Spotlight On Wildlife

Richard Peters talks about the challenges in wildlife photography, being a Nikon ambassador and how he handles competition.

- Richard Peters

Q. What was the reason that you chose wildlife photography and how have you kept your work unique from the other wildlife photographers?

A. I have always been more creative than academic. I also grew up enjoying natural history documentaries. And so I think it was always going to happen that when I found photography, I drifted towards photographing wildlife. I like that doing so allows me to see the beauty in the natural world, both close to home and further afield, that is often missed or overlooked by the vast majority of people. There is also something incredibly calming about sitting quietly and watching a wild animal living out it’s life right in front of you. However, keeping work unique is the big challenge. For me, it’s not so much a question of what I can do to make my work stand out but more of what I can do to keep myself from getting bored. I like to challenge myself to look at things from a different angle and concentrate on the light more than the subject within it. Of course that doesn’t always produce unique images but I find working in that way gives me a better chance, than if I concentrated on the subject first.

Q. Being a Nikon Ambassador has given you an extreme exposure. What changes do you see from then onwards?