Mark S. Peterson Photography offers award-winning fine-art nature, landscape and travel photography, editorial and commercial imaging, graphic design and art direction, portraits and weddings, photography workshops and photo tours. My work regularly appears in magazines and national ad campaigns, is exhibited in galleries across the US Midwest, and is found in private and corporate art collections across the US and in Europe.
This blog will keep you up to date on my dynamic team's diverse range of projects, news, and photo tips, and will provide insights into our work. Thanks for visiting - enjoy!
After a hiatus in 2010, the Midwest Nature Photography Field Workshop Series returns in 2011. I’m finalizing dates and locations, to be announced soon. Photographers, clean those lenses and order that ballhead you’ve been wanting! We have some great locations in store. Watch here for my updates and the full schedule!
Liz, a personal trainer in Minneapolis, recently contacted me to have some new headshots made for her business. She wanted to emphasize her athleticism and strength in a studio look, and she was great fun to work with. I hope you enjoy the photos.
Since recently I’ve been asked about my studio set-up rather frequently, here’s some info for the photographers reading…
I made these photos with a traditional 3-light portrait setup using three Profoto Compact 600R studio lights on Liz:
I also added a Profoto Compact 300R with grid at low power to light the background (a 10′ white seamless) with fall-off. And since I continue to be asked, these days I photograph in the studio primarily with the same gear I use for my nature and landscape photography – in this case, a Nikon D3 and 70-200 f/2.8VR lens. (In the old days I primarily used 35mm gear in the field, and Rolleiflex 6000-series medium format SLRs in the studio; I do still have my favorite Rolleiflex, a 6001 Professional, but it hasn’t seen the light of…studio…in quite some time). I use PocketWizard Plus II’s to control my Profoto Compacts, which all have built-in PocketWizards of their own (that’s the “R” in the model name – for Radio-controlled).
After we completed her personal training images, Liz asked if we could shoot some fashion in a dress her mom had recently sent her from Kenya. Stay tuned for that…next post!
Exhibit opening this evening: IKONIX Studio’s “Gallery 9″ photography exhibit includes 10 framed landscape and nature photographs of mine, a diverse collection of excellent photographs by Des Moines photographer Jerry Ranch, and works by Anna Jones, Jaclyn Hansel, and other area photographers.
Exhibit curator and host Tom Woolery, owner of IKONIX Studio, will be serving wine and coffee 5:00-8:00pm this evening, and the gallery will be open 10am-4pm Saturday. IKONIX is a working photography studio, so the exhibit isn’t accessible every day – check the IKONIX Facebook Page for updated gallery hours. The photographs are available for purchase, and the exhibit will run through January.
IKONIX Studio gallery, 434 East Locust (NW corner of E. 5th & Locust), in the heart of Des Moines’ fabulous East Village). Stop by and check out the show!
UPDATE: During the week of December 20, the gallery will be open Monday (12/20), Tuesday (12/21), and Wednesday(12/22) evenings, 4-8pm.
Like most photographers today, I’ve had a business “page” on facebook for some time now. Though unlike many, I don’t update it multiple times daily – or even daily for that matter. While my posting there is somewhat more sporadic than I’d prefer, I do frequently share quick tidbits and links to helpful or interesting photography websites, as well as to “debut” new photos – on the facebook page.
As the weather gets colder and the days shorter each winter, I generally have a bit more time for updating my social media with new work, project news, workshop news, and other upcoming calendar events. While I anticipate that there will be more activity here on the blog in the coming weeks, there will be much more on the facebook page: facebook tends to be the starting point for my various social media updates.
So if you have not yet “Liked” my facebook page, I invite you to do so! There’s a link at the top-right of this blog, or in the slide-out tab to the left, to help you find me there (though it’s very easy, simply www.facebook.com/mpetersonphoto – just like my fine art website URL). But it’s not just about me – I welcome anyone to post comments, questions, photos, whatever - please join the page and join the discussion!
All that said, if wanting to stay in touch or stay up to date isn’t compelling enough, check out the image below! As you can see from the newsfeed of a friend of mine, I’m in great company over there! 
UPDATE: Living History Farms 5th Annual Photography Day is this Saturday, Sept 18, 9:00am-5:00pm at Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa (LHF website).
Throughout the day, a total of over 22 instructors from multiple states will be teaching 40-minute workshops at 15 different locations around the museum – that’s a total of 56 workshop sessions all in one day!
A PDF of the overall schedule can be found here: 2010 Photography Day Class Schedule.
I’ll be teaching four sessions throughout the day, all in the vicinity of the lovely “1850 Farm” exhibit:
10:00am – Nature Photography Using Natural Light
11:00am – Using 4-in-1 Reflectors to Control Light
1:00pm – Mastering the Meter in Your Camera
3:00pm – Nature Photography Using Natural Light (repeat of morning session)
When not running a session, the other instructors and I will be roaming the LHF grounds and available to answer your photography questions or help tackle challenges regarding photos you’re trying to create at this lovely outdoor museum. We’ll be easily identifiable in light-blue polo shirts with camera logos, so don’t be shy – hit us up with your photography questions!
As I mentioned in my earlier post on this event, photographers of all skill levels are welcome to participate – the photography workshops are free with paid admission to the Living History Farms museum! We’re expecting over 1,000 photographers of all skill levels to participate, so plan to join us!
