With an intense passion for photography and extremely keen interest for the last nine years, it’s only been the last two years that Charles Davis has been able to turn this passion into a full-time occupation. Davis grew up on a large sheep farm surrounded by wildlife. Learning to track and follow animals in the bush was just part of life for him. And he’s used these skills well in his current pursuit. A specialisation in Australian wildlife, Davis’ niche focuses on alpine wildlife. Predominantly self-taught, he has honed his photographic skills via YouTube and a network of friends who were already established professionals.
Davis first got into photography when he was 21. A competitive snowboarder at the time, he was doing a great deal of travel and felt the need to capture the amazing things he was seeing. In Canada at the time, he took the opportunity to photograph bears and eagles. “It didn’t take me long to realise this was the photography I enjoyed most,” he says.
With his fair share of competition success, Davis has taken out two category wins and a number of runner-up placings for the Australian Geographic Wildlife Photographer of the Year. In 2015, he had an image Highly Commended in Nat Geo’s 100 Best Wildlife Photos. Last year, his work featured on the covers of Australian Geographic and Outback Magazine. He also opened his first gallery in 2017.
Working hard to produce sufficient material for his first book, Davis is also working with the BBC scouting and filming for the next big nature documentaries coming out in 2019. “It has been a lot of fun and an honour bringing the world I know so well to an international audience,” he says.
Davis’ dream is to capture the rest of Australia in the same way he approaches his alpine wildlife, from the mountains to the beach, the deserts and the forests. “I’m just going to keep taking photos and filming as much as I can and see where I end up. The main thing is that I keep having fun.” Davis admits that he never thought he would become a photographer, “but it ended up being the most organic result of the things I enjoy most in life.”
www.charlesdavisphotography.com
