HUMANFILES IS the visual work of David McGowan.

While always having an on-again, off-again relationship with photography since childhood, David studied design and illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. After leaving SCAD with a BFA, he made his way back North and eventually settled in Chicago for nine years.

The early years in Chicago were spent providing freelance design services to a variety of agencies in the city. Freelance work enabled David the freedom to create flexible living situations. Having spent half of 2000 in DC, he reintroduced himself to photography and put Geoff Johnson's darkroom to good use.

Shortly after that David took a position back in Chicago with Image Studio Ltd., a design service with a heavy focus on
catalog work. Interestingly enough, IS soon brought on
National Geographic as a catalog client, and David became
the lead designer for that account.

Naturally having an association with National Geographic inspired David's interest in image-making. Having the NG account enabled a number of location shoots in interesting places, and David put his skills to use, shooting editorial and design elements for the catalog. Images of culture, local color, and texture added the flavor of the location to the book. After working on that account for three years, it was time to move on.

David made a crucial decision in 2007, left Chicago and decided
to reacquaint with his roots in West Michigan. Here he launched Humanfiles, a vehicle for finding print and web work, but most importantly, home for pursuing storytelling through photography.