About Dan
Despite growing up in the leafy suburbs of London, England, Dan always knew that his calling lay further afield. After graduating from the University of Bristol with a major in Zoology and a minor in Physiology, he married his passion for travel and wildlife into one career. It wasn’t long before his ambitions became reality, and at the tender age of 22, he found himself on a remote desert island, surrounded by dragons, and entrusted with a year long production of a documentary for the Discovery Channel.
Bitten by the tropical bug, Dan returned to Bali, Indonesia where he resided for almost 20 years, during which time he was fortunate enough to visit some of most remote places on earth, and had the sort of experiences that would sound far-fetched, were it not for the photographs he shot along the way. Pygmy tree cannibals. Neolithic tribes. Horseback bloodsports. Shamans and sorcerers. Whale hunters and shark tamers. Tales from the age of discovery, but from a world rapidly disappearing.
In this time as a successful wildlife and travel photographer, Dan's work was featured in National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Condé Nast Traveler. the New York Times, and other publications around the world.
During these same years, Dan established his own creative agency in Bali, capitalizing on the fast growth of contemporary tourism, and opened two separate restaurant chains, each with fun and whimsical branding that facilitated their rapid growth.
These seemingly disparate careers - zoology, photography, writing, design, marketing and branding - equipped Dan with a unique and eclectic skill set. He has used these to spur his extensive achievements. He spent 6 years overseeing the extraordinary growth of Vital Farms. In the time years that he was in charge of brand development, design and communication, the most important metric was this: the company went from $5M in annual sales to $150M. Single handedly, Dan turned a commodity product turned into an iconic lifestyle brand.
Seeking a new challenge, Dan moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, to serve as Creative Director for Midan Marketing, and for the last 2 years, Managing Director of the newly created video and photography division of Midan, Parable Pictures. There Dan was able to combine his passion for visual story-telling with his technical and creative expertise to service the livestock industry, producing award winning films and ads.
Dan’s experience behind the lens in the wild coupled with his global travels and educational background provide him a unique perspective and have instilled in him a deep appreciation for environmental sustainability, animal welfare and creativity. Dan is a passionate advocate for the vital role that communities across the world can play to protect the planet, whether that be indigenous people of the world’s remotest islands, or horseback ranchers in the American heartlands.
Born and raised in London, England, Dan is multi-lingual and multi-cultural. He is able to communicate freely and comfortably in any medium, and in multiple languages, and brings a creative flair and clarity to everything he does, whether it be punchy ad headlines, stunning photography, crisp visual design, or compelling video narratives. With a sharp intellect and deep passion for everything he does, Dan is truly a creative force of nature.