Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucas Peltier.

Hi Lucas, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started photographing sports when I was a college student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in 2018. I took a course in photojournalism as an elective, and it was the first time I picked up a camera. Photography was always something I overlooked as a career path growing up, but the course made me realize how important it is in journalism and marketing – the idea that a single image could summarize an entire event inspired me.
The course also rejuvenated my love for sports. I used to compete in olympic taekwondo and being in that competitive atmosphere again really resonated with me. I photographed a women’s soccer game for my first assignment, and the photos were honestly bad, but when I presented my work to my classmates I was proud of what I accomplished, and it only made me want to go back to another event and do better.

I photographed numerous collegiate and professional sporting events as a student, trying to learn and gain as much experience as I could. Eventually, it led me to work with my university’s student-operated sports broadcast and later the athletic department.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting out, I struggled with uncertainty. It was easy going out to take photos and visualizing this end goal of working in sports, everything else in-between was the challenging part. I didn’t know how to establish myself in the market, and although the professional sports scene was still relatively new at the time, I felt that I was missing opportunities due to my lack of experience. The whole covid year didn’t help with those emotions either.

The truth is that I never would have overcome my uncertainties without the people I met at every event I had covered. The sports directors, coaches, athletes, photographers, and so on who gave me a chance are the ones that built the foundation of my career. I am always grateful for them, and I always believe that no one should ever have to face any challenges on their own.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a professional sports photographer based in Las Vegas, Nevada and I work for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) as a staff photographer for their athletic department. I also work as a freelancer photographer for the Associated Press, USA Today Sports and various professional sports teams in the Las Vegas Valley. I specialize in photo coverage for live sporting events, as well as in-studio photography for commercial and marketing purposes. I am most of proud of my community; I was born and raised in Las Vegas, and I am grateful for the opportunity to represent my city and alma mater through my photography. I am someone who values professionalism, and my goal is to provide the same high-quality images and service to all of my clients – whether they are in youth sports or professional athletics.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Maybe it’s because I grew up in Las Vegas, but I feel that the word “risk” has a bad rap. There’s always something negative associated with risks, like win or lose or “high risk, “high reward.” I think risks are necessary for learning. It’s all just a matter of perspective. Photography is a risky job; what camera settings you use is a risk, where you position yourself on the sideline of a game is a risk – anything could go wrong, but also go right at the same time. I’ve made mistakes in my career, and I still do from time-to-time, but they helped me grow as a photographer.

I remember the second sports event I photographed as a student at UNLV that I was kicked out by the ushers because I didn’t have a media credential, which was something I didn’t know I had to apply for at the time and it was embarrassing, but I learned from that moment and ultimately helped me build connections with the athletics department. And now I work at as the athletics photographer for the university so it’s a full circle moment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lucaspeltierphoto.com/7ad8127305-gallery
• Instagram: @lucaskpeltier
• Twitter: @lucaskpeltier