Peter Lik

What do Justin Timberlake, George Bush Sr., Cindy Crawford, Bill Clinton, Celine Dion and Shaquille O’Neal have in common?  Believe it or not, there’s no punch line here…the answer is they all collect Peter Lik Photography.  Who is Peter Lik?  Why, thank you for asking.  He is arguably the very best landscape photographer in the world.  People sometimes have a tendency to put professional photographers in the same category as the guy who plays the cymbals and chimes in the New York Philharmonic symphony orchestra.  It’s not that they’re not impressed….it’s just that they’re pretty sure they could be just as good if they were given the proper training and equipment.  One look at Peter Lik’s work and it’s clear he has talent beyond what any amount of instruction could accomplish.  The man has a gift.  

I was first introduced to his work when I wandered into one of his galleries in Miami Beach.  I took one look around and immediately added “own one of these magnificent photographs” to my bucket list.  He’s famous for his dramatic colors, vivid lighting, panoramic images and his commitment to get the shot.  Several of his photographs required sitting in the same place outside for 12-24 hours to determine the best natural light and angles- which means what you see is what he saw…no Photoshop, no artificial saturation of color…just God’s creation at it’s finest.  If you’re looking to invest in artwork for your home, check out the Peter Lik Gallery closest to you.  Here are a few of our favorite selections.

If, like me, your budget doesn’t allow for an original Peter Lik just yet then pick up one of his books for your coffee table, or give one as a gift to someone you really like a lot.  

Our favorite is his 192 page Spirit of America book that captures every state in our country.  It took Lik five years to get every shot and the artistry on every page is astonishing.

Another impressive collection of photos is his book Australia, a tribute to the beauty of Lik’s native land.  My first order of business after flipping through a copy of this gorgeous book was to look for a cheap plane ticket to see this incredible country myself…unfortunately cheap and Australian airfare don’t really mesh.  In my wildest imagination I couldn’t fathom scenes so beautiful and I very much enjoyed the adventure of seeing this far off land through his eyes.  For more of his collections, click here.  Prepare to be impressed.