Photography

Vintage photo of two babies sitting on a hidden caretaker draped in floral fabric with lace curtain backdrop, Addington, Indiana.
PHOTOGRAPHY

Victorian hidden mothers and the continued erasure of mothering

Why do Victorian ‘hidden mother’ photographs shock us? We’re still expected to hide the work of mothering from public view

by Andrea Kaston Tange

Photo of two people partially obscured, with sunlight streaming through a window behind them and a thumb in the foreground.
PHOTOGRAPHY

How to take better photos

Anyone can learn the principles that are essential to capturing quality images. Follow these tips and see the difference

by Paul Pope

Photo of a woman submerged to the neck in a natural hot spring, with mountains and mist in the background, creating a serene atmospheric scene.
PHOTOGRAPHY

One photo per day for more than a year, exploring how rituals affect memory

Directed by Scott Thrift

Black and white photo of an empty city street flanked by tall buildings, featuring vintage cars and a distant vanishing point.
PHOTOGRAPHY

Struth’s unpeopled photos evoke the loneliness of urban life

Thomas Struth’s empty streets speak of an existential loneliness that is a shadowy but ever-present aspect of urban life

by Richard Deming

Person walking through a stunning ice cave with bright blue walls and a snow-covered ground, heading towards the light at the end.
PHOTOGRAPHY

‘It’s unreal – in the best way.’ Acacia captures visual poetry at Earth’s poles

Directed by Brian Storm

Black and white photo of a rock band performing on stage in front of a lively audience.
PHOTOGRAPHY

The photographer who captured the cool, dark birthplace of punk rock

Directed by Lewie Kloster and Noah Kloster

Person holding a vintage photograph featuring six people standing in a field with trees in the background.
PHOTOGRAPHY

Hawaii, reflected in intricate and dignified slow photography

Directed by Jake Viramontez

A person drinking next to a large poster depicting steaming coffee cups on a green background.
JOY

A way to enjoy more positive mental images

Psychologists have tested a way to seed ‘involuntary positive mental images’ in the brain. You can try it for yourself

by Christian Jarrett

Black and white photo of a woman in a historic costume with a spear and shield posing in front of a painted forest backdrop.
PHOTOGRAPHY

Why we love to play pretend in front of scenic backdrops

Zoom backgrounds have their roots in 19th-century portrait photography and say as much about the creation of the social self

by Kim Beil