I don’t photograph people. I reveal them.

A woman with curly hair kneels on the ground, wearing a leather outfit with a zipper front, and poses confidently against a plain background.

Everyone has a truth the camera rarely captures.

My work lives in the tension between instinct and intention.
I look for the moment when someone forgets about the camera,
the brief honesty that slips through before they settle back into themselves.

A woman with dark hair, makeup, and long eyelashes is seen in profile. She is wearing a turquoise feathered outfit with a rhinestone strap.
Black and white portrait of a woman with curly hair wearing a leather bustier and a sleeveless jacket, posing with one hand on her forehead and the other near her chest.
A woman with long, curly blonde hair wearing a peach-colored dress with ruffled straps and a deep neckline, along with a rhinestone choker necklace, poses against a plain gray background.

Meet the photographer.

I photograph the truth people don’t see in themselves.

I’m David Valentine, a portrait and documentary photographer based in Central Florida.

I’m drawn to the quiet tension between instinct and intention — the moment when someone finally exhales and becomes real again. My work blends cinematic stillness with raw, unpolished honesty. I’m drawn to muted tones, quiet moments, and the expressions people give when they finally stop performing.

If this kind of honesty resonates with you, let’s create something real together.

Black and white portrait of a man with curly hair and a beard, gazing downward.
Black and white graphic of a stylized letter 'M'

The Monochrome Journal

A photography journal about seeing — not just shooting.

This is a place for people who care about more than “bangers.”
It lives in black-and-white a lot of the time, but it’s really about the bigger picture: how images are made, how they’re used, and how they quietly shape what we believe about the world.

I shoot, I write, and I say what I actually think — about cameras, photobooks, influencers, ethics, and the stories we sell under the label of “photography.”

Read the Journal
People shopping for sunglasses at a store with illuminated display shelves filled with sunglasses, some of which include brands like Gucci and Chanel.
People walking in a parade with a dog.
A group of male wrestlers in masks and wrestling trunks around a wrestling ring, with a woman in the foreground, at an outdoor event during sunset.
A man kneeling on a wooden dock proposing to a woman, with water and houses in the background in black and white.
Black and white portrait of a woman with long hair, wearing a necklace, looking at the camera with a confident expression.
Children riding on a carousel horse at night, illuminated by lights, in black and white.

Book your portrait session.

Let’s create something cinematic, intentional, and honest — photography built around who you actually are.

Schedule a Session