Diane is a visual artist who started in sports photography and continued her journey in photography by studying classical art and, in particular, her favorite movement, Expressionism. Inspired by psychology and its connection to the art world, she was then captivated by the surrealists and the Post Modern movement. Focusing on portraits and psychologically inspired conceptual pieces, through the emotion and femininity conveyed by her female characters, she takes us into a nostalgic world, in search of lost time.

Hello, Diane,

First of all, I would like to thank you for taking the time to tell us about you and your work in this interview.

To begin, where are you from? Please tell us about yourself and your passions.

Thank you so much for your interest in my work. I’m from Whittier, California, a town within Los Angeles county. I am a visual artist who studied photography and darkroom techniques under the instruction of Chris Acuna-Hansen in 1996. At that time I was providing sports photography to the public. These days I focus on portraiture and psychological inspired conceptual pieces, as well as small miracles in my garden. My passions are my family, art, and nature with all the spirit and inspiration they give me. That, and of course, many photographs.

How did you get caught up in the magic of photography? How did this journey start? 

My curiosity about photography probably originated from those slide show presentations my brother and I would get as children. The cool dark room, the sound of the projector, that stream of light making its way across the room, and the click of each image coming toward us.  For both of us, it was right up there with Christmas morning. My father’s beautiful photos of Europe and the ribbon waterfalls of the gigantic mountain peaks of Yosemite commanded the room on a large screen. The effects of light would do everything to enchant me in those early days and beyond, long before my hands touched a camera.

The emotion and femininity transmitted by your female characters take us to a nostalgic world, in search of lost time. How do you find the inspiration for your visual stories?

I think I’m a very nostalgic person by nature. I believe we are all, in some way or another, interacting with the past. What starts as a moment or a memory can evolve into its own narrative but there’s always an element of reality there. Much like Neo-Classical paintings, and their allegories. Being a woman brings me close to the femininity in my images. When I was young, I studied ballet and tap dance for a short time.  The nuances of this kind of expression never really left me, like the poetry of a port de bras. Hands have a role in ballet for finishing the line of the body and can also give a portrait its grace. There’s a practice that I’ve played out with my models; first, I ask her to imagine a string pulling at her fingertips, then I ask her to take every feeling she has within her and release those emotions through those fingertips.  Women have gestures that are compelling in photography and their expressions can tell magnificent tales. When you mix these elements with composition and light you can have a story reminiscent of another time.  In recent times, I’ve been merging my portraits with nature creating headdresses from branches and weeds and leaves and blooms. To me, there’s strength in it, like a crown without giving up femininity; warriors of shadow and light.

In the absence of words, visual poetry creates a much more dynamic and interpretive interaction between author and viewer. What do you think, is visual poetry easier to convey and feel in black and white?

I would say, yes! There’s undeniable poetry to the language of black and white imagery.  You get a deeper reading of the photograph. If seeing in color is pleasing to the eye then seeing in black and white is pleasing to the soul. When I push myself out of my comfort zone for color, it usually has an otherworldliness. It’s been said that the color itself can distract from the subject.  I do love color, but I find so much more control and feeling in a monochromatic scene. You can change the mood so intensely by enhancing or muting the tones in your photograph. It’s when I first started developing black and white films, that’s when I truly fell in love with the genre. 

What is your artistic journey, techniques, and theme that you have experimented with so far?

I would say, I’ve come a long way since sports photography. It was physical work that I had to train for, ahead of every season.  If I was to compartmentalize my path, I would start there.  Working as a photographer and “winging” my way through it, compelled me to go to college where I studied classical art and my favorite movement, Expressionism. I was inspired by psychology and its connection to the art world such as Edvard Munch, Vincent van Gogh to Egon Schiele. The stories that can be told of human nature. This informed my process and speaking through poetry and imagery, I found could also be cathartic. I was captivated by the Surrealists and the Post Modern movement as well. There is nothing more fascinating and alluring than an artist conveying emotion through metaphysical meaning and symbolism. My photography professor, Chris Acuna-Hanson was a Fine Art photographer that pushed back on commercial and media-driven photography. This opened me up to many forms of experimentation and expression. I’ve experimented with infrared photography, lithographic film, solarization, tinting, and painting prints. Although I’m known primarily for monochromatic work, I studied in depth, the emotions of color.  

My digital transformation grew in my experience with the internet, where I was exposed to a group of exquisite Fine Art and Street photographers, ( by the way, most of which were not digital photographers ).  I went on to learn about textures and applied graphic arts. My collaboration with other artists allowed me to grow dramatically during this time. Specifically, my collaboration with Birmingham, graffiti artist Goat of Mendez, a study of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. These works highlighted my love for literature and diptych form. I think it was very special, the dialogue that was created from her story.

