About Me, and about
Macro Photography For All!

Hi, I'm John C. Peterson, and it's a pleasure to meet you! Thanks for visiting macro-photography-for-all.com. Let me tell you a bit about myself, so that you have an idea of who's advice you're taking. about me john xenia

I began learning photography as a pre-teenager back in the early seventies. Our class met after Sunday School and we'd stroll around the Dupont Circle area in Washington DC, snapping black and white photos and taking them back to the darkroom to process and print our photographs.

Something about close-up photography clicked with me...the first print I made was of an empty vodka bottle, in close-up, propped up next to a downspout.

That class came and went, and the smell of fixer-bath eventually left my hands. Many years later I bought my first camera, and embarked on a course of self-study, punctuated by occasional workshops and classes, that has continued ever since. Along the way I was bitten by the macro photography bug. Something about studying the world in miniature appealed to me, and has held my attention to this day.

In 1986 I shot my first commercial assignment and got a cover photo published which was so well received, so breathtakingly gorgeous, that the magazine promptly folded. Yep, I sure know how to pick 'em.

I never got paid for my work, nor were my slides ever returned to me. Not my first setback in photography, but the most memorable, and, in hindsight, the most comical.

The road that has led me to this desk in rural Wisconsin has been marked by stints as an assistant architectural photographer, a freelance fine-art-slash-commercial photographer, and a photography teacher. The latter gig kept my head above water as my wife and I started our family.

I love working with photography students! There are so many small hurdles to overcome when learning photography. As each person grasps a new concept, the excitement is contagious, and the whole group charges ahead to the next challenge.

Through a series of happy coincidences, I was given an opportunity to embark on a fascinating journey, with regular pay and regular hours, that challenged me in ways I had never anticipated. I had never heard of an Ophthalmic Photographer (aka Eye Photographer) until shortly before I was hired to be one. I loved it, and I've been at it ever since (more on this unique photography career on the ophthalmic photography page).

To make it in Medical Photography, I needed to school myself real fast in digital photography basics. Coming from a film photography background, I had to relearn everything I knew about capturing, editing, and displaying an image. With digital, it's all different. Fortunately, there are a lot of people in the same boat, so its not hard to find others learning digital photography to bounce ideas off of.

Nowadays, I'm busy working in a clinical setting with smart and talented people, surrounded by specialized gear, all dedicated to imaging the human eye. Doing my small part to help our patients avoid losing their vision is extremely rewarding, as you can imagine.

Macro photography is a big part of the work I do. Everything we photograph is small. Although our instruments are of no use outside of an eye clinic, using close-up photography to capture tiny objects is in my blood, and has by now surely permeated my DNA.

I'm very fortunate to work in an academic setting, where teaching and research and the search for new knowledge is all around. That's been a good fit for me, because I love to teach, and I'm proud to have been asked to pass on my knowledge in clinics and educational meetings all around North America.

I developed this site because I'm itching for a challenge, and the idea of reaching a worldwide audience is very exciting! Plus, I love talking and writing about all kinds of photography, macro photography in particular. I love it almost as much as I love making photographs!

About macro-photography-for-all: This site will appeal to folks just learning photography, and to more experienced shooters who can use a few photography tips to help them to the next level. It covers a wide range of basic photography principles, as well as digital photography basics. Of course, as the name implies, the thread running through the entire site is close-up and macro photography (See the Site Map for a complete list).

This site is intended to be interactive. On most of these pages you can contribute your ideas, your comments, and your photographs. I know you're out there, it's my job to make you want to come by and visit. I promise to do my best!

Now that you know a bit more about me, please take some time to visit what I've put together for you. Thanks for your kind attention, and for allowing me to share my story!