Art Talk: The Art of Seeing and Developing a Creative Eye - David Tejada’s Photography Journey

The Arts Advocates Gallery is located inside the Crossings at Siesta Key mall, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Enter the mall through the doors next to Connors Steak & Seafood and turn left.

David X. Tejada shares his journey as a professional photographer, capturing raw moments from corporate and industrial assignments for Fortune 500 companies, as well as behind-the-scenes lighting setups. He’ll take you through his time leading travel workshops around the world for Popular Photography Magazine, where he guided photographers to capture unique global landscapes and cultures. From job sites to exotic destinations, he’ll reveal the process, challenges, and people behind the lens.

Tejada is a highly accomplished commercial photographer with a 40-year career specializing in corporate and advertising photography for Fortune 500 companies.

Beyond his commercial success, David is a dedicated educator. For nine years, he led travel workshops around the globe for Popular Photography Magazine. He has also taught lighting workshops for esteemed institutions such as the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, Maine Media Workshops, and Gulf Photo Plus in Dubai, UAE. Additionally, David has presented his signature workshop, “Small Strobes, Big Results,” over 75 times across Europe.

Recognized as a “Small Strobe Guru” by RangeFinder Magazine, David’s expertise in lighting has been showcased in more than 15 articles published by Nikon. He has also shared his knowledge through numerous Nikon Professional Services workshops across the country.

David’s photography is fueled by an insatiable curiosity about the visual world. His camera serves as a bridge between his perception and the captivating graphic elements that spontaneously draw his eye. Amid the vibrant chaos of life, he discovers harmony in the interplay of lines, shapes, and colors, crafting moments of striking composition.

His work reflects a core belief: beauty exists everywhere, even in the most mundane or overlooked corners of daily life. David seeks to unveil the extraordinary within the ordinary, transforming the everyday into a visual feast for the senses.

For David, photography is a dance with light and shadow, an exploration of patterns and contrasts, and a celebration of fleeting moments that often escape notice. Each image he creates testifies to his fascination with the graphic components that define our surroundings—whether it’s the play of light on a city street, the geometry of architecture, or the interplay of textures in nature.

Through his lens, David invites viewers to see the world from a fresh perspective, encouraging them to recognize the inherent artistry that surrounds us. His photographs stand as a testament to the power of observation, the ability to uncover artistry in the everyday, and the joy of capturing the world’s graphic beauty.