12 Days, 12 Quests, 12 Prizes, and over 82,000 submissions! We asked you to show us your Questmas spirit, and you definitely delivered. This year we were thrilled to receive almost double the number of submissions as last year. There were so many amazing photos submitted that picking the winners seemed almost impossible. But alas,

Keep up with key trends in Licensing as 500px’s Art Director, Karen Biilmann, analyzes common threads and current themes throughout our Exclusive Contributor photography submissions. From light to dark blue, here’s what’s trending in the 500px Licensing Collection. With an increased awareness and focus on data-driven choices—AI and technology, adaptation, speed, scale, production and demand,

According to a recent parenting survey, 30% of millennial parents have staged a photoshoot for social media. Family portraits have always had a special place in traditional photo albums, but these days, they’ve taken on a new significance. For the modern family, beautiful pictures aren’t reserved only for special occasions—they’re a part of everyday life.

When I hear the phrase “winter photography,” my mind instantly goes to Yosemite Valley Winter by Ansel Adams; even 50 years ago, this iconic image was highly marketable. Adams even sold it for one of his last commercial jobs back in 1969, when it was printed on Hills Brothers coffee cans. Beautiful landscapes still sell,

Five years ago, the tourism board in Wanaka, New Zealand, invited social media influencers to visit and photograph their town—an unconventional marketing move that resulted in a whopping 14 percent increase in tourism. Today’s most-coveted—and photogenic—travel destinations aren’t always the most famous or well-known; often, they’re the most unique or hidden. It just takes the

It was in the 1920s and 30s that stock photography first came into vogue, forever changing the way images were used and published. For the first time, brands and publications could use stock photo libraries to quickly and easily find great pictures to use for their campaigns and articles—without having to commission their own shoots

Smoke bomb photography has been a big trend in 2019, and it’s not going away any time soon. Photographers are using smoke to create atmosphere or add a quick pop of color in portrait, landscape, and abstract photography. When used safely, smoke bombs are a fast, easy, and impressive way to elevate your photos. To

Petar Tutundziev is a Licensing Contributor based in Skopje, Macedonia, who does not shy away from experimenting with different content styles. He continues to challenge himself creatively, ultimately building a dynamic commercial portfolio. Q: When did you first pick up a camera? A: That was a long time ago, maybe when I was nine years

HDR photography can be a complicated subject, Here are a few tips from an expert on the subject. Trey Ratcliff is an HDR guru, old-school gentleman explorer. In this tutorial, Trey will teach you how to shoot the best HDR images possible, what software to choose, how to use it, and pick up a few

Keywording has been a fundamental part of licensing stock photography since 1945 when the preeminent historian Charles Gibbs-Smith first developed a system for indexing and organizing images. Now, 75 years later, the keywording process is more important than ever. If your photos aren’t keyworded, they simply won’t show up in image searches. They’ll just get

Whether you find it eerie or amusing—this stunning photo of a Japanese snow monkey using an iPhone captures just how much they resemble us humans. In this 500px ISO exclusive, we asked nature photographer Marsel van Oosten to share the full story behind his amazing shot and technique. Read on, and prepare to be wowed!

Do you ever wonder who captured the real estate photography on your local listings and how they went about it? Real estate is a fast-paced genre of architectural photography. Once you’ve made contacts with local realtors, you could create a steady stream of income. But first, you need to master the techniques. This essential guide

Jimmy McIntyre is travel photographer. He is currently undertaking a two-year project in Asia—writing two photography guidebooks for China and South Korea. He has taught digital blending workshops in four continents, and he also offers online courses. You can download his free Easy Panel for Photoshop program, which will create Luminosity Masks for you at the

It’s that time of year again—Questmas! So grab your gear and get creative, because this is your chance to win an awesome prize from some of the world’s top photography brands. For our second annual Questmas, we’ve partnered with 12 brands to bring you the ultimate photo challenge. 12 Days. 12 Quests. 12 Prizes. Starting

When film photographer Oleg Oprisco agreed to take an exclusive photo for 500px ISO, we were over the moon. If you don’t recognize his name, you will definitely recognize this Ukraine-based photographer’s photos. Oprisco is an inspiring photographer who brings an ethereal, fairytale quality to his photos that make them iconic. His photos have inspired so

