Sean Davey has recently donated numerous prints, pictured with Vinnies Dickson staff members Heather Freckelton and Hammad Naqvi, so shoppers can stumble upon some original artwork.

The award-winning photographer decided to make the donation to the op shop while cleaning out his studio in order to downsize.

"The act of giving things away to Vinnies is liberating, in a sense, because you're been hanging on to all these photographs that you've printed," he says.

"Everyone loves the idea of selling photographs for validation on their work through a commercial sale, but at the same time, I just find that the validation comes from making the work, and it's better for it to have a life of its own and to be out in the world.

"I just think I have so many photographs and so many negatives that I haven't printed yet. Why not start with donating these photographs and make some more?"

The donation included images taken from trips to America and the Solomon Islands, as well as some darkroom prints and a mixture of silver gelatin and inkjet prints.

Davey says they're the sort of prints that can be hard to sell commercially due to the documentary nature and at times, personal interest attached to them.

But that doesn't mean they wouldn't be a great addition to someone's wall.

"You know I do like galleries. I love going to photography galleries, but at the same time, a lot of the work is kind of expensive and inaccessible to people," he says.

"There were some photographs I've just donated to Vinnies of a vegetable store in the country with pumpkins and stuff on it. I went back to drop some more off and it was classic because it had a little Vinnies sign on it that said $4 and it just made me smile.

"I got an email from a woman who tracked me down because she saw a lot of the photographs were signed and dated. She just thought it was a really lovely gesture that the pictures were out there for people to appreciate and to buy affordably and they could bring someone joy."

Davey is no stranger to finding treasures at op shops. A self-described collector, the photographer not only finds paintings, sculptures, prints and photos from studios, but he often finds these gems at op shops as well.

"I love perusing op shops. I've brought heaps of works from op shops," Davey says.

"Little photo albums and things like that. And old family photographs that were once cherished and may have been passed down through the generations and someone was like 'I don't want this and don't know what to do with it'.

"And I love the idea of like the tactile nature of the prints. It's something physical and I think that's lovely."