Space, steaks and cold water swimming: Top 10 with photographer John Offenbach

Answering this week’s Top 10 is photographer John Offenbach (who we also featured in issue four of our journal here). Based in London but working all around the world, John has photographed huge campaigns for a diverse range of clients including American Airlines, Volkswagen and Levi’s.

John has also published his first book, Architecture, and exhibited personal work at C99 gallery, London. He has also successfully swum across the English Channel and around Manhattan, in a team of four swimmers raising money for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Here are John’s Top 10 answers:

My favourite place to be is
Swimming in cold water. Probably at Parliament Hill Lido, in Gospel Oak, London.

My favourite object is
I have a ‘fake’ Alexander Calder mobile. 

The last gallery/museum/exhibition I visited was
I am lucky enough to be able to usually see exhibitions mid-week away from the crowds. Unfortunately, I took my son to see Olafur Eliasson recently on a weekend. The show was great, but it was incredibly busy. I think I’ll probably go again.

I’m currently reading
Fleishman Is In Trouble.

I’m currently watching
I don’t do a lot of long-form serials. I find they never really end. I did watch Stranger Things 3, with my kids, and also just watched an incredible movie called Thunder Road.

I’m currently listening to
Music is a huge party of my life, it’s difficult to answer that question definitively. I meander through so many genres. As I am writing, Lilac-Glen by Gabor Szabo is playing.

My favourite Instagram account/app/website is
I follow photographer Nick Knight. In the summer he photographs exquisite roses from his garden. They were exhibited recently but I missed the show.

The last restaurant I went to was
I take my daughter to Covent Garden to the ballet every year. Last week we ate steaks at Hawksmore beforehand.

My dream project would be
To be the official photographer at any of the private space projects; Space X, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin. Call me!

My favourite thing about my job is
Looking, is the greatest pleasure in life.

You can see more of John’s photographs on his website.