David Yarrow is one of the world’s best-selling fine art photographers. He has spent the past decade documenting the natural world from new perspectives, and his distinctive, evocative and immersive photography of life on earth has earned him an ever-growing following amongst art collectors as a relevant artist of his generation. His limited edition works regularly fetch record bids of over $100,000 at auction houses such as Sotheby’s. He is also a passionate philanthropist and conservationist, and holds multiple ambassadorships including those for WildArk, Nikon, Land Rover and UBS and has donated millions to wildlife and sustainability causes. But, here’s the thing, this almost never happened.
David’s career had a bit of a false start when, on break from university, he talked his way into a world cup soccer match and captures a legendary image of iconic soccer star, Maradonna. But, instead of embracing a career in photojournalism, he went into finance where he was building a big reputation. For decades. Until a series of experiences led him to walk away from it all and step back into the world of photography but in a very different way.
You can find David at:
Website : https://davidyarrow.photography/
In Focus Podcast : https://www.davidyarrowpodcast.com/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/davidyarrow/
If you LOVED this episode:
You’ll also love the conversations we had with Mark Mann: https://tinyurl.com/GLPmann
You’ll also love the conversations we had with the artist, Peter Tunney: https://tinyurl.com/GLPtunney
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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Hey so my yesterday, David girl, is one of the world's best selling fine art photographers. He spent the last decade documenting the natural world from really different perspectives, and his
effective, evocative, an absolutely immersive photography,
of life on earth,
earned him a massive following amongst art collectors as irrelevant artist of his generation. His limited edition works regularly fetch record bids at auction houses. They saw the bees his
passionate, philanthropists and conservationists.
multiple ambassadorship, including those for
wild org, nikon land rover gps and has donated millions to wildlife and sustainability causes, but here's the thing
This almost never happened. None of it.
David's career had a bit of a false start when-
a break from university at a pretty young age heat.
His way into a world cup saw her match and captured this now legendary image of the iconic soccer star maradona that
could have launched a tremendous career, but instead of embracing a career in photo journalism, he went back into finance where he ended up spending decades, building at big business, a big career, big reputation,
Until a series of experiences led him to just shuddered
down and walk away from it all and stepped back into this love of photography and image, making and storytelling that just never left him, but doing
in a profoundly different way than he had ever thought about doing it earlier. Has his life so excited to share this conversation with you? I'm Jonathan fields- and this is good light project.
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excited to dive in with you want to take a little bit of a step back in time, because you have this fascinating history story of moving between photography from the earliest days and finance back to photography, and then I kind of want to close the loop later
a conversation. Some really fascinating intersections between those two worlds happening right now, but back in the day, coming up in
scale dad, I guess, a whole dead horse out of the family, industrialists, shipbuilding and I was actually curious because better, it's the type
thing where very often the assumption is, the kids are going into the family, business,
looking at your family businesses, it also seems like that,
company was nationalize. When you are ten eleven twelve years old effectively
taking it out of the families, ownership and I'm curious
you know. Was there an expectation when you are younger that this would be your future and did that shift around that time? I think nepotism is
dangerous. Having you have to be doubly good, too,
succeed or
go into a family business because it begs so many questions from other people that don't have a blood link. I think that
possibility was really removed,
because shipbuilding was dying, shipbuilding,
in the clyde they used to be used to be the ship building centre of the world
because of forest in competition, particularly south korea,
and to an extent better by the union,
practices in places like bremen and germany that they can.
Which ones had sixty five shipyards,
around the time of the barbaric disgusting
Secondly, our war merchant shipping
was was declining very quickly because they just couldn't compete from a labour costs side with south korea,
The arab business was all about. Building military ships are working with the royal navy and that I guess
because it was a military yard them
degree of intellectual property that allowed.
To transcend merchantship boring you weren't gonna,
the british navy having their ships built in west germany or sat career, so that
relationship with the admiralty,
Oh, is fostered someone longevity, but
notwithstanding that the government,
but british government nationalized all shipyards in nineteen. Seventy, seven
I'm didn't differentiate between for us
the bull naval yards and
impossible martian yards, it was
during the days of what was called the red clyde,
I got a socialist clyde,
and it was done primarily to protect the workforce.
and they all she glasgow that for one person employed on the river, the risk-
people,
Employed servicing the river so
one hundred thousand people working on the river rapidly became
employment, four hundred thousand, so
back. Now.
with my children, big eighteen and twenty
and I dont think when I was
two fifteen you're not
your emotional intelligence is not strong enough to say
your job must be shit, birthing
His job was shed bitches
You had a very aggressive trade unions.
Scale said
because a city a bit
belfast
people were it's just
and protestant. Fifty percent catholic and
the union's prevented any catholics from working in the yard.
