Destination Photography
"WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH A TOURISM AUTHORITY SPENDS ON MARKETING A DESTINATION AND HOW IT USES ITS PHOTOGRAPHS, IT SIMPLY MAKES SENSE TO BE BUILDING ON A SOLID FOUNDATION OF HIGH-QUALITY IMAGES."
David specializes in destination photography and working with national, regional, and state tourism authorities to deliver world-classs promotional images.
For more than two decades, he has been commissioned by tourism organisations around the world to provide photographs that draw visitors to their destinations and reinforces their key marketing messages.
While David shoots across the entire tourism genre, his strength as a tourism photographer lies in his ability to capture colourful, uplifting images of people enjoying themselves, set against appealing backdrops distinctive to a destination.
Previous Commissions
some of David’s clients
- The Samoa Tourism Authority
- South African Tourism
- The Ethiopia Tourism authority
- The Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau
- The Saudi Arabia Commission for Tourism and Antiquities
- The Brunei Tourism Authority
- Tourism New South Wales
- American Samoa Tourism
- Tahiti Tourisme (French Polynesia)
- North-west Tourism (Western Australia)
- Coral Coast Tourism (Western Australia)
- The Western Australia Tourism Commission
- The Northern Territory Tourism Commission (Australia)
- Sarawak Tourism Board (Malaysia)
- Sabah Tourism (Malaysia)
- The Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority
- The Philippines Tourism Authority
- The National Tourism Office of Vanuatu
- The New Caledonia Tourism Authority
- Tourism Top End (Australia)
- Tonga Visitors Bureau
- The Cook Islands Tourism Corporation
- Tourism New South Wales
- Norfolk Island Tourism
- The South Pacific Tourism Organisation
Click here to view a broader selection of David’s destination photography, and samples of his editorial and documentary style.
On-Line Photo Libraries
the most efficient way to store your promotional photographs and distribute them worldwide
David's company builds self-managed, On-Line Photo Libraries of up to 500 images which are tailored to the needs of tourism authorities.
The password protected libraries appear as a seamless extension of the tourism authority’s web site, allowing travel agents, media, local industry and outside stakeholders to instantly access and download high resolution images to promote the destination. The particular strength of these libraries is that they are built by photographers who are familiar with the exacting standards expected by media and publishers. Strict quality control guidelines are built into every library to ensure the highest standards are maintained.
We have been offering this service successfully for more than a decade, constantly refining the functionality of the libraries to meet the evolving needs of tourism authorities.
For more details of the On-line libraries we build, click here.
Additional Benefits
souvenir publications, publicity and partnerships
Souvenir Publications: David seeks on-going relationships with his clients which, over the years, has extended into his company publishing high quality souvenir publications and merchandise on their destination. To date, 17 coffee-table books and travel guides have been published as an extension of the tourism authority’s marketing effort.
Publicity: David will also generate publicity for your destination throughout the assignment by posting on social media to a growing following of editors, travel writers, travel agents, influencers and photographers. This can be co-ordinated with your office to maximise publicity opportunities. Additionally, David is likely to feature the best of the photographs he captures in his blog - A Road Less Travelled - at the end of the assignment.
Photo Library Access: Extending from a commission, David also offers his clients and local tourism operators priviliged access to his commercial photo library.
Tourism Photography
"What makes a promotional photograph successful? The photographer Knowing what you want it to say and who you want it to appeal to before he even brings the camera to his eye."
David is a dedicated tourism photographer in that this is the genre of photography in which he specialises. Unlike a travel photographer who tends to shoot appealing images opportunistically, David carefully plans his photographs to deliver a specific marketing message.
And he has spent more than 20 years refining his craft.
David’s expertise draws from his earlier background managing tourism organisations so he understands the range, the quality and the application of the photographs a tourism authority requires to successfully promote a destination.
While David’s work is largely concentrated on Australia and the South Pacific, he has been commissioned by tourism authorities in Asia, the African continent and The Middle East.
You can view an extended preview of his destination portfolio here or browse galleries of the countries he has photographed in his commercial photo library.
How it all works
“my role is to work with you to capture appealing images that differentiates your destination From its competition, and To provide You with photographs that stand-out in a highly competitive marketplace.”
David will shoot to your written brief and a pre-conceived Shot List that identifies the messages you want to convey about your destination, the subjects you want shot, how the photographs will be used, and their priority. From the outset, David will work with you to help refine your Shot List and plan for the most efficient way to deliver an appealing range of promotional images.
From the initial meeting, the best approach to the assignment will be mapped out, ensuring it delivers to your brief and falls within the budget allocated. At the completion of the assignment, the best photographs captured will be matched to the Shot List and supplied, along with a License Agreement releasing the images to your tourism authority for all promotional purposes.
Assignment Packages
We customise our assignment packages to suit the needs of your tourism authority.
David offers three main packages to tourism organisations seeking to commission his services - each of which is tailored to meet their specific needs and resources.
This includes his seven day Standard Assignment, a Multi-Assignment Package which provides for three assignments over an extended period of up to three years, and a Residential Package in which David resides in the destination and is available to shoot for the tourism authority for a set period.
The two larger packages are offered at a reduced rate, and are aimed at producing a comprehensive photo library on the destination. The packages include overhauling the organisation’s existing photography and building an in-house, On-Line Photo Library to serve the tourism authority’s on-going marketing needs.
David also provides an Early Booking Package to tourism authorities at a reduced fee, provided the booking is made well in advance. Once a year, he also offers a special 10 day Sponsorship Package to a tourism authority of a destination outside the South Pacific which he is particularly interested in photographing.
For further details, or a quote on these packages, contact David directly at david@kirklandphotos.com.
Distinctive Destinations
Exceptional Experiences
Editorial Style
Documentary Style
The Laughter
EXPLORE WITH ME
A successful promotional photograph starts with knowing what you want it to say and who you want it to appeal to - before you even bring the camera to your eye.