Hello,
my name is David Ovenden and I am a freelance professional photographer providing a wide range of photographic services to individuals and businesses.
I specialise in portraits (for social media, family and business), theatre, fashion and commercial photography but I can help you with all your photographic requirements. I offer studio or location shoots, and with my portable studio I can create studio quality shots in your own home, office or at your function.
I cover all areas of London and the South East, or further afield on request.
Below you will see some of my recent work. Bear in mind that a lot of my work is for private clients and and will not appear here to maintain client confidentiality.
Recent Work
Musical Theatre Conference 2022
Come
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Based on the film of the same name, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels tells the story of two very different con men, the debonair Lawrence Jameson and the vulgar Freddy Benson. The chalk and cheese con men know they can’t both work the same resort so they decide to make a bet.
The first to make $50,000 from one of the many wealthy ladies of the French Riviera town of Beaumont-sur-Mer will get to stay, the loser has to leave town. All they have to decide is who is the mark – and no mark is more loaded and less aware than the American Soap Queen herself, Christine Colgate. As they try their different approaches to get the dough, they find that Christine isn’t as easy as they first thought and that this con is going to be harder and more painful than expected, but the most fun they’ve ever had.
Nominated for 11 Tony Awards in 2005, this show has it all, from glitzy dance numbers to hilarious songs and stupid jokes.
Presented by Sedos at the Bridewell Theatre
Ophelia Thinks Harder
A riotous reworking of Shakespeare’s Hamlet – with serious themes, nevertheless. Featuring Ophelia, her maid, St Joan and a couple of locals – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
The Prince is a hazard and the new King’s a puppet. Who the hell is running Denmark? Ophelia tries to please. Ophelia fails. Ophelia thinks harder.
With guerilla feminists invading the castle, failed spells from a frustrated maid, endless direction from a wily Queen and various ignored ghosts, this is not the Hamlet you know.
Ophelia Thinks Harder is a heightened, confused and darkly-funny world, where Shakespeare meets feminism. And this time Ophelia gets all the best lines.
Presented by Sedos at the Bridewell Theatre
Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Concert 2021
The Best New Song Prize is awarded on an annual basis recognising an outstanding song from a new musical, written by a member of Mercury Musical Developments, the UK’s largest membership organisation dedicated to developing new musical theatre writing. 12 finalists selected from 175 applicants had their songs showcased by West End performers at this celebration concert at Hackney Empire on Friday 10 September 2021
BEAM 2021
BEAM2021 is a live and digital all-day event, the UK’s biggest showcase of new musical theatre. BEAM features presentations of new musicals in development from throughout the UK, including ideas ranging from daytime bhangra raves to climate change told as a love story, from challenging the UK’s hostile environment policy to singing lesbian pirates. BEAM is for anyone interested in musicals. The 38 new musicals, found via a nationwide call-out, will be presented in live or in digital form, with stream.theatre also livestreaming the whole event.
BEAM is produced by Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network, with funding and support from Arts Council England, the PRS Foundation, the Coach Jack Curran Trust, Youth Music and the Coral Samuel Charitable Foundation.
ART UK – Sculpture photography
ART UK is the online home for every public art collection in the UK. Featuring over 270,000 artworks by over 50,000 artists. ART UK is a charity, and its website represents a collaboration between over 3,400 British institutions.
Following a plea from the Royal Photographic Society, I volunteered to became the sculpture photographer for the London Borough of Waltham Forest. This involved researching sculptures throughout the borough, photographing them from various angles and completing a spreadsheet with details. coordinates and references (probably the hardest part)
“‘I do like the way you represent my work on your web site. many thanks for the exposure.’” Marshall Lambert, Sculptor
The high spot for me was the Hitchcock murals at Leytonstone Underground Station, some of which are shown above. They were difficult to shoot as they are at the entrance to a busy (even during lockdown} Underground station and are mosaics on curved tiled walls in a constricted space.
A garden shoot
A shoot in my garden with up and coming young actor/model Stephen Stallone Thomas
Previous Posts

Soho Cinders – SEDOS
I originally shot the Gala performance of Soho Cinders at the Queen's Theatre in 2011 with Sandy Toksvig as the narrator. My pictures appear on the...

SSSSPOTY 2019 – Haymarket Theatre, London
Winners of the 13th annual Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year(SSSSPOTY) and the 12th annual Stiles + Drewe Best New Song Prize...

IIRSM Award Dinner and Ceremony 2019
The International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) announced the winners of its 2019 Risk Excellence Awards which recognise...

Cleopatra
Concert Performance - a musical in development. Cleopatra was a charismatic woman who ruled Egypt in an age when the world was dominated by strong...

Cleopatra – Rehearsals
A few images and a video I made of the rehearsals of this new musical. ...

SSSSPOTY 2019 Heats
The heats for this year's SSSSPOTY Competition were held at the Bishopsgate Institute. The judges, Edward Seckerson and Nigel Lilley (currently MD...

Musical Theatre Conference
Mercury Musical Developments, in partnership with Musical Theatre Network, hosts a bi-annual UK Musical Theatre Conference to debate and discuss...

BEAM Brunches
BEAM Brunches were events run by Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network at the Other Palace Theatre to showcase new musical...

Our Country’s Good
30 years on from its premiere at the Royal Court, Our Country's Good is a modern classic, exploring themes of crime, punishment and the unifying and...

Send in the Clowns: Sondheim’s Extraordinary Women
Yesterday's performance of Send in the Clowns: Sondheim's Extraordinary Women at the Lichfield Garrick was a great success for all concerned and was...

10 years of All Star Productions at Ye Old Rose and Crown
To celebrate 10 years of productions Andrew Yon wrote this on FaceBook "11 Years ago after a few glasses of vino with our Business Partners we had a...

Moksha Therapies
My photograph of Alex at Moksha Therapies in Margate was featured in a special section of the Metro on the growth of health and wellbeing in Margate.

Earthquakes in London
An all-pervasive fear of the future and a guilty pleasure in the excesses of the present drive Mike Bartlett’s epic rollercoaster of a play from...

Publicity shots for Into the Woods
These shots were taken in the gardens of Lauderdale House in Highgate to promote a new production of Sondheim and Lepine's Into the Woods at the...

Control
A new Play By Tim McArthur Directed by Guy Retallack starring Lewis Rae. Kitty Whitelaw, David Archer, Ben Woods and Jo Wickham Most gay men have...

BEAM2018
BEAM2018 is a two day biennial industry showcase of new British musical theatre. The work is found via a series of innovative pitching days held at...