Richard Smyth Wild Earth Images, Fremantle, WA

Born and based in Perth, Western Australia, Richard Smyth is one of Australia's leading landscape and wildlife photographers. Richard has been taking pictures since his 20s and has travelled to remote regions of Australia as well as to Europe and Asia. Self-taught, Richard perfected his photographic skills by primarily by researching, reading, travelling and camping throughout Australia's outback where he could experience nature first hand. Following his true passion, Richard mixes his own location choices with commissions that have him on Kangaroo Island one week and scouting locations from a helicopter the next. His previous career in commercial property leasing enables him to imagine what would appeal to someone stuck in a city office building. The keys to his success? Research, planning, and plenty of patience! Richard lives in Perth with his wife and two children. On Location Whilst it is easy to see that Richard has an artistic eye, it was his love of travelling to remote areas, watching and tracking wildlife for hours on end that inspired him to become a professional photographer full-time. Richard's meticulous and outstanding work ranges from rivers, waterfalls, cityscapes and beaches to dolphins, whales, wedge-tail eagles, crocodiles and birds. Richard's exploits have taken him from the crow's nest of tuna fishing vessels 120 km south of Australia in the turbulent Southern Ocean to hanging out of Jet Ranger helicopters flying over the breath-taking Kimberley region, to being with pearl divers off Eighty Mile Beach - a Mecca for South Sea pearls.