The event is hosted and sponsored by Des Moines camera store Christian Photo. Nikon, Canon, and Tamron will be on hand with gear to demo and loan for usage during the event (bring a credit card and check out that lens or camera body you’ve been drooling over!).
If you’re a photographer in the upper midwest region, this is the place to be Saturday! See you there!
It’s approaching….photographers, ready for a thrilling day?
It’s the 5th Annual Living History Farms Photography Day, at Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa. And it continues to grow! If you are a serious or aspiring photographer, we hope you’ll plan to attend!
I’ve been involved with this event since the beginning. For the first few years the event featured 7-8 professional photographers walking the beautiful Living History Farms museum, answering questions and offering advice to aspiring photographers on composition, technique, and camera settings. Canon was on hand to loan bodies and lenses to interested photographers, and sponsor Christian Photo was there to coordinate the event.
It grew fabulously last year (2009), when we had 10 photographers offering classroom sessions in LHF’s main classroom all day, and Nikon joined Canon with gear loaners. In fact, last year’s event was a HUGE success, with over 830 photographers attending and standing-room-only in the classroom, and about a dozen outstanding professional and semi-professional photographers providing hands-on photo assistance throughout the farms.
But check this out!
On Sept 18, 2010, 9:00am-5:00pm, for the 5th Annual LHF Photography Day, we will have more that 20 (yes, TWENTY) of the top professional and semi-professional photographers in the region signed on to teach over 30 classroom and field seminars throughout the day! Sessions will cover topics ranging from nature photography to wildlife photography, portrait photography to wedding photography, and much more! (check back here for an updated list as the event approaches!)
Likewise, representatives from lens maker Tamron will be joining Nikon and Canon this year – all three will be providing loaner equipment and answering your camera and lens questions at the event. Additionally, the event sponsor, Des Moines photography superstore Christian Photo, will have specialized gear on hand at the event for use in the seminars and for purchase. And me? I will be teaching a variation of my “Nature Photography Using Natural Light” class again, only this year as a field seminar. We’ll have a blast and make some fabulous images in the field!
So what would you expect to pay for the opportunity to photograph a location rich with subjects, and learn from 20+ of the top photographers in the region? Well, how about if all you had to do was pay the regular admission to the Farms, and all the Photography Day events are included? That’s right! Adult admission $11.50, Seniors (60+) $10.50, Children (3-12) $7.00 – and all the Photography Day events are included!
What’s the catch? Nothing! Just be sure to support the event sponsor, Christian Photo, 6721 Douglas Ave, in Des Moines, with your photo gear purchases!
Finally, what about food and shelter? There will be a new grilled lunch available for purchase at this year’s event, and the Sleep Inn and Comfort Suites at Living History Farms are offering special rates.
Watch this blog for updated information as the event approaches. Living History Farms Photography Day has been so much fun in past years, and it promises to be one of the top photography events in the Midwest this fall!
Want more info? Check these sites: LHF general info. LHF Photography Day page. Christian Photo.
Still have questions? Email me!
So I haven’t created any new entries here for several weeks. Since late May, it’s been a summer of active travel, with only a few days in the office between trips Thanks for stopping by to check things out, though!
I’ll be back in the office for a longer stint soon, and will offer up trip details and photos when I have had the chance to catch up! I hope everyone reading this blog is having a great summer! More soon!
The 2010 Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival ‘On Tour’ made its only Iowa tour stop, and hosts JAX Mercantile did a fabulous job of executing another outstanding event. The collection of short films was inspiring, the “Enviro-Fair” preceding the event brought over 15 participating companies and environmental organizations, and the well-attended event was great fun overall! The event is a fundraiser for the Squaw Creek Watershed Coalition.
Here are a few highlight images from the evening. A full set of photos can be found over on my flickr site. If you are an event attendee and would like to purchase a print, but didn’t receive a passcode to the proofing gallery on my main website – please email me for access!
Thanks to everyone at JAX for hosting the event again this year, and for including Mark S. Peterson Photography! For complete information on the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival, see this link!
Hi Everyone! So, many of you have been after me for MONTHS to get a blog off the ground. I honestly tried last fall, as the post below demonstrates, and at least I got WordPress installed at that time. Then….nada.
But finally, at long last, I have actually installed and customized a WordPress blog theme that should allow me to show large, impactful images with my posts! I still haven’t figured out how to actually do that, but it can’t be any more challenging than getting all the background and banner images, ‘about’ text, and various links set up and working. But TA-DA, that’s done as of today! I’ve chosen the SLR Lounge Photography Theme from the helpful guys over at SLRLounge.com. Do we like it so far?
Thanks for your patience, I hope it turns out to be worth the wait.
And speaking of Worth the Wait, next to be released is a full overhaul of my nature and travel website, mpetersonphoto.com. I built that site with Frontpage 2002 back when that software was current. It worked pretty well in that time, but each image gallery page is built by hand, individually, and it just got to be too much work to construct a new page for every doggone image I wanted to share. So I stopped adding pages. And images. But I’ve been working hard at the replacement site this winter, which will offer dynamic galleries that will be a breeze to add new content. The site’s nearly ready, and I’ll announce here when it’s ready to roll.
Thanks for your interest in my work, I truly appreciate it!
