Trattles, David, 1960- : Born and raised in Ottawa, David Trattles (Canadian, 1960 - ) has also lived in southern Ontario and Germany. After earning a degree in civil engineering, David Trattles spent a year cycling through Asia. Trattles adopted cycling as a tool to his photographic craft to enable his acceptance in to marginalized communities. A self-taught photographer and master printer, internationally celebrated social documentary photographer David Trattles has been working with his unique brand of social documentary photography for over 25 years and has cycled across Canada and over 60 countries retelling tales of Canadian communities through photographic narratives. Part of his travels include documenting unique and unconventional ways of living. His work has a strong focus on rural communities, First Nations, and socio-cultural activities across Canada, mainly "marginalized groups who manage to preserve an identity, and move forward within the mainstream of an increasingly globalized culture", to use David Trattles' own words. But more importantly to Dave, his work captures the wealth of life. Trattles makes community by recognizing, encouraging, and building artistry with the people around him in order to collaborate in the process of the work.
One of his most frequent clients is Canadian Geographic magazine. Trattles worked on their first ever human geography story in 2001, in which the incredible diversity of cultural and linguistic groups in Toronto was examined. He was awarded an honourable mention for this story at the National Magazine Awards in 2005. Dave has and continues to work on assignment as a professional freelance photographer for publications such as Canadian Geographic, Ottawa Life, PhotoEd, Explore, Elle, Elle India, Bike New York, MacLeans, Globe and Mail, Arctic Journal, Canada Year Book, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee and has worked for government and not-for-profits such as Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Heritage and Multiculturalism Canada, Canadian Council for Geographic Education and Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders. Dave focuses on Youth Outreach Photography and Peacework initiatives. Trattles continues to manage GogozoYouth Photo Adventure and Awareness Building Tours as well as Dave's Best Quality South India Bicycle Adventure.
Trattles is the recipient of several awards and grants including DFAIT International Relations PSC Arts Grant, Artsreach Arts Award, City of Toronto Arts Grant for the Outer Limits Youth Project, First Prize Kodak North American Print Competition, Ontario Arts Council Exhibition Assistance Grant, among others. Dave participated in a CBC television production as one of three documentary photographers (aired Canada Day, 2005) to document on economically struggling rural regions in Canada and was sent to Fogo Island, Nfld. The series was also published in McLean's Magazine. His on-going work on the boxing ladies series was featured in both Elle and Elle India Magazines. Fundraising efforts for the boxing ladies in Calcutta were made by collaborating with the Toronto Newsgirls Boxing Club (only women's club in Canada) and have subsequently established a relationship with the club in India with plans on visiting them). His series on Urban Inuit was featured in Canadian Geographic in 2005. Dave has also photographed prominent political figures such as Joe Clark, Jean Chrétien and Justin Trudeau.
