David Fokos: A Sanctuary in a Monochrome Shrine David Fokos (b. 1960, Baltimore, Maryland) discovered his passion for photography at the age of eleven. A devoted admirer of Ansel Adams, he purchased his first large-format view camera while studying electrical engineering at Cornell University. Influenced by both his engineering background and traditional Japanese aesthetics, Fokos believes that human emotional responses are shaped by the accumulation of time. To convey the abstract emotions he experiences at the moment of capture, he integrates the element of time directly into his images. Using long exposure photography, Fokos eliminates extraneous "visual noise," revealing a world that exists but cannot be fully experienced through the five senses. His camera transforms these unseen realities into tangible forms, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in quiet contemplation. Today, Fokos is widely recognized as a significant figure in contemporary photography. A consistent perspective runs through his work: “We experience our world quite differently — our sense of experience is built up over time as composite of many short-term events.” The Los Angeles Times praised his work, writing: "Stunning in their simplicity and elegance… [Fokos' photographs create] a safe haven for contemplation or simply pure reverie… His photographs are welcome moments of reprieve, visual sanctuaries in black, white and gray.”