website title Steve Davison photographer and writer

About Steve Davison

I am an award-winning landscape photographer and outdoor writer based in the southern reaches of Somerset in South West England, close to the neighbouring areas of East Devon and West Dorset, with a passion for nature, the outdoors and travel.

I have been a keen hill walker and photographer for most of my life. I love spending time outdoors, exploring fascinating places, catching sight of local wildlife, wandering through native woodlands, understanding the local geology and learning about the local history and folklore. I have walked and explored extensively in the South West and Southern counties of England from the open moorland of Dartmoor to the rugged coastlines of Devon and Cornwall and the rolling chalk downs of Wiltshire, and always have a camera close to hand.

I am a qualified Mountain Leader (summer) and have worked as a part-time outdoor education instructor (though that was a few years ago now..!); I am also a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild.
photo of Steve Davison photographer and writer

Photography

My photography is mostly illustrative with many of my images being used in my books and articles. My main photographic interest is taking scenic landscapes of the South-West and Southern regions of England including the national parks of Dartmoor, Exmoor and the New Forest, the beautiful coastal regions of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, and the National Landscapes of the North Wessex Downs and the Chilterns. However, I also enjoy taking more intimate images of nature including birds and flowers as well as general travel photography from trips exploring various parts of the UK and Europe. The images on this website are all taken using digital camera equipment with minimal adjustments being undertaken using industry standard software where required. I also enjoy converting some of my images, ranging from scenic landscapes to abstracts and architecture, to black & white (or monochrome) where this enhances the scene, giving them a timeless and almost magical feel.

My photographs, of which several thousand have been published, have been used in a variety of media from books to magazine features and covers, both in print and online. To view a varied selection of photographs, please visit the gallery.

As for camera equipment, I have been a lifelong Olympus user; my first 35mm SLR film camera was an Olympus OM10 bought in the 1980's. I currently use a range of Olympus / OM System digital cameras and lenses. Limited photo editing is undertaken using DxO Photolab and Affinity Photo; black and white conversions are undertaken using DxO Nik Silver Efex software.
photo of Fox Tor on Dartmoor
Fox Tor - Dartmoor

Outdoor Writing

My first book was published in 2008 and since then I have written and illustrated a range of books, including a number of walking guidebooks published by Cicerone such as Walking on Dartmoor, Walking in the New Forest, Walking the Ridgeway and Walking the Kennet and Avon Canal. I have also provided contributions to other titles and publishers. Images from some of my books have been arranged into short slideshows to give a flavour of the area.

Over the last thirty years I have written and illustrated several hundred articles for a range of national and regional newspapers, magazines and online sites. These articles have included monthly walks features for lifestyle magazines spanning several years, walk articles and features for outdoor magazines, and travel articles for magazines, newspapers and online sites.
photo of Tarr Steps in Exmoor
Tarr Steps - Exmoor

Clients

Publishers and media outlets that have used my work, in print or online, include:

AA Publishing   ~   Adventure Travel   ~   Berkshire Life   ~   Bradwell Books   ~   Buckinghamshire Life   ~   Camping   ~   Cicerone   ~   Cicerone Extra (online)   ~   Country Walking   ~   Countryside Books  ~  Crowood Press   ~   Dartmoor News   ~   Hampshire Life   ~   Frances Lincoln   ~   Independent   ~   Independent on Sunday   ~   Inntravel   ~   North Wessex Downs   ~   OWPG   ~   Reading Chronicle   ~   Robert Hale   ~   South East Walker   ~   The Countryman   ~   The Great Outdoors   ~   Trail

Achievements

2025 - Highly Commended - OWPG Awards for Excellence (Photography), Ancient Dartmoor in Monochrome; a series of black and white images of some of Dartmoor's ancient relics

2017 - Highly Commended - OWPG Awards for Excellence (Guidebook), Walking the Kennet and Avon Canal; published by Cicerone


Finally, if you have any questions or comments, please contact me, or follow me on social media for the latest news.
photo of the Jurassic Coast from Golden Cap in Dorset
Jurassic Coast - Dorset