About
For over 40 years my passion for photography has offered me a way to narrate my life under my terms. Giving a lot of pleasure as well as a sense of purpose.
Beginnings
Richard Davis is a British social documentary and portrait photographer.
He was born in Birmingham and is currently based in the North West of England. Davis became interested in photography in 1982 after taking a night school class. In 1988, he moved from Birmingham to study Photography at Manchester Polytechnic and has remained in the North West of England ever since.
Evolution
While living in Manchester, Davis began documenting life in Hulme, a run-down inner-city area. During this time he captured the area's large, brutalist concrete buildings and the people living there, including the community of squatters.
In the mid-1990s, Davis's photographs became particularly important when Hulme underwent significant changes, with buildings being demolished and the whole aesthetic of the area changing as the result of redevelopment.
Future
Over the past 20 years, digital technology has transformed photography, and Davis's work remains as relevant as ever. He welcomes change, skillfully blending traditional and modern techniques - combining film and digital processes. Davis is now occasionally referred to as a historian, which is something he finds amusing.
Today he derives equal pleasure from discussing and lecturing about his work and experiences as he does from capturing decisive moments with his camera.
The older I get the more I realise the importance of documentation, as we know life never stands still.
