P H O T O G R A P H Y
David W. Sumner

Biography
David began his professional career as an archaeologist and teacher. Introduced to photography while working at the San Bernardino County Museum, he became fascinated with the power of the image.

"The first time I looked through a view finder and focused a lens I was awe struck. I had to teach myself how to take pictures so I could illustrate an article I was writing. The first day in the lab with a camera I turned the focusing ring on a 50mm lens and a gray, shapeless form came into sharp focus. There it was, everything I had been writing about for months: all the research, all the theorizing, instantly crystal clear. I realized that all the words in the world couldn't do that. I never finished the article and I’ve never stopped taking pictures."

David left academics in 1985 and moved to the Bay Area in 1988 taking a job as a photo researcher with a small stock photo agency. Since then, in addition to freelancing, he has worked as a print framer, darkroom assistant, retoucher, photo editor, and currently holds a day job as a development associate with the San Francisco Performing Arts Library & Museum. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, the painter, Anna Conti.