Spotlight

Cameras are great, but it’s what is done in photography with that technology that really matters. To that end, PetaPixel regularly shines a Spotlight on the incredible photos and videos created by talented artists from around the world.
A collage with three images: a husky wearing a flower crown, a woman in an orange dress holding a baby against a peach background, and a tall, foggy tower illuminated by lights at night.

British Photography Awards 2025 Winners Showcase Global Creativity

The British Photography Awards 2025 brings together photographers from across the globe, presenting an extraordinary array of images that celebrate technical skill, creative storytelling, and a remarkable eye for beauty in all its forms. From sweeping landscapes and dynamic street photography to intimate portraits, wildlife encounters, and conceptual fine art, this year’s entries reveal the depth and diversity of contemporary photography.

Left: A bird flies in front of a large, glowing orange sun with blurred birds around it. Right: A close-up of a gorilla’s face with a bright orange butterfly on its fur near its shoulder.

Every Winning Photo From Nature Photographer of the Year 2025

The Nature Photographer of the Year 2025 winners have been revealed, and acclaimed Norwegian photographer Åsmund Keilen has earned the prestigious title, "Nature Photographer of the Year," for his breathtaking, ethereal photo of a bird in flight against the glowing Sun.

A wrapped roll of vintage film labeled “EASTMAN FLUOROGRAPHIC SAFETY FILM” sits beside a black-and-white photo of a rural scene with a house, trees, and a wire fence, bordered by sprocket holes.

This Photographer Successfully Shot 82-Year-Old Film

Photographer Nick LoPresti loves film. As his YouTube channel shows, his adoration for the medium often manifests in "silly" videos centered on wild, ambitious projects. LoPresti's latest video demonstrates the intersection of his passion for analog photography and his willingness to embrace any challenge. LoPresti, perhaps against his better judgment, shot on 82-year-old film.

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.

Close-up of a custom-built digital camera with a large Super-Multi-Coated Takumar lens attached, mounted on a tripod, with visible screws and USB ports on the camera body.

Photographer Builds 3,200MP Camera Using CCD Scanner Sensor

German computer engineer and builder Yannick Richter, who goes by Gigawipf online, built a new 3,200-megapixel 3D-printed medium-format camera that relies on a linear CCD scanner. As Gigawipf describes it, the camera, Project Gigapixel, is much more than just a scanner in a box, though.

A sepia-toned triptych: a winding dirt road through a forest, a wooden cross grave marker, and an overturned car beside a trailer in a wooded area, evoking a somber, vintage atmosphere.

Photographer Retraces Oregon’s Brutal Trail of Tears With Wet-Plate Camera

By any measure, photographer Nolan Streitberger has built a practice that bridges art, history, and the profoundly personal. His work, particularly his acclaimed project Oregon’s Trail of Tears, transforms beautiful photography into both historical document and dialogue, a means of reclaiming memory and giving voice to stories long overlooked. But Streitberger's photographic journey began almost by accident.