Recent Historical Articles

First Colored Postcards Showcase Life In The US

This spectacular series of postcards are from a private collection owned by graphic designer and photographer, Marc Walter. Walter specializes in vintage travel photographs and has one of the largest collections in the world. This collection has been compiled into a new book entitled, An American Odyssey. The photochroms started out as glass negatives such as this: Mississippi Landing, Vicksburg

Emil Stankiewicz's Talbotype Camera

Polish photographer Emil Stankiewicz’s has created a unique, handmade Talbotype camera nicknamed Idlozi, which means “window to your heritage soul.” Each unique image captured by the wooden camera starts as a paper negative which is then rephotographed with the same box camera to yield a positive print. The camera also known as a “street camera” or “á la minute camera” are inspired by Henry Fox Talbot’s calotype, the British inventor who was able to create a paper negative from which positive prints could be contact printed.

This Photographer's Dream Camera Is a DSLR From 2001

The world of photography is constantly evolving, with new camera technologies emerging and pushing out old ones seemingly daily. For photographers, especially those with a penchant for vintage gear, exploring cameras that blend classic design with modern functionality can be a fascinating journey. This exploration lands on a unique camera from 2001 in this fun video.

Shooting Modern Film on a 120-Year-Old Camera

The Kodak Brownie No. 2 is more than a vintage collectible—it’s a piece of photographic history. Released in 1901, this camera not only introduced the world to 120 film but also made photography more accessible.

'The Scream' Painter Edvard Munch's Rare Photographs to Go on Display

For most people who know the name Edvard Munch, there’s an immediate association with his iconic painting, "The Scream.” This artist, fabled for his emotionally impactful painting, is not known for his photographs, but his lens-based work will soon be available for fans of art and photography.

Getting Inspiration: What is Your Favorite Photography Book?

Inspiration comes from a variety of sources, but I'm guessing that seeing the works of others has always been big for you. Seeing someone else's work probably is what got you interested in photography to begin with. So what gets your creativity flowing? For me, though my work in photography resides in the Advertising / Editorial realm, inspiration for my work comes in the form of photojournalism.

The Wonderfully Atmospheric Urban Landscapes of Greg Girard

Canadian photographer Greg Girard left Vancouver in the 1970s to explore Southeast Asia with his camera. His colorful, atmospheric landscapes showed us a very different and unfamiliar part of the world that, for Westerners at that time, was much less traveled and even less well known.

Rediscovering My Grandfather’s Camera

Recently, as I've begun exploring the realm of film photography, my dad pulled out his father's old camera and passed it down to me. I never knew my grandfather, so this feels like a moment to connect where I was never able to.

How Photography Is Used to Solve Crimes, Murders

From sketch renderings to video surveillance, law enforcement uses many techniques to piece together clues for crime-solving. Details and memory often fail us, but there's one medium that never forgets - photography.

A to Z of Photography: Nan Goldin and the Golden Triangle

After a monster week of F, it's time to get back to some semblance of normality (although the title sounds like a Harry Potter novel!). Coming at you straight from Photography 101 and the chapter on "Composition" is the Golden Triangle, followed from left-field by Nan Goldin.

A to Z of Photography: Panoramic Photography and the Pillars of Creation

With this installment we revisit the whole sub-genre of panoramic photography. Literally(!) a wide subject, discover the history behind it, the software to create it, and the competitions to enter. Once you've scrambled your way through the panoramas, discover one of the most beautiful photos in the universe. Read on.

Video Shows 28 Historical Clips of New York City

We get so caught up in the latest and greatest gear that it's often easy to forget that video and photography offer us a powerful window into past times. YouTube Channel Yestervid has put together a compilation of historical footage of New York City, shot between 1896 and 1905, and paired the individual clips with a map of their modern day location. It's a great tour through one of the nation's most storied cities.

Learn About the Process of Tintype Photography

Tintypes continue to fascinate us. Despite the process being over 150 years old, its methodical, almost meditative procedure and striking results have kept it alive. It's also a fairly scientific process that involves a good bit of chemistry. Check out this video to learn more about the technical and practical aspects of the practice of shooting tintypes.

