Peter Lik facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Lik
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| Born | 1959 (age 65–66) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Years active | 1984–present |
Peter Lik (born 1959) is a famous Australian photographer. He is best known for his amazing pictures of nature and wide, sweeping landscapes. He also hosted a TV show called From the Edge with Peter Lik. This show was on The Weather Channel for one season.
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Early life and learning
Peter Lik was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1959. His parents came from Czech Republic after World War II. When he was 8 years old, his parents gave him a Kodak Brownie camera. He took his very first photo of a spider web in his garden.
As he grew up, Peter always brought his camera on family trips. He loved taking pictures of country scenes and the ocean. He also went on road trips into the wild parts of Australia. He often went with his friend, Michael Plumridge. Peter Lik taught himself photography. He learned mostly by trying things out and seeing what worked best.
Peter Lik's photography career
Exploring the world with his camera
In 1984, Peter Lik visited the United States for the first time. He traveled around the country for a whole year in an old van. While in Alaska, he discovered special panoramic cameras. These cameras take very wide pictures. He also learned about large format photography, which uses bigger film for more detail.
When he returned to Australia, he kept experimenting with panoramic photos. In 1989, he went back to the United States. He started a big project to photograph landscapes in all 50 states. The best photos from this project were put into his 2003 book, Spirit of America.
Working and publishing his art
In the early 1990s, Peter Lik worked for the tourism department in Queensland, Australia. He traveled through the Outback and photographed places few people had seen. In 1994, he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Since the mid-1990s, he has published many books, postcards, and calendars of his work. His first book, Australia: Images of a Timeless Land, came out in 1997. In 2010, he released a large book called 25th Anniversary Big Book. It had over 500 of his photos from 25 years.
Famous photo sales
In December 2010, Peter Lik said he sold a photograph called "One" for $1 million. He said an unknown collector bought it. This photo was taken by the Androscoggin River in New Hampshire. Some people have questioned if this sale really happened.
Another famous photo, "Ghost", won an award in 2010. It was taken in Antelope Canyon, Arizona. This picture was shown at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. in 2011. His photo "Inner Peace" also won an award in 2011. It was displayed at the Smithsonian in 2012.
In December 2014, Lik claimed he sold a photo called "Phantom" for $6.5 million. He said an unknown person bought it. This would make it one of the most expensive photos ever sold. However, many people are doubtful about this claim. No one has been able to prove the details of the sale.
Television show
Peter Lik hosted a TV show called From the Edge with Peter Lik. It started on The Weather Channel on March 31, 2011. The show followed Peter as he traveled across the United States. He searched for and photographed beautiful landscapes. He visited places like the volcanoes of Hawaii and the Grand Canyon in Arizona. This show was the first original program for The Weather Channel.
Peter Lik's photography style
Peter Lik is most famous for his wide, panoramic photos. His prints are known for being very large and having excellent quality. He often uses a special Linhof 617 Technorama camera for panoramas. He uses Fuji film for these shots.
He also uses digital cameras, mainly Phase One and Nikon cameras. He prints most of his photos on FujiFlex silver-halide paper. This paper makes the colors in his prints look very bright and vibrant. It also helps them glow.
Awards and recognition
Peter Lik has received many awards for his photography.
- Master of Photography, Australian Institute of Professional Photography, 2002
- Master of Photography, Professional Photographers of America, 2010
- British Institute of Professional Photography Fellow, 2010
- Royal Photographic Society Fellow, 2010
- Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Award – Art in Nature Winner, "Ghost at Antelope Canyon", 2010
- Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Award – Plant Life Winner, "Japanese Maple", 2011
- American Aperture Awards, Best Landscape/Seascape/Nature, 2013
