Denis' professional career launched from his roots in Belfast where he started photography as an art student leading to freelance work including Photojournalism for the Belfast Telegraph, and then as a portrait/fashion photographer.

In London in 1976 he worked as a colour processor and re-toucher and went on to further studies at the Polytechnic of Central London. He worked there as a Photography Tutor and lead photo technician while still working on freelance projects. During this time he took up windsurfing and moved South.

Poole has been his home since 1989, working as an Archive photographer/tutor & lead technician at Kube, formerly The Study Gallery and is a part-time lecturer in photography for the Poole College. He won the South West Arts Professional Challenge Photographer of 2002/3.

He continues to work on various projects including Pinhole photography, and has built a photographic studio and darkroom where he helps other photographers and photo artists with anything from film to digital technique to developing new and creative ideas.