07/12/2026
Dr. Cynthia Sapp IPC Featured Photographer
By Richard Terpolilli as told by Cynthia Sapp
Cynthia was born and raised in Los Angeles, Ca. She is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist earning her Bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University and her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from Biola University in Los Angeles, Ca. Cynthia completed her Doctoral Residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center and was later appointed Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry. She is currently in private practice in Mooresville. Cynthia and her husband Darrell, have been married for
36 years and have two children, Clayton and Lauren. They recently welcomed their first granddaughter, Oakleigh.
Photographer’s Statement
Cynthia is a self-taught photographer with only three years’
experience. She readily admits to, “knowing nothing about the
camera,” leading her to Dixon Handshaw’s class on the Introductionto Photography. In that short time, Cynthia was awarded third place in the Mooresville Arts 2025 Annual Photography Competition.
Her primary interests include street photography, environmental
portraiture, and social documentary. With her background in
psychology, she is instinctively drawn to people living their daily lives and capturing images that show something compelling about the human condition. Cynthia is unique in that it’s not always about getting the shot. She prides herself on engaging with the subject, mostly strangers, before photographing, thereby creating an emotional connection between them. Cynthia often shoots in Burst mode to follow subtle shifts in expression and movement.
Artistic Statement
Cynthia is deeply inspired by Vivian Maier, widely considered one of the greatest 20th-century street photographers. She is best known for her candid, empathetic black-and-white photographs of people from everyday life across the streets of Chicago and New York. Maier’s work motivates Cynthia to chase the same quality in her own work. That is, exploring without expectation or judgement, people or scenes that reveal some truth about our shared humanity.
With almost absurd curiosity, she moves between participant and observer, sometimes stepping into the frame and other times staying on the edge. She then waits for the story to unfold, one eye watching through the viewfinder, the other staying alert to what is unfolding just beyond.
Gear
Canon R8, Canon prime lenses, 85mm (go-to lens), 50mm, and awide angle 16mm.
