PetaPixel’s Top Picks: Unveiling the Most Captivating Photography Tales of 2024

As we savor the concluding moments of 2024, it is an ideal opportunity to contemplate an exhilarating year of photography and reflect on our favorite narratives.

Featuring interviews with remarkable photographers making their mark, in-depth analyses of how individuals utilize cameras to craft remarkable art, and the evolution of photography itself, here are our preferred photography stories of 2024.

Matt Growcoot — Senior News Editor Culture

Matt composes articles spotlighting photographers, photo culture, and artificial intelligence among various subjects. Here, he selects five of his favored articles from 2024.

Recreating Iconic Photos Using AI Image Generators

Even though certain AI image generators prohibit users from requesting images in the style of particular artists, I had a hunch that it could be circumvented by merely describing a well-known photograph by a famous photographer.

I was largely validated when I dedicated an entire day to employing the top text-to-image models to replicate iconic photos. This demonstrated that AI companies have no reservations about using famous photographers’ images to train AI image generators. This remains a controversial topic that is yet to be resolved in court.

Bobcat Leaps on Heron

Occasionally in photography, fortune plays a role. Such was the case when a bobcat suddenly emerged to leap onto a great blue heron that a photographer was focused on.

Jacob Hall mentioned that he hadn’t even grasped what had occurred until he reviewed the images – it transpired that quickly. Although it unfolded in an instant, the story became a viral sensation.

Acquiring ‘Professional’ AI Headshots

At times, AI images can be humorous. Although there was a serious motive behind obtaining “professional” AI headshots of myself, it also turned out to be quite entertaining.

The aim was to determine whether photographers should feel uneasy and whether I would incorporate the headshots for myself. It suffices to say, I haven’t utilized one on my LinkedIn profile.

‘Star Wars’ Enthusiasts Preserving the Original Films

This tale captivates me as it highlights the fervor of fans and their lasting romance with cinema. Locating the original Star Wars 1970s reels is a passion for Robert Williams, a software developer residing in Philadelphia, who painstakingly restores the authentic film reels to 4K.

Williams and his associates who share similar viewpoints disapprove of the editing alterations George Lucas has implemented on the original trilogy over the years. They dislike the adjustments in color and will consistently affirm that Han shot first.

Photographer Disqualified From AI Image Competition

I discussed this yesterday in my article about AI images for 2024, but it’s essential to bring it up again since it was an incredible full circle occurrence where photographers finally scored a victory against AI-generated images.

Following multiple stories of AI images triumphing in photography contests, photographer Miles Astray had the audacity to submit his own photograph in an AI image contest and rightfully earned the People’s Vote Award. It’s an excellent image, showcasing that the camera will always outshine the algorithm.

Pesala Bandara — Journalist

Pesala reports on culture, technology, and social media for PetaPixel. She selects her top four favorite stories of the year.

Generation Z Teens are Hiding Their Faces in Family Pictures

It was intriguing to learn how Generation Z teens are navigating adolescence in a digital environment where their parents post their raw and unedited photos on social media, sometimes without their permission. Gen Z has taken to adopting this “nose cover” pose to appease their parents in family pictures while still preserving some level of digital independence.

A Photographer Flew His Drone into North Korea

Flying drones into North Korea is prohibited, yet this audacious photographer successfully recorded seldom-seen aerial images of the country before it was geofenced. These stunning photographs provide a glimpse into the daily lives of the citizens of one of the most enigmatic and isolated nations worldwide.

Photographer Sues Woman Over Her 90-Year-Old Grandmother’s Wallpaper

This incident was one of the most astonishing and perplexing legal photography matters I covered this year. It involved a photographer who took legal action against a woman who shared an image of her grandmother’s residence, showcasing his photo-based wallpaper on a vacation rental website. The wallpaper had been lawfully acquired, but eight years after she started renting out her grandmother’s property online, the granddaughter received a notice from a Canadian company claiming copyright infringement due to the rental photos including the wallpaper. Spoiler alert: the photographer ultimately lost the case.

