Dennis has been in the Photographic Industry for the past 50 years, starting out as an apprentice in the repro industry and then moving on to becoming a commercial Photographer for a few years. Enjoying the technical side of the industry he then joined a reputable Repro company to start a Professional Photographic studio and Photolaboratary servicing not only Photographer’s but the advertising industry. The Photolab did all forms of analogue work utilising sate of the art equipment for Processing B/W, E6 Transparency, EP2 Colour negative and hand printing from negative to a colour print and transparency to a positive Cibachrome print. Dennis travelled to the UK, Europe and the USA many times visiting Kodak, Agfa and many highly respected Photographers and Photolabs including the biggest Photo Trade show in the world Fotokino to gain more expertise and knowledge.
Dennis has been a judicator in many prestigious photographic awards both locally and internationally, including being a founder member of the prestigious World Sony Photographic Awards. After the collapse of film and the introduction of digital Photography Dennis left the analogue and started a Fine art Digital business printing a high standard of work servicing many well known and respected artists and art Photographers. It was at this time that Dennis became intrigued and interested in the Historic printing processes such as the Salt print, Van Dyke, Cyanotype and the beautiful Platinum / Palladium print, Pinhole Photography and Linocut. Dennis now has a business Alternative Print Workshop working on his own teaching and running workshops related to all analogue and Historic processes.
Janus is the co-founder of The Alternative Print Workshop and an accomplished photographer and darkroom printer in his own right.
Since 2014 he has been manufacturing darkroom and historical process chemistry for the Sub-Saharan continent. He taught photography full-time at Vega School and City Varsity, part-time at the Vaal University of Technology, and has lectured at most universities and colleges in South Africa.
“Throw a few pieces of glass, screws, silver, chemicals, light and buckets full of creativity in a cauldron. The result? Photography: a beautiful and alchemical fusion of art and science.”
Presently he is devoting most of his time at the APW as well as completing his MA in History of Art at the University of the Witwatersrand. He holds an Advanced Diploma in Higher Education (UFS), B-Tech Photography (VUT) and a hons degree in History of Art (Wits). He is on the advisory committee at the Bensusan Museum of Photography, and is on the management team of the South African Professional Photographers (SAPP), serving as the Manager of Education.
