Leaving school at 16, he worked various jobs before serving on a Royal Navy Minesweeper at 19 and becoming a prison officer at HM Prison Barlinnie in Glasgow by 21. At 28, he returned to education, commuting from Glasgow to study at Edinburgh Napier University, where he graduated with a BA Distinction in Photographic Studies.

He then spent much of his career in London and NYC, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Edinburgh Napier University in 2011, and in 2012, he was featured in Panasonic’s national Lumix campaign. He exhibited extensively, including a solo show in Cork Street, London, and was the first photographer to host a solo exhibition at The Glasgow Art Club. In 2015, he became the first photographer to exhibit at The Scottish Gallery and was appointed Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, serving for six years. David has worked on multiple other portfolios since then however in 2023   he exhibited his largest body of work at The Signet Library in Edinburgh, In association with The Fine Art Society and The Society of Writers to His Majesty’s Signet this exhibition included several portfolios of print, sculpture, and poetry alongside a collaboration with Berlin based Turner prize winner Douglas Gordon, titled ‘LUNCH WITH GERTRUDE’.