Valentin Peev (b. 1987) is a photographer based in Sofia, Bulgaria, working primarily with analogue photography and medium-format film.

His path to photography was shaped outside the traditional art world. Between 1999 and 2007 he competed in alpine skiing before continuing his education at the National Sports Academy "Vasil Levski". The discipline, patience and endurance developed through sport continue to influence the way he approaches photography today.

Before dedicating himself to photography, he spent nearly two decades working in international film productions as a stunt performer and rigger. Years spent on film sets taught him to observe quietly, anticipate moments and remain attentive under pressure—qualities that naturally carried over into his work behind the camera.

Whether working on a film set or in the darkroom, his practice is driven by a belief that photography is as much about patience and presence as it is about the image itself.

Since 2022, Peev has studied at BECA, completing the Extended Photography Program, Visual Storytelling and the Master of Photography programme. In 2024 he participated in a workshop with Rafał Milach organised by BECA in collaboration with Magnum Photos.

Working almost exclusively with analogue processes, he develops, scans and prints his own photographs in the darkroom. His practice explores memory, absence, intimacy and the fragile space between lived experience and recollection, using the material qualities of film as an essential part of the narrative rather than simply a technique.

His work has been presented in the group exhibition Traces (2024), the international exhibition Conexiones at NEGATIVO FOTO, Badajoz, Spain (2025), and in his debut solo exhibition Nevermore, Yet Again (2025) at BECA Gallery in Sofia.

Alongside his personal work, Peev maintains an analogue darkroom and photographic laboratory in Sofia, collaborating with photographers and artists on black-and-white and colour film processing, high-resolution scanning and exhibition-quality printing.

He lives and works in Sofia, Bulgaria.