artists
every piece has a story, and every story begins with an artist
TITIRANGI, AUCKLAND · LONG-EXPOSURE LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER
David Prentice
David Prentice is a Titirangi-based photographer whose long-exposure landscapes reveal the wild beauty and shifting atmosphere of Auckland’s west coast. Through softened water, moving clouds and dramatic coastal forms, he explores the relationship between land, sea and sky.
about
David Prentice specialises in long-exposure landscape photography, working predominantly along the surf beaches and rugged coastline of West Auckland.
Living in Titirangi places him close to landscapes that continue to inspire his practice—places shaped by black sand, powerful seas, changing light and dramatic weather.
David’s journey with photography began while living in London, when a small point-and-shoot camera changed the way he experienced the city. Streets, buildings and everyday moments became potential images, beginning a fascination that continued after he returned to Auckland.
A few years later, he bought his first DSLR camera and taught himself its technical possibilities through patience, experimentation and practice. After initially photographing people, David discovered landscape photography in 2017 and found the direction that would come to define his work.
Long exposure allows him to record a landscape across time rather than capturing only a fraction of a second. Moving water becomes smooth and luminous, clouds stretch across the sky and the coastline remains still and sharply defined.
Using neutral-density filters and extended exposure times, David transforms the energy of the ocean into images with a painterly, almost ethereal quality. The technique creates a sense of stillness while retaining the drama and scale of the natural environment.
At the centre of his work is the relationship between land, sea and sky. These elements meet beneath changing weather and light, creating photographs that feel both expansive and emotionally intimate.
David is predominantly self-taught and credits practice, patience and the generosity of other photographers with helping him develop his skills and distinctive visual language.
Alongside his landscape practice, he works professionally in wedding and portrait photography, bringing the same sensitivity to light, atmosphere and fleeting moments across each area of his work.
David presented his long-exposure coastal photography in the 2026 exhibition Coastal Resonance at The Upstairs Gallery in Titirangi.
His photographs invite viewers to experience familiar landscapes differently—to notice how movement can become stillness and how the coast can hold both power and calm within the same moment.
Because sometimes a camera does more than preserve a view—it reveals the feeling held within it.
David Prentice
A luminous rainbow arcs over the sea, caught in a fleeting break in the weather.
Photographed at Whatipu Beach looking towards Manukau Heads, this image captures warm light against a dramatic sky. Rocky cliffs frame the green water below, while the rainbow stretches across the scene.
David Prentice had packed away his gear when rain began during this visit in August 2026. Turning around, he saw the rainbow and managed to photograph it before it disappeared. Captured at one-tenth of a second, the image records an unexpected moment—his first photograph of a rainbow.
This piece would bring warmth and coastal drama to a living room, bedroom or entryway.
Dramatic · Luminous · Uplifting
Landscape photography A2 (42 × 59.4 cm) 2026 Limited edition of 10 Unframed
UNFRAMED room images show framing possibilities only.