David Tattersall was born and raised in Great Britain. He attended Goldsmith's College in London where he graduated with a first class BA (Hons) Fine Arts Degree. He then studied at Britain's National Film and Television School where he specialized in camera work.

Tattersall's student films King's Christmas, Caprice and Metropolis Apocalypse were highly regarded. King's Christmas was nominated for Best BAFTA Short in 1987, Caprice was selected for the Edinburgh and Milan film festivals, and Metropolis Apocalypse was shown at Cannes in 1988.

Since turning professional, Tattersall has worked steadily on numerous feature films and television productions. His credits include The Bridge, Radioland Murders, Moll Flanders, The Wind in the Willows and the upcoming Con Air.

On television, Tattersall worked on the Yorkshire series, Yellowthread Street, and for American TV, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, for which he won an Emmy Award and A.S.C. nominations for Best Cinematography.