Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2015 - 12

(ask the expert
)
More Than Meets the Eye
Golf course photographer Peter Wong takes us
behind the lens.
Interviewed by Joseph Oberle
W
ith the ubiquity of camera phones today, and social
media serving as a worldwide publisher, to some
photography has become slightly devalued. But
the art of great golf course photography is anything but commonplace,
and the work and effort involved requires more than
just point and click.
Peter Wong, the 62-year-old St. Paul photographer, has been
shooting for Minnesota Golfer since 1998, and he knows firsthand
what it takes. He's shot upwards of 100 different courses
throughout the world-from the far corners of Minnesota to his
native Malaysia-and he spoke recently about his profession.
Q During which time of day do you " chase the light " in golf
course photography?
A If you shoot landscape in the middle of the day, the light's
coming straight down and is flat. The trees and green leaves show
up dark and there's no depth to the photos. So I like to shoot
early in the morning-the golden hour. I get to the course by 5
a.m. and shoot until about 8:30 a.m. Then I go back around 5
p.m. and shoot until the sun is nearly down.
Peter Wong
" Teaching photography has
made me a better photographer.
I just wish I had all this
knowledge 20 years ago. "
Q And that time in between is spent on research, right?
A I doubt that too many people think it's research, but when I
go out to a course that I have never seen, I play it. I don't hit the
ball that straight, so there are times that I take shots from the
trees, where my ball has landed. Instead of shooting just from
the tee boxes or fairways, I am using trees as framing for the shot.
Sometimes members don't even recognize their own course in
those photos.
Q Do you need to be a golfer for your job?
A I don't think you need to, but it definitely helps. Of all the golf
course photographers that I have met, all of them are low, singledigit
handicappers. I am sure they play a lot.
Q What do most people not understand about the process?
A Some people think that once you shoot it, you can post it
and it's a glorious picture. Let's say I shoot any beautiful hole
and there are a lot of divots in the tee box. If I don't fix those
divots [in post-production] they're an eyesore. I have to clone all
the divots away, color correct the image and make sure it looks
10
MINNESOTAGOLFER Summer 2015
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Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2015

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Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2015 - Cover1
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2015 - Cover2
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2015 - 3
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2015 - 4
Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2015 - 5
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