Richard Knapper

I'm sure that I have always had a camera in my hand but I really got into photography when I worked in America in the late 1990's sadly I got out of it just as quickly (due to allergies but that is another story).  In 2008 I was given a digital SLR no more allergies, things took off from there, early-morning visits to the coast, and late-night jaunts to the river Tyne, this was the beginning of Snapper Photography.

The Photography

I love photography, and if I was going to be specific I love landscape and wildlife photography, luckily for me, I was born in Durham which is a stunning Cathedral City in the northeast of England.  The North East of England which once was a industrial powerhouse now has shunned the stereotypes of pit heaps and leaden skies, becoming a desirable place to visit. Put simply the North East of England is stunningly beautiful with some of the most diverse geography and wildlife anywhere in the whole of Great Britain. This certainly helps when you are a landscape and wildlife photographer.

In 2008 I got my first digital SLR camera, an Olympus E410 which at the time was the smallest of the DSLR's on the market.  Now I shoot with a Canon EOS R for my landscapes and a Canon R7 for both wildlife and landscapes (both mirrorless cameras)

Snapper Photography

I started Snapper Photography in 2009 when someone suggested I should try and sell my images. My first market was at the historic Tynemouth Market, held weekly in the Victorian Metro Station, which I continued to attend every week until 2021 when I called time on it (wanting my Sundays back for family time). After running Snapper Photography alongside my other job for 4 years working for the local council I felt the time was right for me to go full-time and become a professional photographer.  Since 2012 I have been the regular photographer at the historic Alnwick Market, and have the distinction of being the longest serving trader. Now I have a catalog of over 5'000 images and travel to shows and fairs as far away as the Lake District or north Northumberland please click here to check out my diary page.

Outside of Photography

I live by the coast with my fantastic and very patient wife, one terrified old black cat deaf Max, and two highly charged kittens Grace and Penny.  I try to go bird-watching as often as I can and I also dabble in leatherwork.