Q. HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN PHOTOGRAPHY?
A. I was in the fourth grade when President Kennedy was assassinated. The resulting images from the tragedy attracted me to the medium.

Q. YOU’VE BEEN A PHOTOGRAPHER SINCE YOU WERE EIGHT?
A. Yep. This is one of the first pictures I took.

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Being a photographer is in my blood

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I continued with it through high school and considered being a war photographer in Vietnam but decided to pursue downhill ski racing.

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Q. HOW’D THAT WORK OUT?

A. Not so good. Better to go down in flames than not try.

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Q. WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU TRIED?

A. I left downhill ski racing for bicycle racing. Travelled for six years racing for cash prizes in the US and a short stint in Belgium. Worked as a roadie for a punk band in the early 80′s and drove for UPS. Took those skills and made the unlikely transition to a Wall Street firm. Became a Registered Investment Advisor and advised clients for 24 years.

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Q. PHOTOGRAPHY AND FINANCE? STRANGE BEDFELLOWS.

A. Not really. From the financial side I’m trained to put my clients’ needs first, which is crucial in any business. Finance and photography are also about problem solving and being decisive.

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Q. WHAT DO YOU DO FOR HOBBIES?

A.  I don’t have hobbies, everything I do, I do for real.

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Q. YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING FOR DOWN TIME.

A. I read a lot. I figure I’ve read 40 books a year for the last 50 years. I like yard work. Good clean fun. I’d rather shovel gravel than read emails. 

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Q. WHY DON’T YOU WRITE A BOOK?

A. Working on that right now. 

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Q. FAVORITE MOVIES?

A. 

• Godfather

• To Kill a Mockingbird

• Shawshank Redemption

• Saving Private Ryan

• My Cousin Vinny

• The Hangover

• Old School

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Q. EXPLAIN THE PICTURES FROM AFRICA IN YOUR PORTFOLIO.

A.  I took two trips to Sudan-2006 and 2008. Not gonna lie, Sudan is a harsh place. The 2006 trip was exploratory, and I traveled with some friends from my church to see if white guys can survive doing work there. The answer was yes, but they better be tough. Sudan is like a sleep deprivation and weight loss clinic. In 2008 I returned with one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. It was the first time he was reunited with his family in 22 years. We were the first white people they had seen, and it was the first camera they had seen. I believe I am the only person to have ever photographed these people from the Dinka tribe. It was a wild trip- lots of tribal blood sacrifices of bulls. Oy. The last evening of the trip, I compiled a slide show, and using the truck battery for power and a projector, I showed the villagers the pictures of themselves. It blew their minds. They don’t have mirrors, or electricity- it’s basically like 2000 BC. They were greatly amused at seeing their images projected on a wall of a mud hut. The next morning just before we left, the Chief and the elders of the village washed our feet.  It was the most touching thing I’ve ever experienced. 

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Q.  AND THE PICTURES FROM El Salvador?

A. My first trip to El Salvador was in 2001 after a massive earthquake. A group of us went there to do humanitarian work, and that trip changed my life. I’ve back 27 times since then. I co-founded Friends of El Salvador in 2002, the mission being to build houses for the rural poor. We also funded a project to bring water to the small town where we base our operations. There are no wells in El Salvador as the land is all volcanic rock. We purchased land deep into the jungle that had a strong steam running though it. Every man, woman and child of the village worked to build a pipeline from the stream to the village. We also built a seminary for a local church, and pastoral candidates could study there in a two year program and rent rooms from the locals. 

 

Q. I SAW A LINK TO NILMDTS. WHAT’S THAT?

A. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep provides parents of still-born children with portraits, to give them a lasting memory and help with their bereavement. Taking these portraits is a moving and poignant experience.

 

Q. FAVORITE THING ABOUT BEING A PHOTOGRAPHER?

A. Positive affirmation and the personal connection. As an investment advisor, when things went right it was expected. When things went wrong, it was all my fault. As a photographer, I get a front row seat on life, and people like my work. This is my calling. I am meant for this.

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Q. GOALS?

A. To be better than last week.

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Q.  IS IT TRUE YOU CLOSED THE STUDIO?

A. Yes. Closing the operations due to the COVID lockdown gave me time to reflect on what’s next. I loved doing portraits, but I’d been working weekends for 15 years, and it was time to move on.  I‘ve built a large body of fine art photography work over the years. It’s an eclectic mix of work, and none of it has been displayed, published, or posted online yet.

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davidhartcorn.com will go live July 2, 2023. 

 

Q. THE MEANING OF LIFE?

A. Seek the well-being of others. Doing so makes our lives meaningful and significant.