Behind the Shutter - Peter Ferencik

6 November 2012 | By AngusMcIntosh

Ever wondered whose behind the shutter of some of the most incredible mountain bike images on the planet? Wonder no more. Meet Slovakian snapper Peter Ferencik.

Name: Peter Ferencik
Location: Slovakia but currently living in Kent.
Bikes: Kona Dawg Supreme kitted out with Fox, Shimano, Funn and Formula bits and bobs.

The man himself.

Are you a Canon or a Nikon man?
Apart from my FujiFilm X10 I am a Canon user.

Any formal qualifications in photography?
I'm all self taught from magazines and the internet mainly. I just enjoying spending time outdoors with my camera.

Chain Reaction Cycles Al Bond at the BDS series.

How did you get involved in taking photos in the mountain bike industry?
Photography has always has been my hobby. From the beginning I was just snapping everything from landscape, wildlife to sports just capturing a moment as a memory. Then I started to take the camera with me on my rides. Taking auto self portraits and shots of my friends. I Went to couple local races here in the UK over at PORC, Bull Track and Aston Hill and I was starting to get better and better. (thats still in progress... ) Every time I go out I discover something new and exciting. I've been to the BDS National Races and a couple of the World Cup rounds.

Who are your main clients?
At the moment none... but I've had a couple of my images published in Dirt and Biker which is a Slovakian magazine. I've also had my photos used for race reports on Ride.io.

Aaron Gwin emerging from the first woods at Fort Bill.

Favourite location you have ever shot at?
Probably either Wales, Norway or Slovakia.

Favourite rider to work with?
It would be awesome to work with big guns from World cup circuit...but I enjoying work with friends and other local rockets.

Michal Prokop flying at the Fort William World Cup.

Give us a run down of your kit you'd take to an average shoot on the hill?
I'd take my Canon 7d body, 70-200 F2.8 lens and my 10-20mm. Plus all the other stuff like memory cards, batteries, flash, remote triggers and my tripod aswell.

Greg Minnaar in full charge mode!

What lens could you never be without?
The 70-200mm f2.8

Do you prefer utilising flashes in your work or use natural light?
Definitely natural light!

Brendan Fairclough sails past the hecklers at the Hafjell World Cup.

Do you ride bikes yourself?
Yes, I do ride bikes. I find it a great help with inspirations for my photography.

Any advice for a newbie starting out in the world of mountain bike photography?
Just get out there and shoot... Try to find your own style, watch your shutter speed, utilise rule of thirds and try to find lots of different angles.