David Rickerd grew up in Michigan, graduated from Eastern Michigan University and earned a Masters in Photography at the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology. After a well-established career in New York as a freelance photographer doing projects for major publications and advertising agencies, Rickerd moved his family to sunnier climates, near clear water and the beauty of ocean worlds.

Rickerd refers to his work as “surreal collage,” and says that he finds that electronic media enables him to integrate his photography and illustration-design seamlessly. Rickerd's surreal collages capture the feeling of open spaces and the element of life. These are visual memories of a time that may never have existed except in the imagination.

Rickerd travels to far and away places to photograph the basic elements of his illustrations; the world under the sea. Dave is an accomplished underwater photographer, collecting his imagery from far away places like the Red Sea, the South Pacific (Micronesia), Galapagos Islands, the Caribbean, Central America (Belize and Honduras) and Mexico. A diver for 25 years he shares this passion with his son who travels with him on shooting expeditions around the globe.

And, as you can see below, David’s creativity reaches above the waterline too!