Hamptons Local David Vaughan Talks Photography, and Capturing The Hamptons

Hamptons.com spoke with Hamptons Local David Vaughan about photography and capturing the Hamptons.

So, how did you get started? 

DV: I have concentrated on architectural and interior projects in NYC for the last 20 years…I like the lines and uniformity, but now, today, my concentration on fine art prints are all slow shutter land and seascapes displayed at the gallery on 45 Skimhampton Rd.

I went to Penn State University, and I minored in photography.  My father, Samuel Vaughan, was in the publishing business in the city, so, you know, many people at the table were editors, photographers, copy editors, writers, and what have you. So I didn’t stray that far from the apple tree, I guess. Growing up, my father had a darkroom in our house in Tenafly, New Jersey;  I was always banging on the door. And I was eager to learn. So I got the bug from my father. 

Do you have a preference for digital or film photography?

DV: I was a film photographer forever, and I went kicking and screaming into digital. I thought it would be a passing fad, so I kept using film. I finally turned over several years ago and went full digital. 

What’s the story behind a favorite photo that you’ve taken? Tell me something that you’re proud of.

DV: Oh, that’s a great, great question. So what I like to do is a lot of slow shutter photography. I get into the water and shoot from the back of the shoreline. And then I capture facing south, east and west, moving the camera with a slow shutter speed, as well… I shoot mainly in the winter. Late fall, or early spring, too. But primarily in the winter, much cleaner air. I like to achieve that painterly quality. People often ask me, “Is this a painting, or is this a photograph?” And that’s the question that I’m really excited to hear and begin a conversation. I usually do limited editions.  10 typically.

Do you wear a wetsuit and go out there in the wintertime?

DV: Not usually, I wade into the water. I’m an ocean lifeguard during the summers and a part of ocean rescue, so I’m always in the water. Mostly, I carry big cameras, and I don’t have any housing on them, so to keep myself from destroying expensive equipment, I’m usually in the water no more than up to my waist. Moving water is good to capture.

Is there any place people can see your work on the Internet?

DV: Instagram is typically daily posts, and I also have a website. 

Do you have any upcoming events at the gallery that you want to mention in the article?

DV: That’s a great question. The gallery is open. It’s open seven days a week from 10 to four. I would like to do at the end of October to do a cocktail reception there. Next Fall, I will have a small show at Asghwah Hall in Springs…

Do people hire you privately? 

DV: Yes, I do commission work. And for example, I have a client who has a son that surfs and was hired to shoot him surfing twilight in Montauk. I slowed down the shutter. And I did images of her son. And it’s pretty cool for the kid because they get these large photograph prints of them surfing. When the kid’s got his friends over something, he can say, “That’s me“ at 14! Environmental portraits I also do, but mainly my concentration is the gallery and printing large fine art prints. Recently, I sent a large wooden custom-created multiple treated prints to Kuai to clients’ homes, and I was thrilled when they arrived intact.

You can view David’s work by visiting www.davidvaughanstudio.com and follow him on Instagram @davidvaughanphotography