DAVID POTTS
born 1926 - 2012
David
Haddon Potts was born in Sydney and proceeded from high school
to war service with the RAAF in 1944. From an amateur
interest in
photography Potts took up further training in this field under
the
Repatriation Scheme in 1945. From 1946-47, Potts gained practical
experience at the Department of Medical Illustration at Sydney
University. From there he went to work for the commercial illustration
studio
of Russell Roberts Pty Ltd.
In
1950 Potts joined the studio of leading fashion and commercial
photographers Laurie Le Guay and
John Nisbeft. Later that year,
however, Potts left to go to London and seek work in the field
of photo-journalism.
For the next five years he worked on varied professional assignments
in London, Israel and Cyprus for The Observer, Picture Post and
Life magazines.
On
his return to Sydney in 1955, Potts continued to do assignments
for Time-Life as well as general freelance work.
He was a member
of the “Six Photographers” group exhibition of
work in the documentary tradition, held in 1955 at Farmers.
Potts
operated his own studio in Sydney from 1960-65. Since
then he has continued to live in Sydney but has not been
active in
professional photography. His work had an emotional mood
and sensitivity unusual
in Australian photo-journalism of the time.
above
text based on Gaël Newton's Silver & Grey
Angus and Roberston, Australia 1980
see also wikipedia entry