Photographs

News and stories about photographs in Getty’s collections and exhibitions

Featured

The Man Who Photographed Ghosts

A black and white photograph of a man sitting in a chair with a "ghost" behind him.

Ghost photographer William H. Mumler duped the rich, profited, and got sued

The Personal, Political Photography of Ishiuchi Miyako

A young Japanese woman and man sit together, facing the camera, in a small apartment.

A rare photographic view into women’s history in post-war Japan

Capturing the Feeling of the Ocean on Paper

How an artist-scientist uses cyanotypes to inspire a love of marine life

Latest

  1. Photography / Fotografía: LA and México at Getty “Instante/revelación: Moments in Mexican Photography”

    A black-and-white photograph of a woman leaning out of a window, she and the surrounding building are shadowed in a cross-hatch lattice.

    Exhibition explores the rich tapestry of cultural and artistic dialogues that have shaped Mexico’s photographic history

    Aug 11, 2026

  2. Postales del Pacífico

    Photographic square print of a beautiful sunrise, with lavender, blood orange, and fuchsia hues cascading across the sky and reflecting on the shimmering ocean.

    Estas imágenes retrataron el auge de Malibú como destino internacional del surf

    Aug 4, 2026

  3. Postcards from the Pacific

    Photographic square print of a beautiful sunrise, with lavender, blood orange, and fuchsia hues cascading across the sky and reflecting on the shimmering ocean.

    These images captured Malibu as it crested into an international surfing destination

    Aug 4, 2026

  4. In LA, Eight Moments That Powered the Civil Rights Movement

    A book cover featuring Black protestors boycotting a store by marching and holding signs with book title “Marching West” in blue and yellow gradient letters.

    A new book looks at social justice through a westward lens

    Jun 16, 2026

  5. West Hollywood Gets Its Close-Up

    Framed photo of a large, blue building looming behind a small, white house.

    Can a neighborhood so vivid and on the move be captured in a series of moments? We gave it some convincing shots

    Jun 10, 2026

  6. The Woman Who Shaped a Generation of American Ads

    woman leaning on a table behind a large camera, with a vase of flowers, bowl of fruit, and basket of bread on the table and photography lights above

    Photographer Barbara DuMetz reflects on over 40 years of championing diversity in commercial photography

    May 13, 2026

  7. Inside the Frame

    Three people sit on the trunk of a car along a city road.

    By pointing the camera at his friends, Jerry McMillan produced a portrait of the Los Angeles art scene as essential as any painting

    May 6, 2026

  8. Through the Camera’s Lens, Uncover LA’s Vital Role in the Civil Rights Movement

    Cover of book "Marching West" featuring protesters marching on a city street holding signs advocating civil rights during the Los Angeles Civil Rights Movement.

    With rarely seen photos, this book highlights the importance of photography in Los Angeles’s fight for equality

    Apr 13, 2026

  9. Is Your Favorite Painting Colored with Crushed Bugs?

    A large portrait of a man in a vivid red robe with a red frame hangs in a gallery setting, while a woman in the lower left of the frame points up at the man.

    Discover red’s rich—and sometimes secretive and violent—history

    Mar 10, 2026

  10. Getty Acquires Irving Penn‘s Cuzco Work

    A black and white negative film photograph of two small children dressed in tattered clothing and floppy hats, leaning against and joining hands atop a stool.

    Landmark donation includes 189 photographs from the artist’s 1948 project

    Feb 26, 2026