The short version

I've spent my career testing technology designed for different target audiences, and then explaining the pros and cons of that technology in the voice of that same audience.

I've spent my career testing technology gear through the eyes of its target user and breaking down complex topics. My goal is always to give readers (and now, viewers) clear, honest, hands-on guidance with no filler.

The job titles and medium kept changing. I was technology editor at the magazine Photo District News, where I launched the publication's first hands-on review section. I was editor-in-chief of Digital Photo Pro, Digital Photo, and HDVideoPro magazines and their web counterparts. As the world of print slowly withered, I moved to more web-delivered content and have been a contributor at the camera review site PetaPixel and editor-in-chief of the legendary Imaging Resource.

As a long-time cyclist and kayaker, I've been able to contribute to publications like BikeHugger.com, Mountain Bike magazine, Bicycling Magazine, Paddler, and more.

During my career, I wrote four books, completed hundreds of product reviews, and have bylines for more than twenty national publications.

I've also spent a lot of time on the other side of the table, writing for the companies that make the tools. I created and reviewed in-product copy with Apple's Aperture team. I wrote launch pages and campaign copy for Sony's Alpha camera division, and many more.

I was the co-founder and vice president at the PR and media relations agency PixelShift Studio, the agency of record for Sony's Alpha camera division. There, I managed relationships with more than 200 outlets and YouTube channels, developed marketing and product materials, and helped bring the Japanese engineering team feedback and suggestions from the photographic and videographer media.

These days I've shifted to video. Dave Tries This is my consumer tech channel. I've produced more than 150 videos, both in organic media and sponsored content. Dave Tries This has 28,000 subscribers and 3.3 million views. Agent Baltic is my newer and narrower channel. It covers AI and automation tools for photographers, editors, and writers, and it focuses on what a working creator can do with those tools. As a one-person shop, I handle everything from pitches to posted video.

I'm also building TalkOver, a Mac teleprompter app. This development has been done in conjunction with AI programming tools (I'm a lousy coder by myself), and I've been providing the scope, feature specs, and interface element design for this project.

I've gained a reputation for being accurate and fair in my reviews, and easy to understand in my content. Every new product and tool I test allows me to create another resource for the consumer.