About David Elkins

ABOUT

David is a highly creative, professional and versatile visual storyteller with over 20 years of experience behind the lens. He is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and available for projects across California and beyond. Whether he is documenting life in a remote Alaskan village, following a homeless family’s journey across three states, melting his boots on the embers of a wildfire or photographing a billionaire tech-titan, David enjoys connecting with all types of people and stories in many different environments.

After working for several years as both a staff and freelance photojournalist, David chose to further his education by pursuing a master's degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin. There, he discovered the power of the moving image and the beauty of storytelling through filmmaking. He has produced several short documentaries spanning a range of cultural and environmental topics that have screened at festivals around the U.S., including SXSW, the International Wildlife Film Festival and Wild & Scenic Film Festival.

David's extensive experience as a photographer, cinematographer, editor

and filmmaker provides him with a comprehensive understanding of his clients' goals, objectives and expectations. He approaches every project with a thoughtful, story driven and visually centered mindset, while working to ensure that what he delivers meets the organization's needs in an authentic and impactful way.

David holds an FAA Part 107 sUAS remote pilot certificate for aerial photography and filming. His professional memberships include the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), Digital Cinema Society, Jackson Wild Collective, San Francisco Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the Freelancers Union.

David's IMDB credits

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING...

“...you gave us an impactful film that surely helped us to meet our goal. I would say you earned some serious Karma points. Thank you for being such a pleasure to work with!”

- Shelby Zamudio, Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School
“We've finished the film now. It's looking great! Thanks again for the great work. It was a real pleasure working with you. Really useful for us to know that you're on the West Coast and can handle these demanding shoots.”

- Ed Maddocks, Assistant Producer
Off the Fence Productions

CREDIT
“You do credit to nature. Representing it beautifully. And you get such clean shots with amazing depth. Wow.”

- Catherine Koehler, Reserve Director
University of California, Davis - McLaughlin Reserve

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“David, these photos are fantastic and just what we needed. You're a lifesaver. Thanks again!”

- Timmy Paul, Story AP, Naked and Afraid
Battle Beat Productions
Los Angeles, CA

CREDIT
“I am in the depths of post on the video and just thought I'd shoot you a note thanking you. Your footage was well shot, you prompted the testifiers well, and you made a great deal with very little to work with. Your skill has enhanced my project more than I anticipated. I can't wait to hire you again.”

- Chris Gomersall
Upstairs Media
Fort Worth, TX

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“Client said it was perfect. Never heard that before. Editor said ‘who shot this DVCam stuff?' I said ‘Why is there a problem?’ And she said ‘Only problem is there are so many nice shots, I don't know what to do with them all!’”

- Doug Miles, Producer
Miles Associates
New York, NY

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“Got the tape and logged it. You did a great job... so nice to work with a cameraman who is also a producer! Hope we can work together again soon.”

-Wendy Lehman
Business Week Television

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Accomplishments

Alumni - Mountain Workshops, 2000
Chosen - American Photography 17, 2001
Recipient - National Press Photographers Foundation Bob East Scholarship, 2003
Rejected - National Geographic Society Photography Internship, 2004
Recipient - UT Austin, Moody College of Communication Career Development Grant, 2005
Winner - Best Student Film, Paso Robles Film Festival, 2008
Shortlisted - CIWEM Environmental Video of the Year, 2011
Preliminary Judge - Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, 2013
Contributor - One Day In Yosemite, 2013
Preliminary Judge - Jackson Hole Science Media Awards, 2016
Preselection Judge - Wildscreen, 2020
Collaborator - Burn Cycle Project - Walk Into Wildfire multimedia exhibit, 2021-23
Juried Selection, photography - Wild & Scenic Film Festival Art Exhibition, 2022
Exceptional Merit in Cinematography - Nature Without Borders Intl. Film Festival, 2022
Shortlisted - The Motif Collective Silhouettes Photography Competition, 2022
Chosen - American Photography 39, 2023

“...you gave us an impactful film that surely helped us to meet our goal. I would say you earned some serious Karma points. Thank you for being such a pleasure to work with!”

“We've finished the film now. It's looking great! Thanks again for the great work. It was a real pleasure working with you. Really useful for us to know that you're on the West Coast and can handle these demanding shoots.”

“You do credit to nature. Representing it beautifully. And you get such clean shots with amazing depth. Wow.”

“David, these photos are fantastic and just what we needed. You're a lifesaver. Thanks again!”

“Client said it was perfect. Never heard that before. Editor said ‘who shot this DVCam stuff?' I said ‘Why is there a problem?’ And she said ‘Only problem is there are so many nice shots, I don't know what to do with them all!’”

“Got the tape and logged it. You did a great job... so nice to work with a cameraman who is also a producer! Hope we can work together again soon.”