Photographer Profiles

“My dad won a Nikon FM at a company-sponsored event when I was 12, and, the moment he handed the camera over to me, it was love at first sight,” Nels Akerlund recalls. Six months later, he’d built a darkroom in his basement and that love affair with photography has not abated. It carried him through the Rochester Institute of Technology, an internship with a White House photographer in the Reagan administration, and assignments for the National Geographic Society, The New York Times, and photo shoots worldwide. He shares this passion with his wife Anna, who is also his business partner and fellow shooter. Aside from weddings, Akerlund shoots architecture, food, small products, and of course portraits in his studio and on location. He and his wife operate a spacious, two-story, 2000-square-foot studio behind their home in Rockford, Illinois.

Chase Jarvis is one of a new breed of successful young photographers who’s at the top of his game. His use of social networking has brought him an enormous following while his exploration of radical business models is opening new markets. Best known for his lifestyle and sports images, the creative and financial success of his personal projects has earned him top corporate clients like Nikon, Reebok, and Microsoft.

Shutterbug: You have no formal training as a photographer, yet arguably you’re one of the top photographers working today. How’d you get there?

Chase Jarvis: I wish I could answer that in a sentence. I think maybe the shortest description is by being incredibly curious and very hardworking. And throw a whole bunch of luck in there, too. There’s a lot of timing and luck involved in anything I do.

Born in India in 1967, Subhankar Banerjee received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering before moving to the US where he earned a master's degree in physics and computer science. He later accepted a job with Boeing in Seattle, Washington, and became a successful scientist. So why would he switch gears and devote himself to shooting pictures in Arctic...

All photos by Ron Kimball

A veteran photographer of 25 years who specializes in automobiles and animals, Ron Kimball is possibly the most published calendar and poster photographer in the country. He markets his work through Ron Kimball Stock, which features over 500,000 of his...

All photos by Bob Lilly

Most of us associate the name Bob Lilly with the legendary Dallas Cowboys player--one of football's former stars, immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Coach Tom Landry has stated, "I've said this before and I'll say...

For over 30 years Petersen's Photographic Magazine has been recognized as the leading instructional magazine for photo enthusiasts. Our goal has been to inspire readers with dramatic imagery, and to offer clear and simple instructional articles to help photographers improve their skills.

To further this mission, we have created the Photographic Faculty; a team of seven...

All photos by Nick Kelsh

A veteran of nine photography books, Nick Kelsh offers photo guidance to the masses in a very appealing, reader-friendly manner, has provided beautiful nature images for a new edition of Rachel Carson's classic The Sense of Wonder, and has traveled far and wide to shoot compelling photographs for the A Day in the Life book series. His images...