In the very same way that the unions in the mines prevented any protestants working in the arts
they're in the mines. It sounds so anachronistic now, but that's it
the glasgow was and still is. It is a very sectarian place. Sea had another layer of issues
above
The borders rising wage costs, millicent trade unions, but
The arrow's yard still survives and is one of the I think two shipyards left on on the clyde. So it's something I'm very proud of, but the family connection is as long since gone there and it's kind of interesting to have the
wins from both the inside out and the outside in, in the context of histories of looking at all that photography touches down in your life fairly early, it sounds like you end up and argue, and I guess it was while you were still in university in eighty six, where
this sort moment where you touched on in mexico and take this shot which become
and I conic shot of maradona wing-
We're doing that divide the timing right that you actually still in school when that was happening here still university,
our exams finished early and did
data. My saw, I did my sign of business studies, examine I've.
Two to mexico city that that evening
and most
Friends we're getting drunk and doing things you do. A new university college finals finish
there is in mexico. I didn't have a clue
and I am my accreditation- was from a magazines.
Was so marginal
it allowed me the chance of a meeting with fifa
exclusively to see
I it get accreditation. I couldn't
We have done that that nineteen, eighty six
you can wear, and I just
believes that they were
accredited in may, which meant that I kid
get any camera. I wanted from Nikon or canon who are sponsoring the world cup, and also
sit on the touch line of any game. I wanted to get it
That was a student, though so
stay and tell the cost about five dollars a night.
travelling to these games on buses with.
probably cost a dollar with life
chicken in the back of the bus,
and I'm not being self deprecating, have said it before the irish
struggled
the games. I I struggled because
I wasn't experienced enough, maybe, but overall it was in the day
before cameras allowed you to do or focus. So if you had a player in athlete running toward you, you had
moves the folks
on the camera. Wrinkled follow focus to trying to
the player in focus
not easy, and something that I wasn't very get up.
Because a lot of the games were shot,
European tv,
began to shout during the middle of the day and if you ve got a high, some is not easy to find a particular year. Photographing, african team or a south american team
to give a detailed and faces, and I got some one or two decent, just never things.
when I was watching scotland, I was really just a found with a camera of cheering on every moment, robin taking pictures, but scotland
Perhaps we got sent home fairly early.
There was my stroke of luck because, if you
Working for a scottish newspaper. You went home with the team.
There was no way the scottish photographer.
on a salary and expenses we're gonna be able to be kept on
Gotta newspapers who just get their their photographs from
send again for years
and see for had this ruled
if you hadn't affiliation.
from one of the countries and a qualified for the tournament,
you were like one of those relied on the pitch of the final, and I was the only scott left side. I
quite believe it when I was given a pit, a pitch parcels
have fun
and I remember turning up the aztec at six in the morning second- really sleep in the games at twelve o clock
and I bribed makes good god. Listen whiskey,
and he allowed me to go from one end of it
to the other he can
penrose a massive stadium hundred twenty thousand people.
I can see my footprints in the jew in the grass behind me.
and I had- I guess it- was an epiphany in a way that I saw this is
beer.
Demolition am, I got lucky
twice in the final,
still than I was too young to recognise
Then I got a big picture.
You know the lens. The lands are used for that picture was probably
cost me about fifty dollars
there was a story, a great story.
the court, a final, the term
It was the hand of god where married a punch, the ball into the net, and they-
the person that got that
and where the ball is touching. Marriage on his hand, was a mixed,
photographer
who had an even crap your camera? The me
Was one of these ones retraction you? Why did alarm and
an agency I think them.
Stay, negotiated terms with that mexican photographer.
by that image of him, I think that I think I believe the number was thirty. Forty thousand dollars wishes.
And remain eighty six, especially too big to fail
back at it now
when he died
a clear position in an immense care when he died in turn.
my picture gain
but everywhere and yes,
as a special moment in this.
You can look at it for a long time
I was lucky. I just got
I was more nimble than I am and manage to give very close to him and he got on the shoulder a teammate mate,
and his eyes looked right at me, and the whole thing is this about
biblical, some symmetry loving
yeah I mean it's incredibly powerful you, you brought up to kind of fascinating
notions, though, in your sharing the story, which is there the notion
focus. You know, because specially then, like you say, you're sitting there with a ring trying to dial in the focus all whole time when someone's irving and so to capture that one shot. It's like you have one chance or we're talking film. Also we can just hit a button and and rattle whole bunch of digits into a nasty card. You know
you ve got a limited amount of capacity in this thing, you're holding in your hands, it's just an entirely different constraint.
Creatively. Oh, I think.
Working with sir changing films, because
Even then the motor drives web were
Nor do I think
over six frames a second
that meant that if you had your finger down, you'd have to change your film.
conceivably after six seconds
Would you can't do in the in the melee off
one of the great moments
what you have to
because if you have to change your film in that
the chaotic situation, you done so, there were
the trade now
so then the people there,
now in the younger ages of their photographic career,
They have a much much easier. We had two, it was a technical
game in terms of knowing, if you
six images you better use.
I mean I, I wonder what the effect is, even if its subconscious on
the way that you train your eye and the way that he chews yeah on on how intentional you are when you actually put your finger on the trigger, I think, is whether it be
some consciously or not,
far less pitches than other people.
