Photographer: Benson

Earlier this week, ESPN BMX posted up a Photo Of The Day which featured a killer snap by Benson of none other than Davros rippin’ round the bowl berm line at Bar End… and so here’s the new installment in the Photographer series of Interviews here on Deluxe – may we present Mr Daniel Benson.

BIO Name: Daniel Benson Hometown: Sheffield Years shooting BMX photos: Around eight Where you can see my photos: Ride UK Nikon or Canon or? Nikon

Jon Robinson at Epsom. Photo Benson

What are you doing today? What’s the plan? Today I was up at 6.30am to work for a photographer on some dodgy fashion shoot, usual stuff really. Worked until around 6.30pm and then met my friend Marv and rode some street for a few hours and then got some dinner. Came home and did some writing for Ride until around 12.30 and sorted out some photos for a Odessa trip to Rotterdam. I read for a bit to clear my head of BMX and then went to bed around 2.30. Stock day…

Okay, what are some of the trails spots you’ve shot photos at? Epsom, Bar End, Spooks, Decoy, Evergreen… I’ve been to more, but not always taken photos.

What are your stand-out favourite trails spots? Brighouse, or more specifically the Brighouse I used to go to about ten years ago. That was my favourite place to ride. Getting through the bottom four jumps is still one of the best feelings I’ve had on a bike. Recently it’s been Epsom, riding there was one of the highlights of my summer. The locals have been nice enough to let me ride. I need to remember to repay the favour and get some digging done.

And are there any others you really want to take photos at, that you haven’t been to yet? Not really. I always find trails are never what I expected. I mean that in a good way though.

Niki, 360 table. Photo Benson

For you, how does shooting photos at the trails differ to shooting, say, street, indoor parks, contests, etc? My bag pretty much stays the same wherever I go. I get paranoid that I’ll need something that gets taken out. At the moment it’s weighing in around two stone and comprises of a Nikon D700, Nikon 70-200, 50, 24 and a fisheye lens, a Fuji GA645zi rangefinder, Elinchrom Ranger Quadra pack, Quantum Qflash and turbo battery, two Speedlights, radio slaves, gels, stands, clips, batteries, tissues, broken biscuits, a couple of bits of broken glass, and a London A to Z. Probably the least useful thing to have at the trails…

Ideally… film, or digital? I’m not going to lie, digital has been good to me. I don’t get any expenses through the mags so digital makes sense when you consider a trip might end up costing £200. If I’ve got time and I think the rider doesn’t mind doing a trick a couple of times then I’d like to think I’d use film if my Hasselblad still wasn’t broken. I still shoot portraits on the rangefinder.

What tips would you give to people wanting to take better trails photos? I really don’t know. I don’t think I’m the right person to be asking. Maybe make sure you dig. Then you know what goes into it.

Rosshead, Epsom flattie. Photo Benson

What’s your favourite trails photo of all time? Issac McRea doing a one handed flattie in an old Standard advert. Ed Docherty shot it. It was at Posh or Push…

Do you prefer shooting trails in the woods, or out in the open? I don’t mind if the trails are good. I do like being in the woods though, with or without trails there.

What about dirt jumping contests – how do you see those? I’ve no idea…. A dirt jumping contest is a lot different from a trails contest. I guess I’d expect the judging to be a bit more trick orientated at a dirt jumping contest, whereas a trails comp it’s all about flow and those people who just have that extra something through the jumps….

If you were going to, say Catty Woods or Bar End, for a photo shoot for one day with just three riders – who would you pick, and why? I’ve never been to Catty Woods, but if I was going back to Bar End I’d prefer not to have that bag strapped to my back and have a chilled day riding with the locals!

Toby Forte, Decoy. Photo Benson

posted by Patrick Best
on 20/11/09