David Montgomery
David Montgomery is a celebrated international photographer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he attended photography courses run by Alexi Brodevitch along with working for the award-winning photographer, Lester Bookbinder, for four years. Following Lester Bookbinder to England in the early 1960s, David Montgomery fell in love with the soft, romantic English light and took up residence in London. Today he continues to live there with his wife and children.
David Montgomery is internationally known as a portrait photographer of high profile statesmen and personalities within the entertainment field. Among some of his previous sitters are Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother, Prince Andrew, Baroness Margaret Thatcher, Lord Hume, Edward Heath, James Callaghan, Jack Straw, Bill Clinton, Pierre Trudeau, HM King Hussein, Baron Thyssen Bornemisza, Prince and Princess Thurn and Taxis, Mick Jagger, The Rolling Stones, Sir Paul McCartney, Chrissy Hinde, Pierce Brosnan, Clint Eastwood, Barbara Streisand, S Club 7 and Atomic Kitten, just to name a few! David Montgomery’s portrait of Jimi Hendrix appeared on the cover of his album, ‘Experience Hendrix’ as well as shooting the iconic cover for ‘Electric Ladyland.’
Many books on home style include his work; four in association with Tricia Guild of Designer’s Guild, a definitive English flower book for Pulbrook & Gould and four books on New Age aromatherapy entitled ‘Romance, Relaxation, Vitality and Well-Being. David Montgomery shot the photography for Nicky Haslam’s book ‘Sheer Opulence.’ As well as having been previously commissioned by the Post Office to do a special edition stamp for the Millenium issue, David has also worked for major retailers such as Harrods, John Lewis and the Body Shop. He also contributes regularly to the Sunday Times, Vogue, House & Garden and Rolling Stone magazine.
David Montgomery has also shot major advertising campaigns for leading style-makers, including Designers Guild, Colefax and Fowler, Jane Churchill and Sandersons. In addition to photographing various leading figures from industry he has worked on campaigns for brands including Rolex, Saab and Fiat.
David also teaches photography to specialist, small workshops. In these classes he tries to detangle all of the misinformation the students have absorbed, aiming to redirect their vision to a more simplistic and direct approach. He concentrates on inner instincts and total awareness, even encouraging the students to soot on the camera’s automatic program so as to not get in the way of the visual thought process. These classes are met with great enthusiasm by students who are not professional photographers themselves, but people who would like to transcend the medium but for many reasons, cannot. David instructs on all the various ways – then he asks the students to gently forget what he has said.