Sue Dumke

My photography was born out of a desire to explore a moment frozen in time and to create a sense of connection between photographer, observer, human spirit and subject matter. From behind the lens my passion is ignited. These collections of photographs create a journey I invite you to explore through my eyes. It is my strong hope that the images will evoke spirit, light, energy and connection.

Dumke was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania in 1954 and began taking photographs while she was still a teenager. At age twenty she began photographing Buddha statues while on a visit to Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The statues became a life-long subject for her, and Dumke was inspired to turn her hobby into a profession. She studied photography at Syracuse University, the London College of Printing, and The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque where she received her Bachelor of Fine Art in Photography. Dumke’s work has been exhibited throughout the states and recently featured in a show at the Grace Teshima Gallery in Montmartre, Paris. Her numerous awards include a national grant for alternative photo processing in 1978 and the 2010 People’s Choice Award at the Sun Valley Arts & Crafts Festival. She has studied with Beaumont Newhall, author of The History of Photography, and acclaimed photographers Tom Barrow, Betty Hahn, Rikki Cooke, Dewitt Jones, and Jonathan Kingston. Although she continues to benefit from many teachers, her primary instructor now is Kingston, whom she credits with introducing her to HDR. Unlike plain high-resolution photographs, HDR (high dynamic range imaging) involves a unique method of enhancing luminance by overlaying several images that are taken split seconds apart from each other at different exposures. The resulting, composite image has a greater range of luminance, recovering variations of intensity, tone, and contrast that can be found in actual scenes. HDR photographs can be made in color as well as black and white. Dumke was inspired to apply this technology to Hemingway’s Paris venues so that the actual nuance and detail of these well-known images could be recovered. She then developed them in a painterly, grainy style that is reminiscent of the era. The combination of innovation and tradition has an uncanny effect on the viewer as it overlays a familiar mood with never before viewed levels of detail.