An aerospace engineer (with aspirations to become a professional race car driver) in a previous life, Dave wised up early and enrolled instead in journalism studies at the University of Florida in 1967.  Following a graduate course at Oklahoma State University he served stints as newspaper reporter/photographer, university journalism instructor, sports publicist, speechwriter and corporate magazine editor.  He’s proud to say that he issued his last corporate propaganda and collected his final paycheck in May, 1980.

He has never looked back.  Within his first year as a freelancer, Dave gained membership in the Society of American Travel Writers and by 1984 he was claiming some of the travel industry’s top honors, including the Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s “Explore Canada” award for travel photography and SATW’s “Photographer of the Year” honors.  In 1985, Dave was runner-up for the prestigious Lowell Thomas Grand Award – in a competition designed to select the nation’s best all-around travel journalist.  His subsequent awards have been too numerous to list, but most recently he captured the North American Travel Journalists Association’s 2003 award for “Overall Excellence in Photography.”

Topping his decision not to become a racer as his smartest move yet, Dave hired a sexy young assistant and ex-Hollywood celebrity shooter, Jan Butchofsky, in 1987.  He was traveling so much that he’d never had time to train employees.  With Jan finally onboard to organize, manage and effectively market Dave’s extensive collection of travel images, the reality of a legitimate stock photo agency took shape.  Making yet another brilliant decision, Dave married Jan in 1990 and the pair moved home and business from its high-rent San Diego beachfront location to the mountains of New Mexico.

Dave and Jan sold Houserstock to their long-time office manager, Rankin Harvey, on November 17, 2005.