David Swindler is an award-winning landscape and wildlife photographer. He received a degree in chemical engineering and worked in the semiconductor industry specializing in optics and photolithography. In 2014, he left his day job to follow his true passion. He has traveled to some of the most remote regions of the world and has extensive experience photographing a wide variety of subjects and conditions. As the founder of Action Photo Tours, he finds great satisfaction in helping others learn photography, especially in the wild desert environment near his home in Kanab, UT.

David enjoys a wide variety of landscape photography, from aerial abstracts, night photography, animalscapes, to grand landscapes. He seeks to showcase the beauty of the natural world around him. As such, he takes pride in portraying real landscapes, not digital composites.

Epson Pano Awards Gold Awards
3rd Place 2025 International Aerial Photographer of the Year
1st Place 2024 International Photography Awards - Nature Division
Finalist - 2024 and 2022 Siena International Drone Awards
Remarkable Artwork Award - 2023 Siena International Photography Awards
2nd Place 2022 International Photography Awards
Grand Prize Winner - 2020 Great Outdoors Competition
People's Choice Award - 2018 National Geographic Nature Competition

I first fell in love when I went on a family trip as a kid and saw the stars like I've never seen them before on a memorable night in the Grand Canyon. I knew one day I would return to the Southwest. Now living in Southern Utah, I never get tired to seeing the cosmic brilliance against the dramatic landscapes all around me.

I was on my way home after running a workshop on Lake Powell. While driving, I noticed a large storm brewing in the distance. It wasn't long before it was on top of me, pouring rain and dropping bolts of lightning. I wasn't far from Monument Valley, so I stepped on it and got the rim just as the light was starting to break. And even better, it was the day of the year with the inverse mitten shadow!

While on a trip to Mexico, I had envisioned this shot of the church juxtaposed against the massive volcano. However, as I scouted around the city looking for the perfect vantage point, I was met only with frustration. Everything was blocked or extremely messy. I did mange to climb outside the fence on a pedestrian bridge over the highway, but even that spot didn't have quite the right alignment. As I was walking down the street, I saw a guy punching in a code on a building with a rooftop deck. That would be the perfect spot! I ran over to him, explained in Spanish what I was hoping to accomplish, and he was so nice to let me come up to the rooftop with him.