Peter Smith has dedicated his life to capturing the remarkable beauty of Lancashire and its diverse wildlife. From his early days photographing birds' nests with his uncle, Peter's journey is one of perseverance, patience and a deep appreciation for the natural world.
While Peter has travelled the UK with his camera over the last 50 years, he finds unparalleled joy in photographing the landscapes of Lancashire. Across the county, he has discovered a wealth of scenic locations that serve as the perfect canvas for his photographic pursuits. Lancashire's varied countryside, woodlands, and waterways attract a wide range of wildlife, affording Peter ample opportunities to capture their essence.
‘When you can see the results of your hard work, it really gives you a buzz,’ says Peter, who lives in Penwortham. ‘Sometimes I go to places and I don’t get any pictures at all, but even then, I’m out in the countryside. I never think of this as time or effort wasted, I just enjoy looking for wildlife and sometimes watching it from a distance.’
Peter has now brought out a book in collaboration with author and illustrator Hilary Roper. Between Land and Light showcases Peter's photographs with Hilary's paintings and poetic words, offering a dramatic perspective on nature, presenting landscapes and over 150 species of wildlife.
‘Many years have gone into the study of our native wildlife and being able to understand the best ways to approach it for photographic purposes without causing unwanted disturbance,’ he says.
‘I approach each outing with an open mind and an eagerness to explore. And while I take each day as it comes, I do hope to capture the elusive green woodpecker, a species rarely spotted in Lancashire.’
Here, he shares some of his favourite images.
Broad bodied Chaser
Photographed using a Nikon D850 with a 90mm macro lens. The dragonfly was newly emerged from the larvae stage so allowed a close approach, about 300mm away at a pond in Penwortham. It's a well known pond for dragonflies in the summer months and I paid an early morning visit expecting to find newly emerged dragonflies before they dried their wings and could fly.
Fox
This was taken from quite a distance using a 500mm telephoto lens. The fox was basking in the early morning sunshine in a woodland glade near Chipping. It wasn’t a planned shot in any way, I just came across it while looking for deer.
Goldfinch
This was taken from a hide I have built in Penwortham. The birds are attracted to feeders, and I then attach a suitable branch or twig to the feeder, most small birds will use this before they drop down onto the seed filled tray. I cropped the photo on the computer to give the bird prominence in the frame.
Grass snake
We don't have many grass snakes or adders in Penwortham, but I go to a pond in the south Lakes where, if you’re careful, it is possible to sneak up on them, especially on cool mornings. This was photographed as it went for a swim.
Great Crested Grebe
A pair always turn up each spring on a lake near me, they go through a very ornate display to each other at the start of the spring to cement their bond. They make a floating platform nest, attached to reeds, weeds or a submerged tree root or branch. On hatching, the young are referred to as 'humbugs' because of their striped appearance, and often hitch a ride on a parent’s back.
Peter and Friend
Formby is a well-known red squirrel reserve but I got friendly with a local who allowed me into his garden. After photographing the squirrels countless times I started to experiment a little, looking for something a bit different. I had a spare camera so I got the squirrels used to eating peanut butter out of the lens hood. Then it was just a matter of lying still for a while and firing my normal camera by remote control when a squirrel came for food.
Technical details
All my work is done on a Nikon D850 with a range of lenses to suit the subject matter. Setting the camera on Aperture Priority to decide how much of the picture I want in sharp focus, or to throw the background out of focus, means the shutter will fire at the speed it needs to get the correct exposure. Quite a bit of work is done on the computer afterwards to crop, or enhance brightness or contrast, depending on the conditions at the time the shot was taken.
((((image of cover to follow – to be used small at the foot of the copy))) * Between Land and Light is available from the visitor centre at Longton Brickcroft Nature Reserve or from petersmith.nature@gmail.com.
