David Roberts is a photographic author and cultural documentarian working at the intersection of craft and conservation. He chooses to explore his Southeast and East Asian heritage through iconoclastic yet superlative technical-artistic expression. David utilises techniques rooted in the European non-fotografie tradition of chiaroscuro/clair-obscur, balanced by philosophical introspection from contemporary stoicism, applying these principles to document Eastern cultures and history. David’s first true marker of credibility in the fine-art cultural space was through TASCHEN review in June 2025, followed by partnership negotiations and a brief optics exclusivity with ZEISS in September 2025. David’s curatorial work includes interviews with high-profile artists such as Eliran Kantor (acclaimed album artist known for chiaroscuro), Oren Soffer (Director of Photography - The Creator), and Stuart Isett (Photographer - NYT, Fortune). His legacy work (from Simple Nothings in 2017 and From Nippon With Love in 2018, to Soul of the Planet, Heart of the People in 2022) forms an evolving series of anthropological studies on the dissonance between lasting memory and relentless modernity. DRobertsPhoto stands as the bedrock of David’s post-social suite.
David builds his work inside two frameworks: his Closed Loop Creative System and a Post-Social ecosystem. David’s Closed Loop is not a theory — it is a working, self-funded production cycle where each artefact directly facilitates the next, locking in IP control and momentum through execution. Embracing the Post-Social ecosystem removes all dependency on algorithm-driven platforms, replacing them with owned, permanent channels and institutional alliances. Together these systems form a viable alternate framework to the status quo, fully rejecting the recent notion of audience as tastemaker, thus forming a high-integrity creative engine: culturally anchored and built for permanence, not platform. Should these frameworks be adopted elsewhere, David theorises that it would take five or more years to produce comparable results as his technical fluency, production skill, location familiarity, cultural access, and institutional trust aren’t things one can download or buy.
In November 2025 David Roberts claimed the nomenclature Philosophic Documentarianism for his proprietary school of thought. Philosophic Documentarianism stands in opposition to the absurdity of contemporary media neutrality, where institutions will hedge against objective truths. This new school of thought will allow natural bias to occur as speculative thought, whilst declaration of truth remains neutral. Photography is considered the optimal medium as it allows an objective, visible truth whilst allowing philosophic interpretation. The school of thought is built upon the grounds of image-as-document; produced through superlative artistic and technical photographic techniques. The core principal of image-as-document is made from the basis that the contemporary definition of a photograph as data that is captured by a digital sensor. If the data is added post-capture, it is not of the document. If the execution is superlative the subject cannot be mistaken as incidental; the creative techniques cannot be mistaken as accidental. The author does not claim inception over the principles but the governance and adherence to a unifying body, proven over a decade of execution.
DRobertsPhoto works in collaboration with:
Current Projects:
Too Quiet for the Algorithm Too Loud for Any Room
Part manifesto, part memoir delivered in 13,700 words across 100+ pages of typographically-led spreads. Looks like a mood board, reads like the feed. Bleeds post-social.
Discover Temples of Thailand
Foundational photographic monograph blending socio-geographic documentary and cultural preservation with an exploration of David Roberts’ personal heritage.
Treatise I - On Philosophic Documentarianism and Visual Anthropology
Philosophic Documentarianism is the nomenclature adopted by DRobertsPhoto in November of 2025 as a descriptor of non-journalistic fine-art photography based primarily on the authors stoic principles, image-as-document, technical and archival execution. David Roberts considers his school of photography as a true and original branch of Visual Anthropology. Whilst it is likely the phrase may have been used in the past informally, the author claims ownership of its use and meaning within the contemporary discourse. This treatise will cover the definition of both Philosophic Documentarianism and of the semantics regarding proper usage of the term Visual Anthropology.
Ten Years of DRobertsPhoto: The Birth of Philosophical Documentarianism
A forward-facing retrospective of the seminal decade of DRobertsPhoto — from Instagram beginnings to formation of a post-social school of thought. To be released post 2027.
Japan Expansion:
The Nakasendo Way
A closed-ended project documenting the historical trade route between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto. Fully funded and in pre-production. Targeting Spring 2027.
Discover Castles of Japan
Interrogation of Sengoku Jidai fortifications and centuries of unbroken artisanal practices. The flagship monograph of DRobertsPhoto, in ideation since 2018. Targeting 2028 onwards.
2025 Overview:
6x Articles for Fuji X Passion Virtual Magazine (Digital Publication Based in Portugal)
Premium Articles: Beyond Social Media, Telephoto Lenses for Landscapes, Wide — A Change of Perspective, Fujifilm’s most HATED lenses (are two of my favourites)
Lens Reviews: TTArtisan 75mm F1.5 “Swirly Bokeh”, Meike 85mm F1.8 Pro
7x Articles for FUJILOVE Magazine (International Publication Based in Switzerland)
Manual Lenses for Nostalgic Imagery (six-part series), Why don’t people use the ZEISS Touit?
3x DRobertsPhoto Visual Interviews
Christopher Searles (Live Music - Pearl Jam, Bloc Party), Arran Carter-Cheetham (Travel-Documentary - featured in Fuji X Passion), Andrew Chorley (Historical Portraiture - featured in LFI)
4x DRobertsPhoto Field-Tested Reviews
Laowa Argus 25mm F0.95, Thypoch Simera 28mm F1.4, ArtraLab Similar Steel Rim 35mm F1.4, Meike 55mm F1.8 Pro — manufacture facilitated prior to ZEISS exclusivity.
6x DRobertsPhoto Photo Essays
Mekong Riverbed, Phi Ta Khon, Buddha Sculpture Workshop, Wat Santi Wanaram, A Friday in Laos, Udon Organic Farm
6x Discover Temples of Thailand Production Field Reports
Wat Sri Suwan Lela, Phu Phra Bat, Chao Phu Ya, Chedi Pha Dang, Wat Pa Sri Khunaram, Sala Keo Kou
4x DRobertsPhoto Gear Talk Articles
My Relationship With Gear Part One & Part Two, Getting Back in the Saddle, One Year, One Lens
Proof of High-Level Interest
Too Quiet reviewed by House of Anansi (Toronto, Canada), DRoberstPhoto IP & Roadmap reviewed by TASCHEN (Cologne, Germany), and extended partnership negotiations including brief optics exclusivity with Carl Zeiss before mutual dissolution. Secured partnership with Angelbird Technologies on Discover Temples of Thailand, including facilitation of industry leading data ingestion and field backup alongside logo use. Collaborator instigated relationship formed with Dehancer Film Emulation, streamlining efficiency for companion motion pieces. F-Stop Gear relationship continued through extensive long-term internal product validation of assigned SKU’s. Received letter of recommendation from acclaimed photojournalist Stuart Isett for use in institutional pitches citing “His work in northeastern Thailand always impressed me for its authenticity and how it reflects David’s unique cross cultural heritage.”
On Hiatus:
Third-Party Lenses for Fujifilm X-Mount: An Independent Guide
Field guide intended to be a culmination of reviews in collaboration with Fuji X Passion, now independently owed. On hiatus until October 2026 due to ZEISS non-compete.
Soul of the Planed, Heart of the People
Initial socio-political monograph pre-Discover Temples of Thailand. On hiatus due to geopolitical tensions and author’s current domiciliary. Now lives on through independent essays.
For interested parties:
Media packet access is available on request via davidroberts@drobertsphoto.com
The packet includes creator credentials, letters of recommendation, submission materials, monograph preludes, manuscript samples, FUJILOVE editorials, and legacy zines.
Request does not guarantee access.