{"id":2010,"date":"2025-07-01T06:45:33","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T06:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/davesphoto.co.uk\/?page_id=2010"},"modified":"2025-07-01T06:45:33","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T06:45:33","slug":"about-me","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/davesphoto.co.uk\/index.php\/about-me\/","title":{"rendered":"About Me"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Built to Last: My Journey from Carpentry to Creativity<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\ude9a The Carpenter\u2019s Apprentice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It all started with wood. As a trained carpenter, I learned the value of <strong>precision, patience, and process<\/strong> \u2014 the smell of sawdust, the feel of hand-planed timber, and the odd bruised thumb. Carpentry wasn\u2019t just a trade \u2014 it was a discipline that shaped how I think, solve problems, and create.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve always believed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cThe tool is only as good as the person using it.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That mindset has stuck with me through every chapter since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\udd41 Carrera Drums: Craft Meets Rhythm<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2009, I founded <strong>Carrera Drums<\/strong> \u2014 a handmade drum company based in my small Uxbridge workshop. I brought the skills from my woodworking background into the world of rhythm, building everything from custom snare drums to full shell kits using birch, maple, and bubinga.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My work caught attention quickly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In <strong>2010<\/strong>, <em>MusicRadar<\/em> praised Carrera for offering \u201camazing sounds\u201d and \u201cgood value for handmade instruments.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>By <strong>2015<\/strong>, they called Carrera \u201ca master drum builder\u201d with \u201cconstruction, finish and sound that blew us away.\u201d<br>(<a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.musicradar.com\/reviews\/drums\/carrera-drums-custom-pinstripe-snare-drums-617410?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">MusicRadar Review<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Carrera Drums became known not just for their sound, but for their <strong>craftsmanship and care<\/strong>. Even other builders like Pork Pie used my shells in their own designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83c\udf04 A New Canvas<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2015, due to health issues, I stepped away from drum building. It wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>\u201cWhen health made me stop drumming, I didn\u2019t stop making. I just found a new canvas.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>That new canvas became the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a camera in my bag and two wheels under me, I set off to rediscover that same joy of building \u2014 this time in the form of <strong>stories, photos, and adventure<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcf8 Dave\u2019s Adventures UK<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, I share those stories on my YouTube channel: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@DavesAdventuresUK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Dave\u2019s Adventures UK<\/strong>.<\/a><br>It\u2019s part Vespa rides, part camping chaos, part photography, and a big part of just <em>living curiously<\/em> \u2014 even if it rains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\udd16 The New Tools: AI &amp; Creativity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>More recently, I\u2019ve teamed up with <strong>ChatGPT<\/strong>, using AI like a new kind of power tool. It helps me shape video ideas, slogans, designs, and keep the creative process flowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t question a carpenter for using a power drill instead of a hand auger. This is just a new kind of tool.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The spirit of craftsmanship hasn\u2019t gone anywhere \u2014 it\u2019s just evolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\ude80 What\u2019s Next?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn\u2019t about going viral. It\u2019s about <strong>making something that lasts<\/strong>.<br>From wood, to rhythm, to roads and reels \u2014 it\u2019s all part of the same journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So whether you\u2019re here for the bikes, the builds, or the banter \u2014 welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s keep creating.<br>\u2013 Dave<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Built to Last: My Journey from Carpentry to Creativity \ud83e\ude9a The Carpenter\u2019s Apprentice It all started with wood. As a trained carpenter, I learned the value of precision, patience, and process \u2014 the smell of sawdust, the feel of hand-planed timber, and the odd bruised thumb. Carpentry wasn\u2019t just a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2010","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesphoto.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesphoto.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesphoto.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesphoto.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davesphoto.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2010"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/davesphoto.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2011,"href":"https:\/\/davesphoto.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2010\/revisions\/2011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davesphoto.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}