Life & Work with Peter Schwepker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Schwepker.

Hi Peter, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I gained an interest in photography in college, but I also developed an interest in newspapers. Ultimately, that blended into a photojournalism career at the Arizona Republic. That proved to be a successful choice as I won numerous state, regional and national awards.

But I always maintained an interest in scenic and nature photography. After retiring from the Republic (Phoenix) I taught photography at Northern Arizona University and became even more interested in scenic work. After 10 years at NAU, I moved to Colorado Springs to be near two of my daughters and their families.

Here, I became even more interested in nature photography and scenic work.

My website is my central location. www.schwepkerarts.com. I sell prints and greeting cards locally and they feature work throughout Colorado.

With that photojournalism background, I feel compelled to stay close to the original scene and not introduce software clouds or fake clouds, and I do not “blend” photos. Most of my work is single-image photography with an occasional pano of frames taken just split seconds apart. It is important to me to let the viewer of my work know that what they see in my photos is an accurate reflection of the original scene.

I find the plains as compelling as the mountains. So my photography reflects both almost equally. And–of course–living in Colorado Springs I share many images from this area, including Garden of the Gods.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There are always struggles. I am always trying to improve and stay fresh. I am my own worst critic.

Being pretty independent in my own work will sometimes cause pushback from a few photographers. So staying independent and fresh is vital to my work. I prefer to work alone for that reason. I have to stay focused on what I see and not be gravitated to someone else’s take on a scene.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I believe that people expect photographs to be true reflections of the original scene, so I try very hard to stay as true to the scene as I can. My philosophy is that nature creates beauty, and it is my job to capture it in as fresh and compositionally clean a way as possible.

So when I present my work, it is honest. I believe my work is always strong in light and composition. I believe I see light in a unique way and I am an absolute stickler for clean frames that are compositionally compelling. I will wait for hours for the light, as I believe light is the key to capturing the best of nature.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I am always inspired by photographers who are not afraid to do their own thing.

A few of those are actually students I have taught. Watching their growth and amazing view of life and the world inspires me. Both Jeffrey Murray (Oregon) and Erika Schultz (Seattle Times) not only inspire me but makes me proud that I have known them.

Although there are many photographers here in the state that inspire me visually, I think of STEVE MOHLENKAMP and JEREMY JANUS.

Two hard-working and fast-rising Colorado photographers who often inspire me are Daniel Forster and Jae Jarret, Colorado Springs.

Pricing:

• An average canvas print of one of my photos is often $300-500.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.SchwepkerArts.com
• Facebook: Peter Schwepker