About:
Michele Lynn Peterson Cortez
My love of photogrpahy stems from its ability to transport viewers thru time and space. To let people see things they would otherwise ever be able to see. I love making beautiful images that capture people, places and events most people never get to expereince! My passion is for capturing the awe of real life events!
My start in photography came at 8 years old, when my Grandfather gave me my first 35mm camera. My grandfather, Capt. H.R. Eldridge, an Army photographer during WWII and Korea continued to foster my love of photography, giving me his beloved, 1960s Nikon F 35mm camera for my high school graduation.
My love for pictures morphed from stills to motion picture very quickly. Since 2003, I have been working in television learning hands-on all aspect of cinematography, from shooting documentary shows around the world to grip & lighting on sitcoms and features. I started shooting for broadcast in 2004. I immediately knew film school hadn’t taught me all I wanted to know, so I set out to learn-by-doing. I wanted to become a DP, so I decided I need to learn all the depts a DP will oversee. I came up thru the ranks as a union grip, learning lighting techniques from many amazing DPs. I also spent years as a shader/DIT because coloring images and understanding video signals is a crucial skill in this digital era.
Eventually, I found my niche in shooting adventure, docu-reality shows, which took me to blistering heat of the Australian outback, sweat soaked hiking thru central American jungles and the snowy hills of Alaska. I honed my shooting skills following in the moment action, in uncontrolled environments, never knowing what would happen next.