Photography and art are essential to Peter Walton

Peter Walton has always enjoyed taking photographs and creating art ever since he was a young lad when his dad gave him a box camera.

That gift catapulted him into a 48-year photographic career that many would envy, and set him off on a journey into a new world of speciality art which he is particularly enjoying during lockdown in his new unit in Leith Park.

“I call these creations ‘Circles of Life’ because they are derived from straight photographs of mostly living subjects: animals, birds, flowers, human faces, and in some cases man-made objects,” Peter said.

“I like photographing anything that I can interpret in an artistic way. Landscapes would have to be my favourite genre and they are what I’m best known for,” Peter said.

His photographs have been taken over many years, not only around Australia, but across the world. Shooting both tourist destinations and landscape photography with some of his work being featured on Australia Post’s international stamps.

Peter has been lucky enough to photograph across the world including: South Africa, Namibia, China, Uzbekistan, USA. Canada, Alaska, Argentina, Antarctica, Galapagos, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, UK, The Baltic States, Norway, Slovenia, and Iceland.

And while lockdown has put a temporary hold on travel, he continues to work on his photographs to create new artwork.

His fascination for art was inspired by his father, who was a keen artist.

“I remember as a child often being in trouble at school for drawing during classes. I loved art and geometry, as it was all about shapes and angles.

Over the years, clients would often say ‘your photographs look more like paintings,’ so I decided to use my technical and creative skills to produce stylised versions of my favourite images.”

As lockdown progresses, so too do his Circles of Life pieces which have become a large part of Peter’s retirement life.

“I seem to have fallen on my feet this year when I moved into my unit in the new Melaleuca block,” Peter said.

“I settled on this unit because of the outlook and the peace and quiet. The fact I have my own space and the freedom to come and go as I please are definite pluses.”