Messenger

It’s a widely held belief in the photo business that Moose Peterson is really several people. There’s one who does the research and writing, another the photography, while yet another handles the workshops and public appearances.

Not true. There’s only one Moose Peterson, and he is somehow able to do it all: websites, blogs, books, workshops, a magazine, research and photo projects. And all of it, in one way or another, is dedicated to preserving endangered wildlife.

All the parts connect—research informs the photography; the photography fuels the writing; the images serve scientists and environmentalists; and they all carry the message. “Because I shoot all the time, I’m always learning something new, either in the biological or technical area,” Moose has said, “and that means there’s more and more information...to help the next person.”

His favorite part, as you might expect, is the photography. “I get all the rest of it done so I can get back out there, behind the camera,” he says. “When I take a photo an idea is in my mind, and what’s in the picture becomes the basis of what I write and teach.”

Moose was an early adopter of digital photography. “I saw right away that digital was the future. Rather than being limited to 36 exposures on a roll, I could get a hundred or more on a card.” He realized also that digital was a great teacher. “I review the images at night after shooting, and I ask myself, okay, what did I do wrong today, so tomorrow I won’t make the same mistake? And, what did I do right, so I can repeat it? And the most important thing: what part of the story did I not capture today, so I’ll know what still has to be done? Because of what I see when I review my pictures, I go out the next day a better photographer. I don’t have to wait a few days or a week or more to get film back and see what I’ve done right and wrong. That’s the biggest effect digital has: instant learning.”

Digital was equally important for what it didn’t change. From Moose’s training and experience with film, he brought with him a vital tenet: get it at the point of capture, and get it right. “That’s the craft of photography,” he says. “When I started out, the whole thing was to get it right in one click, and that’s still my motivation.”

When you talk with him or read his articles, you quickly understand that Moose believes that the photographer transcends the technology. “The photo is more than sitting out in the field with this lens and that camera and choosing an f/stop and a shutter speed,” he says. “What goes into the making of the picture is who you are, and who you are needs to come through in that photograph.” He believes, too, that being a photographer is an ongoing process. It’s not to be evaluated by one picture or one assignment or one lesson learned. And, surprisingly, considering all the dedication and effort he brings to the work, he believes that it’s not that difficult. “I’m always trying to explain to people that they can do it—they can do this kind of photography if they have a real concern for the world. It’s not a mysterious process, not any kind of magic. It’s actually kind of intuitive if you tap into who you are.”

The gateway to all things Moose—books, workshops, blog, the BT Journal (The Biological and Technical Journal for Wildlife Photographers), which combines photo tips, gear notes and wildlife lore—is his website. His latest book, Journal of a Wilderness Photographer, will be published this year.

B. Moose Peterson has been an NPS member since 1984.