Search results for: photography history photography history black white photography
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by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
Most photos consist of a balance between bright and dark tones, creating what we typically consider to be “proper exposure.” In proper exposure, there should be ample detail in all areas of the image, no matter how dark or how bright. At least, that’s what we should do when trying to capture a balanced exposure.
Balance, while important to most photographic situations, is not always best for a scene. There are
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Although they cater to different senses, photography and music share much in common. In both these arts, timing, rhythm, and mood are key. It’s been a while since we’ve mixed photography and music on the show, so we’re particularly excited about today’s chat with two photographers who share a passion for documenting musicians and their fans—in particular, devotes of punk and indie rock.
Above Photograph © Bootsy Holler
From early memories of being truly moved by music to practical tips about photo access, image rights and restrictions, plus
by Luke Rollins · Posted
Despite film being “dead,” there’s still a surprising number of different and unique films to choose from in 2025, ranging from the classics from the major manufacturers to some more creative films from up and coming, smaller brands.
Here’s an overview of the current black and white films available right now.
Kodak
It’s hard not to start with mother Kodak in an article like this, with all of the history—the ups and downs—Kodak
by Luke Rollins · Posted
Following the release of its third generation Now and Now+ cameras, Polaroid is back to debut the Flip Instant Camera, its most sophisticated approach to point-and-shoot analog photography to date. Building upon the company's 80-year legacy of design and tech, the sleek, clamshell body boasts a hyperfocal four-lens system, sonar-powered autofocus, a "scene analysis" tool for correcting exposure, and the company's most
by Cory Rice · Posted
The equipment used by fashion photographers varies considerably, depending on what is being photographed and who is behind the camera. In general, the kit requirements for documenting a fashion show are more standardized than those for creating editorials. There are successful fashion photographers who can fit all of their gear in a single bag—and others who require an entire equipment truck. This article is aimed at photographers getting started with fashion productions. Photographers interested in capturing runway should read Theanos Nikitas
by Luke Rollins · Posted
In a stunning reversal of fortune, point-and-shoot cameras—which have long been dismissed as defunct—are currently experiencing a major resurgence. In both new and used markets, sales of point and shoots are way, fueled in part by nostalgia and the perceived shortcomings of smartphone cameras. With expanded feature sets, manual exposure controls, built-in and/or external flash support, and optical
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
In some sense, photographers are easy people for whom to shop. An entire store (B&H Photo!) exists so that others can bestow amazing gifts on their photographer loved ones. But, in another sense, photographers can be very good at shopping for themselves (at B&H Photo!) and that makes gift-giving to a photographer a challenge.
We asked some B&H staff, members of the B&H Creative Partnership team, and B&H affiliates what was the best photography-related gift they ever received. These are some of their responses.
Alexander
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Back in late 2022, Ricoh Imaging/Pentax had announced that it was working on a “new project involving the research and development of new Pentax-brand film camera products.” Today, we finally get to see the fruits of that labor: the Pentax 17. This is a brand-new 35mm half-frame film camera built using a wealth of inspiration from Pentax’s rich history of film camera development. It’s perfectly simple, elegant, and functional, just as a film camera
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
Believe it or not, when a spacecraft leaves the earth with a camera as a part of its scientific suite, there are real-world similarities between the cameras on interplanetary space probes and the cameras we sell at B&H—especially now in the age of digital photography. In this article we will look at all the American spacecraft that have ventured beyond earth orbit and discuss their various camera systems.
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1950s America proved fertile ground for photographers Robert Frank and Todd Webb, who both received Guggenheim Foundation grants to traverse the country in 1955 and record their respective visions. While Frank’s resulting book, The Americans, eventually made him a legend, Webb’s photographs remained unpublished, and were all but lost to history due to a 1970s-era business deal gone bad.
The saga of Webb’s unaccounted-for archive and its eventual recovery is one of the juicier tidbits from today’s show, which focuses on the long-awaited
by Bjorn Petersen · Posted
How much do you know about film photography? We dug deep into the past to find these seven pointers for you. Test your knowledge against our film tips, tricks, and lore.
1. Don’t Shake Your Polaroid Pictures
Contrary to the message conveyed in the Outkast song “Hey Ya” (company policy prevents us from linking to it on YouTube), you shouldn’t shake your Polaroid pictures. Besides the fact
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In an era brimming with instant gratification, some things are worth the wait. This is an apt takeaway from our chat with photographer Charles Daniels about his long-outdated film from the legendary Boston Tea Party and other ’60s-era music venues, rarely processed until recently. Joining Daniels in conversation is his long-time partner Susan Berstler, and Gerald Freyer from Film Rescue International, the unique image processing and digitization specialists entrusted with his mother lode of 4,000-plus
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It has been a hope of ours for some time to speak with photographer Stanley Greenberg and, considering he’s made three books in the past three years, there is a lot to talk about. Greenberg is known for his large-scale series on subjects like the New York City reservoir and water systems, on giant particle accelerators, telescopes, and dams. His recent projects, however, are an interesting blend of urban exploration and 19th-Century history. We speak briefly about his 2019 book,
by Jill Waterman · Posted
In celebration of Women’s History Month, we are republishing this 2017 profile of acclaimed portrait photographer Rania Matar. Since this story first appeared, Ms. Matar was awarded a 2018 Guggenheim Fellowship, released the 2021 monograph SHE, published by Radius books, and was one of three recipients of a 2022 Leica Women Foto Project Award for her recent portrait series featuring young Lebanese women, entitled Where Do I Go?
Rania Matar did not anticipate a career in photography when she
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There are many talented people who work at B&H Photo, and the connections to photography and photo history run deep. We have welcomed many B&H staffers to the B&H Photography Podcast over the years, and today we are particularly excited to speak with two members of our team on the B&H Explora blog.
We start our conversation with Howard Gotfryd, Senior Copy Editor at Explora, and learn about the incredible