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"CS #1" photograph 1" x 71/2" Dan Zamudio
Intimate is one word often used to describe a small black and white photograph.
Whether it is a daguerreotype from the 1850s or a snapshot of a great grandparent,
the smaller size image gently invites the viewer to “come closer” for a better look.
My photographic work focuses on creating the small, square, slightly faded images
that are similar to photographs found inside old photo albums. I seek out a subject
matter considered a link to the past and compose the image by excluding anything
that would destroy the illusion of a vintage photograph. The majority of the images
are printed full frame, without cropping.
I use a toy camera called “Diana” to create my black and white images. The Diana
camera is made of plastic, including the lens. The plastic lens produces a slightly
blurred focus that adds an aged quality to the photographs. These cameras were
discontinued in the late 1960s and early 70s.
Noir Series
The neon sign is quickly vanishing from the Chicago landscape. At one time the
neon sign was a common sight in every neighborhood of the city. These signs
brought an energy and excitement to a community that would attract people to
local gathering places such as restaurants, theatres and bowling alleys.
Through time and continuous exposure to harsh Midwest elements the neon signs
began to decay. During the day the remnants of many old signs display faded paint,
rusting sides and empty holes where glass tubes were once housed. But at night
some signs still glow like a beacon on a dreary street.
My latest photographic work focuses on capturing the neon signs during their
shining hour. In old noir crime and detective films of the 1940s and 50s, film
directors would capture the energy of a city scene by showing neon signs overlapping
each other in different angles. I am using that same noir overlap technique to create
images similar to a movie still from that era.