Petersen's PHOTOgraphic

THERE IS A small group of photographers who earn their living by working in the wild places of the world and capture images that show us the power and the glory of nature in its most raw and challenging form. They brave the elements and obstacles to get these images. Often having to struggle with adverse conditions that would test the best of us in our efforts to make startling and exciting images. David Shaw is one of them, and we are very pleased to be able to showcase his work and go behind the scenes with him to discover his tools, techniques and—perhaps most importantly—his point of view about his work and the world. In this issue, David takes us along as he heads into the frozen areas at the…

IT WAS THROUGH photography that I realized wild places held deeper value than an outdoor playground. The world through a lens, surrounded by black borders, isolated, cropped and focused was appealing. But the image was capable of lying, of clipping out the nearby road, the tourists, power-lines and the discarded plastic bottle. Through a camera, the most trafficked landscapes could become silent, isolated—and yes—wild. When I lowered the camera the world came rushing back: cars buzzed, people chattered and exhaust fumes rose. At roadside viewpoints, the images could be lovely, but the reality was not so picturesque. I did not want my world to just look as wild as it did in photos; I wanted it to feel wild too. On family vacations as a kid, I was filled with disappointment when…

THE WORLD HAS turned into a heavily photographed place. Iconic locations such as the Grand Tetons over the Snake River, El Capitan from the meadows, or the carved stone of Antelope Canyon have been photographed millions upon millions of times. The landscape masters made the first images-and in the years since-photographers have flocked to these places to stand, quite literally, in the footsteps of the greats. I’ve been there. I’ve photographed Denali from Wonder Lake (#1) on a dozen occasions and waited for the salmon to jump into the bear’s mouth at Brook’s Falls (#2). I’ve stood, camera in hand, watching the water pour over Iguazu Falls in Argentina (#3) and peered over the Grand Canyon from the South Rim (#4). There is a real pleasure in making images from those…

IT WAS OCTOBER, late autumn around my cabin north of Fairbanks, Alaska. The birds had ceased their summer chorus and the forest was quiet. Up until the start of the month, there were still quite a few around. Orange-crowned Warblers gave occasional twittery calls, a stray White-crowned Sparrow made a loud tree-top chirp and Sandhill Cranes (#1), high overhead, trumpeted their way south. Only a few species of birds can withstand the brutal temperatures, snow cover and darkness of winter in Alaska’s interior. But those few are admirable creatures. Black-capped and Boreal Chickadees are equipped with an amazing ability to store fat and conserve heat. While species like the tiny Boreal Owl (#2) rely on the carelessness of others to survive the long winter. What, you might ask; does any of this…

AFEW YEARS ago I was guiding a 17-day paddling trip down the Noatak River in Alaska’s western Brooks Range. For the first 3 days we had lovely weather. Sunshine danced over the rugged mountains and warmed the autumn air to shirtsleeve temperatures. On the fourth morning, I woke to the patter of rain on my tent. For the next 2 weeks, it seemed as though I heard nothing else. The river rose and rose, rapidly reaching a frightening flood stage and making paddling a dangerous daily routine. High water, rain, wind and cold all combined to make a challenging photographic situation. And yet I wasn’t unproductive, and came away from that trip with some images that I really liked (#1, #2 & #3). I was successful because I was prepared. I…

PHOTOGRAPHY HAS AN extraordinary emphasis on gear. Cameras with X-number of megapixels, lenses of all shapes and sizes, tripods of carbon, aluminum-or whatever space-age material is the current trend-memory cards, filters, flashes, gels, remote triggers, reflectors, umbrellas, soft-boxes and batteries. Pause. Take a breath. All of these products are marketed in a way that encourages us to believe that THIS will be just the ticket to the cover of National Geographic. And though each of these tools has its place, not one of them will turn you into an artist. You wouldn’t hand the best brush, paint and canvas in the world to some person on the street and expect them to suddenly become the next Georgia O’Keefe. Photography, like any art form, starts in the mind and leads to the…