Olaf Petersen (photographer)

In 2022, a survey exhibition was presented by Auckland War Memorial Museum, curated by Shaun Higgins, accompanied by a substantial book published by Auckland University Press with contributions from Higgins, Sandra Coney, Sarah Hillary, Andrew Clifford and Kirstie Ross.

Petersen was a life member of the Auckland Photographic Society and a member of the University of Auckland Field Club. It was on these trips where Petersen took many of his nature photographs. Throughout his life, Petersen documented events for the Swanson community, such as school galas, birthdays and weddings. He died in 1994.

While Petersen's works were well received in magazine publications, there were few opportunities for photographers to stage exhibitions of their works until the 1970s, as it was seen as a lesser art form in New Zealand. Petersen's photographs were exhibited during Expo '70 in Osaka. In 1972, Petersen won the New Zealand Photographic Society's Maadi Cup which is given to the 'best photograph of the year for his piece 'So Lonely'. In 1982 a short film was made for television about Olaf's work called Olaf's Coast. This was aired on Kaleidoscope in October 1982.

Petersen lived in Swanson for his entire life. In the early 1970s, he married Clara Wylie at the age of 57.

In 1953, Petersen became a professional photographer and captured the Queen's visit to Henderson for the Weekly News. He also continued to take photographs for the New Zealand Herald and Weekly News, and was a frequent contributor to many other New Zealand magazines.

Petersen shot one of his most memorable photographs in January 1952. Entitled I'm Late, the photograph depicted a running karoro (southern black-backed gull) at Muriwai, winning a prize in the William Davies Memorial Salon (Natural History) 1956. In 1961, Petersen, won joint first prize in the Teal 21st Anniversary Photographic Competition for Morning Calm, a shot taken of Milford Sound / Piopiotahi at dawn. By 1962, Petersen had become a judge for Photographic Society of New Zealand competitions. The success of Petersen's nature photography coincided with the rise of Tramping in New Zealand, as both a socially acceptable past-time and as a part of the national image of New Zealand.

Petersen first started using cameras in 1933, and in 1935 he joined the Auckland Camera Club (later known as the Auckland Photographic Society), and in the following year began entering photography competitions at A&P shows. By 1937, Petersen was fully invested in photography as a serious hobby.

Olaf Petersen (13 February 1915 – 12 September 1994) was a New Zealand photographer who specialised in nature photography. The main subject of his photos are the islands of the Hauraki Gulf and the beaches of West Auckland.

Petersen was born on 13 February 1915 in Swanson in West Auckland. His mother Ester was Swedish, and his father Jorgen (commonly known as George in New Zealand) was Danish, and the pair had immigrated to New Zealand in 1913, settling on a farm. The family's dairy and poultry farm was successful, leading to the family buying more land and expanding the farm.