I stumbled upon photography entirely by chance at the age of 15. Unsure of my future path after finishing school, I chose to stay on for college (Sixth Form in the UK) to give myself an extra couple of years to figure that out.

None of the academic subjects or the school environment particularly resonated with me, but photography caught my attention among the options available. I'd never picked up a camera or experimented with any creative outlets, but I'd always been the adventurous type, and something about capturing moments appealed to me.

Using money saved from my paper round, I bought a budget camera from my school, hoping to get to grips with it over the summer holidays, unaware that this casual interest would soon evolve into a consuming passion. I spent the entire summer out in nature behind the lens and at home in front of the computer, learning everything I could about cameras and editing on YouTube. When I returned to school six weeks later, my photography tutor couldn't believe how much I'd progressed, and while I still had a LOT to learn, photography was already beginning to feel like a natural calling.

Little did I know then that I'd just set the foundations for a journey that would shape my life in ways I never could have imagined.

In the stories section of my website, I've selected a handful of my favourite projects from over the years, including photo editorial pieces I've shot and written for the likes of Red Bull and others.

Finding Home: Reflections on Uganda was the first time I opened up publicly, and I spoke about a topic I've always felt drawn to advocate for - mental health. I woke up on the day of release feeling intense dread and anxiety about what I'd chosen to share, but the feedback turned out to be immensely positive.

Ridgelines & Resilience recalled Gee's infamous 'Knife Edge' crash, the intense recovery process, and his return to riding on his 'Ridgeline' series. It was the first significant piece of editorial work I did, and it ended up sitting on the front page of Red Bull for an entire week, which was a pretty surreal feeling.

68 Degrees North: The Story of Harstad Bike Park saw me spend a week in Northern Norway documenting the opening of Harstad Bike Park and the surrounding community. I had always wanted to visit the region, so this was already a unique opportunity, but nothing could have prepared me for what I'd find when I got there.

The Art of Risk Taking followed professional mountain biker Johny Salido's journey through Red Bull Hardline. The sport may appear intimidating to an outsider, but it's far from reckless, and striking a balance between sporting progression and risk management is a fine art. With this story, I wanted to dive deeper into the psychology of these "risk-takers" and showcase a side of the sport rarely showcased in the media.

Kaos' Kiwi Chaos documented four weeks on the road with Kaos Seagrave in New Zealand. Our time there was a rollercoaster journey filled with many frustrations, and we wouldn't change a thing.

Athertons: Since we began working together in 2017, I've been grateful to document a significant chunk of their history, from the birth and progression of Dyfi Bike Park and Atherton Bikes to their racing successes and Gee Atherton's 'Ridgeline' projects.

Velosolutions: Since 2018, we've developed a great working relationship and documented some exciting events and projects, including their UCI Pump Track World Championship Series and our trip to Uganda with Pump for Peace in 2023, which brought one of my favourite stories to date - Finding Home: Reflections on Uganda.

Red Bull: When I embarked on my photography journey, working with Red Bull was a pinnacle career ambition. Over the years, I've been fortunate to work with them on many events and projects, including the Hardline series, their Athlete Performance Camps, and different projects and story pieces worldwide. They've played a significant role in my career and produced some of my most exciting photo stories.

Photography Mentoring: In 2022, Positive View Foundation and Red Bull invited me to provide mentoring as part of an initiative to help kids from less privileged backgrounds find careers and opportunities through photography. It was an absolute honour and something I hope to do more of in the future.

Artistry is an extension of self – immerse yourself entirely into your craft.

There is no right or wrong path; you create your own. Move towards inspiration and authenticity, worrying less about the 'how' and more about the 'why.' In my experience, the times when I've been most aligned with myself are when opportunities and solutions have presented themselves in the most unexpected ways.

It will take a lot of hustle from your side, too, which is why it's so essential to hold onto your 'why' and learn to enjoy the process. I've slept on countless airport floors, lived off free press room snacks, and walked no end of miles to save money on transportation when that was the only way of making things happen. I spent years anxious and unsure whether or not things would work out, but reminding myself of why I was doing it enabled me to push beyond my comfort zone and sacrifice what I wanted at that moment for what I wanted for myself later.

Tune into your intuition and figure out what's calling you. It's often subtle, but it's there. Don't overthink it; doing something is always better than doing nothing. With your vision in mind, focus on the steps you can take right now to bring you closer to your goals and let the momentum carry you. Throw yourself into as many different situations as you can. They won't all amount to something, but the little things add up, and the dots connect in ways you can rarely foresee. Consistent, small actions lead to big results.

Finding your niche takes time, but it's one of the best investments you'll ever make. Nobody can do you better than you, and every person has something unique to bring to the world. Finding your niche will elevate your career more than anything else, and you only find that by throwing yourself entirely into the journey.

Don't let your current circumstances define your future. Start with what you have now and play the cards you've been dealt. Don't worry about your equipment or current surroundings; some of my favourite photos have been taken on an iPhone in the most mundane situations. There is opportunity and art in every situation, a narrative waiting to be brought to life in every moment. Recognising these opportunities as they arise is a skill that can be developed, something I like to call the art of observation.

Finally, be a good person. If you're genuinely interested in other people, people will be genuinely interested in you. You could have the best work in the world, but none of it matters if people don't want to work with you. Be kind and curious about life, and focus on honing your craft in ways that feel authentic to you, and the universe will move mountains for you in ways you can't imagine.

Inspiration is elusive; it can manifest as a quiet, intuitive calling or burst forth as a loud, unavoidable 'ah-ha' moment.

I believe inspiration arises from the culmination of lived experiences, which our mind combines into tangible ideas once the noise dies down. Paradoxically, often, the only path to inspiration is to throw yourself into uncertainty and allow the flow state to consume you.

