Event Photography: Princess Anne Visits The Station, Bristol | UK Youth Commission
Editorial, Documentary David Oates Editorial, Documentary David Oates

Event Photography: Princess Anne Visits The Station, Bristol | UK Youth Commission

I was commissioned by UK Youth to photograph the visit of Her Royal Highness Princess Anne to The Station, a youth centre located in Bristol. The visit showcased UK Youth’s ongoing programmes supporting young people across the region, highlighting educational initiatives, community engagement, and opportunities for youth development.

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TJX Headquarters Photography: Capturing Staff and Lifestyle in the New Watford Office
Commercial, Advertising David Oates Commercial, Advertising David Oates

TJX Headquarters Photography: Capturing Staff and Lifestyle in the New Watford Office

I recently completed a commission for Vicky Fagan at film production company Fagan Jones to produce a full series of campaign images for TJX’s new office building at their headquarters in Watford, UK. The project focused on capturing both the design of the building and the way people interact with the space, producing images that feel authentic, professional, and lifestyle-oriented.

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John Junior for Samaritans
Documentary, Editorial, Portraits David Oates Documentary, Editorial, Portraits David Oates

John Junior for Samaritans

Another great shoot for Samaritans, photographing mental health activist John Junior.

In 2019, John started vlogging about his experiences of mental health issues on Instagram in order "to reach out to others with mental health difficulties". In May 2020 his vlogs on Instagram caught the attention of UNILAD, who approached Junior to test Samaritans self-help app during mental health awareness week and to help raise awareness for world suicide prevention day on 10 September 2020.

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Suzanne Lacy at Whitworth Art Gallery
Documentary, Artists David Oates Documentary, Artists David Oates

Suzanne Lacy at Whitworth Art Gallery

Suzanne Lacy

What kind of city?
A manual for social change

The Whitworth presents the first major UK presentation of multiple works of US artist Suzanne Lacy, a pioneer of social practice and community organising for almost five decades. In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, What kind of city? has been conceived with the artist as a project that is more than an exhibition, one that takes key works with relevance to our current context and uses them to convene people in order to start new initiatives that will actively help rebuild our city. Working around fundamental themes such as youth agency, borders, social cohesion, and work prospects for older women, the exhibition is designed to operate as an evolving manual for how we create equitable transformation. This underpins a new direction of travel for the Whitworth, as an institution that actively works for and with people across the city, one that begins with the question: after Covid, what kind of city can we make together?

Thanks again to my friends at the Whitworth for asking me to document the event opening and associated artist’s talk.

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Lillian and Fidaa for Asthma UK - British Lung Foundation
Documentary, Editorial, Portraits David Oates Documentary, Editorial, Portraits David Oates

Lillian and Fidaa for Asthma UK - British Lung Foundation

It was wonderful to meet and photograph Fidaa and Lily and be a part of Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation’s vital campaign for clean air.

Lily has asthma, which is exacerbated by air pollution.

“She is nine years old now and has had breathing problems since she was a baby. Her old school was in an area with very high pollution levels, despite being near a park and off the main road. School is a place where children should be safe, but too many of them are in high air pollution areas.”

The family didn’t realise how bad the pollution was until Lily’s friend’s mum, Ruth, borrowed an air quality monitor from the British Lung Foundation. The results showed regular spikes of nitrogen dioxide that peak 50 per cent above EU legal limits. Ruth pushed the council to take action, starting a petition to create ‘school streets’ and ban cars on the roads close to schools at drop off and pick up times.

“Politicians simply aren’t taking enough action to clean our air. We need less traffic on the roads and social housing needs to be safer for children with asthma. They need more trees and green spaces to clean the air. Fresh air is so good for their lungs.”

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Langfields
Documentary, Commercial, Editorial, Industrial, Website David Oates Documentary, Commercial, Editorial, Industrial, Website David Oates

Langfields

Langfields are specialist fabricators of process plant for the Pharmaceutical, Chemical, Offshore, Oil & Gas, Marine, Defence, Nuclear and other process industries. Based only one mile from Deansgate they demonstrate that there is still some manufacturing industry in the post-industrial city.

As a former engineer, I love visiting these places and finding out what’s being made and the techniques used.

The fabricators at Langfields receive giant 18mm Aluminium plates and within the space of only 20 metres, cut, bend and weld it into complex, water-jacketed vessels according to the exacting specifications of high tech industries.

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