PETER RIBBECK

AYRSHIRE’S MULT-AWARD-WINNING LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER

Gill Sherry

West Kilbride’s Peter Ribbeck hadn’t necessarily considered a career in photography when he purchased his first digital camera in 2006. However, he took to it straight away, inspired by his surroundings and by other people’s photographs.

“It was just a cheap, bottom of the range Olympus, but I had a passion for it almost from day one.”

He began sharing his photographs on the online platform Flickr and following a suggestion from his sister, entered the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition.

“It was 2008, just over a year after I’d taken up photography, and two of my photographs were commended in the competition.”

As a result, those photographs were displayed at the National Theatre in London. Not bad considering they were taken on his “wee plastic digital SLR”.

“One was taken from the back of West Kilbride looking out to the wind turbines, which were new back then. There was a lot of mist, and you could just see the blades. The other one was an old tree, it’s now gone, on the West Kilbride High Road, taken on a frosty January morning.”

Presumably, there’s no shortage of inspiration when it comes to taking photographs in and around his hometown?

“Absolutely! If you live on the shore of Ayrshire, you’re spoilt for choice. I find it so inspiring. One of my favourite haunts is definitely Portencross. That was my workshop back then where I taught myself photography. I’m completely self-taught with no training at all. I taught myself through magazines and being inspired by photographs on Flickr.”


Peter has won numerous awards since his photography journey began almost two decades ago, but that early success remains one of his career highlights.

“To get two of my photographs in the National Theatre in London! I’ve had my photos in The Times Magazine as well, so that was a big thing for me. And I’ve done a few galleries over the years.”

He once took part in an exhibition on Arran which featured photographs of the island’s mountain range and which led to much bigger things.

“At the end of the exhibition, the owner of the gallery asked me if I’d like to carry on and have my own personal one. I said yes, and it ran for a couple of years. It was really good.”

Peter must have taken tens of thousands of photographs over the years, but I can’t resist asking if he has a favourite.

“One of my favourites is the cover shot of my calendar. It was taken at nighttime at Electric Brae. I went down numerous times just to get a feel for the place and realised I’ve got to be standing in a field next to the road which gives you a lovely lead in right down to the S-bends in the road. A photograph was taken later on at night, so it’s got light trails – it’s a long exposure. It was a beautiful sunset… the oranges in the sky and the moon setting. I love it when a plan comes together!”

When Peter began to experiment with night photography, he realised he needed a slightly better camera, so he upgraded his old Olympus.

“Flickr inspired me to do night photography. Very few people were doing it back then, it was very much in its infancy. But I just loved taking photographs at night. You’re out in the pitch black and you let the camera run to collect light into the sensor… then the photograph is just amazing.”

Of course, in this ever-changing world of technology, we all have the ability to take decent photographs with our phones. Peter has certainly noticed the increase in the number of people trying to capture images of the aurora borealis.

“It’s become so popular now, everybody’s doing it. I went down to Portencross Castle one night and there were loads and loads of people there. It was unbelievable!”

Chances are, they would’ve been notified of an increased likelihood in seeing the Northern Lights by their AuoraWatch UK app. But Peter didn’t have that luxury when he first encountered the atmospheric phenomenon.

“My first ever Northern Lights photograph was by absolute chance. I was photographing Portencross Castle and the photograph popped up at the back of the screen showing these amazing greens, and I thought, that’s the Northern Lights! I was very lucky. To get a Northern Lights photograph was pretty special for me.”

One of Peter’s Auora photographs was shared on the Largs and Millport Facebook page and the image went viral, not only because it was beautiful but because, in those days, it was so unique.

Another photograph Peter is particularly proud of is a nighttime moonbow.

“You get a rainbow during the day when the sun reflects through the raindrops, but this was a full moon and the moon was creating a moonbow.”

In addition, he’s taken pretty spectacular images of comets, a lunar eclipse, bioluminescent in the water and a moonset on Ben Nevis.

As well as having a keen eye for a perfect shot, I’m guessing it takes a lot of patience to capture something as special as a moonbow?

“Absolutely. But there’s a really good app called The Photographer’s Ephemeris that will tell you when the sun’s going to set on a specific date. It tells you when the moon’s going to rise, and it tells you all about the Milky Way. I use that a lot.”

That sounds like something every budding photographer should have. What other advice does he have for those wanting to take award-winning landscape photographs like this?

“One of the best things you can do is join a local camera club. It’s a great source of inspiration and a fantastic way to pick up technical guidance. And just get out there. Get out there for sunset and sunrise.

When the sun is low that’s when the light’s best… the long shadows and lovely warm colours. Just get out there, take photographs, be inspired by other people’s photographs and learn from your mistakes.”

Which is exactly what Peter did. Don’t forget, he’s entirely self-taught with no formal training yet has multiple awards to his name. He is also responsible for the amazing photograph on the cover on this issue of Ayrshire Magazine, a stunning nighttime shot looking down onto West Kilbride and across to the Isle of Arran.

“People love photographs of Arran,” says Peter. “Taken from the mainland, the profile of Arran is beautiful.”

Ailsa Craig provides ample photo opportunities as well. In fact, another of his personal favourites is a very simple shot of Ailsa Craig.

“It’s so simple an image but I love the colours. It’s very orange. It’s almost like a graphic.”

Interesting comments from someone who is colour blind!

And he almost forgot to mention that that particular photograph was the cover image of the Landscape Photographer of the Year Competition in 2012.

He’s come a long way since that first wee plastic digital SLR!
www.peterribbeck.com