David Cossini is a highly decorated and award-winning Australian portrait photographer with a unique folio of intimate portraits and street or documentary shots. His images aren’t your run-of-the-mill headshots with a bit of creative lighting thrown in. His portraits are raw and gritty and portray the lives of those living on the fringes of society.
David’s work is intimate, raw, and honest as he becomes involved and entrenched in the subject's world. In doing so, David has formed long-standing relationships with many of his subjects. Given that his projects span years and significant distances from his home in Australia, those relationships grow and mature.
David’s journey into photography evolved from his love of sports. As a sporty person, he often took a camera to post-game hangouts with the team. Travelling to London, where he lived for many years, also fuelled his interest in photography. In 2018, David attended an intensive Magnum Photography course to explore the craft further. It was the start of a lifelong journey to master his craft.
"When you truly have a passion, it's hard to explain it to people who don't."
“I’d barely made it through the first room wide-eyed, camera in hand, sweat on my spine, when I knew - This wasn’t just a party. This was a tribe on the fringe, and I had to document it. Every scar, every scream, every broken tooth. This was the heart of a dying empire, the last stand of the freaks.”
“I’d found them - North London’s cracked underbelly, half-alive and unashamed. They were beautiful, awful, broken, and I loved them instantly. I told them that I needed to photograph this chaos! That there was something sacred here, amongst the mess.”
David Cossini is no stranger to praise and accolades for his mesmerising body of work. His images portray the raw reality of life on the fringe and the countless stories of everyday people interacting with their world. Even his portrait work and projects offer a unique perspective with many characteristics of unscripted street shots.
As a fellow street and travel photographer, I found David’s images captivating and marvelled at his ‘right place at the right time’ collection of unique shots. However, David’s long-form approach to creating a story through images is to be admired. Some projects take years, and his understanding and commitment to ‘being present’ have allowed him to deliver upon the goals of each project.
"It’s not enough to take good photos — anyone can learn that. It’s about the relationship."
David works closely with his subjects to build trust and understanding, enabling him to capture candid and intimate moments. He also builds upon those relationships over the years to truly understand his subjects and their lives.
Regarding accolades, David has won many local Australian and international photography awards. In recent years, his victories include the winner of the Head On Portrait Award (2023), the National Photographic Portrait Prize Art Handlers Award (2023), the Percival Photographic Portrait Prize (2022), the International Photography Awards Video Photographer Of the Year (2022) and the Gomma Photography Grant New Flavour (2021).
He even won the London Movie Awards Best Super Short Film in 2022. David’s list of accomplishments is a testament to his focus and dedication to his subjects and purposeful approach to documenting their stories.
"I’ve basically chosen photography over wife, kids, dating — it’s my life."
I’ve encountered countless photographers with a bucket list goal of holding an exhibition of their work. I’ve also considered it over the years, but have never realised that dream. David has had more than his fair share of solo and group exhibitions both locally here in Australia and around the world. Some standout solo exhibitions include “The crowd love an underdog” 2024, Roundhouse, London, “Business in the front, party in the back!” 2023, Ballarat International Foto Biennale, Ballarat, Australia.
David’s Grande Bruto works have been exhibited at the 2023 Ballarat International Foto Biennale, Ballarat, Australia and at aMBUSH Gallery, Head On Photo Festival, Sydney, Australia. As for group exhibitions, David’s images have graced the walls of Australian Life 2024 - Customs House Square, Sydney, Australia and the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award 2024, Gold Coast, Australia. David has also exhibited in group exhibitions in France, Italy, Hungary, China, the UK, and the USA. Not bad for someone who considers themselves an amateur!
David draws inspiration and empowerment from past masters of various photographic genres. His collection of photography books is impressive, and he surrounds himself with them to guide and inspire his creative pursuits. David’s commitment to his craft is undeniable as he invests years to build a collection, fulfil project goals, and tell unique stories. What’s most impressive is hearing David talk fondly about his subjects and telling their stories through his images and personal interactions. He has thoroughly studied the masters and adopted his style and approach by understanding their journeys in great detail. It was an absolute pleasure chatting live with David (and special co-host Greg Carrick) to gain greater insight into his approach and methodology.
"Photography gave me purpose. And purpose gave me peace."
If you’re unfamiliar with The Camera Life Podcast, be sure to take a look at our YouTube channel for the latest episodes and, of course, our back catalogue of weekly shows. Our shows are also available on popular audio podcast platforms. If you like what you see, please give us a thumbs up, subscribe to The Camera Life, and click on the bell icon to receive notifications of upcoming shows. We host two shows weekly, the first being every Thursday at 9am AEDT (Australia), where we interview amazing guests. The second show, The Random Photography Show, airs every Monday at 7:30 pm AEDT. The Random Photography show is a little random, a little loose, and a lot of fun! Be sure to check them out.
Find David:
- Website: https://www.davidcossini.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/canipsi/
