My name is Matt Armett and I am a 16 year old photographer from the Peak District. I have lived in the Peak District my whole life. For the last 6 years, since I received my first camera as a Christmas present from my parents, I have been passionate about capturing what the National Park has to offer.
Forever chasing the next shot, I love spending whatever time I can in the peaks and am keen to explore as much of it as possible, sharing my experiences along the way in order to inspire others.
‘The Peak District – A Photographer’s Paradise’
One of my favourite places to photograph, not actually in the National Park, but circled by it, is Buxton. I love the feel of the Georgian and Victorian architecture, with the surrounding landscapes making it a very popular place for tourists to visit. Also well-known for its ever-changing climate, its atmosphere changes according to the various weather conditions which can dramatically transform its appearance in photographs. My favourite spots include The Crescent and The Opera House, but I’m also a fan of finding, and exploring, the less frequently noticed areas like Broad Walk and the Square which have a lot of character.
Recently, I posted on Instagram, a photograph of Broad Walk in the fog, with a silhouette of a man walking away in the distance. I had headed to Buxton with the forecast predicting heavy fog all day. I had managed to get a couple of nice shots, but as it began to get darker, the street lights came on and the atmosphere turned moody. I had envisaged a shot of Broad Walk in the fog, with a silhouette, and had tried to capture this when it was completely dark last year. This time though, the lighting was just right, dark enough to be powerful, but light enough to get a sharp, handheld image. I normally take self portraits in situations like this, but I was on my own and didn’t want to walk away from my camera gear.
My only option was to use the passing public and time the shot. Lots of people came and went, but the lone figure I was after, just didn’t appear. The light was beginning to fade, I was feeling cold, but 20 minutes later, my subject came walking through the frame and I captured the shot. I was pleased with the result; it was worth the wait!
Just on the outskirts of Buxton, is the Goyt Valley, another of my favourite places to photograph. At the age of 13, I went there a few times with friends for the day and explored the different walking routes in the valley. I was fascinated by the straight, tall trees of the woodlands and how regimented they were. I also found lots of little waterfalls and this is where I started taking long exposure photographs. Many more visits followed, and we spent hours together taking photos and enjoying the scenery.
Ever since then, I’ve shared the beauty of the Goyt in the different seasons, with my family and friends, even being lucky enough to see the stunning display of the woodlands in autumnal colours. Most of these trees have, sadly, now had to be cut down due to disease.
There is a story behind this shot too. At the end of 2020, I broke my leg playing football at school, leaving me on crutches for 3 months. However, this wasn’t going to stop me from doing my photography! I used Google Earth and Maps to try to find roadside locations that would allow me to stay in the car. I am very grateful to my parents who kindly drove me somewhere most weekends, in order to stop me from going stir crazy! On this particular occasion, we had driven through the Goyt, already seeing the beautiful colours. With some daylight left, my Dad suggested that we drive back to the top of the Goyt and have another look. This time we did stop, in a layby, at the side of the road, where we were able to see some amazing golden light hitting the tops of the orange trees. Positioned in the car, I managed to capture this image and enjoy the autumn show in all its glory!
Luckily for me, the Peak District has many locations that are accessible for all and I was able to get a few shots that I was very pleased with. This being one of them.
Another of my favourite spots is the area around Winnats Pass and Mam Tor. Having only visited them once, I am lucky enough to have experienced both an incredible sunrise and sunset there, respectively. I vividly remember my visit to Winnats Pass, as this was my first taste of landscape photography that was somewhere new. Setting my alarm for 3am wasn’t much fun. I wasn’t particularly confident of a good sunrise, but I couldn’t have been more wrong! Not only did we experience some glorious sunshine, but we also managed to capture a cloud inversion for the first time. Something I had never seen before!
There is so much more of the Peak District that I have yet to explore and photograph, but from what I have experienced so far, I am very excited about the future – I feel so lucky to be living in such a beautiful area and I never want to take it for granted!
If you would like to see more of my work to date, the best place to view it is on my Instagram page.
