Thanks so much for sharing your work @ Local! Initial response has been overwhelmingly positive. Tell us about these images, how and when did you decide to start chronicling your trips abroad.
Thank you for giving me the platform to share the work. You do the community a great service by giving back and offering artists like me these opportunities.
I've always chronicled my trips but have leveraged different mediums to do so. I used to love to write in journals and then with the advent of social media it became easier to both catalog and chronicle my life in varied ways. In terms of photography, I first discovered my passion for architecture when I was standing outside of the Louvre in Paris, admiring the perfect symmetry of the corridor of archways that run along the courtyard. I knew then that I had a passion for symmetry, diversity of textures and light, playing together. Later in life as I educated myself more on the plight of animals and the natural world in general, I decided to experiment with wildlife photography. What you see in Local today is actually my first attempt at it.
Photography is a passion project for you, yes? At what point in your life did you take that next step to learn more about the discipline so that you would be able to articulate the journey?
Yes it is. I actually took a photography course in college, back when we had to develop our own film and I remember the professor telling me that there were two things that she observed had come naturally for me: composition and use of light. From there it's been a journey that has paralleled the development of technology from digital point-and-shoot to eventually digital SLR cameras and even the iPhone with it's incredible capability. About 6 years ago my fiance gave me my first true digital SLR camera and encouraged me to take some more courses, which I did. I'm so appreciative that he helped resurface this passion of mine.
Lot's of animal photos which are remarkable in that there are some really visually stunning images. What did you aim to capture in these photos?
I hoped to capture their spirit, in a moment. In my online shop I tend to refer to a lot of these portraits as "Faces of God". And to the extent I believe that god and Mother Nature are one in the same, their faces are the faces of god to me. Personally, I'm an empath. I feel strong connection to animals. It's palpable for me. So when many of them seemingly posed for me, I took the shots in hopes of capturing the moment when I felt they were letting me see their souls. I feel a great deal of frustration at our disconnectedness with nature. I don't think people realize how quickly habitat is disappearing and how truly endangered so many of these beautiful creatures are. I think they're a big part of what makes this earth remarkable and it's our loss to not know them and protect them, as fellow life forms.
What type of camera(s) are in your arsenal?
I shoot with a Nikon 7500. It was important for me to be able to capture photos in very high resolution because I knew that I would want to see these photos enlarged and with the fine detail reflected. I think too often we look at photos on small screens which doesn't allow us the same kind of captivation that I think a physical image does, at scale. To the question just before this, notably with the animal shots, my hope was that I could show these shots in an imposing way.
How, why and when do you decide on specific destinations?
I've always been an explorer. As a kid, I wished I could go to space. And then I actually signed up for the Air Force (later discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell") because I wanted to experience and gain perspective in a way a lot of people aren't able to. When those things didn't pan out for me the next best was exploring our own world and going to places off the beaten path while still admiring many of the places that are on those paths for a reason. These days I look for those dream locations, which for me have: history, beautiful architecture, unique geology and wildlife.
You mentioned the Game Of Thrones photograph and I had to embarrassingly mention that I didn't watch the series. What stood out to you in visiting the location vs. what you viewed in the show?
Well, firstly -- you're not alone. Not everyone is a fan of my second favorite TV show of all time. Ha! Well, what I loved was how much of the actual places they used to film the show exist in reality. You can be there and walk the streets and feel it. Sure, the actual city is about 25% the scale of what's portrayed in the show. And there are no castles reaching to the sky or dragons to burn them down. But the beauty is consistent and in some ways so is it's history. Something I found shocking was that as recently as the 1990s this city was nearly leveled by war. That made me sad and angry and was some of the inspiration for me to decide to donate proceeds from the sale of these images to UNESCO's World Heritage Sites program. But seriously, you have to watch the show.
Is there a destination that you have been wanting to visit that you have already made some plans in your mind for what to capture?
The top of my list is Antarctica, and especially an expedition to see the Emperor Penguin colonies which aren't reachable by many of the major charter companies. That's my unfulfilled dream. But there are also some really significant countries where I would like to spend some time; notably Japan and India. I think my portfolio, and in fact my heart, also crave exploring the Middle East and capturing some of the amazing culture, stunning architecture and unique wildlife. There's a lot to be told -- and I'd argue desperately needs to be told, about that part of the world. And if I can contribute in some way, I'd love to.
What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?
An oat or soy milk latte with cinnamon, turmeric and a bit of cayenne .
More about Peter here
