Name: David Sundberg
Company: Esto
www.esto.com/sundberg

How and why did you get into architectural photography?
I always admired the work of Atget and Walker Evans. Essentially architectural photography is documentary work. If you're lucky, a bit of poetry can sometimes make it through. Also, buildings tend to hold still for you. 

What do you consider your specialty in the field?  
I love cityscapes. I grew up in St. Louis, and the New York skyline has always struck me as majestic. But it also holds true for all my urban projects. Photographing tall buildings—showing their power and their place with the skyline hierarchy—will never get old for me.  

What is the most fulfilling part of your job? 
When I have the time on assignment to be patient and photograph a space in the absolute perfect light.  

What is your favorite type of space to shoot and why?
Unique spaces. It does not matter if the architect had a $100 million budget or not. You can always tell if the design is fresh, rather than a reincarnation of other projects.  

What is your favorite architectural interior and why? 
I once photographed the interior of an original Marcel Breuer house outside of Boston that was full of period furniture; the original owner was still living in the house. Time had stopped in 1948. It was magical.   

If you could have selected another career, what might you have been? 
An astronaut.

What is the best thing you’ve learned in the past 10 years?
I've picked up a great deal of lighting technique and theory from working alongside Peter Aaron, who in turn learned from Ezra Stoller.  It's great to have that sense continuum in collaborating with Esto.   
What is the biggest challenge you tend to run into on an architectural shoot? 
Often it's finding the right weather for the shoot.  

What advice would you give architects or interior designers on working with a professional photographer? 
It seems obvious that there should be good communication between the photographer and the client. They should also be there at the job to help move furniture.