2025 Mid-Year Update

At the beginning of the year I wrote a similar update, one depicting where I stood within my current timeline on Soul of the Planet, Heart of the People. I write this as we are hitting the halfway mark of this trip around the sun. You may be surprised how much has changed in such a short time, unless you know me personally.

First, it must be said: Soul of the Planet, Heart of the People is now on hiatus.

Due to geopolitical tensions and lack of feasible monetisation, I have moved on from what has been my most monumental project to date. This does not mean that the project is over, merely that with my current funding and security I am unable to deliver what I originally intended to without diluting the most important factor of the project - conservation over capitalism. My article in Bibilotheke Post’s upcoming debut issue will act as the project’s koan.

In April and May I wrote a manuscript. Part manifesto, part memoir, entitled Too Quiet for the Algorithm Too Loud for Any Room. It became clear to me as of writing what steps I needed to take next. Coupled with internal realisations, a culmination of external factors led me to cut ties with Fuji X Passion. My contributions to FujiLove will also end once prior commitments have been completed. My manuscript is currently in-pitch across the world’s leading publishing houses.

I created what will be my next project: Discover Temples of Thailand.

Discover Temples of Thailand will be a visual monograph, curating cultural sites across Thailand. Temples unapologetically untarnished by tourism, seen from the lens of heritage over spirituality. I submitted this (amongst other things) to TASCHEN, with escalation to formal editorial review by the Head of Submissions on June 3rd. After consideration, TASCHEN ultimately decided to pass on the project as of June 18th. Discover Temples of Thailand will re-enter pitch in the coming weeks.

To clarify, to even be considered by TASCHEN is a lifetime achievement. To reach that milestone at 33, as a contemporary documentary photographer no less, is vindicating.

As of writing this on June 21st 2025, I David (and by extension DRobertsPhoto) now have precedent along with cause.

Parallel to the events above, I have also been looking to partners that can operate at the level required. I am currently finalising a partnership (yes, a partnership, not a collaboration) that adequately reflects the trajectory of my work. With this I will also be bringing on new collaborators (one of which the keen eyed among you may have already noticed). All of which will be announced in due course.

DRobertsPhoto is the strongest it has ever been, in concept and execution.

As for my current Fujifilm adjacent work, I have reclaimed ownership of my project from Fuji X Passion, an e-Book titled 3rd Party Lenses for Fujifilm X-Mount An Independent Guide and will be publishing it through my own channels. I am currently in talks with retailers regarding placement via QR code as a free commodity to the Fujifilm community. This project stands backed by Laowa, ArtraLab, Thypoch, Meike, Brightin Star and Viltrox. I am currently aiming for a Q2 2026 release, with reviews hosted here in the lead up. This will be my parting gift to the Fujifilm community, I do not forget that this system once aligned perfectly with my ethos.

Too Quiet for the Algorithm Too Loud for Any Room and Discover Temples of Thailand are just the beginning. I am dedicated to creating heritage rich, culturally fluent work, designed with post-social permanence at the forefront. We can only build for tomorrow, today. And I am set on doing it cross-media, platform-agnostic, and at a global scale.

Festina Lente. (Make Haste Slowly - Julius Augustus Caesar)

- David