CP+ 2023 show in Yokohama, Japan. It’s now been no less than three months since that, but I’m only just now getting this and several other articles posted.

Albert Watson: Legendary Photographer of Fashion and Celebrity

Albert Watson is a fashion, celebrity, and art photographer with over 100 Vogue covers and iconic images of celebrities and champions of business captured for over five decades. His subjects have included Mick Jagger, Steve Jobs, Jack Nicholson, Kate Moss, Christy Turlington, David Bowie, Tupac Shakur, and Andy Warhol.

How One Astrophotographer Made a New Scientific Discovery

Astrophotographer Bray Falls recently posted a series of striking images on Instagram that instantly caught PetaPixel's eye. Falls' photos aren't just visually stunning; they represent a brand-new discovery, a significant accomplishment for any astrophotographer.

Walter Iooss: Framing the Sports Photo

Walter Iooss Jr.'s photos have graced 300 Sports Illustrated covers in a career spanning six decades. He has captured iconic images of every athlete, including Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Pele, Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Phelps, Tiger Woods, Serena Williams, and Kobe Bryant.

Anne Geddes: The Queen of Baby Photography

Mention baby photography anywhere in the world, and Anne Geddes' name is likely to surface. The Australian native who lives in New York City has created countless cute and elaborately staged photos of newborns and small children that have appeared worldwide in calendars, greeting cards, and books for over three decades.