When I'm in the field-
sometimes I don't really do while my photography so much these days, but using
I'm gonna, be
the migration of
crossing a river in kenya, tanzania,
and he's here, these guys
their finger on the motor dries and there, the poorest
the size and- and I
I've. Never done that's not
not suggesting is the wrong thing to do, but
in the same way the brevity is the soul of wits in rising. I think
if your moment press the trigger.
It's interesting right, because if you can hold your finger down and grab a thousand images in a remarkably short amount of time and then pick the one or two that look really stunning. Is that
How do you define that in terms of craft in terms of art, vs and more the way you do it or more? The way that you read it was done more often with film, like is
Is it simply about
What does that final one or two image looked like indeed judge everything based on that or is it more about the craft and the process?
important for me, never to
dictatorial as to what the rights
Two days for other people book is that,
presumptuous
is what suits that individual? What
suits me is
the less is more and remember that
cameras just to convert the piece of metal
when your eye
and what's in front of your eye,
if you have the shattered down for one minute,.
That relationship is lost by
by definition.
I remember going to africa, not too long gonna trip and I came back and had taken fifteen photographs the whole time
because it wasn't anything fair enough
There is a well known americans,
for that you are from that genital jim Richardson, and is he said
if you want to be a better photographer, put more interesting stuff in front of the camera, and
can a platitude, but it's so on the money and rice and
Is important not
to feel the need to photograph.
if you get a restaurant and
restaurant is an expert
it's restaurant and they give you as attempts in america
give you an enormous bowl of pasta,
of course I'm gonna try
thirty nine. Ninety nine!
you shouldn't feel the need to finish it
you could have as much about past as you want, but don't
if you don't do not hungry?
in the same way, I only
and to press the trigger when
there's a reason today does sometimes, if you're, if you do
our position is just to go on a mom you're gonna miss the one moment and
I've got a few examples of that. Over my time
where is sometimes just a question of waiting and looking
removing the camera from your eye and just watching
and I guess part
Might might well be from the days of film where you had to be economic and selective yeah
I wonder some at times we have those imprints and they just kind of stay with us, even though the actual physical constraint is no longer there yet like the age.
story of near the person who puts the rest in the oven and always cuts the two ends off before they put it in and, finally, that the kid s among, why do you do that is because yet
persons mother illegal back in the day, couldn't afford a large enough of into they'd have to cut the two ends after fitted. In that
becomes their tradition that carries on the end and is never really question.
The.
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when interesting moment, because you know you
Are your dynamics, you catch this early image? You clearly have the bug you come back and then, when you decide I'm going to I'm going to step out into the world of you and figure out how to make my bones, you have a choice to make. The choice is effectively between the world of finance, which you know becomes one opportunity for you and the world of image making and
choose finance
it doesn't seem like it was a clean choice.
It wasn't, I think you
to go back to
Nineteen. Eighty eight when I meet
that decision I done the olympics had and cover the olympics, the winter olympics in.
in category
that, for what is now called guess he images
I was so excited to be there, but the
A lot of photographers there
The blue ribbon event was the man's downhill courson
I wasn't strong enough to be given the pitch on the course I was down where the scheme
He came in
turn round and they lifted their time and the bay
cures. In those days were all swiss. There's a guy called bermondsey breakin, imprinted miller. They were they kind of them
big stars, the men's downhill.
I had a fantastic time, but
I was looking around for happy people in the press corps with the cameras people that sir
could be role models for me, maybe and to twenty years old. The may seem to have got.
Nice that I aspire to have.
And I met some very nice to some of whom are great friends now, but
didn't nestling spar to want to have the life there. They were having
and it struck me that their
jobs were very much fleet
ST being at the right place at the right time, recording the moment and their ability to get
the other people haven't, got.
Even then the cameras and improves and of law
was marginal.
so. I was slightly disillusioned with that that I didn't see. There are
better than me. But I didn't see anyone. I sat. These kids have heroes. I didn't see many people have said
you're. Forty five years
your life really sources, and also you making a lot of money.
That's my son, one dimensional.
the current sided with.
Oliver stones, film wall street.
it seemed to me. The bud fox gordon
if were making a lot of money and
That was the era where everyone wanted to be
Michael call. This play lars poker on the floor asylum, brothers or whatever
because I got an economics degree, I'm working with
people in Edinburgh that role steamer everyone
joining morgan stanley. J P, morgan goldman sachs, Marilyn's, sudden brothers, so.
Seemed a bit of an outlaw for me to go and do something that
was so left field, there was a bit of it.
Until pressure as well. I guess-
but I think that some farren on maybe on on my dad, is passed.
I was largely my decision.
He's all my friends are doing it.
And it seemed like this
preordained pass.
I don't regret it. I don't regret that decision at all. I I met
Some extraordinary people and
I remember going into dealing room the five hundred people in london
you go to ground zero, very quickly, your taught humility, you you
cards. You learned from the ground up
and you surrender yourself of people that are smarter than you,
but my cameras away and, of course,
had nothing to really talk about investment banking because I didn't know what I was doing. Such
I continue to share my picture maradona, but I did that the cameras gather dust because a bit like.
