Gender/Pro-nouns: Cis Male, he/him
Date of Birth: February 20th, 1983
Place of Birth: Newburyport, Massachusetts, USA
Current Residence: Notting Hill
Length of Residence: Since September, 2001
Dominic was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, the only child of Elizabeth Smith and James Adamson —- an author and a well-respected surgeon. He lived the idyllic childhood, surrounded by friends and family, taking yearly vacations to Portland and Florida. Money was no object for him while growing up and he soon realised with the backing of his parents, he could do anything that he wanted with his life. Dominic didn’t really want all that much, though, nothing more than to explore the world around him and to understand how it worked. It was a big dream for such a small child, but one his mother was keen to encourage from day one, helping him embrace his passions.
By the age of fourteen, he picked up a keen interest in photography, and he spent his summer that year looking at everything with a fresh eye. His hobby wasn’t accepted quite as freely when he was in school and before long he became known as the weirdo with the camera, something he simply decided to ignore. Who needed friends, after all? Not that he didn’t have any, of course, but the company he kept was select at best. They were very close, a group of four who were inseparable during their high school years, and who Dominic still does his best to see a couple of times a year. But with high school out of the way, his focus quickly became college and the fact he was considering moving away for a while. School had been a tiring experience and he was ready for something new, something far, far away. So when he was accepted into the Royal College of Art in London he knew he was on the right path.
Moving to London at the age of eighteen was a bit of reality check for Dominic. Having spent his entire life in one place and only ever vacationing in the States, moving to a different country took a lot of getting used to. But he loved it, every single second of it, embracing the new lifestyle he found for himself. Moving into a Notting Hill flat with the help of his parents, he found himself a roommate shortly afterwards, and threw himself into university and finding a life for himself in this new city. The British capital city wasn’t a place he’d considered living until he’d discovered the course at the RCA, but he soon found it was the perfect place for him, especially the cosmopolitan attitude of Notting Hill. He fell in love with the buildings, the people, everything that the area had to offer. Little did he know then, that he would soon be calling Notting Hill his home, the one place where he felt comfortable and welcome without question, that he’d be living there for almost two decades with no interest in moving elsewhere.
Once university was over and done with, Dominic moved around the city, submitting his work to all the major publications, deciding that he wanted a job in fashion. It took time for his work to be noticed, but within the space of five years, he became one of the most renowned young photographers in the city, working at the likes of Vogue, Elle and GQ, while side-lining as Burberry’s main photographer. His true passion would always be landscape, but he found he had a particular knack when it came to working with the models, not to mention spending time with them after hours at The Chiltern Firehouse.
That was when he met Laura and things soon changed. After a few brief flings during university, it was the first time he’d really put any effort into a relationship, the first time that he’d actually wanted to. But it wasn’t to last, nothing ever really did for Dominic when it came to relationships, and that was okay… for now. He found joy in his work and for the most part, it was enough for him. But the night he found Laura’s sister in his arms, he realised that it really wasn’t. The relationship they embarked on was complicated, kept a secret until the last, so not to hurt anyone unnecessarily. He hated keeping secrets, always had, and it was almost a relief when the relationship came to an end due to Laura’s return to the city. The secrets they kept would have only worsened and he didn’t know if he was cut out for it anymore. The day those sisters had stepped into his life was the day his life had been turned upside down, only for it to come to an end as abruptly as it had begun.
So Dominic lost himself in his work once more, took several steps back from the fashion industry and put on his first exhibition. Sited in Shoreditch, seeing his work on display for all to enjoy is one of his proudest moments, not to mention a welcome distraction amongst the chaos that his life had become.
Several years after that, he opened his own studio, focusing on portraits and helping people get themselves out there. He continued his landscape photography on the side, soon finding love with someone he hired as an assistant, discovering a kind of happiness he hadn’t really known before. It was nothing like it had been before and completely consumed him. They made an amazing team, both in work and in private. But it wasn’t to last, old habits die hard and stupid mistakes had followed him around since he was a student, no more so than the day someone from back home walked into the studio. He’d known it was wrong, but two drinks too many and they’d stumbled their way to bed and to destroying his relationship.
He should have learnt from the stupidity in his twenties, though it seemed he was not that clever, the biggest mistake he had ever made that he was still trying to work through.
Some people like to describe Dominic as Jekyll and Hyde type character, although he’s always thought it a little on the excessive side. The person he shows to colleagues and clients may be completely different to the person he is in private, but he’s never thought that a bad thing. Who says that he needs to show everything to everybody? His professionalism when he’s working knows no bounds; he’s commended on it often, although if you catch him in the bar after hours, his behaviour is anything but. He’s a flirt, though, using his charms to his advantage. But he’s kind, he’s never been cocky, he simply enjoys making people smile.
More than once he’s been called lazy when he’s at home, not to mention untidy, but Dominic insists it’s organised chaos. His home is a mishmash of everything he loves, his own photos adorning the walls, silly little nik-naks he’s picked up during his adventures in the city. He has always very much had his heart on his sleeve when it comes to his personal life. If he lets you in, it won’t be long before you know absolutely everything about him. Despite his kind nature, however, he isn’t the type to be taken for a ride —- if you get on his bad side, beware, because you will undoubtedly know about it.
Penned by: Heather find them here.
yousharknotpass
pixelskylines
stormborns
titsay
izzy806
tangentwithtanner
germansingergirl
