David Topping Photography

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David Topping Photography

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Portraits • Landscapes • Workshops I am a Toronto-based photographer of people and places.

With a passion for the outdoors, I’m naturally drawn to landscape and nature photography. I also enjoy connecting with people and capturing their personalities through portrait photography. As a workshop leader, I love to teach and inspire, drawing on my background as a graphic designer and my skills as a photographer to help others explore their creative potential. To see more of my work or for more information about me, visit my website.

09/15/2026

Archery is one of the traditional competitions at Mongolia’s Naadam Festival, and I loved watching the intensity and concentration of the competitors.

Standing on the sidelines of an event like this isn't the way I would normally create a portrait, but I couldn't resist the faces and accepted the limitations. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have.

I’ve included the original photo, just to show what I was working with.

Akari Photo Tours

09/03/2026

This is one of the eagle hunters we arranged to pose for the group during our time in Western Mongolia.

We had some incredible opportunities to photograph the eagle hunters while we were there. On horseback, releasing their eagles. Galloping towards us with the eagles raised on their arms.

Those were pretty spectacular photo sessions, but I personally have a soft spot for the quieter portraits like this.

Akari Photo Tours

08/24/2026

Thought I’d change it up with a landscape this time.

While the workshop focused on the Naadam Festival and the cultures of Mongolia, which offered plenty of portraits on this trip, I couldn’t resist looking for a few landscapes too.

This was taken one evening at the eagle hunter camp where we stayed in Western Mongolia. A little colour appeared in the sky, so I grabbed my camera from my ger and quickly looked for a composition.

It’s not perfect, but it does give a sense of where we stayed – and another glimpse into Mongolian culture.

Akari Photo Tours

08/22/2026

I loved this man's face – so much character.

I photographed the man and his eagle between demonstrations at the Mongolian nomadic camp where we stayed during the workshop. These are my favourite portrait opportunities – just a simple, candid moment.

The overcast skies provided beautiful, soft light, but the muted colours of the scene didn't really do the image justice. Black and white just made sense for this one.

Akari Photo Tours

08/18/2026

Another portrait from Mongolia, this time of one of the people at the traditional Mongolian nomadic camp where we stayed for two nights during the workshop.

Some of my favourite portraits there came during the quiet moments between the cultural demonstrations, when people weren't thinking about posing for the camera.

This was a simple, candid portrait. Overcast skies provided soft, natural light, and the ground behind where he was sitting made a perfect backdrop.

Akari Photo Tours

08/15/2026

Another portrait of Tomoko from our session in Ulaanbaatar.

This was a different kind of photo workshop, built around the annual Naadam Festival and focused on the cultures and traditions of Mongolia. For this session, Tomoko wore an elaborate ceremonial costume inspired by the traditional dress of Mongolian queens and noblewomen.

Once again, I finished the portrait by replacing the black theatre curtain in the background with a subtly textured wall and applied some creative colour grading.

Akari Photo Tours

08/13/2026

Back from Mongolia and finally sharing some photos...

It always takes me a while to start sharing photos after leading a workshop. I’m very critical of my own work (my Delete key gets a serious workout), and I’ll often revisit and refine an image several times before it finally feels right.

Here’s one from a portrait session we arranged for our group in a privately booked theatre in Ulaanbaatar.

This is Tomoko, a dancer whose graceful movements and expressions made this a truly special portrait opportunity.

We used the theatre’s stage lighting, added a fog machine, and I finished the image with some creative colour grading.

Akari Photo Tours

01/06/2026

A serendipitous moment in the Dolomites…

Conditions were constantly changing, with clouds engulfing the peaks then dissipating. I was shooting continuously, trying to capture the moment when the mountains were revealed just enough to create an interesting composition.

It wasn’t until I reviewed the photos on my computer that I realized a flock of birds had flown through the frame at the perfect moment. It was a happy accident that added an unexpected element to this ethereal scene.

A quick note: on a small mobile screen, the birds (choughs, for you bird people out there) might look a bit like dust spots, so this one is probably best viewed on a larger display to really appreciate the detail.

Address

Toronto, ON

Website

http://www.davidtopping.ca/

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