David O’Daniel is a photographer based in the Appalachian Foothills of Northeast Tennessee. He relocated to Appalachia nearly two decades ago after living in major urban centers throughout the United States for most of his life. His deep interest in photography was inspired by beautiful and sometimes formidable landscapes, wildlife, and people of Appalachia. His explorations are influenced, in part, by connections made and stories shared from within the communities and from his work as a nurse.

David’s work focuses on natural and cultural landscapes, and human impact on the environment. Naturally, that means traveling through the mountains where roads aren’t always friendly, often narrow with tight switchbacks and optimistically posted speed limits of 20mph on the edge of mountains. It’s hard to observe the scenery while driving so he returns to locations several times, lest something is missed. Drives through the mountains and forests are, also, serene, yet eerie in places. Imagination evokes the sounds of banjos dueling in the forests and hope that, through some miracle, the steep and winding roads will straighten so that distance can quickly be put between himself and ghosts of moonshiners and other ne’er-do-wells. As quickly as fear comes, it yields to a sense of peace, of being embraced by the magnificence of nature.

David’s photographs have been shown at Fischman Gallery, Johnson City, TN, Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Boone, NC, Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts, Providence, RI, Photo Place Gallery, Middlebury, VT, Create Appalachia, Kingsport, TN, and Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN. He has studied photography at East Tennessee State University with Tema Stauffer and through a mentorship with Corinne May Botz through PhotoPhlo.