Generation Z is Creating Aesthetic Photos of Their Airport Trays

Generation Z is transforming the conventional security screening experience at airports into a creative photographic moment. I might feel a bit less content if I found myself waiting behind one of these photography-enthusiast Gen Z individuals in the airport security line.

Jeremy Gray — Senior News Editor Technology

Jeremy covers the photography sector, placing a unique emphasis on imaging technology. Here are his top five articles from 2024.

My Solar Eclipse Experience Offered More Than Just Photos

While a significant portion of my efforts revolves around the instruments photographers utilize to seize images, I’m always eager to get behind the camera myself. The Great American Eclipse provided the ideal chance to do this in my home state of Maine.

With my parents, we traveled a couple of hours north to the scenic Katahdin area and enjoyed clear skies, unexpectedly pleasant weather, and one of the most breathtaking sights I have ever witnessed. I am delighted to have returned home with impressive images, but I am even more thankful for the wonderful memories created with my parents that day.

How a Photographer Captured His Stunning Dream Eclipse Image

Although I cherished photographing the eclipse myself, one of the most fascinating aspects of the event was observing how other photographers captured the moment. One such individual is Canadian nature photographer Liron Gertsman, who produced an incredible series of eclipse photographs, including one featuring a bird flying in front of the total solar eclipse.

For several years, Gertsman meticulously planned this remarkable image — along with many others he captured on April 8, 2024, off the coast of Mexico. My conversation with Gertsman over the phone, where I learned about his commitment to the craft and enthusiasm for photography, was one of my highlights from 2024.

How a Passionate New Photographer Made Birding History

While Gertsman dedicated years on a highly specific image, musician, school band conductor, and novice photographer Michael Sanchez demonstrated that sometimes astonishing photographs come about by chance.

One April morning, Sanchez was out aiming to photograph some beautiful sunrise scenes at Hug Point along the Oregon coast, looking to refine his photography abilities and experiment with his fairly new equipment. While there, he noticed a small blue bird hopping along the shoreline. Taking advantage of the capabilities of his Tamron 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 lens, he snapped several pictures. Little did he know, the photos turned out to be historic, triggering excitement among ardent bird watchers. The blend of commitment (rising early for the potential of a stunning shot) and serendipity (an exceptionally rare bird appearing during his sunrise quest) resonates with me, making this tale one of my top favorites of the year.

This Lego Camera Functions as an Authentic, Working 35mm Film Camera

I often write about various cameras, but few pique interest like the Lego ZH1 — a genuine, operational 35mm film camera crafted from Lego pieces. Photographer Zung92 commenced the development of the blocky camera in 2022, with the initiative remaining active on Lego Ideas, a crowdsourcing platform where favored projects might eventually turn into official Lego products.

When I covered the story about the Lego camera in August, the project had not yet achieved the requisite 10,000 user votes, and time was against it. Ultimately, the ZH1 garnered the necessary backing and is currently undergoing an active review by Lego to determine if it can transition into a commercial product. Here’s hoping!

This Astrophotographer Captures the Cosmos in a Unique Manner

As those familiar with me can verify, I adore space. I discuss it incessantly — perhaps excessively — and ponder it even more. I’m continually on the lookout for narratives that blend space and photography, and one such opportunity arrived when I conversed with Finnish astrophotographer and artist J-P Metsavainio.

Initially, my interaction with Metsavainio was intended to focus on one of his recent images, but the conversation swiftly expanded into a broader discussion about his extensive astrophotography journey, his photographic methods, and how he artistically captures the allure of space. Photography often represents a fusion of artistic imagination and technical accuracy, and nowhere is this more apparent than in astrophotography. While some may rightly be preoccupied with the scientific aspects of space, Metsavainio is significantly drawn to the poetic elements of nature, which I find admirable.