‘Stolen’ Tupac Shakur photo leads to lawsuit against Universal Music Group

Rapper Tupac Shakur poses for photos backstage after his performance at the Regal Theater in Chicago, Illinois in March 1994. Raymond Boyd/Getty Images The copyright turf war between photographers and rappers continues this week, with a fresh lawsuit over a photo of the late rapper, Tupac Shakur. The estate of Chi Modu, a hip-hop photographer… Continue reading ‘Stolen’ Tupac Shakur photo leads to lawsuit against Universal Music Group

Peter van Agtmael grapples with chronicling the post-9/11 era

A women sob as soldiers arrest their family. “It was one of my first raids in Iraq. At the time, I felt almost no emotion. I was consumed by the novelty and the mania. We got back to the base as the sun was beginning to rise. I opened the door to my trailer and… Continue reading Peter van Agtmael grapples with chronicling the post-9/11 era

Redefining age in active lifestyle photography

In 2020, Subaru ran a commercial celebrating the relationship between a grandma and her granddaughter, as they embark on a road trip. They get milkshakes, dance along to the radio, and chat about the future. At one point, after noticing her granddaughter make eye contact with a cute boy, the grandma runs out to get… Continue reading Redefining age in active lifestyle photography

10 everyday items every wedding photographer should carry in their kit

All of the items here have one time or another come in handy for a member of the PopPhoto staff while shooting a wedding. Getty Images Photographing someone’s Big Day is a beautiful—and stressful—job, especially if you’re not a seasoned pro. This week, PopPhoto is serving up our best advice for capturing that special kind of joy. The job… Continue reading 10 everyday items every wedding photographer should carry in their kit

Carla Coulson’s floral portraits capture the beauty—and fragility—of being a young woman

L-R: “On My Way,” “Great Future Ahead,” and “See Me”. Carla Coulson “I’m obsessed with romantic flowers,” says Carla Coulson, an Australian-born photographer who splits her time between Paris and Greece. On the day I interviewed her, she was sitting in her home in Greece, surrounded by prints she made of the Italian coast, on… Continue reading Carla Coulson’s floral portraits capture the beauty—and fragility—of being a young woman

A TikTok photographer shot both sides of a roll of film, with otherworldly results

“This white crocus over the fence and tree silhouette pretty much nailed the effect I was going for. It’s simple, striking, and I love it”. Evan Purney With the ever-increasing price of film these days, “experimenting” sounds like a scary, money-draining concept. If your endeavor doesn’t turn out, well, the party’s over—and your wallet is… Continue reading A TikTok photographer shot both sides of a roll of film, with otherworldly results

How to Record a Moving Subject With a Handheld Video Camera

It’s nearly impossible to emulate smooth, Steadicam-like footage when you’re shooting handheld and walking at the same time, but having a subject in your frame actually helps to hide some of the jitter. In this lesson for Slavik Boyechko’s course about handheld video we’ll cover some tips and tricks to help you capture a moving… Continue reading How to Record a Moving Subject With a Handheld Video Camera

How To Move the Flash Off Your Camera for Better Photo Lighting

Welcome back to ‘Introduction to Flash Photography‘. I hope our last lesson has you inspired and you’re ready to learn the nuts and bolts of how to take your flash off of your camera. A Note on Vocabulary We’re going to start this lesson with a little bit of vocabulary. Two words that you will… Continue reading How To Move the Flash Off Your Camera for Better Photo Lighting

David T. Hanson’s 1980s landscapes are a grim reminder of the world we’ve made

Yankee Doodle tailings pond, Montana Resources’ open-pit copper mine, Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site, Butte, Montana, 1986. © David T. Hanson To celebrate Earth Day 2022, we’re revisiting some of our favorite environmental stories and interviews from the PopPhoto archives. From photography’s beginning until relatively recently, artists who turned their lenses on landscapes were fascinated by… Continue reading David T. Hanson’s 1980s landscapes are a grim reminder of the world we’ve made