About
I am at my happiest and most content when stood ankle deep in the North Sea behind my camera.
When I go out, if my boots don't get wet then I haven't tried hard enough.
More often than not my feet get wet too!
But there's no feeling quite like the thrill of 'capturing the moment'.
I hope you enjoy this selection of my work.
You can find me on Flickr here.
You can see all of the images I've posted on Flickr that have been included in the daily Flickr Explore pages here.
You can follow me on Instagram here, and on Twitter here.
Most of the images here have been taken on a Nikon DSLR, and more recently a Fujifilm GFX 100S mirrorless camera. However a handful have been taken with a mobile phone or a compact camera.
I was loaned a Fujifilm GFX 50R medium format digital camera and two lenses - the GF23mm F4 R LM WR and GF45mm F2.8 R WR. You can see the images made with the Fujifilm GFX 50R here.
And you can read all about my experiences with the kit in Issue 68 of Photography News on pages 31-34 here or here.
You might wonder how I got started in photography. Let me take you on a journey - one of discovery, passion, and the slow, inevitable pull of fate.
It all began with a humble Hanimex Auto-Grip 110F. A camera that, to this day, remains somewhat of a mystery in its origins. Was it a gift? A hand-me-down from a generous family friend? That detail is lost in the fog of time. What mattered was that it was mine, and it journeyed with me through the wilderness of secondary school, capturing fleeting moments on annual camping trips.
Years passed, and university faded into memory. Newcastle Upon Tyne, with its bustling city centre, became my new stomping ground. And there, nestled within Eldon Garden, was the Sony Centre - a siren's call to my curiosity and my wallet. Too many afternoons spent wandering its aisles, eyeing the latest technology, until finally, I surrendered. My first digital camera, the Sony DSC-S75, was mine. It wasn’t just a camera - it was a window into a new world. I could now see my photos, instantly, on a computer screen. The magic of it felt limitless.
It was this very camera that accompanied me to Hetton Riding Club horse gymkhanas between 2002 and 2006, events orchestrated by a friend. I documented the competitors, capturing the energy and excitement in each frame, and then, as if guided by unseen hands, built a website to showcase the images. It was a simple act, yet the reaction was anything but. Families of the participants were enthralled, seeing their loved ones preserved in digital eternity. A spark had ignited.
Years rolled on, and with them came upgrades - a newer Sony compact camera, the DSC-W200. And then, in London, visiting my brother Stephen (https://ttarps.co.uk/), something clicked. It wasn't just about taking photos. It was about sharing them, reliving them, watching the joy they brought to others. That realization was profound.
I had found something that truly mattered to me.
The consumption of endless photogrpahy magazines followed. The research deepened. I was no longer dabbling; I was immersing myself. And then, in December of 2007, I took the leap - the kind that defines chapters in a person's life. A Nikon D300, with carefully chosen lenses. A serious camera for a serious passion.
And the rest? Well, the rest, as they say, is history.
The graphic below illustrates the main cameras I've used over the years:
The graphic below illustrates the relative size differences of the film or sensor sizes in the cameras above:
You can see some collections of my photographs taken over short periods of time, or by year & month, or by camera & lens,or by folder from the Collections page here.
Here is a selection of some of my sources of artistic and technical inspiration (in alphabetical order):
When I'm reviewing and working on processing my images I am always listening to music. If you're interested in having a look at what I might be listening to, you can check out my Music Library here.
Contact
If you would like to get in touch, purchase a print or request a quotation for a commission, please email me at david@ttarp.co.uk
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