David’s olympic journey…

David’s story so far…

When I look back at my life, career, and photographic journey I feel privileged for the incredible experiences and places I have been to. Along with the fascinating cultures and meeting so many friendly people, it has been great fun as well. And fun and sense of humour I feel are really important traits to have these days, along with professionalism.

My career has been in stage lighting, which is going through a tough time right now as every show and event has been cancelled, or put on hold shall we say, due to covid-19.

I studied theatre production and design at Croydon College in the late 80’s, and also learnt Black & White photography with access to their enormous dark room. My parents loft also became a temporary dark-room with developing and printing mainly black & white (did try colour), and was also a crafty way to have a secret cigarette!

I worked freelance in stage lighting around the world in the 90’s, including residencies in Italy and India, that were life changing experiences.
One event that has influenced my photography journey was working on the Closing Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992. I bought a Canon SLR and a telephoto lens, and managed to blag my way into the Press pit-lane (it was a sunken lane that we could stand up in) alongside the professional photographers. I got some great shots that really spurred my passion on for photography.

Then the digital revolution came and just revolutionised photography, and all of a sudden everyone became a pro, including me. I started as a wedding and portrait photographer in 2005, including college balls, which was a challenge dealing with drunk teenagers or nervous brides - not sure which is worse?

I am a Londoner all be it a loose one, as Barnet where I grew up is technically in Hertfordshire, with my amazing family and friends. I moved to the West Country in 2002 to work in the lovely scenic village of Avonmouth, and fell in love with Bristol and the countryside. I distinctly remember early on driving along the country roads in pitch black conditions, and had to pull over as I could not handle it! I stayed though and where I met my wife. The scenery, local produce, restaurants, and the vibe are all fabulous here in the West Country.

We now have two adorable (sometimes) children and Rudy, a Labradoodle. Oscar, our first child, sadly passed away back in 2005 due to contracting septicemia and meningitis , later discovering he was born without a spleen. We campaigned to have the meningitis vaccine as part of the national children’s immunisation (this could have saved Oscar’s life), and was successfully introduced in 2010.
This website and my photographic journey is dedicated in memory of Oscar…