Clearly, the the topic does you're an investment banking is a service first year as a first year as a gomes goldman sachs that are working ninety five hours a week. I wasn't
working ninety five hours a week, but I was
hard enough that you really any hobbies.
the thrown out the door freddy fairly early on so
You don't get on the hamster wheel and
once you're on that hamster wheel is very difficult to get off it.
So I would go to sport events as a spectator.
And I'd wave at my old makes on the pitch that sir ever threatened setting.
And they love a man,
there was the expression in the uk in the eightys, the acronym yuppie,
which, when you know you're a city banker and they'll, go there's ethic yuppie up in afghanistan,
so am I went from being on the way
stood
What's she understands the ask me
That story isolating resonate strongly with me. I was the artist as a kid and then entrepreneurs in an honest and ended up in moscow
and then I ended up at the us see in that. I ended up in a delicate one of the giant firms in new york, I'm in securities law, and am
there it is
really sexy really quickly the money that's being thrown at you and the sense of power and prestige and status vienna and everyone else around use doing it. It's very.
to say no to that and then try makes
ask yourself is: is a whole different proposition, yet we are even worse than me. Then he went from an artist
virtually an artist, a trader and a thief. You had to be whistleblower, but then
let's sides- and I was representing the people during the day- also add a fourth full spectrum experience.
You know you end up staying in the game for for a pretty decent amount of time, I think you're a natwest for eight years. Ninety five as you launch your own fund and yet
happening in the back on your building a liking for building a family around the assumption that this is going to be like what things look like.
nine eleven happens and
you are a boy
prevent. Maybe
crash and in a way that so many others warrant, maybe just at a particular spot at a particular moment in time and you
the call
changes a lot of things for you.
Yeah. I'm gonna look back on it and I think
lucky because I focused on europe's
inequities and uk equities and
the time the first plane went in, of course,
market hadn't opened but
London was, it was locked,
time in london, I was in america,
and soon the
will we can away because
The autumn's never get time for still markets, never was a mosaic, and
sir, and I was always
lived under the dixie monsieur gonna panic panic early
I think that was a warren buffett. Saying
when them, when the,
plain went in
I was what she cnbc light because
many people marks homes was the anchor man
but when he saw them the hall
when the first got a chance to look at the whole, I've looked back when he when Marfa, when he passed,
they played is commentary which is very good impetus in this twenty minutes.
and then
I just decided that from a risk perspective,
Let's just sell everything and.
when I made that decision it was like it was a big committee thing to do. I had one other partner, and I forget-
but the trading firm was whether been more did stand near you bs, but we were
two to exit.
Like to make it very clear that we didn't profiteer from it. We just
remove the possibility of our clients losing money from it.
and so when the second plane, when, of course, we all knew what was going on and
Then the blue.
Markets fell what twenty five percent and in that x
During that time we had no exposure, and then I think
it was the following. Friday said ten days afterwards,
so we just gently nebo back in and yeah
I ll be the first to say. I think I was I'd, give myself up,
six and a half seven out of ten.
As shop manager wouldn't be any higher than that, I think of it. Of his conservative steady. I was ethical
I worked hard. I cared for the investors and
I was worried about not making sure we didn't listen money, so we ended up making six percent in that month them and then.
And then, of course, the did, the haughty empty babylon wound fairly aggressively and andor. We were the right side of that,
I knew my tanzania and I didn't like some of the fairly aggressive accounting was going on.
So we went from being a small firm to knock
such a small firm and employ,
an awful lot of people, and
You stole it was not
something that I ever thought would happen that we would be running going from
Running monies, your friends and family too,
the governor of singapore and teachers in ontario, and
farm in montreal,
these massive funds round the world,
with two young. I wasn't really well equipped for it and people's lives
the old davy sonny I get time I was
I was there
it was incredibly stressful and sir, I was just
aware of the facts. It
you really are a new skittish, your last month's trading and even go from being a here. It is very, very quickly. Yeah me
it, SAM, it's a better brutal business from the outside. Looking anything alot of folks say what that is. He here,
It is the ultimate aspiration. Yeah, like everyone wants to build this giant business with a ton of money under management, and yet the stress- and I think some people or are wired in a way where somehow they can kind of wake up in the morning and and be okay with that and roll with it, but alive
people are not, and I think, if you're, the type of person also who genuinely feels beholden to doing right to others and you kind of start to get the sense that
we lessing control than you think you are even if you're doing all the right. Things can be of a brutal,
psychological burden to be holding
a daily basis. The up
I think this rising and those with
these were what was
skill set it,
skill set it was,
There were still
the opportunities to arbitrage information, so you could.
Leverage the gap between
Perception in reality, if you knew your companies well, those days are gone. What what? What
active lab is doing
is now illegal, because I would
and that's the whole. Aren't you the premise of being a stockbroker from manager? Nine inequities. If she were saved,
What is your unique selling point
The reply information they gave up go straight to prison. If that is unique, selling point is
information, that's the wrong answer. Where is it?
Ninety ninety eight- it was the right answer.
