David Vaughan has been a photographer for more than three decades, becoming a renowned and recognizable style out East. With his gallery located at 45 Skimhampton Road in East Hampton, he brings his signature slow-shutter style of the East End landscape.
Often, David is asked if his photographs are photos or paintings, which he takes pride in, saying, “It’s as close as I get to painting.” He enjoys the off-season quiet for photographing when the air is clearer and less humid, always keeping nature at the forefront.
David will be participating in the Hamptons Fine Art Show in Bridgehampton July 10-13. He spoke more about his earliest influences, his style, and why the East End is so special for artists.
How did you get your start in photography and was it always what you wanted to pursue?
DV: Yes, I always wanted to be a photographer. My father and older brother built a small darkroom in our house in Tenafly, NJ. Both of them were interested, and it was something a father and son could do together. They developed and printed. After knocking on the door constantly, they finally acquiesced, and I joined them. I’m glad I did.
What or who were some of your earliest influences?
DV: I looked at Life Magazine as it rolled into the house, seemingly every week. I remember black and whites, in your face with big copy. National Geographic was another one that was published once a month, if I recall correctly.
How would you describe your style?
DV: I was a commercial photographer in NYC for 30+ years. My images today are mostly locally sourced: land and seascapes, slow-shutter. It’s the closest I can get to being a painter, which I am not, but wish I had the talent. Often, clients will look at the images and ask if it is a painting and that’s where the conversation usually starts.
It’s nice making softer images as compared to overly sharp, digital imagery. For example, I shoot large files, and when printed and framed I dig the softness that can often accompany large prints. Bring it on.
What are your favorite subjects to shoot?
DV: Most of my images are shot and collected in the colder and off-season months. For example, I like trees without leaves, pre-storm and post-storm water, moon tides. Also, a few days prior and post new moons.
What do you feel sets the East End apart from anywhere else in the world? And what makes it such great subject matter?
DV: Everyone who creates—painting, photographing—on the east end, and I am in the camp, knows that this light is and always has been special. Cloud cover can diffuse over the ocean or water and also push TONS of light into shadow areas as you move into the landscape. I can shoot hand-held in the meadows well into the early evening because the light is so massive.
Did you grow up on the East End and did your location influence your career path?
DV: My folks, Sam and Josephine, introduced me to the east end 40ish years ago. They were remarkable people and outstanding parents. I would head back to the city later and later in the season until I met my wife here and stayed. I think it was inevitable that I would find myself and my life here at this chapter.
My bestie and talented wife, Rasa, runs a successful local Pilates studio in East on Skimhampton Road. As we say: she has the floor, and I have the walls. It’s an old cottage from the late 1600s with its own balance issues.
Is there any one photo you’ve captured that will always stand out or be a favorite?
DV: No one photograph stands out to me that I have made but I do have a process in deciding if I am going to keep and print and ultimately package (frame) them.
Can you tell us a little about your East Hampton gallery?
DV: It’s been open for 3-4 years. It’s a challenge to install large prints but I do so in that I feel slow-shutter images are the larger, often the better.
Do you have any upcoming events you’re excited about for the summer 2025 season?
DV: Yes, I will have a booth in the Hamptons Fine Art Show in Bridgehampton July 10-13. There are few photographers but many painters, ceramics, and sculptors.
To learn more about David Vaughan, his gallery, and upcoming events, click here.
