Charles Peterson (born 1964 in Longview, Washington) is an American photographer well known for his work with the Seattle independent record label Sub Pop and for capturing the then-newly emerging grunge scene in images. His photos are presented in the movie Kurt Cobain: About a Son.
Peterson is known for depicting the rise of the Pacific Northwest underground music scene in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Visually, he is known for his trademark full-frame, non-cropped images. Reviews about his work include the following, "Peterson is known for his action-packed, sometimes partially blurred black-and-white shots taken with a wide-angle lens.
Peterson said, "The Seattle audiences were entertaining. I didn't want to just get a head shot of the lead singer. I wanted to get the experience, make you actually feel like you're there. ... I like the composition part of shooting. The way my eyes and brain work together -- I'm constantly composing with or without a camera."