Shadow & Light Monthly #79

Shadow & Light is a list of curated photography stories, features, techniques, news and inspiration that I’ve come across this month.

In this edition we explore striking portraits from Albert Watson, discover three very different photographic interpretations of ballet, and go behind the scenes at the Winter Olympics – from Canon’s extraordinary gear room to the FPV drones capturing dramatic aerial footage. It’s a reminder that photography spans everything from intimate human moments to the immense technical effort required to document the world’s biggest events.

So, with no further ado, I give you this month’s Shadow & Light Monthly. Go grab yourself a cuppa and enjoy this month’s selections below. Please let me know in the comments what you think.

3 Photographers Capture Ballet’s Artistry in 3 Unique Ways

Ballet has long been a subject photographers return to, but what struck me about this recent feature on PetaPixel is how three very different photographers interpret the same art form in completely unique ways. The article looks at work by Henry Leutwyler, Diana Markosian and Kylie Shea, each exploring the world of dance from a deeply personal perspective. Rather than focusing purely on spectacle and stage performance, their photographs reveal the quieter, more human side of ballet – the discipline, vulnerability and lifelong commitment behind the art. 

Leutwyler’s images, made over decades of photographing dancers, feel especially intimate, capturing moments backstage and in private reflection rather than dramatic leaps under theatre lights. Markosian takes a more atmospheric approach, allowing movement and blur to soften the dancers into almost ghost-like figures – images that feel as much about memory and fragility as they are about performance. Meanwhile Shea, who is both dancer and photographer, turns the camera inward with a striking black-and-white self-portrait series that explores identity, transition and the physical reality of a life spent in motion. 

What ties all three bodies of work together is the idea that ballet isn’t just performance, it’s a lived experience shaped by discipline, exhaustion, beauty and time. These photographs look beyond the polished stage image to reveal the humanity behind it, offering a thoughtful reminder that some of the most compelling photography happens in the spaces just before and after the spotlight. For the full feature, visit PetaPixel.

Additional reads

‘She thought it was too sexy!’: portraits of Kate Moss, Grace Jones and a tea-drinking chimp – in pictures

Scottish photographer Albert Watson has spent more than half a century photographing some of the world’s most recognisable faces, and a recent gallery from The Guardian offers a wonderful look across that extraordinary career. The collection ranges from iconic portraits of Kate Moss, Grace Jones, and Andy Warhol to more unexpected moments – including a wonderfully surreal image of a tea-drinking chimp. Together, the photographs highlight Watson’s ability to move effortlessly between fashion, celebrity portraiture and something altogether stranger and more playful. 

Watson’s style has always felt cinematic to me – bold lighting, strong compositions and a sense that each portrait is carefully constructed yet still full of personality. Over decades he has photographed countless cultural figures and created images that feel instantly recognisable, whether they’re glossy magazine covers or more experimental personal work. Seeing such a broad mix of portraits together is a reminder of just how versatile and influential his photography has been across fashion, advertising and fine art. 

It’s also fascinating to see how humour and curiosity creep into his work. Amid the famous faces are strange, memorable details – a gold-covered Dennis Rodman, a contemplative Jack Nicholson in the snow – images that show Watson’s ability to surprise both his subjects and his audience. For a closer look through the gallery, visit the full feature on The Guardian.

A Rare Look Inside Canon’s Incredible Winter Olympics Gear Room in Milan

Every now and then you get a glimpse behind the curtain of how major sporting events are actually photographed, and this recent PetaPixel piece offers exactly that – a look inside Canon’s enormous gear room at the Winter Olympics in Milan. The space is part of Canon Professional Services and acts as a central hub where photographers covering the Games can borrow equipment, get repairs and keep shooting when things inevitably go wrong. Seeing the shelves lined with camera bodies, batteries and rows upon rows of enormous white telephoto lenses feels a bit like stepping into a photographer’s version of a sweet shop. 

What really struck me reading this is the sheer scale of what’s required to cover an event like the Olympics. Even after loaning gear out to photographers across the venues, the Milan room still holds a staggering collection of professional kit – including huge super-telephoto lenses worth tens of thousands each, along with stacks of camera bodies, batteries and accessories ready to go at a moment’s notice. 

It’s a fascinating reminder that behind every iconic Olympic image there’s an entire infrastructure working quietly in the background to make it possible. Technicians, spare equipment and logistics teams all ensure photographers can focus on capturing the decisive moments. For those of us who love cameras, it’s also hard not to imagine how it must feel to walk into a room containing millions of pounds’ worth of the very best photographic gear imaginable.

For the full behind-the-scenes look, read the article on PetaPixel.

And Finally – FPV Drone Operator Reveals Details of the 2026 Olympics’ Aerial Coverage

Sticking with the Winter Olympics, this article from PetaPixel offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of FPV drone pilots responsible for some of the most dramatic broadcast footage from the 2026 Games. In a short behind-the-scenes video shared by NBC, one of the operators explains how these drones are flown alongside athletes to capture immersive, high-speed perspectives that traditional cameras simply can’t achieve. It’s a hugely demanding job that requires intense concentration and experience and everything must happen perfectly in real time. 

What makes these shots so compelling is how they place viewers directly inside the action. The drones race behind skiers and sweep through the course in ways that feel almost like a video game perspective, giving audiences a genuine sense of speed, terrain and danger. It’s a reminder that sports photography and filming are constantly evolving, and that new tools, when used well, can completely transform how we experience an event. 

For photographers and filmmakers, it’s particularly interesting to see how much planning and skill goes into these shots. The drones can’t interfere with the athletes, so operators carefully plan their flight paths and timing to capture the moment without becoming part of the story themselves. The result is some of the most dynamic Olympic imagery we’ve ever seen.

You can read the full article and watch the video on PetaPixel.

Until next time…

I hope you enjoy the articles above. Don’t forget you can follow my Shadow & Light magazine over on Flipboard if you’d like to see more of what I’m reading if you like what you’ve seen here.