David earned his chops the old-fashioned way—by shooting feature-length assignments around the world for
National Geographic Magazine. The stories varied, but the mandate was always the same: work with every kind of person, under any kind of condition, and create timeless yet contemporary images for his clients with the highest visual standards on earth. His assignments took him to six continents and often required 200 days on the road each year.
People often think the best part of being a
National Geographic photographer is the exotic travel, but what he has always valued most is the time spent with people whose lives are completely unlike his own. A lifetime in other people’s worlds continues to be his greatest professional gift—it keeps him curious and continually strengthens the empathy that defines his work. Because he genuinely cares, people sense that he deserves their trust. That trust allows them to open up and be vulnerable, and that vulnerability creates the authenticity at the heart of all of his work. You can’t fake this or learn it quickly—true authenticity isn’t a goal; it’s a byproduct of these things.
He is interested in original reporting that explores complex issues in the context of real people and their everyday lives. His work spans seven
National Geographic Magazine features, the #1
New York Times best-selling
Blue Zones Kitchen (now a top-20 best-selling cookbook of the century), campaigns for major brands like Sony, and the SXSW-premiered documentary
Bounce and a 10-part series on health equity in America. At the core of it all is attentiveness—to others, his craft, and his clients.
He lives with his wife, artist Anne McLain, in a 220-year-old Maine farmhouse with a post-and-beam barn where they share studio space. Their children, Finn and Myla, grew up in Maine—one is becoming a builder in Maine, the other a teacher in San Francisco. His family, his home, and Maine ground him and fuel the boundless sense of possibility and hope he brings to his work. He continually marvels at how endless the opportunities are. Now is the time to start exploring them.
@bluezones 