Just shows how much has changed in twenty five years. My strength was,
It's in a company management very well, take them out for dinner
Finally, a business was
given the one the one.
and some
the charge them into.
the margin, even if just body language, having a better feel of-
How they're here,
Progressing versus the mark, whether that be good or bad
You can't do that now, that's illegal yeah! I mean it
As you are building all of this in the background and the world is changing, the market is changing and, as you said, you were really struggling in at this was something where it was
taking too long you on your life or relationships on your well being then
I guess it was oh eight
Think made off happens there
It's interesting right because you weren't him, but
you know a lot of people in the markets know this that the same core group of investors tend to spread money across a whole bunch of different people they perceive as or like a similar level of similar way. So
When that happens. It sounds like so many p.
Became skittish about where that money that they just started redeeming and it sounds like in it
the blink of an eye. You went from managing
very large amount of money too.
A fraction of that because everyone was just like. Can I get my money back please,
I was the proverbial atm, because when I set the fund up there weren't many of these funds knocking around side roads in the prospectus. If you want your money back, you can have
back in a week.
The people there give me money were my mum,
people like that, sir,
never changed it. I was never one for changing the rules, so
I didn't say I knew who suffer feeder fun, sir
made of warlike, fairfield, greenwich and stuff like that
when that when lehman went down on that monday, I was
very cautious on the scottish banks that had some
on three hundred years of a culture of prudence had regressed into a culture of sales
almost a year or two and then
The balance sheets were were waiver extended, so we were short that whole area
I'm coming into December.
We only lost three or four percent of people's money and by the way that we could have done better them given
bearish. We were on the banks, but some of the time,
of apportioning hers.
And the final two or three
weeks the and, of course, if you get a wave of redemptions
have to sell to pay for their ways
redemptions and
so really kind of. Whilst I
we recovers and managed to have some good years after that
It was the moment in time were, I said to myself: you know it
I was then
that stage, I was forty forty one forty two years old.
And my life had blown up, my marriage had blown up my business.
blown up,
I didn't think I done an awful lot wrong ready, but
I want to play the victim at all,
because I must have done something wrong.
but I felt that it was not time to try and take control of my life and try and do things were.
I'm not gonna be served hostage to exert genus variables to double.
step two things beyond your control of course, saying that
so stupid in time,
twenty one after a year.
Pandemic, where we have all been hostage sittings beyond our control, but.
I think that some that's more complete one off, whereas what happened with
the banking crisis and lemon and
Prime, not everyone is exposed
If you could, there were ways where you you didn't necessarily need to be exposed to. So I mean
you hit this moment where
It's almost like everything all structures, although the pillars in your life
can a fall apart, simultaneously
curious,
So you reaches moment of reckoning aim, mr, like ok. So what now? Where do we go from here? I'm forty something old guy who has yet.
done a lot of really interesting cool good things, but also has like a little bit of a trail of ashes behind me right now. But I have a lot of years left ahead of me
How do you make the decision?
that says: ok, whatever
Cause I have little experience. I have would have relations that ships. I have formed a couple of decades in this particular world. Now I'm gonna step
into that thing, that
Let me up in my way teens and early twenties and the sea.
what happens here or or was that even the thing, or was that more like a retreat and a coping mechanism during that particular window after two thousand and eight
there was a lot of hate directed towards bankers. Understandably,.
and when I left banking- and I looked back
that some of my friends, not a friend's within the industry,
it is an inch. I think that what is peopled
and the investment banking side by
collective. That has a lot of common sense.
Plurality of skill sets work ethic
honours ilona cases. But, of course it is
It has been vilified. One of this
two things about investment banking is the most
for that have done well in it
I've done a lot of research
People start off his endless researching in industry
in the same way that year,
The people are writing five hundred page notes on crypto currency now and then,
important job. I would
writing two hundred page notes on some parts of the retail industry.
It wasn't such a big gap to bridge
from looking it certain
actors in the market. I specialize a little bit in oil and gas services. Did
passing off with a blank sheet of paper
And say I'm gonna become a scholar on the history of photography on the history of commercial photography, and that's it
actively. What I did I came home in the evenings.
very miserable
if you're funds not doing well.
What are you, indian evening?
and they want to see a future clod. Certainly they want to see
you can look at your stocks that are
not perform a few again asking to make me very miserable site
I am,
Started to work every night on on where I
there is a gap in the
Commercial photography, market
and I wrote a paper which did
Made me very popular in some parts of,
If photography industry is a bit like in melbourne,
jerry maguire tom cruise rights, his piece about
border management agency should look after in ireland
sports stars and give them more personal attention
it was his or
I think peace and he put it, he remember he got he put it in everyone's cubbyhole and then he got fired forty eight hours later in the restaurant I kind of did the same except
On red tom cruise space, whereas no one really read mine other than a few people that one
What I was up to and my
Inclusion to the peace was that.
The only way really to make money from photography
longer term scale,
if you could Ellen
you're photography to place where
we considered art and were used,
get a position in the market place where you're
and integrity was strong enough that
it would be self propagating and people would pay a high price
for your art and I wrote that paper bites
there are probably start of writing about ten eleven years ago. The central premises and I tweet it and use a lot of examples. I became kenneth encyclopedia.
