Photography

Andreane Rellou is an actor and filmmaker who saw the photos at the museum and took it upon herself to identify the two women.

Amateur Sleuth Identifies the Mystery Women in a Museum's Fabergé Frames

The portraits were on display at a museum in England, where staffers had been wondering about the two subjects for years

A surviving section of the Themistoclean Wall, built in the fifth century B.C.E., is hidden underground on Athens' Dragatsaniou Street.

See the Historic Ruins Hidden Inside Everyday Buildings in Athens

Houses and businesses across the Greek capital incorporate—or obscure—structures spanning the city’s ancient, Byzantine, medieval and Ottoman eras

A sunburst anemone (Anthopleura sola) fluoresces under ultraviolet light. Anemones eat prey that gets trapped in their sticky oral disk.

These Mesmerizing Anemones Have a Glowing Layer of Protection

Marine biologists discovered that a protein that boosts fluorescent output also enables an antioxidant property

Each day, elephants roam the dry riverbed in Amboseli National Park in search of water and food. 

15 Playful and Powerful Photos to Celebrate World Elephant Day

Never forget your favorite pachyderm with these memorable images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

As evidenced by Gordon Parks' A Woman and Her Dog in the Harlem Section (1943), New York pets had evolved from hunting assistants to companions by the 20th century.

See Images of New Yorkers and Their Pets Across Three Centuries

An upcoming exhibition will trace the history of the city's domesticated dogs, cats, horses and other animals

Whether decorated with a photo of a bustling subway stop or a striking Andy Warhol painting, album cover designs can constitute masterpieces in their own right.

The Stories Behind Six Iconic Album Cover Shots Taken in America—and Where to Recreate Them

These picture-perfect album covers have turned unassuming street corners, empty beach stretches and looming buildings into musical monuments

Brazilian Olympic surfer Gabriel Medina pops up after riding a barrel wave at Teahupo'o during the Summer Games on Monday. The photo by Jérôme Brouillet has gone viral.

The Story Behind This Breathtaking Viral Photo of an Olympic Surfer

Jérôme Brouillet, a photojournalist with the Agence France-Presse (AFP), captured an iconic moment when Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina celebrated after setting an Olympic record

A light painting made in Delhi, India, in December 2016 shows high air pollution levels a month after an extreme air quality event.

These Alluring Images Capture the Threats of Air Pollution Around the World

Researchers combined long-exposure photography with pollution sensor data to create representations of pollution in India, the United Kingdom and Ethiopia

The Penguin and the Egg are about 100,000 light-years apart.

James Webb's Newest Image Shows a Giant Penguin and an Egg

NASA released the dazzling portrait to help celebrate the two-year anniversary of the release of Webb's first images

A damselfly covered with drops of dew sits on a leaf in this close-up photo.

See Ten Creepy-Crawly Portraits From the Insect Week Photography Contest

The Royal Entomological Society’s Photography Competition highlights the wonder and diversity of the six-legged creatures that crawl, swim and fly across the planet

Winged Life Winner

View 11 Breathtaking Images From the BigPicture Photography Competition

This 2024 showcase of life on Earth shines a light on some of our planet's most amazing species and places

A self-portrait taken in New York by Vivian Maier in 1954

Meet Vivian Maier, the Reclusive Nanny Who Secretly Became One of the Best Street Photographers of the 20th Century

The self-taught artist is getting her first museum exhibition in New York City, where she nurtured her nascent interest in photography

An abandoned house in the Namib Desert with the Milky Way rising above it.

See Ten Awe-Inspiring Images From the Astronomy Photographer of the Year Contest

Auroras, nebulas and stars take the spotlight in this space-themed competition, alongside shots of our own sun and moon

A woman named Evelyn Thaw dodges a camera, 1909

How the Rise of the Camera Launched a Fight to Protect Gilded Age Americans' Privacy

Early photographers sold their snapshots to advertisers, who reused the individuals' likenesses without their permission

A circa 1846 portrait of Dolley Madison by John Plumbe Jr.

The Smithsonian Acquires the Earliest Known Photograph of an American First Lady

The National Portrait Gallery purchased an 1846 daguerreotype of Dolley Madison for $456,000

A Forster's tern appears to float upside-down after emerging from underwater at Shoreline Lake in Mountain View, California.

See 12 Captivating Bird Images From the Audubon Photography Awards

In its 15th year, the contest showcases diverse avian species, their fascinating behaviors and the habitats needed to keep them alive

A girl runs through sprinkles of water to cool off on a hot summer day.

See 15 Stunning Scenes of Summer

These highlights from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest will remind you of everything you love about the season

This still from The Bikeriders is a recreation of Danny Lyon's photo Crossing the Ohio River.

The Real Story Behind 'The Bikeriders' and the Danny Lyon Photography Book That Inspired It

A new film dramatizes the story of a motorcycle club chronicled by Lyon in the 1960s, offering a tribute to the outlaw spirit

The Milky Way spreads across the night sky above the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. 

This Revolutionary New Observatory Will Locate Threatening Asteroids and Millions of Galaxies

Beginning next year, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will use the world’s largest digital camera to give us a whole new view of the universe

A simulated perspective of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system, with water frost at its peak.

Astronomers Discover Water Frost on Mars' Tallest Volcanoes

On early winter mornings, a thin layer of ice forms in craters atop the Red Planet's towering peaks, near its equator, according to a new study

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