David Julian | Instructor, Winter & Spring
Dave in Vietnam
About this Artist
Dave’s artistic career began with a BFA in Communications Design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. His career has included corporate art direction, graphic design, photography, photo-illustration and 3D assemblage. Currently, his images are in public and private collections, and in publications including Nikon World, Outside, NY Times, The Baltimore Sun, LA Times, National Geographic Traveler, Outdoor Photographer, Orion, PRINT, Islands, Zoom and Rangefinder. He has been host or guest on 10 episodes of Hit The Streets, The Beginner Photography Podcast, BlackRapid Radio, Photo Conver-sations, The FIX, and included in several books on photography.
For 25 years, Dave has instructed photography with the renown Santa Fe Workshops, Maine Media Workshops, Vancouver Photo Workshops, Photographic Center NorthWest, The Anderson Ranch and also at sea with UnCruise. For almost two decades, Dave has also taught creative photography and portfolio advancement at the University of Washington, the Art Institute of Seattle and for Seattle Creative Academy.
Dave has a passion for inspiring and guiding emerging and advanced photographers to understand the nature of light, to discover their unique personal vision and to reach new creative goals.
He leads his own cultural travel photography workshops in the
US, Mexico, Europe, India, Asi, Cuba and Vietnam. Dave consults for brands including Adobe, DXO labs, Sirui and Viltrox. He is a founding member of the Fujifilm X CREATORS photography team.
About this Work
This photograph is part of an ongoing series that explores the possibilities of photography when it is pushed beyond documentation and into experimental interpretation. Rather than recording a literal moment, I use in-camera multiple exposures, intentional defocus, and sometimes camera movement to create images that feel more like memories and dreams than fleeting observations.
This image combines three exposures made with a de-focused telephoto lens set to its widest aperture to push the visual effect. Layers of silhouetted figures, shimmering water, and luminous shapes merge into a scene that is both familiar and abstract—inviting viewers to complete the story with their own imagination.
What I love most about this process is its balance of spontaneity and intention. While chance plays a role, experience allows increasing control over each layer, opening the door to endless creative possibilities.
Sharing that creative journey and others has become one of the most rewarding parts of my work. I teach these techniques and many others in workshops throughout the Pacific Northwest, Santa Fe, New Enhland and Coastal Maine, helping enthusiastic photographers discover new ways to see, experiment, and create images unlike anything they’ve imagined or made before.
Beachside Aparition
David’s Email | Website | Workshops | Instagram | Fujifilm Creator Page
