Photo Stories

When we asked the New York City gallerist Michael Foley to share his advice for aspiring photographers, his answer was simple: “Tell me why you make the work you do.” With that being said, you don’t have to use fancy words or have your thoughts perfectly organized from the get-go. “Leave that up to me

In March of 2021, an 87-second video made by a drone operator, Jay Christensen, went viral, amassing hundreds of thousands of views on social media. Christensen created the video to promote a Minneapolis bowling alley, Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater. In one continuous take, he took us from a bird’s eye view of the exterior,

In October 2020, an art collector named Pablo Rodriguez-Fraile bought a 10-second video art piece for $66,666.66. In February of 2021, he resold it for $6.6 million. You might not have heard of the artist who created the video a year ago, but chances are, you’ve heard of him since. By March, Mike Winkelmann, known

In 2005, Dave Roth, an amateur photographer, snapped a picture of Zoë Roth, his four-year-old daughter, during a controlled fire in their neighborhood. In the background, a house was in flames; in the foreground was Zoë, a mischievous smile on her face. Dave entered the photo in a competition, and it won, but it would

The denim brand MUD Jeans rents and then recycles their garments; they also offer free repairs during leasing. Adidas has used ocean plastic to create millions of pairs of shoes. Oatly, the oat milk brand, recently released a line of upcycled holiday sweaters as part of their ReRuns project, a series of sustainable merch drops

In 2019, when the United States women’s national soccer team claimed their fourth World Cup title, fans could be heard chanting, “Equal pay!” The same year, the team fought for fair pay and treatment as part of a gender discrimination lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation. Since then, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia have

Believe it or not, Angela Perez set up this tropical-themed portrait shoot not in the sun-drenched streets of Cartagena but within the confines of her apartment. She painted the tileboard background herself, set up palm tree leaves on light stands, and introduced a fan for movement. Angela is one of countless photographers around the world

In the grand tradition of iconic photographers like Fan Ho, Fred Herzog, and Ray Metzker, dramatic shadows are trending, with hashtags like #IHaveaThingforShadows, #ShadowsPoetry, and #ShadowontheWall taking over our social media feeds. Today’s photographers are using shadows in bold and unexpected ways, whether during the magic light of golden hour or harsh sunlight of afternoon.

From Eric Young, who’s invested more than $1 million in NFTs, to Colborn Bell, who estimates he’s spent approximately $400,000, NFT collectors have taken the art world by storm. In recent months, Young famously resold three of his pieces, including two by Mad Dog Jones; initially purchased for $700 for both, he later sold those

From clean beauty and “skinimalism” to the meteoric rise of gaming, the last year has brought with it dozens of innovative trends that reshaped our daily lives. As hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt went viral, racking up billions of views, brands had to get more creative than ever in their marketing strategies, incorporating fun user-generated content and

Lightning occurrence in the Arctic could double by 2100, according to research released this year. Although there’s a lot we don’t understand about flashes in the Arctic, scientists believe that rising temperatures associated with climate change could increase lightning in the region. These flashes, in turn, might bring with them the possibility of more Arctic

At 500px amazing photography is at our core, but these photos would not be possible without the talented people behind the lens. The 500px Spotlight series highlights the global and diverse photographers that are part of the 500px Community. This week we are excited to introduce you to portrait photographer, Alex Gracia. Hi Alex, please

If you visit Butjadingen, Germany, you might happen across Hof Butenland, a sanctuary for rescued farm animals. Before it was a haven for cows, pigs, chickens, geese, horses, and dogs, it used to be a dairy farm, but the brutality of the industry and its environmental impact inspired Jan Gerdes, a former dairy farmer, to

For photography businesses, this time of year offers the perfect opportunity to reconnect with clients through thoughtful gift-giving. Whether you’re a family photographer or a fine artist, the right gift can inspire today’s customers to become lifelong supporters, repeat buyers, and your best resource when it comes to word-of-mouth marketing. Beyond that, holiday gifts are

