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.

This Designer Created the ‘Ideal’ Leica Q3 in Photoshop

Designer Arun Venkatesan is a big fan of Leica's full-frame, fixed-lens Q-series cameras. But while the Leica Q2 fixed some of the annoying design faux-pas of the original Leica Q, Venkatesan doesn't think the camera maker went far enough. So, like any good designer, he did it for them... in Photoshop.

These Photographers Reshot Apple’s macOS Catalina Wallpaper in Real Life

Following up on their popular video from a couple of months ago, YouTuber Andrew Levitt, videographer Jacob Phillips, and photographer Taylor Gray recently set out to re-create Apple's macOS Catalina wallpaper. They hiked many miles, had to contend with crazy winds, and had a run-in with the police... but darn it, they got the shot!

See the Hilarious Winners of the 2019 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

After revealing the finalists of this year's contest in September, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have finally revealed the 2019 winners. If you need a dose of humor in your life—and after all the dire financial news lately, who doesn't—scroll down to see the photography equivalent of "wildlife does the darndest things."

This Guy Tried Using a 200-600mm Lens for Street Photography

Photographer and YouTuber Evan Ranft recently decided to try something unusual. He wanted to see what would happen if he tried to use a 200-600mm lens for... street photography. And while the idea might sound silly on the face of it, you may be surprised by some of the results.

See Canon’s ‘Dramatically Improved’ Eye Autofocus in Action

Portrait photographer Manny Ortiz recently got the chance to try out Canon's recent autofocus update for the EOS R, and the news is good: according to Ortiz, the update has "dramatically improved" Eye AF performance and totally changed the usability of the EOS R for portraiture.

Photographing Rhinos in Kenya

As I was winding up the fieldwork for Land of Giants, my book about "big tusker" elephants, I shifted focus to another of Tsavo’s majestic inhabitants: the black rhino. Tsavo West is one of the most ruggedly wild and beautiful landscapes I have encountered in Africa, and a fitting bastion for these ancient mammals.

Match Cuts Part 2: How to Create Compelling Transitions

Filmmaker Daniel DeArco is back with the promised Part 2 of his tutorial on creating cool and compelling "match cuts" to up your transition game. In Part 1, he showed you how he captured the three shots that he would be using to create the match cut; in Part 2, he takes us the rest of the way there in post.

Google Pixel 4 vs Canon EOS RP Low Light Photography Shootout

Ever since Google debuted Night Sight, people have marveled at how capable the computational photo technology has proven to be. But how does it compare to good old fashion sensor size? Andrew of the YouTube channel Denae & Andrew decided to find out.

Back to Basics: A Beginner’s Guide to Capturing ‘Moody’ Portraits

Rachel and Daniel of Mango Street—one of the most popular photography channels on YouTube—have put together a great, straight-to-the-point guide to capturing that "moody" style of portrait that's become a popular counter-point to the "dreamy" overexposed look that often dominates lifestyle imagery.

Faking FPV Drone Footage with a OneWheel, a GoPro, and a Selfie Stick

Jonathan Lucan of Lucan Productions recently came up with an ingenious "hack" that allowed him to capture "dynamic and innovative shots" that look like they were shot with an FPV drone... except that they weren't. They were captured using a GoPro HERO 6, a 9-foot selfie stick, and a OneWheel.

This is the World’s First Hyperlapse of a Solar Eclipse from 165,000ft

In August of 2017, the team at Sent Into Space travelled to Fort Laramie, Wyoming to capture something incredible for the BBC. Using a high-altitude weather balloon and a 360° camera array, they captured what they claim is "the world's first hyperlapse of an eclipse from the edge of space."

Filmmaker Tries 5 Creative and Crazy S*itty Rig Camera Hacks

Filmmaker and YouTuber Dan Mace is a big fan of the S*itty Rigs blog, where creatives share the crappiest DIY rigs they've ever used in order to get the shot on a budget. In his latest video, Mace tries out five of the rigs that he felt had the most potential... so you don't have to.

These Daguerreotypes Were Made by Painting Light Onto Body Parts

Chimacabres come out at night. They are around during the day too of course, but the night is when they really thrive. In the dark, it’s harder to tell if you’re face to face with a fellow person or if it’s a chimacabre in front of you, and they don’t even have faces.

Over the Horizon: Aerial Photos of the USSR’s Giant Nuclear Detection System

The DUGA over-the-horizon radar was one of the most important elements of the early warning system against an American nuclear attack on the USSR. More expensive to build than the nearby nuclear power plant, the complex consisted to two massive sets of receiving antennas located in Chernobyl and one transmission unit—which no longer exists—60km away in the town of Lubech-1.

Layers of Being Human: A Tribute to Mexican Culture and Día de Muertos

A month ago I had the opportunity to visit my friends and colleagues in beautiful Mexico. After two colorful and unforgettable weeks touring Mexico, I swore that I would create a “tribute” image when I got home, trying to instill some of the visuals and feelings of the Mexican culture into it.

How to Double the Resolution of Your Smartphone Photos

"Super-resolution" and "pixel-shift" photography isn't just possible if you have a fancy camera that can move the sensor 1 pixel between shots. As Usman Dawood of Sonder Creative demonstrates in this video, you can even do it with your run-of-the-mill smartphone, shooting hand-held.

