Photographer Kyle Petersen, whose work has been featured on History Channel's American Pickers and the upcoming Winter issue of the 2020 LaSalle Country Visitors Guide, is an area native with a passion for capturing stunning landscape photographs of Starved Rock State Park and other natural wonders.
With the recent re-opening of Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks, we reached out to Petersen to share some of his favorite photos he's captured at the parks in recent years!
(St. Louis Canyon comes to life after a harsh winter and relentless spring rains.)
SRC: How did first get into photography?
KP: I first got into photography when I got my first drone in 2016 and was using its camera to shoot video and photos from the sky. From there I discovered my love for the hobby and picked up my parents Canon DSLR and learned to shoot and edit photos of things that I thought looked cool for posting online.
(The heavy spring rains give way to a rushing LaSalle Canyon waterfall in late May.)
SRC: Did you take classes or are you primarily self taught?
KP: I've never taken any in person classes for photography but, instead have probably watched hundreds of videos on YouTube learning about all aspects of photography like lighting, composition, using manual mode, and post production. That, partnered with just picking up the camera and learning by my failures and successes, I've really improved from where I was in 2016.
(A hiker admires the yellow maples during Fall Colors Weekend in Starved Rock State Park.)
SRC: What's your primary subject matter?
KP: My primary subject matter has been local landscapes and nature. I've been so blessed to live by some of the most popular state parks like Starved Rock and Matthiessen so I make the best of it by always bringing my camera along with me and capturing their beauty. I absolutely love the outdoors so the whole process of going out and taking landscapes has certainly become my favorite thing to do in the area.
(A photographer sets up his camera to capture the LaSalle Canyon waterfall after a late Fall snow.)
SRC: What's your process like? Do you have an image in mind that you're looking for, or do you hike until you find that perfect shot?
KP: When I comes to shooting landscapes I tend to keep in my mind a certain area or location that I would like to capture but, I never let that dictate exactly where I have to go. In the process of going to a particular location, opportunities always arise to take a different path and try capturing something different. It's the adventure part of photography that I love the most and it seems to always result in the best shots!
(The main trail that leads to the Rock is coated in white after a long night of snow in January.)
SRC: Do you have a favorite site for photographing in Starved Rock Country?
KP: Starved Rock State Park has been my go to place for years now and for me my favorite part of the park has to be LaSalle Canyon. A lot of my favorite shots have come from there and every time I go there is something new to see.
(A couple walks together into Wildcat Canyon during a cold weekend in January.)