John on.
On the last thirty forty years of of photography, I worried
because I've got a lot of major sports photographers and you you look. It.
Just look at sports illustrated now as a magazine and compare it to
twenty five years ago. For me, three times is thick twenty five years ago.
the editorial staff was probably through
times bigger than that. Not then it is not and enough
was a combination of our policy.
we of tv channels streaming
thirst for immediacy.
Why would you want to buy a magazine?
four days after a big event,
you can get everything you need the following morning, Anderson,
the sized a lot with the.
strong, very talented people within that. Instead of fleet street,
couldn't see is at an end
where there is already too much content as sea.
That was going to change? I was gonna, get besson and getty images, which is a problem
providers.
for us in the world
it very nearly went bust parliament.
It was saddled with too much private equity debt
I think the family than she had taken over from carlisle card.
partners of income. Silly, I don't know
Criticism of that
Today it is
an insight into the world where the price per contents following fallen so but
paper about how to achieve this
and doing or to totally separate things. It wasn't it.
corruption from my career path, in suggestions as to how someone could do it:
the notion that I could do it
was always a far bigger challenge. Writing paper itself under the paper ready said anything that
was to contentious to me, and it was whether,
I had the ability which then I didn't
to be able to take
that road map
and from tat
and and twelve thirteen to now there has been some
blockades on the road and
there will be many more I'm sure going forward, but
It's funny when I
I can tell you stories his car funny story
a week ago. I was
She won't mind this. I was up in
fiscal, the yellowstone club, where you get an awful on these matters,
going out- and I was having.
a conversation.
The table discussing
paris hilton how gonna work with her.
the following week and
I'd never met her before she. She was very mannered, charming plight.
Heavy glasses surpass people can recognize, earn all
the table there were her fiance and then very famous for
that would be in the wall street journal on a regular basis and, of course, people
out of manners were very reluctant to come up and sailor
and then someone.
Twenty minutes into our meeting came over to our table.
Here we go and then
to me and said: you're David yeah, I myself,
I don't believe that's happened here, like I didn't think I was going to be. The one people will be elected, that's funny
but that's been alone red, and
and.
And it's not sir.
We ve got I've got a lot to do and I'm still ass a girl early in it some early
journey in my best pitches are ahead of me, but we ve got
it's a position where it is self.
Budgeting because
rightly or wrongly.
we have a.
Distribution model with our galleries round the world or
represent us to be able to work with very strong people,
because we can raise a lot of money for charity with them or in collaboration with them, and
the things come easier for us now them of course
than they did in the beginning were,
It was very tough yeah.
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I mean was fascinating to me. Also. Is that when you-
right that paper and you finish it, like. You said
become pretty encyclopaedic on the history and also advocate. This is my theory of of how somebody would succeed in this world in a sustainable way
and, as you said, you you soon knew that you weren't that person at that moment in time. But
clearly something inside of you said, but
I think I might be able to be.
You know enough enough to effectively say I'm going all in on this to see what I can make happen. There is no doubt in my mind that the most
important factor in
the able to have built business as normal
Tell him that would be incredibly arrogant to say that there are so many talented photographers around. I think,
I know what I'm doing and have made enough mistakes by learning how to fail. You learn how to get it right. The big
fact, sir- and this might surprise you.
Is actually out of my pain of my marriage, not working.
I decided I wasn't gonna get remarried and
got my kids
full of admiration, the people that can turn
complicated licence and even more complicated life by getting married again, nothing more children and definite have this modern family
I wasn't strong enough emotion it.
To do that and that, with my kids, aware
more universities now allotted
may not nestle, be selfish
The single minded kiss-
in two thousand and nineteen.
Think I took two hundred and thirty five flights,
in two thousand and nineteen
if I was married, she's gone
Ways, animals gonna put up with that
Yes, you do get husband and wife relationships where they go together as a team
I would imagine that tests, even the best first exodus
that I was able to just
This is what I'm good my roads redemption.
was one of being on the road, a lot of people
I speak to a photography should be very collegiate. I talked to a lot of photographers and they say
David,
beat against anyone need. This is not about competition.
first question, I asked someone who
wants to embark on what I've done it
What about cameras, as
Tell me about home. Tell me about your home homeless,
tell me about your family is,
if you're gonna do this
you're gonna, be on the road. Yeah
in its part of the debate
again, at least to shoot. The way that you chose to shoot. A part of my curiosity is like clearly, you are running toward something you saw this thing out. There saying this is what I'm working to try and make happen
did you have any sense that you are simultaneously running from something
just before answer that
you're on the road. For two reasons, you're on the road
should you content and that
important no you're on the road to sell them. You can you can
I'm in Dallas right now-
where in a normal year, would have a thousand people come to the opening? I have to be there
I have to go and work that market sea of you.
