Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian Peterson
Hi Ian, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hello everyone, my name is Ian Peterson, and I am a photographer based in Los Angeles California. My interest in photography started when I was about fourteen years old, taking photos with my iPhone. At the time, it was really fun just taking photos and posting them on my Instagram account. Each post I made continued to grow my passion in wanting to be a professional photographer. Within the next few years I was given my first camera to take my photography to the next level. Fast-forward to the present, I’m on the verge of graduating from Santa Monica college with a major in photography!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest obstacles I faced in my pursuit of being a photographer was the loss of my mom. Back in 2021, my mom was a registered nurse helping out many people affected by Covid-19. She helped many of her patients at the VA and always wanted to do more. She and many other nursers from various hospitals began volunteering on medical missions to Guatemala. For six months she provided care to many families in need of medical treatment during the pandemic until her passing. Losing my mom will always be one of the hardest obstacles I continue to battle every day. Besides being my mom, she was my best friend and number one motivator. No matter the issue, she was always there to help me accomplish my goals. Without her guidance I felt lost and slipped into a deep depression. Her passing had me step away from school and my passion as a photographer. After many months of keeping to myself, close friends and loved ones help me get back on my feet. I’ll never forget the endearing support I’ve received; I hope to make my loved ones and mom proud.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Recently, I just finished a portfolio of environmental portraits of subjects in their respected backgrounds. Some examples of my subjects include a carpenter in their workshop, a basketball player on a court, a painter in their studio, a barber in their shop, etc.! I was very fortunate enough to show off five images from my series in a student led gallery at Santa Monica College. This was a huge achievement of mine not because of being in the gallery but for what I chose to do for it. For the longest I have been afraid of photographing people. Shooting product and film was always my bread and butter. However, I decided to challenge myself and create a cohesive body of work outside of my own limitations. My work ethic and dedication to my craft is what sets apart from other photographers. For my portfolio, some of my shoots required me to drive 2 hours away from LA as well as meeting a model at 4 in the morning. No matter the distance, no matter the obstacle, I’ll always give it my all in my shoots.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my favorite childhood memories would definitely be the East Coast trip my parents and I did when I was fifteen years old. Every summer my parents and I would travel together to at least one new state. In total, we’ve been to roughly 37 states throughout the years. During our east coast trip we visited seven states which included New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin! It was such an experience being mixed with different lifestyles and foods. With thirteen states left to go, I plan on spreading small amounts of my mom’s ashes so we can complete the states together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ianpeterson.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pepes.pix/