Which one of these weird animals and critters are you meeting for the first time? Discover animal kingdom oddballs that 500px photographers have captured for you, with jaw-dropping features that range from wide cartoon-ish eyes to extremely long limbs and snouts to exaggerated body parts that look downright scary. Plus, you’ll get the story behind

Whenever we have conversations about improving photography techniques with the 500px community, we often hear questions focused on the mechanics of photography. What type of camera and lens should I use to take the photo? What is the rule of thirds, and how did you apply it? How do I work with great models? These

Hagar Wirba is an Exclusive Licensing Contributor who shoots with a strong visual aesthetic, incorporating colors that evoke feelings of nostalgia. Q: What got you started in photography? A: I started in photography as a way to document my life and savor memories when I was a teenager. I quickly realized it was also a

From the 500px family to yours, we want to wish those of you celebrating today a very Merry Christmas. In many homes the world over presents are being ripped apart with gusto as the token family photographer (probably you) annoys everybody else with the incessant clicks of the shutter as they capture this morning for

Cute Red pandas are really really cute. We’ve rounded up the most adorable and photogenic red pandas you can waste your time with. Actually, we can learn a thing or two about unwinding from these furry creatures. As you can see below, most of their day is devoted to sleeping, food trippin’ on bamboo, napping, climbing

Featured image: “Torn” by Felix Russell-Saw A few months ago, the world-renowned photographer Nadav Kander came across one of his pictures on the cover of a magazine—but he hadn’t granted permission for them to publish it. As he soon found out, a different photographer had taken a photo of his photo during one of his

Sam Brockway is a 500px Ambassador and an Exclusive Licensing Contributor. He specializes in travel and outdoor photography, featuring his travels throughout western America. Q: You shoot a lot of outdoor, wanderlust/lifestyle content. Why do you gravitate toward this genre? A: I came to photography by way of my love of travel and the outdoors,

On average, LinkedIn members with profile photos get 21 times more profile views than those without—and nine times as many connection requests. These days, a good headshot can mean the difference between getting a dream job and missing out, whether we’re talking about a fashion model or an entrepreneur, and professionals across industries are realizing

Faceless photos are trending—at least when it comes to photography. We’ve all seen the pictures: faceless figures in a vast landscape, tourists in straw hats gazing at iconic landmarks, and the famous #Followmeto theme, where all we see is someone’s back leading us into the unknown. When a photo is anonymous, we can’t identify the

When Ansel Adams released his early photographs of Yosemite, he stunned the world with his sharp-as-a-tack focus. To the surprise of audience members, the faraway mountains in his pictures were just as crisp as the rocks at his feet. Back in the 1930s, he’d done something as radical as it was simple: he used a

Want to master astrophotography? Want to learn the art of capturing an awesome meteor shower, or the next Supermoon, or the milky way galaxy across the night sky? Award-winning photographer, visual effects artist, and Adventure.com‘s new photojournalist Mark Gee will show you how. Based in New Zealand, he is the 2013 winner of the Astronomy Photographer of the

“How do I get a photo pass for concerts?” This is the question I get asked most often, and it was a question I myself asked a just few years ago. Once I had the answer, I had a front row seat to just about any concert I wanted to see. Here is the key…

Joshua Herrera is an American Licensing Contributor based in Charlotte, North Carolina. A Former US Paratrooper, Joshua applies his sense of adventure to his photography, aiming to capture authenticity in his captivating lifestyle photographs. Q: What led you to photography? Did you always want to be a photographer? A: I was always bouncing from hobby

Ambassador Taya Iv is well known for creating beautiful self-portraits that elicit strong emotions from viewers. She recently challenged the community to take on the art of self-portraiture by looking beyond the ‘selfie’ and focus on a more traditional approach to photography. The Selection Process “Going through so many of your amazing submissions was exciting

In the past five years alone, drones have reshaped the photography industry. While once reserved mostly for real estate and landscape photographers, today’s drones suit artists of all genres, from weddings to reportage. A quick look at popular 500px hashtags like #drone, #dronephotography, and #droneoftheday will give you a taste of the diversity and versatility