About Matthew

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Matthew Peaster

Hello and welcome to my web site. I hope that this site not only provides glimpses of my encounters with British Wildlife but also demonstrates my knowledge and passion for our native flora and fauna. Many of the images are the result of weeks or months of planning and waiting for the wildlife to present itself for my intended shots. However, wildlife don’t read scripts and often you have to be impulsive and respond quickly, or slowly, to something unexpected. The majority of my photography takes place in South-West England on Exmoor, the Quantock Hills and the Somerset Levels which are diverse in their wildlife and landscape features. Exmoor and the Quantocks are home to wild Red Deer, which sparked my interest in photography, while Roe Deer are locally abundant on the Somerset Levels. Deer are my main subject of interest, always providing new photographic opportunities and defying a great deal of the literature which is written about them. After all they are wild animals and with their capacity to range freely they do as they please.

Born in 1975 in Somerset, the county’s diverse wildlife,which has been easily accessible, has provided many hours of endless pleasure watching wildlife. Academic studies have related to my interest in the natural world. With a first degree in Physical Geography (BSc Hons) and an MSc in Environmental Management (Ecology of habitat management) nature is never far away.. My main work is Woodland and Countryside Management providing consultancy for sensitive habitat improvements for wildlife as well as its practical implementation. An increasing amount of my time is now spent photographing wildlife and marketing the final images.

From encounters with wildlife I became eager to record these moments and so my photography started around 1990 as a teenager.Starting with a Canon T60 and 70-210mm lens I soon learnt about field craft and understanding wildlife behaviour in order to be able to see the creature in the final image, adding a 500mm mirror lens presented camera shake and limited shutter speeds, a Canon T70 speeded up the images but also increased noise – something shy and nervous deer don’t appreciate. During a period of filming wildlife, from 1998 to 2001 using a Canon UC9Hi8 my most memorable film was of two Red Deer stags fighting during the annual rut in October. At one point I was within six paces of these two mature beasts doing battle!

Having worn out my video camera I upgraded my SLR to a Canon EOS 5 and EOS 30 (both for their quietness) and lenses including a Canon 100-400IS USM, Tamron 200-400mm, Sigma 600mm and Sigma 28-135 macro. While deer dominate my photography I have been adding to my portfolio. Wildflowers have probably, maybe surprisingly, been my greatest challenge. With deer it is often a matter of choosing the fastest shutter speed but wild flowers take you to the other end of the spectrum. Shooting Bluebell images produced shutter speeds of up to 16 seconds in which time they seem move more than a rutting stag, at least he has to stop every so often to catch breath.

Through the galleries you can enjoy some of my experiences and encounters with wildlife. Nothing provides a greater buzz than photographing wild animals behaving naturally. During the summer I often ‘talk’ to the deer. Roe Deer can be brought closer using specially designed ‘callers’. It is extremely difficult to do well and successfully. On one such occasion I managed to call a doe, the female, to with ten yards. The final image of the sequence rewarded me with second place in the British Deer Society’s 40th Anniversary photographic competition (member’s category).

Through 2003 the demand for prints of my images escalated. I now sell photographic prints and gift cards as well as giving slide shows and wildlife talks, which often provide great amusement – often at my expense! Please contact me for further details. I hope you enjoy this site and are interested by the images. If it inspires you to pick up your camera and go out for the afternoon Good Luck!