Email: davidjshawphoto@gmail.com
Phone: +44 (0) 7791 101 072
Twitter: @davidjshawphoto
Insta: instagram.com/davidjshawphoto
David J Shaw is a photographer and journalist based in the UK, working both at home and internationally. Shaw works on a range of assignments and long term projects that explore community, identity and representation.
Alongside this, he carries out investigations and creates reportage into human rights and social issues. Shaw’s work is regularly recognised through awards, publications in leading outlets, grants and exhibitions and he is currently studying for an MA In Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at London College of Communication, for which he was awarded a scholarship.
Shaw represented London College of Communication at the 2012 London Olympics as an official torch bearer . He sold the torch on ebay and used the money to fund investigations in Gaza, Lebanon and India!
His first book 'Oh When The Blues' was published in 2016 after a successful kickstarter campaign. In 2018 he published his book 'England Fans In Russia' with an accompanying touring exhibition..
After a career pivot working in the emergency services, Shaw returns to photography with new skills and motivations. He is focusing on work documenting the UK's crumbling public services, and how this affects societies most vulnerable alongside a long term project about traditional upland farmers in Wales, and a portrait project and LGBTQ+ football fans.
Shaw’s photographic journey started in 2010 when he studied for a BA in Photojournalism at London College of Communication where he received a 1st class honours degree. Shaw represented the university at the London Olympics as a torch bearer and subsequently sold the torch on eBay which funded his investigations in Gaza and Lebanon.
During his time at university and the following years, Shaw worked on creating photo essays and written investigations with topics including the plight of refugees in Calais and Greece, the environmental degradation of Gaza, an exploration of the boarder of North Korea and China, land mine survivors in Lebanon and a group of church led rehabilitation clinics in Northern Myanmar where drug users are harshly caged for months whilst they withdraw from their heroin addiction. He received an EU funded grant to create work exploring migration between Poland and the UK.
After these investigations Shaw decided to go deeper with his photographic research and moved to Oldham near Manchester to work on longer term projects. His subsequent work explored the concept of ‘parallel lives’, where two communities live physically side by side, yet are culturally separate. He worked closely with a group of British-Asian women and a British-White man to show how despite their cultural differences, they still shared the same life experience of living in Oldham, which at the time was the UK’s most deprived town.
Alongside this Shaw started working on documenting football culture and how its supporter’s identities are intrinsically linked to the clubs. The first project was self-published as a book - ‘Oh When the Blues’ about the Oldham Athletic community. His second football project was ‘England Fans in Russia’ which was an exhibition, alongside a self-published book commissioned by ‘Fans For Diversity’, the UK’s leading campaign promoting diversity amongst football supporters. The exhibition toured venues and was displayed at the National Football Museum, Manchester.
Shaw earned a spot at the 27th Eddie Adams Workshop, The VII agency Masterclass Berlin and at the Nikon/Noor workshop in Manchester which were invaluable experiences for his development.
In 2019 Shaw took a break from photography and started working in the emergency services in London. In this challenging role Shaw trained as an medic and a mental health responder dealing with severe medical emergencies. Shaw learnt a host of new skills through this role but also a valuable insight into British society, public institutions and the plight of London’s most vulnerable. Leaving this in 2023 Shaw is reintegrating himself into photography and journalism through studying an MA. Current projects include; the lives of upland farmers in the Dyfi Valley Wales, people suffering ‘IPP’ prison sentences where they are imprisoned indefinitely for relatively small crimes and a celebration of LGBT+ football fans. Although not exclusively, much of Shaw’s current research and future projects has been inspired by his time working in the emergency services.
Training
- MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography - London College Of Communication - 2023/2025
- BA Photojournalism - London College of Communication - 2013 - 1st Class Honours.
Workshops:
- Canon Student Development Programme - 2024
- NikonNOOR Workshop Manchester - 2017
- VII photo agency masterclass - 2016/17
- Eddie Adams Workshop - 2014
Selected Awards
- Photography Foundation Grant Shortlist - 2024
- RPS Post Graduate Bursary - Shortlist - 2024
- Photo North Student Award Winner - 2024
- Photography Foundation Grant Shortlist - 2023
- UAL Home Postgraduate Scholarship - 2023/24
- The Rebecca Vassie Memorial Award - Highly Commended - 2018
- RoyalSociety for Public Health – Flash Points - 2nd Prize - 2017
- The Rebecca Vassie Memorial Award - Highly Commended - 2016
- TPA/ RPS Environmental Bursary - Shortlist - 2015
- The Peter Kirk Scholarship - 2014
- The Ian Parry Scholarship 2013 - Finalist
- Ideas Tap/ Magnum Photographic Award 2013 - Finalist
- London Olympic Torch Bearer 2012
- Guardian Student Media Awards 2012 - Runner Up
- Freedom House 'Worst of the Worst' Photographic Award 2012 - Finalist
- Beghind Jospeh Photographic Competition 2011 - 2nd Prize
- Bar Tur Photographic Award 2011 - 1st Prize in Lifestyle Category
- Vice Magazine - Koppaberg Klash 2010 - Runner Up
Exhibitions
Solo:
- 'Caeadda' at Ffotogaleri y Gofeb - Machynlleth 2024
- 'Pride In London' at Stamford Bridge - 2024
- 'England Fans In Russia' solo show at The Bomb Factory Art Foundation and the National Football Museum in Manchester 2018
- 'Widows of Vrindavan' – Three week commissioned solo exhibition at Salisbury Cathedral – 2016
Group:
- Photo North Student Award - 2024
- InPro group show at Ostroleka Photography Festival in Poland - 2017.
- Retina Photo Festival - Emerging Talent - 2017
- Fotograf vakfi – Multimedia installation at SALT gallery Istanbul – 2016
- 9th International Phodar Photography Biennial Exhibition – Bulgaria – 2015
- 'Not a Drop' group Exhibition London 2013
- 'Resistance in Palestine' - Solo Exhibition at 'Occupy Londons' Magistrates Justice Court - 2012
- Upshot - Creative Journalism and Photojournalism - Group Exhibition as Nolia's Gallery - 2012
- 'Our Stories' - Touring Exhibition appearing around the UK - Curated by 'The Photographic Angle' - 2012
- Foto8 Summer Show - 2011
Al-Jazeera, VICE, The Guardian, Mundial, The Economist, The New Internationalist, The Financial Times, BBC, The Blizzard, HUCK, Howler, Rabona, Delayed Gratification, The Huffington Post, The LA Review of Books, Contra Journal amongst many others.
Solidarités International, ORBIS International, ICRC (Red Cross) Lebanon, UNDP, The Palestinian Red Crescent Society, The Barka Foundation, The Rustic Pathways Foundation and the International Solidarity Movement.
Educational Workshops and Public Speaking
Shaw regularly gives lectures and workshops related to photography and journalism as well as guiding educational and service based youth trips across South East Asia and North Africa. Some highlights include:
- Lead the two week Rustic Pathways Advanced Photography Workshop in Morocco.
- A ten day digital storytelling program for Rustic Pathways in Myanmar.
- Co-ran a two week photographic adventure course in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia where the students learned both technical and theoretical elements to photography.
- Delivered a lecture on journalism and photography to students at The Islamic University Gaza.
- Run narrative photojournalism workshops for young photographers in the U.K at Voluntary Action Oldham.
- Talks at the Ringwood Royal Photographic Society, Winchester Photographic Society amongst others.
- Regular photographic talks at 6th form and other colleges.