Now that I think about it, inspiration rarely comes to me; instead, I run towards it, and truthfully, there are no boundaries to where I am willing to search for it. In my early days as a photographer, my calling to the natural world and obsessive passion for adventure provided much of my inspiration. While this remains the case today, I've found many of my creative endeavours arise from a culmination of inward introspection and quiet observation as I unconditionally tune into my surroundings.

Nothing inspires me more than the challenge of seeking fresh perspectives and digging out the less obvious stories as they present themselves. The more I've tuned in to the subtle intricacies of humanity and the world around me, the more I've realised that inspiration is all around us, in every moment, just waiting to be unveiled.

I've been fortunate to visit some pretty special locations, but two spring to mind immediately.

Norway is among the most beautiful places I've visited for many reasons. Its landscapes are incredible, its history is fascinating, and the people are some of the most kind and welcoming I've met on my travels.

I had the pleasure of shooting a project in Northern Norway in 2022, 68 Degrees North - The Story of Harstad Bike Park, which I'd encourage you to check out if you're thinking about visiting. I got to experience Norway in an incredible light, and I've been dying to go back since - it's always the first place I'll recommend for people looking for a holiday destination.

Secondly, it would be New Zealand. I've spent a lot of time there over the years, and I've never grown bored of it. I love its laidback culture, and it's the ultimate location for adventurous souls looking to spend time amongst some of the best landscapes on Earth.

I've done some exciting projects there and spent a lot of time on vacation, too, notably a road trip from Queenstown to Auckland in 2020, which is still one of my favourite trips to date.

I primarily shoot on Canon, and my go-to kit includes the Canon R5 and RF 15-35, 24-70, and 70-200 lenses.

I transitioned from DSLR to mirrorless in 2022 and haven't looked back since. Before this, I used the Canon 5DIV with corresponding L lenses, which was a solid setup. However, moving to mirrorless felt like the natural next step and has proven to be a worthwhile investment.

In addition to my Canon gear, I use the DJI Mavic 3 drone, which allows me to capture unique perspectives and proves invaluable in scouting missions. The drone enables me to recce locations much more efficiently, although there's still plenty of hiking involved in my work!

For those moments outside of my professional work where having the camera to hand isn't appropriate, I rely on the iPhone 15 Pro, shooting in RAW, which does a great job of capturing moments that might otherwise be missed.

My choice of storage includes SanDisk Extreme Pro CFExpress cards for their speed and reliability. I also utilise SD cards as a backup, although the CFExpress has yet to let me down.

I carry all my gear in the Shimoda Action X40 V2 pack. It's sturdy, provides ample storage, and perfectly balances functionality and portability.

While I've upgraded my equipment over time, I always emphasise the importance of honing your creative eye, the most valuable asset in photography. I've always aimed to focus on the creative vision rather than becoming too overwhelmed by technology, and this setup allows me to work efficiently and reliably while maintaining a streamlined and lightweight approach.

I certainly do!

There's a timeless quality to seeing my photos in print, whether gracing the cover of a beloved childhood magazine or hanging on the walls of my home.

Explore the prints section of my website to discover a carefully curated selection of images that I believe would make a striking statement on any wall. Any photo you see on my website can also be printed upon request.

You can order right through this site, or if you have any questions or specific requests, feel free to reach out to me directly at prints@moonheadmedia.com, and I'll be in touch as soon as possible.

My approach to editing has evolved over the years, reflecting the continuous development of my personal style.

One thing that hasn't changed is my reliance on Adobe Lightroom - a powerful editing tool with an incredibly user-friendly interface, making it indispensable to my workflow.

I complete all of my selection and editing processes within Lightroom and use self-made presets I've created over the years to keep things fast and efficient. Presets usually get me 90% of the way; from there, it's just a case of fine-tuning a few adjustment sliders until it's spot on.

My choice of preset and editing style is influenced by the image and the feeling I'm trying to convey. Nowadays, I have a good idea right away of how I'd like a given image to look, but I still enjoy playing around and getting experimental with it all - there's always more to learn and discover!

I had the honour of joining Chris from the Downtime Podcast at the start of 2024, where we discussed my career, favourite projects, memorable stories, and much more. For a general overview of my life and career, that's the best place to start, and you can find it embedded further up this page.

In the stories section of this website, you'll discover a selection of my favourite photo editorial pieces and projects from over the years, offering a more in-depth look into the kind of work I'm currently doing. Additionally, you can find my Instagram below, the best place to keep up with my day-to-day happenings and adventures as they unfold.

Finally, if you're interested in collaborating with me in any capacity and would like to hear more about how we can work together, don't hesitate to reach out to me at dan@moonheadmedia.com, and I'll be delighted to chat!

Most important is continuing to align my creative endeavours with what feels most authentic and purposeful to me. Over the last two years, I've never felt more aligned with my work, but it hasn't always been that way.

In my chat with Chris on the Downtime Podcast, I opened up on the burnout period I went through in 2021 and how, during that time, I fell out of alignment with everything that had given me purpose up until that point.

It was a difficult time, but with it came a silver lining. Feeling as though I was entirely down and out allowed me to let go of my attachment to what had served me in the past and reassess my priorities and direction moving forward. At the turn of 2022, I began rebuilding myself and, in many ways, my career.

I began gravitating towards photojournalism and projects that allowed me to showcase life in ways that inspire others. I found purpose by shining light on lesser-seen narratives while advocating for topics I thought people could resonate with and benefit from. It was there that everything began to change for me. Things started to click into place, and 2022 and 2023 were the most progressive years of my career.

Continuing to align my work in authentic and inspiring ways is the top priority moving forward. 2024 is already looking to be the best yet, and I have a huge appreciation for all the amazing humans and brands who continue to support me with my creative endeavours!