Bio

A farmer’s son born in Yorkshire David grew up in the North East of England. In 1973, he won a scholarship to study at what is today Cumbria University and graduated with a BA Hons in Graphic Design and Photography. He also won the coveted ‘Best in Year Award’ which funded his gap year traveling around Europe with a camera as a companion.

On return to the UK in ‘78, he was recruited by a London based fashion agency as a catwalk fashion photographer. Over the pursuing years David honed his craft in the fashion capitals of Europe mixing with the great fashion designers, photographers and models of the time. After several years of exhaustive travel and heavy partying,
he put his cameras down to set up his own design agency in London.

Over the last thirty-some years he has focused on running his design business, establishing an international clientele across Europe and the Middle East. In 2002,
he relocated his agency to the UAE where he lives to this day. Through his many Emirati friends, he gained insights to their traditions, heritage and the culture of the UAE and became fascinated to the extent that in 2015 he was compelled to go full circle and pick up a camera once again.

Today, based in Ras Al Khaimah – the northern most emirate of the UAE, he spends most of his spare time exploring and photographing fast disappearing landscapes, traditional Emirati pastimes and culture.

“

I paint with the light that only nature provides and when none exists, the hidden secrets of the shadow await to be explored

passion

I’m passionate about telling visual stories and capturing scenes in nature and life that invite the viewer to explore and discover subtle nuances and hidden secrets.

My photography involves becoming familiar to the extent of being invisible to all those around me to capture photographs that embody the emotion and express the unique dynamics of a scene.

To be ready for the right moment, I’m often on the road well before dawn, many times to the same location, to meet the same people but every time a different nature.
I have found that nature in particular is not a willing partner and demands tenacity and a lot of patience,
which I find both challenging and rewarding.

vision

Achieving my vision is like chasing shadows. Scenes and nature are constantly changing, sometimes in harmony and in others not. I’m never satisfied. Often, I’ll find myself drawn into a never-ending cycle of review and rejection – studying every shot down to the finest detail.

Subject familiarity and a low-profile approach have helped me create a style that is expressive of the intimate relationship between my subjects and their environments.

My vision is to be recognised for capturing images that best express the emotion of fleeting moments in time.

experience

The first ever camera I picked up was a manual Pentax Spotmatic – I remember it well – it was the first to incorporate a built-light meter.

When I began my professional career, I was given what was a huge budget at the time and told to ‘kit up’! Armed with the latest photo bling, an editor, a couple of journalists and tickets to the best shows in town, I was dispatched to the fashion capitals of Europe to photograph exquisite women modelling exquisite and sometimes bizarre fashion.

Fast track to 2015 when I came full circle and invested several thousands of dollars of my own money in digital gear and have since spent many perplexing hours re-learning everything, I thought I knew.

events & shows

One of sixty-seven photographers invited to exhibit at Xposure International Photography Festival 2023, one of the largest photography events in the world.

Bio

passion

vision

experience

events & shows

Menu

Contact