David Barbour was inspired to become a photographer when he discovered the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson in 1971. He studied photography at the Banff School of Fine Arts between 1973-76 and since then has balanced contract photographic assignments and personal projects. Barbour prefers the uncontrolled environment of the street. He searches for moments that capture the reality of everyday life. His subjects are primarily people, however his most recent project will be a series of landscapes taken in Manitoba.

Highlights of Barbour's photo-assignment career include being awarded a World Press Award in 1986 for a photograph he took in Egypt for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and receiving a mid-career Canada Council Grant in 1999 to complete a series of photographs in Havana, Cuba. Barbour currently lives in Ottawa where he is an active free-lance photographer. He teaches photography classes and workshops at Algonquin College, the Ottawa School of Art, and Ginn Photo Workshops.