Peter Lik America / Australia (b. 1959) Pele's Whisper, Hawaii photograph signed and numbered AP 27/45. Includes Certificate From AskArt:An Australian born photographer, Peter Lik had Czech parents who came to Australia after World War II as refugees. Since taking his first photographs with a Kodak Brownie box camera at age eight, he has become known for his limited edition landscape photographs and for taking risks to get the right "shot". Entirely self taught, Lik worked hard at his craft before coming to the United States in 1984 and photographing landscapes in all 50 states. Five years, 50,000 miles and 1,000 rolls of film later, the "biggest challenge of my life" was completed. Highlights of his American odyssey can be found in his book Spirit of America. Through a chance meeting with fellow photographer Allen Prier in Alaska he was introduced to the medium format panoramic camera and returned home to Australia to photograph the vastness of the Great South Land, start up his own fine art publishing company, and open his first gallery in his adopted hometown of Cairns. For his work, Lik has received the Master Photographer award from both the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) and the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). He has also been awarded fellowships by the British Institute of Professional Photographers (BIPP) and The Royal Photographic Society (RPS). The American landscapes still held his fascination, and he decided to move to the U.S. permanently, finally settling in Las Vegas where he opened his own business. He went on to open four galleries in Las Vegas, nine others across the U.S., and one in Noosa Heads, Queensland. In December 2010, his photograph One made history when it sold for US$1,000,000. On 3 May 2011, Ghost (taken in Antelope Canyon, Arizona) was inducted into a special exhibition of nature photography at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History as a result of winning the Art in Nature category of the 2010 Windland Smith Rice International Awards for Nature's Best Photography. 39" x 58 1/2" (image), 57 1/4" x 77 1/2" (frame)