Meet Peter

Meet Peter, our well known photographer here at The Henry. After many adventurous journeys, Peter now enjoys his retirement at The Henry assisting his fellow residents by preserving their old photographs.

“My enjoyment of photography began after I was given a Kodak Box Brownie when in primary school.  I remember photographing my teachers in the playground. When I started work, I bought a Kodak Retinette 1b (which stopped working after I dropped it in the Cotter River!)  and dabbled in taking photos on holidays. I started taking a more serious interest when I retired from the superannuation and finance industry and started studying environmental science full-time.  A lecturer said I needed to be able to include digital images in assignments, so I upskilled to a digital camera,  and learned Photoshop.

My favourite subjects are animals and nature but will click on anything that I think will make a good picture.  For a few years, I have been a guide/ visitor assistant volunteer at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve which provides many opportunities for photographing animals and landscapes. 

A member of the U3A Photography Club once asked me what my weirdest photography moment was. It probably was when I was warned about breaching security protocols by photographing the Papua New Guinea parliament house from a room in the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby. Or perhaps it was trying to photograph a couple of hot-air balloonists in Switzerland who strapped the balloons and gas bottle to a harness on their back and, with no basket and with legs dangling, disappeared over the Swiss Alps.

An image needs to be printed to make it a photograph and I have a good printer and scanner, which has enabled me to help other Henry residents copy, repair, enhance and print old family photos and slides. 

So, stay focused, be composed, and let the light in! “

– Peter Hoad