Kristin Giordano

"I've been exploring places, photographing with an old toy Diana camera made in Japan in the 1970s. The Diana creates an ethereal, antique look that brings a timeless quality to these places. I do what I consider to be landscape photography, but I'm interested in landscapes that are informed by the presence of people. Empty streets, boat docks, backyards, hotel courtyards. I mix cityscape and landscape together. Due to the nature of the camera I use, there is an element of chance in the making of these photographs. The lens does not accurately reflect the final image the way a normal reflex camera will. I approach landscapes more intuitively then, guessing at my exposure, my focal ranges. The final images, when I see them in the darkroom, often surprise me, some appearing to glow then fade at the edges, caused by the vignetting aspect of the Diana lens.

I also use an old Yashica twin lens reflex camera I found at a camera show. I started experimenting with different viewpoints; the structure of the camera, with the viewfinder on top, makes very low angles possible without the necessity of laying in the dirt, and I began playing with this, even placing the camera on the ground in many instances. Many of these images play with the viewer's sense of scale, making fence posts appear monumental, or shrinking huge trees to miniature. Išve been exploring compositions using these techniques, as well as really using depth of field to highlight and obscure certain details. The ability to hone in and focus on a single plane of vision is unique to photography. I find that by isolating one plane of vision, different layers of meaning occur to the viewer. The images evoke memories, and a sense of mystery.

My work has been featured on book covers and in calendars, as well as in various publications, including Harvard Design Magazine, The Tucson Weekly, the Phoenix New Times, the Woodstock Quarterly, Sandstone magazine, The Missing Fez journal, You Are Here, The Tucson Poet, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Institute of Supply Management trade publications. I've also exhibited the toy camera work at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tucson, the Hotel Congress Gallery in Tucson, and Metroform, Ltd. Gallery in Tucson, as well as various businesses and other local venues." -Kristin Giordano