Peter Watson (photographer)
Encyclopedia
Peter Watson is a British
photographer best known for his large format
landscapes
of rural Britain
.
. They were sold in a local gallery and this early success encouraged him to pursue a career as a photographer. He studied art
and graphic design
and in 1993 obtained a diploma in photography
from the New York Institute of Photography
. Watson specialises in landscape
and available light
photography using large format Fujifilm
with a 5x4 view camera
.
Before becoming a full time professional landscape photographer Watson worked in advertising
and commercial photography. He now teaches lectures and is a photography instructor with VSP workshops http://www.vspworkshops.com He is the author of several practical photography books and his work has featured in many publications including BBC's Radio Times magazine, Cheshire Life and Outdoor Photography. In 2008 Watson was chosen as a contributor to the publication "Icons of England", produced by The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). He also runs a photo agency and picture library specialising in images of rural Britain http://www.britishlandscapes.org
Peter Watson is also a collector of fine wine and has a diploma in wine appreciation and tasting.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
photographer best known for his large format
Large format
Large format refers to any imaging format of 4×5 inches or larger. Large format is larger than "medium format", the 6×6 cm or 6×9 cm size of Hasselblad, Rollei, Kowa, Pentax etc cameras , and much larger than the 24×36 mm frame of 35 mm format.The main advantage...
landscapes
Landscape photography
Landscape photography is a genre intended to show different spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic. This popular style of photography is practiced by professionals and amateurs alike. Photographs typically capture the presence of nature and are often free...
of rural Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
Background
Born in Wallasey, England in February 1952 Watson’s photographic career started in his teenage years when he photographed and produced his own black & white prints in an improvised darkroomDarkroom
A darkroom is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light sensitive photographic materials, including photographic film and photographic paper. Darkrooms have been created and used since the inception of photography in the early 19th century...
. They were sold in a local gallery and this early success encouraged him to pursue a career as a photographer. He studied art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
and in 1993 obtained a diploma in photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
from the New York Institute of Photography
New York Institute of Photography
The New York Institute of Photography is a for-profit distance education school based out of New York City, offering different courses in photography to students all over the world...
. Watson specialises in landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
and available light
Available light
In photography and cinematography, available light or ambient light refers to any source of light that is not explicitly supplied by the photographer for the purpose of taking photos. The term usually refers to sources of light that are already available naturally or artificial light already being...
photography using large format Fujifilm
Fujifilm
is a multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.Fujifilm's principal activities are the development, production, sale and servicing of color photographic film, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color paper, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging...
with a 5x4 view camera
View camera
The view camera is a type of camera first developed in the era of the Daguerreotype and still in use today, though with many refinements. It comprises a flexible bellows which forms a light-tight seal between two adjustable standards, one of which holds a lens, and the other a viewfinder or a...
.
Before becoming a full time professional landscape photographer Watson worked in advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
and commercial photography. He now teaches lectures and is a photography instructor with VSP workshops http://www.vspworkshops.com He is the author of several practical photography books and his work has featured in many publications including BBC's Radio Times magazine, Cheshire Life and Outdoor Photography. In 2008 Watson was chosen as a contributor to the publication "Icons of England", produced by The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). He also runs a photo agency and picture library specialising in images of rural Britain http://www.britishlandscapes.org
Peter Watson is also a collector of fine wine and has a diploma in wine appreciation and tasting.