Photographer strives to ‘glorify’ small-scale wildlife and plant life in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

by Julie Dodd

Photographer Kyle Petersen began concentrating his photography on small-scale flora and fauna near his home in Texas during the Covid pandemic.

Kyle Petersen sits on a log bench along the Little River Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. — Kyle Petersen sits on a log bench along the Little River Trail, one of his favorite hikes in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. During his Artist-in-Residency, he enjoyed hiking to find subjects for his photography. Courtesy of Kyle Petersen

“That approach to photography gave me a way to connect with the wider world while not straying far from my backyard,” Petersen said. “I was able to escape to and participate in a tiny world that was largely unaffected by the pandemic.”

As an Artist-in-Residence in Great Smoky Mountains National Park during August, 2024, Petersen continued his exploration of photographing the small components of nature.

“I strived to capture and glorify the unique and noteworthy small-scale wildlife and plant life that make up the park,” Petersen said.

“Looking at these tiny life forms and their ecosystems reminds me of how fragile, complex, and resilient our natural world can be.”

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of more than 50 locations in the National Park Service that sponsors an Artist-in-Residence program. Friends of the Smokies supports the Artist-in-Residence program by funding a furnished apartment inside park boundaries and reimbursing artists for art materials.

Selected artists stay “in residence” in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) for 4 to 6 weeks – exploring the park, creating art, talking with rangers, meeting with other artists, and sharing their art in workshops and presentations.

Immersed in the park and his photography

Being an Artist-in-Residence provided Petersen with the opportunity to immerse himself in the park and his photography. Two of his favorite hikes were Little River and Bullhead Trails.

“The experience allowed me to focus my full energy on photography and creating new work,” he said.

“It was a gift not to have to rush through shooting or editing. Instead, I was able to take my time and slowly and deeply explore the surroundings. I truly cherished the quiet, contemplative hikes through the mountains and the artistic clarity that accompanied them.”

Polaroid emulsion lifts

During his month in the park, Petersen created a series of Polaroid emulsion lifts. The process involves peeling the image-bearing emulsion layer off a Polaroid print using hot water and then transferring it to a new surface such as watercolor paper.

The result is a series of 6” x 6” prints, five of which are on display at the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center.

Art photograph of a Luna moth with its wings spread — Kyle Petersen donated five of his Polaroid emulsion lifts to Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Three of those images are “Luna Moth” (on left), “Tree Damaged in 2016 Fire” (on right), and “Eastern Fence Lizard” (at top of the blog post). Courtesy of Kyle Petersen

Art photograph of a tree damaged by the Gatlinburg Fires in 2016 — Kyle Petersen donated five of his Polaroid emulsion lifts to Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Three of those images are “Luna Moth” (on left), “Tree Damaged in 2016 Fire” (on right), and “Eastern Fence Lizard” (at top of the blog post). Courtesy of Kyle Petersen

Cyanotype printing

A table is covered with a blue tablecloth of cyanotype prints. — *Kyle Petersen led art sessions with park visitors at the Oconaluftee and Sugarlands Visitor Centers. Courtesy of Kyle Petersen*

One of the activities for Artists-in-Residence is to lead art activities with park visitors. Petersen, the Upper School Photography Teacher at Saint Mary’s Hall in San Antonio, really connected with that experience.

“I enjoyed working with the visitors at Sugarland and Oconaluftee Visitor Centers,” he said. “As a teacher, there are few things I enjoy more than helping to spark the imagination of young people. I helped the visitors create small cyanotypes using objects that were collected in the park, like leaves and berries.”

Cyanotype printing is a camera-less technique that involves placing objects on a specially treated piece of paper or cloth and then exposing the objects and the treated surface to sunlight. The resulting print creates an outline of the objects.

“It was great to help park visitors create a one-of-a-kind souvenir of their experience in Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” Petersen said.

You can see more of Petersen’s work on his website — kylepetersen.com

Two leaves and moss are placed on a white background that will be used to create a cyanotype print. — *Park visitors created designs using leaves, berries and other nature items and then exposed the image to sunlight to create cyanotype prints. Courtesy of Kyle Petersen*

Cyanotype print with pine needles and a stamp of a bear — *Park visitors created designs using leaves, berries and other nature items and then exposed the image to sunlight to create cyanotype prints. Courtesy of Kyle Petersen*

Learn more about Artist-in-Residence program

Ranger Sheridan Roberts, coordinator of the Artist-in-Residence Program for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, helps each artist create a customized experience in the park.

For Petersen, his customized experience included visiting the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center to photograph specimens in the park’s collection.

“Since managing the Artist-In-Residence Program aligns with my work as Parkwide Volunteer Coordinator, I have the privilege of helping select and onboard participants,” Roberts said. “The opportunity to get to know such creative individuals and collaborate with them on public engagement activities is tremendously rewarding.”

This is the second of a series of blog posts about the 2024 artists: Anna Marie Pavlik, print maker (July); Kyle Petersen, photographer (August); Grayson Cooper – illustrator (September); October – Nicki Allen, quilter (October); Lauren Connolly, painter and photographer (November).

You can find out more about the Great Smoky Mountain National Park Artist-in-Residence program and the application process on the park’s AIR website.

The submission deadline for the 2026 AIR program is Nov. 2, 2025 to March 2, 2026.

About Friends of the Smokies

Friends of the Smokies is the official nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Through private donations, fundraising events, and specialty license plates in North Carolina and Tennessee, Friends of the Smokies raises money to fund needed projects and programs in the national park that would otherwise go unfunded.

Learn more about how to get a Friends of the Smokies license plate at BearPlate.org. You can make a direct tax-deductible donation at our website. We are also grateful for those who pitch in at our donation boxes throughout the park. Every gift makes a significant difference for our beloved Smokies.