Skycam Operators Capture Killer Shot of 102-Yard Kickoff Return

Our hats go off to SkyCam operator Darin Haggard and pilot Alex Milton who were working the New Orleans Saints vs Chicago Bears game on October 20th. They both earned their paycheck and then some when they captured some buttery smooth, perfectly framed footage of a 102-yard kickoff return that has since gone viral.

Beautiful Image of Turtle Embryo Wins Nikon Small World Photo Contest

Nikon has revealed the winners of the 45th annual Nikon Small World photomicrography competition. The photo contest features images that "showcase a spectacular blend of science and artistry under the microscope," and as usual, this year's winning images are just plain spectacular.

I Built This DIY Camera Rig for Shooting Through-the-Viewfinder Videos

Recently I made my own custom-built camera rig for shooting Through-The-Viewfinder videos on a Nikon Z6 through the viewfinder of an old Lomo Lubitel 166. With my setup, I can have the whole camera in the frame but without distracting hands visible. Here's how I did it.

How Empathy Can Transform Your Work and Help You Connect with Clients

Talented creator Daniel DeArco—who goes by "Industrial Content Director & Creative Consultant" these days—recently dived into a topic that isn't often covered for creative business owners, freelancers, or just creators in general: empathy. Specifically, how empathy can transform the work you do and help you connect with clients.

Brutally Honest Caricatures of ‘Typical’ Male and Female Photographers

Artist Pixelcrush has put together a series of brutally honest caricatures that are equally likely to entertain and ruffle a few feathers. The series captures the "typical" male and female photographers "the everyone knows"—and like most caricatures, not all of these characters are... flattering.

This Photographer Uses Clever Tricks for Extraordinary Photos

Jordi Koalitic is a Barcelona-based photographer who has racked up over 1.3 million followers on his Instagram by specializing in "creative photography." Koalitic shares not only his finished photos but also behind-the-scenes photos showing the tricks he used to create them.

Using an iPhone 11 Pro to Capture the Northern Lights

The latest crop of smartphones all feature incredible low-light photography modes that can capture things that were unthinkable just one year ago. Case in point: Zach Honig, Editor-at-Large of The Points Guy, recently captured the Northern Lights in Coldfoot, AK using just an iPhone 11 Pro Max... handheld!

Shooting Portraits with a Rare Canon 50mm f/0.95 ‘Dream Lens’

While in Finland visiting The Camera Rescue Project, YouTuber and vintage lens enthusiast Mathieu Stern got to try out a rare Canon "dream lens": the Canon 50mm f/0.95. And like any good camera nerd, Stern immediately set it to f/0.95 and tried to shoot some portraits.

Photographer Recreates Vintage Lens Ads with His Own Glass

Remember those old lens advertisements you would see decades ago while flipping through magazines like National Geographic? Photographer Aaron Arizpe recently tried his hand at recreating the look and feel of those ads using his own lenses and editing skills.

A Wet Plate Portrait of Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg exploded into the public consciousness last month after the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist gave an impassioned and scathing speech to world leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York. Earlier this month, wet plate photographer Shane Balkowitsch got 20 minutes with Thunberg at Standing Rock and used the time to make 2 wet plate portraits of her.

This Photographer Shoots Impressive Conceptual ‘Selfies’

When Montreal-based photographer Véronique Duplain started out in her photography career back in 2014, she decided to take one self-portrait per day during the month of February. After the intense effort, she decided to keep the series going. Fast-forward six years, and her "Selfie Project" has grown to be an impressive body of work that captures her development as an artist.

My Facebook Photography Page was Hacked and Used to Scam Hundreds of People

Two months ago, popular photographer and digital artist John Wilhelm's Facebook was hacked. Below, he shares the step-by-step story of how the hack happened, and how the hacker used his very popular Facebook page to scam hundreds of his followers out of their hard-earned money.

Shooting 250MP Portraits with a 42MP Sony a7R II

The latest Sony cameras have the ability to shoot "pixel shift" images that create an ultra-high-resolution version of your scene. But what if you don't have a Sony a7R III or IV? Do what wedding photographer Ben of Bach Photography does in this video and steal a technique from landscape photographers.

Snowy Street Photography in Sapporo, Japan, a Hidden Gem

I always wanted to shoot Japan during the winter when it was snowing, and earlier this year I got the chance when I headed to Sapporo—the biggest city in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. This city is seriously underrated for street photography.

Watch Anduril’s Battering-Ram Drone Knock Other Drones Out of the Sky

Anti-drone tech has run the gamut from radio-frequency bazookas to trained eagles. But the latest anti-drone technology from controversial security company Anduril is actually... another drone. The Anduril Anvil is a "battering-ram drone system" that is tailor made to knock other drones out of the sky.

Behind the Scenes: Visiting the World’s Largest Digital Camera and Optical Lens

A couple of weeks ago, we shared some photos of the world's largest optical lens, which had just been shipped to the SLAC laboratory in Menlo Park, CA, where it would be joined with the world's largest digital camera. Unfortunately, we obviously weren't actually there for the reveal of this record breaking lens, but YouTube channel Physics Girl was.