“It is always a joy to work with David Polston. He is reliable and dedicated to his craft. His photographs are always rich in color and content but I really appreciate his ability to capture the emotion of performers.”
Jennifer Hafner Assistant Producer, Virginia International Tattoo
Images from The Hampton Coliseum
“David always carries out a job with professionalism and a smile. Our event photography needs reach a very wide range and David always comes through with outstanding photos. He is a pleasure to work with and extremely talented...a winning combination.”
“Virginia Arts Festival is home to some of the greatest performances brought from around the world. The Festival spans across a six-week period over several cities of Hampton Roads. With performances of such artistic caliber as Chris Botti, Renée Fleming, Al Pacino, among others, the Festival has to be very particular with anyone that is photographing such performances.
David Polston has worked with the Virginia Arts Festival on several projects since the 2010 Spring Festival. He has been a respectful photographer and thus gained our complete trust when working with high profile artists. We have used David’s skills in such high profile settings as private meet and greets with Al Pacino, Governor Bob McDonnell, High-ranking military officers and members of various City Councils. He is non-invasive and always manages to capture the perfect shots, even in high stress situations.
David has also been specifically requested by several of our staff members to shoot at certain events because his photographic eye is original and expressive. He captures not only the moment, but the feelings behind the moment. We have used his photographs in grant applications, on our website, and in several Festival marketing pieces.
I highly recommend David because of his professionalism, use of judgment, artistic vision, and passion for his craft.”
Kelly Marie Harlan Marketing Manager, Virginia Arts Festival
Images from "Freud's Last Session" - Tidewater Stage/Regent University
“It is my pleasure to write in recommendation of David Polston as a seasoned and highly capable photographer. David has been serving as the season photographer for the Regent University Theatre for the past four seasons, and we could not be more pleased with his work.
When David first started working with us we were using another photographer to shoot staged photos, and we asked David to supplement this work with candid, live action shots. However, it quickly became apparent that David’s work was superior. He has a particular skill for capturing the exuberance and emotion of live theatre. We now utilize David as our exclusive photographer for all season productions. He has been particularly responsive to our needs, and he currently shoots a combination of live action and staged shots for each of our shows. Both are exceptional.
Theatrical lighting can create some unique challenges for production photography. However, David’s work always looks gorgeous and is perfectly balanced. He has an accomplished eye for composition and possesses the technical know-how to capture the best shot under the most challenging of circumstances. I have no doubt that David’s expertise would allow for success in diverse media and a range of occasions.
Finally, David is a good-natured guy who puts clients at ease during photography sessions. He is clear in his direction, affable and never rushes the moment. I am always confident that David wants the final product to be just as good as we do. He is generous with his time and delivers photography of the highest caliber in an expedient timeframe. He has a detailed eye for editing, and the finished product is always excellent.
As you can tell, I hold David in high regard. We have proudly featured his work in multiple marketing pieces for our department, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our working relationship with him. I recommend him highly.”
Eric W. Harrell MFA Producing Artistic Director Tidewater Stage Associate Professor of Theatre Regent University Regent University