Your cameras away in a year. I will spend more time. Marketing then
taking pictures been a bit more
What was I was out on the road I think
I'm my own biggest critic. I think that
I got two states. Why didn't like myself very much and.
if you're gonna go for it, you ve gotta go for it. You ve got to attack.
I think you have to give it
Suddenly made everything.
An observation I'd make is that a lot of.
Photographers, have good
better balance in their lives, and I ask- and I take my hat off to the fact that these
prioritized other things,
I wish perhaps tonight
a better balance in my life, but I'm happy where I am,
and
My kid, sir love them too
soon after the lovely point in my life. In some
you gotta, be a satanist analysis is discovered the way things are worked out there,
over that this intervening time, the last decade or so. Like you said you have, you have built birth, a crime,
if you put in the time in the work and built the deer,
following the structure of the people, the system to be actually create actually create fantastic art and also
you know a strong sustainable living out of this and not that it set it and forget it, lady. She just said you're in a hotel in Dallas right now, because you, you have
to be consistently out there, both shooting and sometimes a marketing and selling
and you have also in your work,
extraordinary images that maybe you're not going to use this language, but that I would call iconic images images like mankind, where you know you're in south sudan, in a dinka cattle camp was you know, high on a ladder
taking a shot that you would then bring back and effectively really
It's not just the trajectory of your career, but that image is so
extraordinary. You can look at that image you there and just stand in front of it. I feel for
definite amount of time and keep seeing more and more and more in their something that it does
to you,
you think of the links that
you have gone to that you do.
Oh too, and that you will go to to capture images like that.
The costs that, u way.
When making those decisions to do that and our yours comparable with those decisions and those costs money
Steven Spielberg and
but a couple of london and decent. But here is a filmmakers score says in redly, scarp spielberg, probably my I'm.
that's not a particularly contentious here as a kind of mainstream here at all,
Spielberg was interviewed about a few years ago and he said his biggest fear.
And this is a man
so our attention through jaws than close encounters.
e t, indiana jones saving, primarily cinders, this jurassic park. The world goes on and on
His biggest fear was boring people.
I mean this: is anyone is earned the right not to have that fear scenes wilbur? I have that fear. My my day
fear is being monday
because we are the most content sports generation ever to have lived.
It is very easy to take a lame photograph.
So I spend an awful lot of time. We, as it
We spend a lot of time.
Analyzing, two things number one. Is it
antic.
is a creative, and I was
I could mention the other day built up Victoria's secret into until of
struggled with the culture. We have now
is saying, was, is not created if it doesn't sell
and I this very true,
creativity has to be.
from a commercial policy, so we
of two filters manner: a filter of authenticity, creativity
and they move assault, filter of commercial policy
few three hundred ideas into a pot
I think that the the the the
creativity, side, the
ability to be authentic is gonna, knock out
percent of those ideas
got ten ideas left
the commercial policy one will not carry a lot of those ten remaining ideas
Let me give you an example. I you could. I could turn round say you know,
I'm sure in the sewers of Dallas right now. That's very big rats
I could go.
I'm photograph the rats in
years of dallas and people.
That's very plausible, because no one's done that before and it's to be from a technical point,
active is gonna, be
for a challenging, but who,
to put a pitcher rats and answer on the wall. So what's the point, we are
our database
I showed this to some of the other day and he was laughing. He said David because I get I get stick. I know
people want when they want to get me here. Is a few bits invisible. You know,
he's a businessman is not a photographer. He looks
the return on capital employed of his projects.
Dead right? I do
dead right, I'm gonna look at the return caps employ because in the very same way the netflix do exactly the same thing that doesnt not
mean that they're very good produces of original content, but
gonna spend years.
Date we spent a million dollars filming
a million dollars on. I think eleven different projects.
Every morning I'll get a sheet.
In descending order.
of the return on capital employed so far of those projects.
to somewhere. We have not made a penny so far because of the people and seen the content, so
we did. I do look at it from a perspective of what does it cost
both financially and emotionally.
Tomorrow I started my waking up to the bearing straits between
Russia unalaska gonna fly,
on four planes
and often in ireland,
in the middle of nowhere with a hundred people living in the cabin with
into a community
Miles from anywhere, that's me about two days to get there
and then I've got one guidance, the moroccan minus thirty degrees.
Would I rather spend
two or three days.
On the beach in california may mate
you, know I've kind of a
a bad so go to sleep on it.
I wanted to dip into his recent
come full circle. Our conversation, what I see a sort of a convergence of the the
domains you ve played in over the last thirty years, finance technology and photography
form of these things
old, nf tease.
