Features

PetaPixel's Features are in-depth, heavily researched stories designed to answer the most important questions on a topic. Where we flex our journalistic muscle, expect to find the best storytelling and original reporting the photo industry offers.
The image is split into two panels: The left shows a bright full moon above a layer of clouds at night. The right displays an orange-hued moon rising over a city skyline with illuminated skyscrapers, including a tall, pointed one resembling the Empire State Building.

The Strawberry Moon Lit Up Skies Across the World This Past Weekend

This past weekend, sky watchers and astrophotography enthusiasts were treated to the mesmerizing sight of the "Strawberry Moon," the full Moon for the month of June. The celestial event, which peaked on Saturday night, provided a stunning display as it cast a warm, golden hue across the night sky.

On the left, a close-up shot of a camera lens with a blurred background. On the right, a June 1985 National Geographic magazine cover featuring a young woman with striking eyes, wrapped in a red shawl. The background of the cover is yellow.

Shopping For, and Shooting With, the Lens Behind the World’s Most Famous Photo

In 1984, during the height of the Soviet-Afghan war, American photojournalist Steve McCurry took what is considered by many to be the most famous photo in the world. The photo, entitled Afghan Girl, depicts a then-12-year-old girl, identified in 2002 as Sharbat Gula, while she and her family were living in Nasir Bagh, an Afghan refugee camp in the Pakistani city of Peshawar.