Field Peterson

2019 started in a very similar way to 2018- camping and hiking with friends in the desert of Utah. At this point, I’d like to keep the trend going. Anna, Ben, Morgan and I filled up a cozy Subaru Crosstrek and drove to Valley of the Gods, in Utah, where we would set up basecamp for several nights. We made day trips to Goosenecks State Park, Monument Valley (AZ), Shiprock (NM) and Bisti Badlands/De-Na-Zin Wilderness (NM). While I wanted to capture some iconic landscapes, I focused more on the concept of storytelling with this trip. As I am developing my personal style, I find that I enjoy capturing real moments and challenging myself to convey that in my own way. I also find that these trips to new places are where I can recharge and really be present in the world, which can be hard to find time to do. I look forward to exploring more of the Southwest, as I slowly broaden my horizons.

My annual trip to New England was similar to most years, with the exception of a drive up the east coast, from Georgia to Maine. I enjoyed the small moments and tried to capture them as best as possible. These special places will always give me a sense of home, and I’m very grateful for it. I’ve enjoyed using exclusively the 24mm fixed lens, which forces me to adapt, move around, and compose differently. I’ve also been enjoying putting together sets of similar images from a single day as a way of visual storytelling. I look forward to what I encounter in 2019.

I was fortunate enough to be able to explore an entirely new culture and land with Jameson and Dad this November. Hong Kong was exciting, welcoming, and continued to surprise me with every corner. This trip helped me work on shooting on the fly- it’s nice to be able to sit down and really settle with a composition, but sometimes you just have to take what you can get.

Excerpt, 7/23/2018:

My heart sank as we drove away from the Teton range. It was only 5 PM and I’d been dying to see sunset on these mountains, but had never gotten the chance. As I resigned myself to planning a purely photographic trip to the Park again, we entered national Forest land- the holy grail of the nomad. We drove over hill and through valley; one could hardly call it “forest” land with the few stands of trees present. I knew the Teton range would not be visible, but if it meant a night sleeping under the stars i could bear it. They say patience is a virtue, because as we climbed one last hill, deciding to camp wherever we saw next, we found the most amazing thing. We got out of the car, looking for any patch of grass to roll out our bags on. A small trail seemed hopeful, and we followed it to a small clearing. From this clearing the range could be seen, although obscured by trees. My curiosity always having the best of me, i decided to round one more corner. Unfolded before me was a vast view of the valley. Sitting neatly behind, as beautiful and stoic as ever, was the Grand Teton itself with its brethren. A full, tremendous view, accompanied by a patch of dirt under an old tree. I melted. What fortune. I’ll likely never find a site like this again. I expect to count my lucky stars tonight- literally.

A collection of my favorite moments from May. Not all the best composition or post processing, but still capture the moment. I’ve been working hard to find what styles suit me the most, and I’m starting to figure it out. Here’s to many more adventures.

We drove in the night, with no other headlights in view. Upon entering Rocky Mountain National Park, we pulled over to see the Milky Way core. The light pollution from Denver was still strong enough to penetrate the sky. We continued on and arrived at the trail head. It was a cool 30 degrees but rogue winds continually drove our temperatures down. We traveled three miles in the dark, guided by headlamps and the need to arrive at Lake Helene ahead of dawn. This would not be the case. The onset of spring had causes melting and re-freezing, so the snow was slick and ice-covered in areas, and the going was slow. Halfway there, the sun started coming up, and orange clouds showed up behind us. We were greeted at the lake by heavy winds coming down through the cliffs and were forced to begin the hike back to seek shelter within the trees. As we meandered back, the importance of time slipped away, and I found more creativity within my surroundings.

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With a tight budget, we crammed 8 people and gear into 2 cars and drove 9 hours from Fort Collins, CO, to the small town of Hurricane, Utah. We arrived late at night to the old Hurricane hotel, which is now an Airbnb. Never before have I felt so certain that a place posessed spirits. We rested and awoke at 4AM and drove the 20 minutes to Zion National Park, a place I had visited as a child but was still caught entirely off guard at its majesty. Hiking up to Angels Landing before sunrise, guided in the dark by dim headlights, with voices bouncing off the canyon walls, we made it to the top just as the orange light crested the horizon. We spent the rest of the day exploring Zion. The next day, we drove to Page, Arizona, to see the famous Horseshoe Bend, a place that photos cannot do justice to the massive size of the canyon carved by the Colorado River. Operating mainly at sunrise and sunset for optimal lighting, our crew of gung-ho photographers made it to the Southern side of the Grand Canyon by golden hour. Finally pulling back into Hurricane by early hours of the morning, we trekked back the next day to Moab and explored Arches National Park, namely the Fiery Furnace. Exploring these arches and caverns was incredible, but unfortunately led to the demise of my camera. However, I am thoroughly pleased with the work I’ve gotten from the 4 years with that camera, with some of the following to be my favorites ever. With this set, I really took advantage of my friends and used them as scale in the shots, which worked nicely with these vast landscapes. The last sunrise in Moab before heading back to Fort Collins, we went to Landscape Arch, an iconic place where photographers line up well before dawn to take nearly identical shots, I was able to stand back, take in the morning, and reflect, without worrying about taking pictures- something I will be doing more of. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but what’s the point if I don’t appreciate the moment as it happens?