There is listening that are not deep into this. I'm sure you ve seen a popping up all over the place, non fungible tokens which are effectively really combat
two things, but their effectively ways for something
To treat to give ownership
to a digital piece of art
and have it authenticated, but also for-
the original creator, in your case a photographer to say, I am also going to keep a continuing interest. So if this thing get soul today for ex dollars, you know
it gets sold a hundred times over the next ten years, every time it resolved. If the depreciate and value your eye,
get ten percent whatever. That upside is. Is this
Rapidly emerging world, they ain't there's a lot of confusion around it. Some people are extraordinarily excited about, especially on the creator side, and some people are
mad haters, I'm curious, and- and this really ties together- you, like your background in finance and analyzing- what's really happening here and you're
focus on the fact that this is both a craft and a business. What's your take
it's early days for me in terms of my
Play some the learning curve,
What's funny the reason I'm going to LOS angeles
of our time
all day tomorrow is to have meetings on it.
and we ve had over the last three
We ve had a lot of inquiries. I dont think
that this any such thing. As a sure thing,
and that's my financial background telling me that
I was too much with the cycle of Warren Buffett, said believe in the sure thing, the one way
That's the no downside so.
That would be wrong with me.
during five of these
in conjunction with some very creative people potentially pop.
in a couple hundred thousand dollars and.
That would be some. You didn't expect a few days ago. The rule-
to me- is the
people that of investors.
In my heart, I didn't like the expression vest collected,
presented the art show
be a bites investigation by work that you like.
not with a view to bringing up solid base in three or four months,
Years time
because auction houses, you know,
then there will be as high as margie game kicks in the world.
and it might be fine if you ve- got a banks, your basket, but with my work,
gonna have to go up an awful lot for it.
To change your life after southern. These are taken their thirty one.
from the barn centre-
I just worry that.
and I dont know the answer, but if
is a bubble,
it bursts
someone's ended up.
Losing ninety percent of their value in something that has my name attached to. It
I can do without that, because we haven't had that so far, so
do I need to take that risk.
The only thing I'd say against that is this big.
I believe, has credibility, and it has-
each week goes by
It has more credibility because of some
the parties
of afforded credibility, whether that be goldman sachs domiciled,
a bit more responsible for the rise of that kind and I think
people recognise and then you get
Very famous american investors, like.
really credible people that you would hang on their everywhere, like pulcher Jones.
Advocating the peoples,
five presented their net worth encrypted currency.
I would never play poker again
Fourchan regions, I would never really play anything against him
Because he's far broader than me by a long way,
I didn't markedly better than the camera. I don't know that
four bride.
And those people,
had supported bitcoin
I made a lot of money factions in them. Well,
be supportive of this trend in the art world and
I therefore I don't think he's gonna burst imminently,
but that still doesn't mean that
a necessarily want to get him for what I am fascinated by the creative process. Some
native guys has taken some my pictures
and turned it into.
multi media, digital products,
and I'm blown away by their creativity. So as a platform
By people can show how talents and their here's another platform, but.
I'm gonna, I'm scottish, I'm concerned.
There's a rumour that scots people are tight, we're not gonna. Miss generous people in the world provided
provided we win at something, but I think we're
where were prudent and I'm getting
I'm not gonna jump in there
But I'm watching it like you are,
and I'm fascinated
the first thing you said is the idea that the artists can continue to benefit as an end
in proposition, I think, watch the space, but I'm not gonna be doing anything tomorrow. Yeah now
they were probably have a similar take on it, and the most interesting part of this to me is the potential for artists to
the continuing upside in perpetuity I'm in in their work. I think it's their lot.
Stating conversations and opportunities at my gratitude but yeah watch
Space, I think, is where a lot of us all right now feel
good place for us to come full circle as well, sir, in this container of your life project. If I offer up the phrase to living life, what comes up.
to live a good life. Follow your passion, be kind
Try as much as possible.
can never be the smartest guy in the room over surround the selfish
People that are smarter than you being
did rather than interesting. I want, and I'm really so bored and myself already want to speak to people
I had the fortune of
studies, in times the Dallas cowboys quarterback the other night and there
I'm so much more interested in his life.
but boring human life as well, but
I love meeting fascinating people and talented people and
I am a great believer that.
my heroes despair,
you don't work hard and.
every job, your job, my job
has heavy lifting.
There's no job doesnt have some heavy lifting involved liquor
The quarterback some love were within collaborated with Tom Brady little extraordinary achievement
gender. The sheer that's an
Without hard work, people can.
Talk about.
Beautiful homes in this beautiful family. Well,
he's doing Jim four hours a day. Thank you.
Hey. I hope you enjoy that so before you leave. If you loved this episode safe bet, you will also really love the conversations that we had with mark man who assist tremendous photographer, who has captured so many icons of film stage, business performance and life in these dunning hyper, close of hyper vivid images and his back story is really funny and really tremendous and similar to David Europe. There also both from Glasgow. The other person I think you'd really enjoy, is a conversation that we had with artist peter timely, who actually started his career in the world. The biotech and similar to euro ended up dropping into this world of art, and then one day waking up and saying I am an artist and from that point forward, devoting himself for hardly to it and building a stunning career in almost every form of media. His work cut. It defies categorization. If you want to listen to either or both of those conversations, you can just click on the link in the show notes now and be sure to download those episode, sir they're ready to flick and play when you're on the go. And, of course, if you haven't already done so be sure to follow a good life project in your favorite listening up, so you never miss in episode and then share good my project with friends, because when ideas become conversations that lead to action, that's when real change takes hold, see you next time.
Transcript generated on 2023-06-17.