This fall, Sotheby’s made waves by announcing the launch of its NFT marketplace, Metaverse, with the storied auction house planning a landmark biannual auction called Natively Digital. This move followed a string of high-profile NFT sales that shook up the art world—and attracted the interest of photographers and photography collectors around the world. NFTs have

In the state of New York, the pandemic inspired the formation of more than 100 mutual aid organizations, according to Mutual Aid Hub, a public resource tracking these groups. By May of 2020, they’d tracked more than 800 organizations across 48 states, up from 50 counted in March. During a time of crisis, communities came

If you’ve seen Terrence Malick’s iconic 1978 film Days of Heaven, you know that most of the movie was filmed during the magic hour just after sunrise or before sunset. Many shots are also backlit, with the sun at the characters’ backs, their figures falling almost—but not quite—into silhouette. What you might not know, however,

In the third quarter of 2021, NFT sales reached $10.7 billion, a 700% increase from the previous quarter, according to data from DappRadar, a market tracker. This has been the year of the NFT, with collectors buying photographs (among other digital artworks) through both traditional auction houses and new marketplaces. In April, the first-ever physical

At 500px amazing photography is at our core, but these photos would not be possible without the talented people behind the lens. The 500px Spotlight series highlights the global and diverse photographers that are part of the 500px Community. This week we are excited to introduce you to the editorial photographer, Ian Pettigrew. Hi Ian,

500px is proud to announce the launch of our first annual Global Photography Awards. These awards were created to recognize and highlight the amazing talent within the 500px community. Starting December 15 and running until January 13 you’re invited to submit your photos to any of the categories below for a chance to be awarded

In the fall of 2021, Christie’s, the iconic auction house, surpassed $100 million in NFT sales. It had been almost a year after the artist Beeple made headlines worldwide for breaking the record for the most expensive artwork sold online: $69 million. In the last year, photography NFTs have sold alongside photographs by the likes

According to a recent study of US companies by PwC, 52% of survey respondents said they have accelerated their plans for artificial intelligence (AI) adoption due to the Covid crisis. What’s more, 86% said that AI would be a “mainstream technology” for their companies in 2021. Amid the pandemic, adoption of AI technologies soared, increasing

Earlier this year, a new survey from McKinsey & Company, spanning approximately 7,500 consumers across six countries, revealed that 79% of respondents said that they believe wellness is important, and 42% consider it a top priority. What’s more, interest in wellness is growing, with consumers taking a more sophisticated view of what wellness means, beyond

According to the Amex Trendex, a trend report by American Express released in October, 76% of consumers report that they’re most looking forward to spending time with friends and family this season, followed by giving and receiving gifts (53%). 71% say they will celebrate the holidays with more loved ones in person this year than

Lights, camera, Questmas is back in action. Photographers, are you ready to win some gear from some of the top photography brands out there? Get into the Questmas spirit because we partnered up with some amazing brands to make our 3rd annual Questmas better than ever. ‘Tis the season to get creative and put your

The last year and a half has transformed the way we work. This summer, an Ipsos survey for the World Economic Forum revealed that two-thirds of people globally want to work flexibly when the pandemic is over, with 66% saying that employers should allow more flexible work in the future. Prior to the pandemic, the

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. Before we get into the winners, here is a recap of the

If you’re a film buff, you know that some movies revolve around a single color. The Matrix, for example, includes scenes with a signature green hue, meant to represent the virtual world. Wes Anderson famously used variations of pink in The Grand Budapest Hotel. The Three Colours trilogy, a series of French films by Krzysztof

Last year, 26% of Britons planned to eat more plant-based foods for Christmas, according to research from the Vegan Society. Meanwhile, Waitrose reported that pre-orders of vegan Christmas foods were up 700% compared with 2019; Marks & Spencer introduced thirty new vegan foods for the holidays, and Tesco announced ten plant-based centerpieces for its 2020

According to Pinterest’s annual trends report, Pinterest Predicts, searches for everything from “natural everyday makeup” and “homemade skincare” to “colorful eyebrows” and “butterfly eye makeup” have boomed. For many—as we emerged from a challenging time—2021 has shaped up to be a year of getting back to basics, while also embracing creativity through innovative beauty trends.