11-02-1952 ~ 19-05-2014
David was an outstanding photographer and through his love of the bush he developed a passion for native orchids. These two hobbies blended exceptionally well.
David was frequent visitor to Mt. Cannibal at Garfield North, Victoria and was also a dedicated member of the ‘Friends of Mt. Cannibal’ group. He located and mapped 49 species of orchids, some of which had not been found there before and this has assisted in their conservation. As well as photographing them he made a point of learning their names and distinguishing features. He produced an audio-visual about Mount Cannibal showing the orchids he had found there. The booklet ‘Mt. Cannibal – A Nature Walkers Guide’ features David’s stunning colour photographs of the orchids found across the gentle slopes of Mt. Cannibal.
He shared his knowledge of the area with others but was careful to keep the location of less common and less prolific orchids to just a few trusted people.
One reason Mt. Cannibal was a favourite location was because it was reasonably local but when the opportunity arose he would travel further afield looking for and photographing orchids – he never tired of it!
David was a member of the Australian Native Orchid Society (ANOS) Victorian Group and his skill has been acknowledged by naming the annual photographic competition held at the ANOS Spring Show in his honour. The perpetual trophy is a framed copy of one of his photos.
His membership of the West Gippsland Orchid Club Inc. was marked by special pages of his photographs in the newsletters showing plants benched at meetings as well as presentations at both monthly and end of year meetings.
David was a leader in the field of digital photography and had a clear understanding of the benefit of natural light when photographing orchids. He always used a tripod for clarity, especially as some exposures were quite lengthy.
He was keen to share his love of both photography and orchids with others and gave lectures to camera clubs, orchid clubs and other plant groups. He also conducted workshops at ANOS shows. Many benefited from his expertise in this way.
His macro work was exceptional – the smaller the flower, the greater the challenge! This enabled others to enjoy the beauty of tiny flowers in an enlarged format as well as the details in other flowers which were not visible to the human eye without magnification.
He did award photography for club members and produced two orchid calendars – one of Mt. Cannibal and the other a mix of native and exotic orchids – both most attractive and treasured.
David was passionate about his photography and about finding and photographing orchids. He always strived to maintain an extremely high standard, and to share his enjoyment with others.
Tribute by Fay Allison
A donation has been made to the Australian Orchid Trust Fund by the West Gippsland Orchid Society Inc.
AOTF: 3559
