Peter Schwepker, above, says chasing the perfect image is as rewarding as actually capturing it. A display of his new landscape and photojournalism work will be shown Feb. 14-28 at NAU's School of Communication gallery. Photo courtesy Josh Biggs.

Photo exhibit features landscapes
with an attitude

If every picture tells a story, then the dramatic landscape photography of NAU photojournalism professor Peter Schwepker could be compared to a thrilling suspense novel with an unpredictable ending.

Featuring a cast of mysterious and shadowy figures, Schwepker's scenic photographs pay tribute to the region's canyons, mountains and prairies that serve as moody backdrops for intense contrasts in lighting.

"In nature, you are not in control of what happens," he says, "but you are in control of what you see and how you photograph the ever-changing scene. It is a real challenge to try and capture those amazing moments."

Schwepker's ability to seize these "changes in moods of nature" is the basis for Moods of Our Land, a display of his new landscape and photojournalism work, which is being shown Feb. 14-28 at NAU's School of Communication gallery. The showing coincides with his photographic exhibit in the March issue of Arizona Highways magazine.

The exhibits will feature some of Schwepker's most captivating shots, including such epic images as Over the Rainbow, taken at Garden of the Gods, Colo., and Lighting the Sacred Mountain, a unique portrayal of Flagstaff's San Francisco Peaks.

"Peter is an award-winning photographer, and his instincts for photojournalism are at work in his images of the land," says Mark Neumann, director of the School of Communication. "His photographs render more than places. He's been out looking for stories in the land, and this exhibit bears witness to the places he's seen in their most dramatic moments."

Peter Schwepker's Lighting the Sacred Mountain is a unique portrayal of the San Francisco Peaks, and is part of the Moods of Our Land exhibit.

To understand Schwepker's ability to capture nature's moods in a photograph, consider his typical reaction to an approaching storm on the horizon. While most people would head for cover, Schwepker grabs his gear and follows the clouds. For him, chasing the perfect image is as rewarding as actually capturing it.

"I love watching nature at work and I love the anticipation that a great moment of light is just ahead," he says. "I live for that one moment where everything lines up just right."

When it all does come together for him, the end result can be mystical. "Clouds and bad weather are what give mood to photographs," he says. "It sprays light across the land and gives your photo uniqueness."

Schwepker spent most of his three decades in photojournalism as a staff photographer and photo editor at the Arizona Republic in Phoenix, where he was a four-time recipient of the Arizona Newspaper Photographer of the Year award. He came to NAU in 1998 to teach his trade and says that his latest role challenges him to stay on top of his profession.

"I learn a lot from the students, especially in the area of new computer software and digital technology," he says. "They also challenge me to live by my own rules. If I expect them to work hard, I have to work even harder."

To view more of Schwepker's images, including some of his award-winning photojournalism, visit www.schwepkerphoto.com.

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