Background: Born in Brussels, Belgium, 21 April 1956. Started Photography 1977. BSc – Brunel University 1982. Specialist photographic areas: motorsports, fashion, glamour and art-nudes.
Comments: The magic of photography has never worn out for me. I must have taken millions of pictures over the years but the excitement of producing images has never diminished. I took my photography to another level when I started my first job after leaving school. I bought a Canon F1 on a £15 a month finance deal. I used it to photograph my brother’s career as a race driver as well as many ‘experimental’ projects. My aim is to capture images that provoke thought as well as please the eye. I tend to prefer simplicity of subject and background. That goes for all the different types of work that I do. My heroes of photography are Henri Cartier-Bresson for his incredible eye; Helmut Newton for opening doors to the public acceptance of photographic nudes as art, and Ansel Adams for his dedication and pioneering darkroom magic. I also love the work of Man Ray for his imagination and explorations of the surreal. Monochrome images give a timeless atmosphere to an image. Colour is often a distraction from the subject. Black and white images give the emphasis to form. Light and shade define shapes rather than hue. A single simple idea is the key. I prefer natural/available light if possible. It gives a more real and natural result. Being in the open air gives inspiration to model and photographer. When I’m travelling I can’t pass a beautiful background without imagining a gorgeous model in the foreground.		Nature provides us with beauty in landscape, light and the curves of the human body. The less technology you add to that the better.Motorsport is a real passion for me. My first serious photography was documenting my brother’s motorsport career in the 70s. Over the years I discovered an aptitude for shooting people, fashion, nude and erotic so I went with that too. I found that my sports photography allowed me to work fast and keep a momentum going in the studio or on a location shoot. The swooping lines of racecars do echo the curves of beautiful women, but the technique of shooting them could not be more different. Motorsports require you to stand 50 yards from your subject with a 500mm lens that weighs more than 25 pounds and shoot cars going at speeds of up to 250mph. It’s a bit like shooting skeet with a rocket launcher. Beautiful women are generally more compliant and take direction better. The equipment required is less bulky and the whole experience more relaxed. I have a few regular models that I’ve built a rapport with. That’s important when getting to the right image. The model and photographer need to be completely relaxed and free of pressure to give the best results. I love to work with models who are imaginative who can take your idea and add something new. That’s when real magic happens. My shoots are a mix of planned and spontaneous, but I don’t ever plan in too much detail. I like to start with a small idea and grow it with the model and the environment.The texture of skin and the quality of light are completely different underwater. It gives a unique effect.
Contact: E- mail - dave.a.davies@btinternet.com