Today, I hope that I’m still pushing limits, I know I’m still pushing on with this obsession.  I’m trying my hand at Lumen prints at the moment, thanks to the inspiration of a handful of very talented photography friends.  My recent collaboration with acclaimed Colombian poet, musician, and playwright, George Mario Angel Quintero came to fruition last year. I had the rare privilege of illustrating his poems with my photography. “A Sheaf of Wings” is still available on Amazon and Blurb. I continue to work on a series that has taken me years to realize; the connection between women and nature, my, “warriors of light.”

Please share with us what photographic equipment you use and what is the process of creation of your works. 

I photographed with a Minolta 35 mm for years, nowadays I rely on a Nikon DSLR system.  I also have a Mamiya medium format film camera, a Polaroid, and a DIANA F+ for Lomography, which is collecting way too much dust these days. My everyday “go-to” is a little retro-styled Olympus mirrorless which I love carrying around and of course, my iPhone. Over the past couple of years, I found myself editing far more than shooting.  Going through past files and negatives to re-edit and re-imagine.  I’m still finding art and inspiration in fashion shows I shot 5 years ago.

I no longer spend time in the darkroom, but now use the computer or an outside lab that I love, American Art Editions in North Carolina. As far as editing equipment, I have a Mac and an iPad.  I use Creative Suites or Lightroom for editing, as well as various apps used mostly for framing and presentation. I re-shoot prints sometimes to get luminosity as well, but tools are not that important to me. I’ve never been fussy that way. I often start with a concept and through exploration, get taken somewhere new, if I’m lucky. It’s the magic of transformation that reveals itself to me in the final image. How I get there is secondary. I think you have to surrender yourself to the process and let the image take you where it will take you.  

Please share with us your favorite photographers you admire and how did they influence your photographic journey?

Japanese photographer, Masao Yamamoto, and his beautiful silver gelatin prints, tea stained and creased, evoke much emotion. I’m so in love with his work.  His prints are what I would want to physically touch with my hands. I think his photography has taught me that less is more because his minimalistic approach is so alluring to me.  

Sarah Moon, who was born Marielle Warin, broke all the traditions and norms of fashion photography. “The mixing of memory and desire,” as she puts it. Her images are dreamy and ethereal with a painterly quality. She would often point out that her world was one of her own inventions. Moon’s pictorial blurs offer a hazy and vague story that forces the viewer to look at photography differently. 

Sally Mann wrote in her biography, “Hold Still: A Memoir with Photographs,” “This is not an eidetic memory; this is the way our minds recall and our hearts remember. They have a misty kind of luminosity, perhaps the mist of time or the forgiving scrim of recall.” This resonates profoundly with me.

How do you see the future of photography?

There are so many genres of photography that I’m not qualified to talk about. However, it’s plain to see that there’s such an overload of social media at the moment, making originality that much harder to conceive. As a result, there’s a resurgence of work by photographers who only use film.  I admire those photographers greatly, but I don’t find it practical for everyone, with the ever-increasing advancements of digital and the boutique prices of film and paper these days.  In whatever media you use, analog, photogram, or digital you just have to stick with your passion and constantly perfect your craft. I think it’s that thoughtfulness and experience that will stand out against the sea of mass-produced photos on social media.  

Which of your own photographs do you prefer and why? Please tell us the story behind it.

To answer your question I will give you two; a series and a snapshot. The snapshot was a situation where everything appeared in front of me rather perfectly. The scene was in the American Cemetery of Normandy, France. ‘The photo titled, “earnest fellowship” portrays an older gentleman who in my mind was a WWII veteran. His head was down in reverence as he walked among the graves, possibly fellow soldiers. The repetition of the crosses was broken by a single Star of David.  

The second and very different in style is a series I call, “The Paper Diaries.”  An album of diptychs exploring two parts of memory, dreams, and poetry. I printed the series on deckled-edge watercolor paper. I wanted that feeling of print.  

One of my favorite photographs is “The Divers” by, George Hoyningen-Huene by photographers Horst P. Horst and Lee Miller. When I was young I ripped it from a magazine and hung it on my wall. It’s simple and elegant. All three were part of a circle of international photographers that would define the look of the 1930s. 

How do you imagine the evolution of your artistic work and your figure as an artist in the future?

I love to tell stories and I can only hope that one or two will enchant. Maybe some symbol or clue, which led one to their own conclusions based on their personal story and experience of life. To me, that’s what makes art and photography very exciting. That connection!  I love the duality of that. There’s my personal experience with the image and there’s yours. 

And, if I’m so lucky, I’ll scuffle about my garden, old and gray with only insects and birds left to shoot and I’ll be perfectly happy just as long as I have a camera in my hand and a bit of light.

http://www.dianepowers.photography/