DAVE SOUTH
ABOUT
I first picked up a camera in 2019, starting out with a Nikon D3400, and quickly realised how much I enjoyed creating images. At the time, photography was simply a hobby, something I could lose myself in and an escape from the stresses of everyday life.
After taking some time away from work, I spent a few days photographing motorsport at Castle Combe. That was probably the point where something changed. I realised I wanted to take photography more seriously and, in 2021, I went all-in on a Nikon D500. It became my main camera for the next five years and is still part of my kit today. In the summer of 2026, I added a Nikon D850 to the line-up.
Motorsport was originally where I thought photography would take me. I was fortunate enough to spend some time shooting trackside and received accreditation for several events during 2022, but for various reasons it wasn't something I was able to continue pursuing.
Then, as it often does, life got in the way.
I made the decision to leave Wales and relocate to Yorkshire, beginning what turned into a difficult couple of years, but ones that I don't regret. The move took far longer than expected and, shortly after finally settling into a new home, I found myself sitting in a meeting room being told my job was being made redundant.
Thankfully, I was able to move into another role and keep working, but photography inevitably took a back seat for a while. There were enough twists and turns during that period that one of my mates still tells me I could probably write a book about it.
By 2026, life had finally started to settle down and I found myself returning to photography with a renewed sense of purpose.
These days, I am putting as much time as I can into meeting people, getting involved in the local car scene and making it to as many shows and events as possible. The more people I meet, the more I realise that the cars are only part of the story. It is the owners, the friendships, the garages, the clubs and the communities around them that make car culture what it is.
That is what I want my photography to document.
I'm still building, still learning and still finding new stories to tell, but the aim is simple: to create images that capture more than just the car itself, and document the people and passion behind it.
Capturing the soul of car culture, one frame at a time.