Sold! An Update on The Most Expensive Photobooks Sold at Auction

Based on feedback I received about my article investigating the most expensive photobooks ever sold, I reached out to the two largest auction houses in the World to provide a more authoritative list of photobooks sold at auction. What do you expect to see in this list?

Helena Christensen & Mary Ellen Mark Join Mark Seliger on Capture

In this episode of the (always) fantastic "Capture," supermodel Helena Christensen and photographic legend Mary Ellen Mark sit down with Mark Seliger and discuss their unique approaches to making their images. Mary Ellen Mark talks about what it was like to photograph Mother Theresa and how every circus in India was more imaginative than the last. Helena Christensen's love of photography began when she hitchhiked around the world as a teenager,

Impressionism Versus Traditional Art: Thoughts of a Commercial Photographer

Whether you think about conceptual art, impressionism, or high fashion, they are all deviations from the traditional art expressions. Is the emperor naked, or do these forms of art have nothing to do with that well-known story? Is it possible to make more profit from impressionism than from traditional photography?

Capturing Humanity Through the Lens: Kevin Carter

In 1993, Kevin Carter, a South African photojournalist, etched his name in photography history with one poignant image that encapsulated the harsh realities of the world. The iconic photograph, "Vulture and the Little Girl," stirred emotions, sparked debates, and shed light on the famine-stricken Sudan. However, it also plunged Carter into the depths of controversy, with this photograph revealing the complexities and ethical dilemmas surrounding shocking photography.

BTS: "My First Cover" Coty Tarr Shoots the Cover of Sports Illustrated

Last year, Fstoppers interviewed photographer, and possibly one of the nicest people on the planet, Coty Tarr. Last week, Coty got not only his first cover ever, but THE cover for anyone that photographs anything remotely athletic - Sports Illustrated. What makes this story so great isn't just that it's the cover of SI, it's that Coty grew up just south of Pittsburgh. He's a diehard Pittsburgh sports fan. It wasn't just a cover for him... it was home.

A Fascinating Documentary on the Early History of Photography

Most of us are relatively familiar with the history of photography in the last decade or so, but I'd argue its early years were far more interesting, with patent wars abounding and chemicals making people crazy (ok, maybe I'm glad that part is no longer an issue). This fascinating documentary details the history of early photographic processes, their development, and the stories of the people behind them.

Doug Menuez' Never-Before-Seen Photographs Chronicle Silicon Valley's Golden Age in "Fearless Genius"

In the 1980s, Doug Menuez was given unprecedented access to photograph Steve Jobs after his ousting at Apple while he started NeXT. The project eventually expanded as Menuez photographed countless, top, tech-sector executives including John Warnock at Adobe, John Sculley at Apple, Bill Gates at Microsoft, John Doerr at Kleiner Perkins, Marc Andreessen at Netscape over the course of 15 years. These images and the stories behind them are now published in "Fearless Genius."

American Primeval: Behind the Scenes of Netflix' Epic Western Saga

Every movie set has a unit still photographer who is there to capture all the action, both on camera and off. From critical moments in the film’s narrative arc to the flurry of orchestrated activity behind the scenes, this photographer has a front-row seat to the magic of motion picture making.
Take a Tour of the Behemoth Kodak Complex in This Video

Kodak is sadly just a shell of what the company used to be, but the majority of the infrastructure that once made up the film giant is still very much in place. You can take a casual tour of the Kodak complex in this great video.

Why I'm Not at All Concerned About Google VP Vint Cerf's Warned Bit Rot

Last month, internet pioneer and Google Vice President Vint Cerf warned the world on BBC about the impermanence of our data in a digital form due to the fact that the technology that can read it today will become obsolete. He argued that in a few hundred years, we may not be able to read any of the images or videos created today for the same reason we can't read a floppy disk: because technology will have moved on without us, and without that information. But is he right?

How Photography and Architecture Are Intertwined

Architectural photography is an art form that is intrinsically dependent on the mind of another creator. Without architecture, there would be no architectural photography. Normally, one wouldn't imagine this to be a two-way street, but this insightful video posits a different view.