Inspiration

A cluttered desk covered with photographs, a digital tablet, and sketches, all depicting various landscapes, illuminated by a sunset streaming through a window with mountain views.

Starting a Portfolio as a Photographer: An Encouraging Perspective

When I was in college at the University of Minnesota, one of my senior-year classes at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication involved putting together a website using Wix, to hopefully allow us to showcase some of the things we had worked on during our academic careers and set us up for a (hopefully) easier time finding work afterward.

Split image featuring a vintage camera on the left and two boys standing against a city street background on the right. one boy has his arm around the other's shoulder. black and white tone.

Why I Shoot Medium Format Film

Back in the day, 35mm film was called “miniature” format; its itty bitty negatives were considered only good for snapshots and maybe street photography (sorry, Leica shooter Henri Cartier-Bresson). Serious photography—landscape, portraiture, documentary, commercial—was dominated by medium format film, a platform that produced images with fine detail and luscious tonality, even when blown up to make billboard-size prints.

Vision: The Most Important Skill in Photo Editing

I don’t know about you, but even though I’ve been photographing for almost fifteen years now, sometimes I feel stuck when deciding which editing direction to take with some of my images.

Picture Styles and Losing My RAW Religion

Twenty years ago, I was just starting to make some headway as a film-shooting stock photographer. It was a fun time, but the digital age soon dawned. I shot JPEGs on maybe my first day out with a digital camera, and then I was onto RAW.

How to Take Great Landscape Photos Close to Home

In my dream I’m standing on the rim of a deep, verdant canyon. Far below, a river glinting crimson and gold in the setting sun snakes toward jagged mountains dusted with snow. My camera’s viewfinder perfectly frames this epic vista in the wilds of northern New Mexico.

Johnny Martyr on photographing comedian Nikki Glaser

How I Shot Nikki Glaser’s Tour Promos on B&W 35mm Film

Recently, I took tour photos at the Lyric Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland, of my favorite comedian, Nikki Glaser. Nikki's team is using my photos to create graphics that she shares on social media to promote The Good Girl tour.

Sandra Bartocha interview on nature photography

The Emotion of Nature: Sandra Bartocha’s Creative Photography

German photographer Sandra Bartocha has been making fantastic and ethereal nature photography for many years and is among the most creative landscape photographers working today. PetaPixel chatted with Bartocha about her interesting techniques, artistic vision, and the importance of authenticity in photography.

Motion Emphasizing Stillness in Photography

Breaking a pattern can work to bring attention to that pattern. You may not notice how quiet it is until some subtle noise disrupts that silence, reminding you of the context it is punctuating.

Red Bull Illume Image Quest 2023

Jaw-Dropping Climber Portrait Wins Red Bull Illume Image Quest 2023

A woman won the grand prize for the first time in the 17-year history of the Red Bull Illume Image Quest contest, the world's largest action sports photo competition. Australian photographer Krystle Wright wowed the more than 50 contest judges with an incredible photo of climber Angela VanWiemeersch scaling a cliff in Long Canyon, Utah.