Scott McBride Petersen was born in Crystal Lake, IL in 1978. After graduating high school he moved to Mazatlán, Mexico and developed an appetite for travel. After a semester of study in Mexico, he returned to the States and began a three year tour of the continental U.S., with extended stops in WI, FL, and CO. In January of 1999, Scott arrived in San Diego, CA and decided that he had found the place to come home to after his travels. In 2000, he spent a month in New Zealand taking photos, and decided that he could think of no better occupation than travel photography. The following summer he visited Alaska on a photo expedition. He proceeded to attend Grossmont College where he worked extensively with film photography, including a photo expedition to Peru and Bolivia where he was able to shoot at Macchu Picchu.  In 2005, Scott received his B.A. in Film and Photographic Arts from University of California, San Diego. During his time in university, Scott spent a year studying photography at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in Spain, where he transitioned to digital photography and traveled Western Europe. Upon graduation, Pacific Photo Design  was born.  Corporate clients including DuChateau Floors, Ernest Hemingway Hardwood Flooring, & Baby Royalton have provided the bulk of work; however, PPD continues shooting children, models, weddings, real-estate, restaurants, etc.  Scott has taught photo theory and principles at the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA) in San Diego  as well as with The AJA Project.  His true pleasure still lies in travel. In 2006 & 2007, Scott returned to South America with expeditions to Brazil, 2008 added the Dominican Republic, and in 2009, Eastern Europe.  In 2010, Scott will return once again to South America for a shoot at Tierra del Fuego.