Susan Middleton(I)
- Cinematographer
Susan Middleton is an acclaimed photographer, author, and lecturer specializing in portraiture of rare and endangered animals, plants, sites, and cultures.
Born in Seattle, Middleton graduated in 1966 from Shorecrest High School. She attended Santa Clara University where she earned a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Art (1970). She then settled in San Francisco where she served as Chair of the Department of Photography at the 'California Academy of Sciences [us]' (1982-1995) and where she serves as Research Associate; her photographs remain on exhibit throughout the Academy. In 1985-1986, she worked with Richard Avedon in his New York studio where she coordinated print production for his landmark exhibit, "In The American West." In New York, Middleton also worked with photographer David Liittschwager with whom she subsequently collaborated on several landmark publications focusing her lens exclusively on animals and plants facing extinction. Middleton's book, "Archipelago: Portraits of Life in the World's Most Remote Island Sanctuary, (co-authored with Liittschwager) was instrumental in raising awareness of this area's biological and cultural importance. Her presentations illustrate the critical need to preserve as pristine the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. After hearing her speak at the White House, First Lady Laura Bush invited Middleton to accompany her on the official visit to Midway, where the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument was officially named and announced.
The recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship in 2009, Middleton's photographs have been exhibited worldwide in fine art and natural history contexts and are represented in the permanent collections of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Gallery of Art. In November 2014 Abrams released Middleton's "Spineless: Portraits of Marine Invertebrates, The Backbone of Life," in which she blended science and art to reveal the hidden beauty and remarkable biodiversity of sea creatures without backbones. She resides in San Francisco.
Born in Seattle, Middleton graduated in 1966 from Shorecrest High School. She attended Santa Clara University where she earned a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Art (1970). She then settled in San Francisco where she served as Chair of the Department of Photography at the 'California Academy of Sciences [us]' (1982-1995) and where she serves as Research Associate; her photographs remain on exhibit throughout the Academy. In 1985-1986, she worked with Richard Avedon in his New York studio where she coordinated print production for his landmark exhibit, "In The American West." In New York, Middleton also worked with photographer David Liittschwager with whom she subsequently collaborated on several landmark publications focusing her lens exclusively on animals and plants facing extinction. Middleton's book, "Archipelago: Portraits of Life in the World's Most Remote Island Sanctuary, (co-authored with Liittschwager) was instrumental in raising awareness of this area's biological and cultural importance. Her presentations illustrate the critical need to preserve as pristine the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. After hearing her speak at the White House, First Lady Laura Bush invited Middleton to accompany her on the official visit to Midway, where the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument was officially named and announced.
The recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship in 2009, Middleton's photographs have been exhibited worldwide in fine art and natural history contexts and are represented in the permanent collections of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Gallery of Art. In November 2014 Abrams released Middleton's "Spineless: Portraits of Marine Invertebrates, The Backbone of Life," in which she blended science and art to reveal the hidden beauty and remarkable biodiversity of sea creatures without backbones. She resides in San Francisco.