“Through His Lens,” November 2011.
This compilation of late photographer David Sacks’ work earned MTL a first-place award from the City and Regional Magazine Association in 2012. The images were shot for Amnesty International, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Covenant Mercies, Geneva Global and other philanthropic organizations. Sadly, Sacks passed away in 2013 after a long battle with cancer.
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Raised in Bryn Mawr, David Sacks opened his first photography studio in New York City’s Chelsea section in 1994. His first assignment for New York magazine came four months later. Soon after, he won photo competitions sponsored by Nikon, Communication Arts, Graphis and others. “Photography has been an obsession since I got my first SLR camera in eighth grade,” says Sacks. “I’ve had great mentors and teachers along the way, but I’m primarily self-taught.
Now living in Media, Sacks still has a studio in New York and continues to shoot all over the world for advertising agencies, design firms, magazines and various international organizations. “We moved back to Pennsylvania four years ago for the free babysitting, since my parents and grandmother live here,” Sacks says. “And also for the cheesesteaks—it’s scandalous what passes for a cheesesteak in NYC.”
The photos on these pages were selected by Sacks for Main Line Today. They were shot for Amnesty International, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Covenant Mercies, Geneva Global and other philanthropic organizations. One of Sacks’ photos from Uganda appeared on the cover of the acclaimed book, Say You’re One of Them, and was featured on Oprah. “Because of photography, I’ve been arrested in Syria during Operation Desert Storm, I’ve eaten live termites in Uganda, and I also found a giant tarantula under my bed in Haiti,” says Sacks. “I love my job.”
To learn more, visit davidsacks.com.
