MEET OLYMPUS VISIONARY PETER BAUMGARTEN

 

WHO ARE YOU?

Photographer, educator, outdoor enthusiast, father, husband, grandpa, actor, singer – these are some of the labels that can be attached to me, a down-to-earth guy who lives on Manitoulin Island in Northern Ontario. As a photographer, I specialize in nature and landscape photography. Recently, I have started to delve more deeply into the ‘dark side’ of photography – astro-landscapes. I don’t like to be constrained by those styles of imagery however and will often shoot all types of subject matter. If it catches my eye, I’ll photograph it. I love exploring the natural world and you can often find me out hiking, canoeing or kayaking.

 

 

WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU WERE A PHOTOGRAPHER?

My interest in the visual arts started when I was quite young, but it was after getting a summer job at 12 years old that my dad suggested I use my creative skill, and my newly-earned money to invest in a 35mm SLR camera. I was hooked! I loved the challenge of trying to capture the world around me in a small rectangular frame. I grew up in the countryside with miles of fields, forests, lakes and rivers to explore so my eye always turned to photographing nature, and today it’s still my favourite subject matter. Shortly after purchasing my first camera, I picked up a book by Freeman Patterson, a great Canadian photographer. His words and images had a major impact on how I would see, and try to capture the world around me.

 

 

 

INTRODUCING OLYMPUS

How did you get started with the Olympus system?

The first camera I purchased happened to be an Olympus camera – the OM-1n. I loved the compact, yet rugged build, and the great innovation of putting the shutter speed control right on the lens mount.

How does Olympus help you do your job?

When I moved into the digital realm I stayed with Olympus and continue to be impressed with the innovations that make my job easier as a photographer – incredible weather sealing, dust reduction, top-notch image quality, compactness, high quality lenses. The list goes on. There’s an intuitiveness to the Olympus design that means I can focus more on the image and less on the camera.

 

 

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A MEMBER OF THE OLYMPUS FAMILY?

Being a Visionary has allowed me to engage with so many like-minded photographers; to inspire and be inspired by photographers who are always stretching to get that next great image.

 

 

 

TIPS FOR OTHER BUDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Succeeding in photography, like in many things, is all about time. As a landscape photographer “putting in the time” is critical – research the area you want to shoot, get up early, stay out late, wait for the good light, take the time to try shooting different perspectives, photograph your subjects at different times of the day and year, take the time to learn from your mistakes. I may capture an image in 1/125 of a second, but it can take years of practice and refinement to get to that moment and make it a memorable one.

 

 

 

MORE ABOUT PETER

Website:  Creative Island Photo

Instagram:  @creativeislandphoto