Travel

While birds inhabit every environment from remote wilderness to urban parking lots, capturing their beauty and behavior demands technical precision, patience, and skills that can challenge even experienced photographers. OM SYSTEM Ambassador Ben Knoot, who has spent over two decades perfecting his approach from backyard feeders to international expeditions, shares with PetaPixel his essential field-tested roadmap for beginners ready to transform fleeting encounters into portfolio-worthy images.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve chased moments that remind me how small I am; the moments that make the world feel big again. The sardine run is one of those moments -- a crazy spectacle of survival, chaos, and connection all at once. I went all the way to South Africa to see it with my own eyes and to feel what it means to be a part of something this wild.

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.

Landscapes are one of the most accessible yet challenging genres of photography. The challenge for many landscape photographers is effectively translating the experience of witnessing incredible moments in nature into a single, compelling frame.

The long days of summer offer a unique advantage for photographers: an abundance of golden hour light. This seasonal extension of the coveted 'magic hours' provides more time for photographers to work with the soft, beautiful light that can transform a scene. Adobe Lightroom and Sony Ambassador Colby Brown shares with PetaPixel his process of mastering this unique light, providing practical techniques for both in-camera capture and post-processing.

After Brian Doben hit an impasse in his professional photography career, he spoke to his wife about quitting. But she encouraged him to go back to basics.

A photographer traveled thousands of miles from the U.S. so he could capture ethereal photos of Japan's sacred bird, the red-crowned crane, that are now on display in New York City.

Celebrated actor Stanley Tucci has racked up an impressive six Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes throughout his lengthy career. However, alongside his award-winning roles, he is also beloved for hosting travel and food series, the latest being Tucci in Italy with National Geographic, which premiered this week.

The winners of the World Food Photography Awards sponsored by Bimi® have been announced with a group portrait of elderly women in China scooping the top prize.

When I mentioned to friends and family that I was heading to Iraq, the reactions were a mix of surprise and concern. Questions like, “Is it safe?” and “Why Iraq?” were common. But as a photographer driven by curiosity and a desire to capture unique experiences, I saw Iraq as an opportunity to explore a land rich in history, culture, and resilience.

Pelican partner Boone Speed is regarded in many circles as a jack-of-all-trades. In addition to being a pioneering rock climber, Speed is also a successful photographer with a portfolio rich with unique images.

The following article is a resource to help the world’s photography competition judges work out if the “travel” images they are judging are real or not! Yep, this is the first library of fake travel photos focusing on people photography in Asia. You’re welcome!

For decades, OM SYSTEM Ambassadors Joe and Mary Ann McDonald have traveled the globe, documenting wildlife in its natural element through their photography.

While photographing wide-angle nightscapes is a common occurrence for astrophotographers, not many capture the faint nebulae and distant galaxies hidden beyond the Milky Way. Trevor Jones, creator of AstroBackyard, turned his obsession with space into a dedicated passion, teaching himself astrophotography to share the deep-sky he first witnessed through a telescope. Now a successful YouTuber and respected voice in the community, Jones helps demystify the process.

Adobe Lightroom Ambassador Melissa Findley is a photographer with a deep interest in travel, adventure, landscape, and lifestyle photography. Her passion for visual storytelling has taken her across the globe, leading to significant projects with major brands and non-profit organizations. The acclaimed Australian-born photographer shares her invaluable insights with PetaPixel, offering tips to elevate the nature photography skills of enthusiasts at every level.

Professional landscape and travel photographer Dan Zafra, known for his website Capture the Atlas, traveled from his home in Nevada to the wilds of Alaska last week to capture the total lunar eclipse against a beautiful backdrop of the Northern lights.

To celebrate its 70th birthday, Vienna Airport in Austria invited eight photographers to capture its comings and goings starting at 3 A.M. running through until the early hours of the following day.

Walking through a train station in New Zealand, Greg Annandale looks up to see his photo on an information screen. The Raspberry Pi computer powering the board has gone back to the desktop wallpaper which Annandale shot of a road in Iceland.

The Old City of Jerusalem is a place quite unlike anywhere else on Earth. A focal point for all three Abrahamic religions, the narrow streets made out of stone bustle with Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

At a young age, wildlife photographer and Pelican user Martin Gregus Jr. discovered a passion for documenting the connection between nature and the animals that inhabit natural places. At just 11 years old, Gregus’ White on Blue image was specially commended at the Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition in London. As Gregus matured, so did his wildlife photography, resulting in being named People's Choice Award Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2022.

Over the last decade, photographer Erin Sullivan has built an impressive travel photography portfolio by embracing creativity in both traditional and unconventional ways. Erin Outdoors, as she is more widely known, has inspired countless photographers and travelers alike to explore their artistic potential by learning how to expand their creativity.

"I really want to get the light meter fixed," my dad told me once, years ago. "It's been hard, I don't think they make the parts anymore." By the late 2010s, my dad had given up on ever getting his Nikon Photomic FTn ever working again. This past summer, though, his beloved camera was brought back from the brink.

A photographer employed a technique usually reserved for star trails to make a spellbinding timelapse of Japan.

A photographer has spent ten years on his project Dogs of the World which sees him travel across the globe to capture dog breeds in their ancestral homeland.

Photographers across the world have competed to capture the next iconic wallpaper for Microsoft Windows.

Have you ever flown internationally and, in your desire to make sure to capture every great moment, brought too much gear? We know the feeling, and The PetaPixel Podcast team want to help you avoid the FOMO without missing any of the photos.

An astrophotographer traveled all the way to the remote island of Rapa Nui, known as Easter Island, for this week's spectacular annular eclipse.

Colby Brown is a travel, wildlife, and humanitarian photographer who has traveled to over 120 countries in his 18-year career. Spending nearly six months a year traveling to the farthest corners of the globe, the Pennsylvania-based photographer uses his art to advocate for conservation, cultural preservation, and environmental awareness.

Taking pictures of the stars is challenging. Heck, even seeing them is difficult thanks to most people living in light-polluted areas that diminish the view of the Universe above us.

A photographer has spent six years visiting over 50 countries across six continents in search of interesting McDonald's restaurants.

Martin Lindner is a German photographer and Adobe Lightroom Ambassador known for capturing captivating images with unique perspectives in urban environments. Lindner’s use of shapes, patterns, symmetry, and leading lines create images that ask his viewers to use their imaginations to decipher the story being told in the frame.