Recent Historical Articles

Photographer Ken Heyman Dies at 89

Ken Heyman, a photographer that’s worked with cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead, shot commissions for Life magazine, and collaborated with President Lyndon B. Johnson, died on December 10th in Manhattan at 89 years old. He died at his home of a heart ailment, as reported by his daughter, Jennifer McCarthy.

How Kodak Spoiled Christmas for Thousands of Photographers

Those growing up in the States during the 70s and 80s will no doubt remember adverts for Kodak’s various products, especially around Christmas. One year in particular proved disastrous for Kodak, and Azriel Knight and his magnificent beard take us back in time to explain how it happened.

Music and the Fisheye Lens

Harry Styles just released his new album with a cover photo taken with a fisheye lens. This video shows how the fisheye lens was created and adopted by musicians and producers in different eras.

The Fascinating Process of Preserving a 200-Year-Old Photograph

It is easy to take for granted how easy it is to preserve our images these days; after all, we can create multiple copies of our photos in multiple locations with just a few clicks of the mouse. It was not always so easy, and as this great video shows, the process of preserving historical photographs can be incredibly delicate and require a highly skilled hand. Check out this great video to see the process in action.

12 Weeks of Christmas: the Three Biggest Camera Manufacturers

If Sony's Imaging Division work by movie quotes then they must be using Highlander: "There can be only one!" Are they The Kurgan to Canon's Connor McLeod? And does that make Nikon, Sunda Kastagir? Welcome to the three biggest camera manufacturers — the so-called immortals.

Are Smartphones Really Better Than Some Professional Photographers?

Time-honored English fashion and portrait photographer David Bailey is 81. His prominent heyday was a time that now seems remote — one of a young Mick Jagger and the four Beatles. Now Bailey himself thinks that the day of the star professional photographer is gone forever.

Are Your Photographs Aesthetic?

Do you want your images to look “good”? Aesthetics will help you understand the value of an image beyond its informative and representative character. Let's ask some great philosophers what they think about it.

The Myths of ISO

Eye-es-oh or eye-soh? Not as simple as you think! Tip: Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

10 Important Moments in Photography History

Photography is a centuries-old practice with a rich history of innovations and advancement, and it is a fun and informative exercise to take a look at all the events that brought us to where we are today. This great video takes a look at 10 of the most pivotal moments in photography history.

100 Years of Photographic History for Olympus

This past weekend, The Olympus Corporation turned 100 years old. A review of Olympus' history is eye opening. I didn't realize that Olympus was originally a healthcare company, and it remains a leader in certain healthcare fields today.

A Fascinating Look at How Film Cameras Superimposed Dates on Photos

If you have ever shot with certain film cameras of the past, you have probably noticed that the prints came back to you with the date of capture superimposed on them in the bottom corner. It is a neat and very useful function, and this fun video will show you how cameras of the past made it happen.

Get Lost in a Guided Photo Tour of 1907 Minneapolis

You've heard the saying "a picture's worth a thousand words." A recently published panorama of historic Minneapolis photographs gives us a visually verbose account of an iconic Midwestern city over a century ago.

Online Vote: Best of the A to Z of Photography

Well it had to come… the final installment of the A to Z of Photography appeared last week and with that a huge void in my life! With every end there is a new beginning, but before we reach that, where did the A to Z start, what topics did it traverse in its winding journey, and what were some of the highlights?

What I've Learnt From Peter Lindbergh

I’ve paged through his books at bookshops, and I know he’s done some of the Pirelli Calendar campaigns. But I've looked at his work again since his passing, and it gives insight on how he does it, and what type of person he was.

A to Z of Photography: Zeiss and Emile Zola

And so with some sadness, tinged with a sense of relief, we reach the final letter of the alphabet. And what better way to finish than with a vastly successful company that has virtually spanned the lifetime of photography, along with some photographic input from yet another novelist.

A to Z of Photography: Yashica and Madame Yevonde

In this article we turn to the society photographer, and fortune teller sounding, Madame Yevonde, but before her another Japanese brand that bit the dust. Yashica were prominent in the post-war photographic world, but when did they cease production?

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?

A to Z of Photography: Weegee and Wet Plate Collodion

The cult of celebrity is alive and kicking, now seemingly the domain of the "influencer". However history is littered with photographers who attained celebrity status — step back 80 years and Weegee made the unusual step from press photographer to, well, influencer! This was long after the second of our two articles, which looks at the wet collodion plate process.

A to Z of Photography: Von Wong (Interview) and Vivitar

This week we continue the A to Z of Photography with an interview with contemporary photographer Benjamin von Wong, renowned for his attention grabbing, fantastical images. We follow this with a history of Vivitar, a camera and lens manufacturer that didn't make cameras or lenses!

A to Z of Photography: Ultimate Confrontation and Umbo

We now arrive at the second of the three tricky letters of the alphabet. Unfortunately, U is uselessly underwhelming but ultimately and uniquely utilitarian! The first an iconic photo of political protest and confrontation, a theme that continues to this day in newsrooms across the world. Then discover Umbo.

A to Z of Photography: Tilt-Shift and Train Wreck at Montparnasse

This week we turn to a train wreck of an image — yes the iconic photo "Train Wreck at Montparnasse Station"! But before we get to that, step back to the dawn of photography and understand the principles behind tilting and shifting the lens relative to the sensor. Some of the highest profile photographers use tilt-shift lenses in their day-to-day work, so find out why that is.

A to Z of Photography: Shooting Sex and Strip Photography

Sex and stripping seem to go hand in hand, but in this edition of the A to Z of photography, I cover the acclaimed work of fashion photographer Bob Carlos Clark, "Shooting Sex" and then delve into the technical details of the photo finish.

A to Z of Photography: Reflex Camera and Tony Ray-Jones

At pretty much three-quarters of the way through the alphabet we stop at R, an eminently popular letter, to look at the foundation of pretty much all contemporary cameras — the Reflex. This is followed by the inspiringly funny work of Tony Ray-Jones whose career was cruelly cut short.