Gregory C. Sundra fell in love with photography while growing up in the unique world of the Cuyahoga River Valley in northeast Ohio. In his early years he was intrigued by the ability to capture a moment in time, isolating a view of the world as seen through his eyes and interpreted by an inner vision that evolved through his observations of the world in which he lived. He often found himself wandering to explore the wooded hills of the surrounding parkland taking his 110-format pocket camera to see what he could capture.

Greg eventually graduated to a 35mm SLR and studied the art of photography for a time as well as the masters who were pioneers in the field. He was inspired by those who simplified complex scenes by accentuating basic graphic elements or isolating what would otherwise be an unnoticed detail. He was drawn by the emotions evoked in the images of greats like Stieglitz, Strand and Bourke-White and others who used the medium to communicate impressions and perspectives through images of a momentary time and place.

Through photography, Greg learned of the history of America, from the Civil War to the westward push to new lands, to the Great Depression and the years of FDR’s New Deal. He was especially drawn to the wonderfully sensitive work of FSA photographers like Lange and Rothstein and others whose photographs (Hine, Riis) were documentary statements that took him into the lives of people whom he had never met yet somehow felt emotionally connected to. Through the work of these great photographers Greg began to recognize the power of the captured image to express one’s perspective of a world that was at times stunningly beautiful and at times blatantly cruel. He saw photography as an interpretive medium capable of communicating deep from the creative heart of one who uniquely sees to the receptive heart of one who uniquely connects through emotional engagement.

Shortly after his kids were born, Greg put photography on the shelf to focus on the new responsibilities of fatherhood. He pulled his camera out from time to time to document their growth and special events but largely shot very little for more than a decade. As time went by, he found himself wanting, even needing to pick up the camera again - to provide an outlet for an inner voice that had in some ways been bottled up a decade earlier.

Greg states, “When I use my camera to engage the world, I experience feelings that seem to flow from the core of my being. As I seek to capture within the frame of my camera’s sensor a unique and personal moment in time, I discover a connection with my Creator that affirms part of my life's purpose, that is, to worship Him. My eyes reflect God’s heart in me, and at the same time, my photography is a personal and unique expression of worship back to Him."

The Bible says that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. Similarly, Greg’s photographic images are born of the overflow of a heart’s voice expressing a vision reflective of this one man’s journey. Here in these galleries, take some time to enjoy and connect with this vision.

Perhaps the images here will touch you in a place that speaks afresh of the incredible wonder of the Creator. Greg’s hope is that when you are finished you might see your world and your journey through its time and space just a little differently, and in the process, find quiet refreshment and a measure of personal restoration.