David Campli with his wife/business manager, Val, at their Malvern studio. Born and raised in Malvern, Campli joined the photography club at Great Valley High School “to meet girls.” He apprenticed in Villanova and Wayne with the late great photographer Kevin Raber (Radnor H.S. ’72) before opening on King Street.
In an age when fledgling photographers often launch with little more than Instagram account and a stool at Starbucks, David Campli is a unicorn.
“People don’t have photography businesses on Main Street USA anymore,” says Campli who just celebrated his 35th anniversary on King Street in Malvern.
Bookings remain brisk but foot traffic is light: an old-timer looking to repair a damaged photo, a mom inquiring about a family portrait.
As affable as he is artistic, Campli welcomes those visits. They allow him to kibitz with clients.
“You can’t just show up and photograph somebody’s family without knowing anything about them or without talking to them,” he says. “So I want them to stop by. I want to see you and hear about your family before I come to your house to photograph.”
When there’s a personal connection, nerves ease and portraits become natural.
Wayne baking enthusiast Juliette Muntz, 6, as captured by David Campli, whose winning personality helps him connect with clients of all ages.
A pro for 44 years, Campli has seen – and captured – it all: the transition from darkrooms to digital, from point-and-shoot to smartphones, from Yellow Pages to photo-rich websites, from image-editing apps to judiciously used AI.
Happily, photography in 2025 isn’t just brides, babies and families. Everyone, it seems, needs a high-quality image these days.
Corporate teams assemble for power poses to be posted on webpages and social media.
Lawyers, accountants and scientists who once flew under the radar now tout their personal brands with artful Campli headshots.
And forget those generic graduation photos. Swarms of high school seniors are hiring Campli for “senior portraits.” It’s not unusual for these creative photo shoots in interesting places to feature four or five outfit changes.
“An 18-year-old girl or boy has lots of energy and that brings me in. It makes me excited. I’ll say, ‘This is so cool. Let’s do this.’”
In the blink of a shutter, 100 fetching photos are ready for framing and social media feeds.
Senior portraits now account for 60 percent of Campli’s business, with the Academy of Notre Dame and Episcopal Academy leading the pack.
Campli Photography’s senior portraits of Saudre Thole, Academy of Notre Dame ’26 and Emmerson McAndrews, Episcopal Academy ’26.
As his business – and his body – matures, Campli has chosen to winnow his wedding bookings from 70 a year to 10. Wedding days are long and the equipment weighty. A recent Saturday had Campli and his team snapping “getting ready” shots at the Union League, capturing the ceremony at the Villanova chapel, then zooming back to the Union League for the reception. “That was an 11-hour day but having a team means I only have to be there for six of them,” he says.
While his lens has been wide-ranging – he’s photographed former Secretary of State Madeline Albright (she talked about her grandkids), NBA legend Julius Irving and ABC’s George Stephanopolis, Campli’s focus has always been local.
Indeed, he’s as tied to Malvern Borough as Notre Dame and Episcopal seniors are to their Jane Win necklaces. (The Jane Win thing is a Campli observation. The eagle-eyed artist in him notices every trend.)
David Campli is arguably Malvern’s biggest retail champion, serving multiple stints as president of the town’s business association, snapping ribbon cuttings, filming promotional videos – whatever’s needed to give the borough a boost.
“I just feel that when you’ve been here all these years and you’ve been able to succeed, you should be giving back to the town. If I don’t have my heart and soul into the whole town, why am I here?”
Thirty-five years in, Campli says he’s not leaving Malvern anytime soon.
“I’m hopeful that people will always make time to have their photos taken in some way, shape or form. I’d love it to be professionally done but I also realize there are benefits to just being in the moment and using whatever camera you have in front of you.”
His other wish? That people start printing more photos.
“We take all of our images digitally but we print everything from wedding albums to wall portraits. Without the printed product, you’re going to forget about them on your phone or hard drive.”
People often ask what camera Campli shoots on. His reply: “Whatever one in my hand is going to get a great shot.”
When he’s with his grandkids, he often whips out his phone. The four-decade professional, it turns out, is just like us.
Campli Photography, 338 E. King Street, Malvern, 610-889-0189, [email protected].
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