Ever since Irving Penn first started experimenting with white paper backdrops in the 1940s—and later, an old, repurposed theater curtain from the 1950s—portrait photographers have been pushing the boundaries of what backgrounds can look like. Far beyond the scope of the conventional, artists on 500px have found new ways to use traditional studio items—such as… Continue reading The power of a background in portrait photography
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The best gifts for photographers, according to the pros
In anticipation of the holiday season, we recently asked more than a dozen photographers to tell us about the most valuable items in their camera bags—and the gifts they’d love to get in 2023. From a splurge-worthy studio flash that’s small enough to take on location to an ultra-wide tilt-shift lens to uplevel your game,… Continue reading The best gifts for photographers, according to the pros
Portraits from the Summer of Love, and four other photo book picks
Shenandoah Jordan, Super Adaptoid, Lady Glorious, Matthew, and Steve Culligan in a Convertible, Haight Street, August 13, 1968. From Elaine Mayes’ “The Haight-Ashbury Portraits 1967–1968”. © Elaine Mayes In this season’s photo book selection, we look at early color photographs by urban street photographer, Mitch Epstein; Elaine Mayes’s portraits of hippies and oddballs at the… Continue reading Portraits from the Summer of Love, and four other photo book picks
Eadweard Muybridge documentary explores the legacy of motion pictures’ pioneer
One of Muybridge’s most recognizable works, “A Horse in Motion,” was created by rigging several wet plate cameras. Courtesy of Marc Shaffer Today, Hollywood is a titanic industry churning out film after film. But what of its humble beginnings? Why can we synonymously say “motion picture” when referring to cinema? We owe much to a… Continue reading Eadweard Muybridge documentary explores the legacy of motion pictures’ pioneer
Rats, coyotes, and raccoons, oh my! The year’s best urban wildlife photography
“Oh, snap!”. Barak Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Well, make that rats, coyotes, and bread-stealing monkeys, and you’ve got the winners of Picfair’s Urban Wildlife Photography Awards. Since 2019, the number of urban wildlife photographs on Picfair’s photo portfolio and e-commerce platform has quadrupled. And the competition, co-hosted by Nikon, Peak Design, MPB, and… Continue reading Rats, coyotes, and raccoons, oh my! The year’s best urban wildlife photography
They escaped Alcatraz 60 years ago, here’s what they may look like today
From left to right: John Anglin, Frank Morris, and Clarence Anglin escaped from Alcatraz roughly 60 years ago. US Marshals Service The US Marshals Service has released age-progressed photos of the three convicted bank robbers who escaped from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in 1962. Frank Morris, Clarence Anglin, and his brother John Anglin are still on… Continue reading They escaped Alcatraz 60 years ago, here’s what they may look like today
500px and Neil Dankoff Photography Competition: Winners Announced!
The results are in… Round two of the 500px and Neil Dankoff Photography Competition has come to an end. The judges were blown away with the submissions and after much deliberation, we couldn’t be more excited to announce the winners, runner-ups, and honorable mentions from the competition. A recap of the drool-worthy prizes Runners-up and… Continue reading 500px and Neil Dankoff Photography Competition: Winners Announced!
2022 Pulitzer Prize winners capture turmoil at home and abroad
After the stroke of midnight, Taliban fighters from the Fateh Zwak unit storm into Hamid Karzai International Airport, while wearing American-made uniforms and brandishing American M4 and M16 rifles and riding U.S. pickup trucks on Aug. 31, 2021. For two weeks, Kabul’s airport was the last tether to America’s control in Afghanistan, its runways the… Continue reading 2022 Pulitzer Prize winners capture turmoil at home and abroad
Here’s your chance to own an original print of Dorothea Lange’s ‘Migrant Mother’
Dorothea Lange’s “Migrant Mother”. Dorothea Lange An original print of Dorothea Lange’s famous—and somewhat controversial—Migrant Mother photo from the Great Depression will be auctioned off next/this month by Hindman, a fine art auction house. The 19.125 x 14.75-inch silver gelatin print was made by Lange or under her direct supervision some time in the 1950s. … Continue reading Here’s your chance to own an original print of Dorothea Lange’s ‘Migrant Mother’
On Earth Day, love the planet by considering a pre-loved camera
Stan Horaczek Today is Earth Day, your annual reminder that this planet is all we’ve got. For Earth Day 2022, all of us—businesses, governments, and citizens—are being called on to “act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably)” with “everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable”. It’s a big mission statement, but one way that photographers can… Continue reading On Earth Day, love the planet by considering a pre-loved camera