Photography News Issue 67

Photography News | Issue 67 | photographynews.co.uk

25 Interview

Peter Dench Profile

Photography News: Can you introduce yourself and the new exhibition? Peter Dench: I’m Peter Dench, photojournalist formore than 20years. The exhibition is called The English Summer Season ; it’s a collection of 20 photographs shot over the last two summers at key events, such as Royal Ascot, Epsom, Glyndebourne, Henley Royal Regatta and Queen’s Cup Polo. PN: Your work often shows a grittier side to society; how would you define your genre? PD: I’m a photojournalist. I want to say something with my work; affect change, show people what they think they know about, but in a different way. PN: When you visit these events, do you feel like there’s that one shot you’re really after, or do you play it by ear on the day? PD: I’ve been shooting at these events since 1998, but I always tend to go back every few years, because things change, and things change rapidly. When I’m commissioned, I’m under pressure to get enough images for a double page spread, and 12 pictures is usually the goal. In order to get those 12, you need to shoot 300 and then deliver 40. So, there’s different pressures. If I’m not commissioned and I’m just PN grabbed a moment with London-based photojournalist Peter Dench at the opening of his recent exhibition at Wex in London Words by Daisy Dickinson Images by Peter Dench

accredited under my own name, then I can relax a bit and maybe look at the more boring bits and try to find what’s interesting there. PN: You’re shooting with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II – why do you like it?

PD: I’ve been shooting with Olympus for around four years now, and the mobility suits me well. I was getting tired of pulling big kit out with the Canon EOS 5DMark II. I’m in my late 40s now, so I wanted something to lighten the load! The weather-proofing helps with the type of work I do, too. This is England, after all. PN: And what about lenses? PD: I tend to use the 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens, it’s my go-to. I also use the 12-100mm f/2.8 PRO. For a long time, I only used fixed lenses, and felt that having a zoom lenswas cheating. I generally keep it on one focal length or another – so almost like having two fixed lenses, but in one. I don’t really feel like it’s cheating any more! I look at other photographers with all these lenses draped around them and I think why, why is that happening to you, what are you doing? Because I do try and be discreet, and aesthetically pleasing as well. If you go into events like these, you want to accessorise! Anything that doesn’t make me stand out as a professional photographer is welcome – but of course the Olympus camera offers totally professional functionality, too. PN: Has your style of work ever got you into trouble? PD: No, well, I’ve only been punched in the face once. And that was because I intervened in a domestic dispute. I always say fear is generally in the head of the photographer,

Anything that doesn’t make me stand out as a photographer is welcome