Daniel Grant

the images that i produce tell a story of the experiences that i have had the opportunity to be a part of. my formative years were spent traveling through the united states, mexico and europe, where culture, art and the natural environment made a lasting impression. without any formal technical training as a photographer, i searched for the best way to be expressive and to create my own unique form of storytelling. my voice was found through the novel and unique views of the toy cameras: 'holga' and 'diana'. these cameras were first produced in the 1960's as promotional give-aways, carnival prizes and children's toys. today they have a cult following with photographers, not because of their perfection, but for their lack of precision, control and focus. by taking away the technical aspect of picture making, a sincere representation of the subject matter and vision of the photographer becomes evident.

in this day and age we are bombarded with images from the media that distort truth, create culture for profit and force ideologies upon society without allowing the luxury of imagination or personal thought. my images remove the disclaimers, provide a unique naivety and allow the audience to complete the image themselves. the soft focus, shallow depth of field and square format create the future memory of a moment, not a photograph that records exactly how something looked at a time, but rather an impression of how it might eventually be recalled. these images are meant to create nostalgia and a personal relationship with the photograph without removing the integrity of the subject. perhaps my approach to photography is not characteristic of most photographers, but to me, the images are honest, distinctive and satisfying.

i was recently awarded the 'best of show' award in the international photography awards, which will be exhibited in 9 countries. i was also published in , a book embracing the plastic camera medium and 'px3: prix de la photographie paris annual book no. 1. my images have been fortunate to have won awards in national exhibitions, and are held in both private and public collections, including the sf-moma artists gallery in san francisco.

2001
north carolina state university - college of design - masters of landscape architecture
1999
university of the basque country - san sebastian, spain - architecture + photography
1997
university of california, santa barbara - major - environmental studies - minor - art design
2005
santa fe workshops with keith carter

2012
‘2012 international photography awards’ – third place: bronze award: ‘the couch’- fine art-nude category
‘2012 international photography awards’ – honorable mention: ‘pride’ – altered images category
‘2012 international photography awards’ – honorable mention: ‘the couch’- fine art/ nude
‘2012 international photography awards’ – honorable mention: ‘pearls’ - fine art/ nude
‘7th annual black + white spider awards’ – 1st place - outstanding achievement nude category
‘plastic fantastic III show’ – lightbox photographic gallery – honorable mention
‘prix de la photographie paris - altered images’ - 2012 px3 competition – honorable mention
‘3rd annual curious camera plastic camera show’ – honorable mention - ‘right’ and ‘the couch’ :
arts eye gallery: tucson, az

2011
‘dreams’ – the center for fine art photography – director’s award and live book award
‘lomography and ripcurl live the search competition: life’s a road trip’ - finalist

2009
‘photographers forum magazine: best of photography 2009’ - finalist
‘10x10x10’ – san francisco arts commission - city hall gallery – emerging artist award - san francisco, ca
‘2nd annual juried plastic camera show’ – rayko gallery – honorable mention - san francisco, ca

2008
‘artspan benefit art show’ - electric works gallery - juror’s choice award - san francisco, ca

2007
‘international photography awards’ – third place - ‘discussion’: advertising/ self promotion
‘international photography awards’ – honorable mention – series ‘homeland’: editorial/ essay
‘international photography awards’ - honorable mention - series: trevel/tourism
‘prix de la photographie paris’ - 2007 px3 competition - second prize: travel tourism
‘krappy kamera IX’ - soho photo gallery - peoples choice award – new york, ny
‘international juried photo competition: through a lens, life in motion’ – 3rd prize – coastal arts
league: half moon bay, ca

2003
‘dorothea lange + paul taylor prize’ - center for documentary studies: duke university – semifinalist

‘visual poetry with the holga camera’ - gibbes museum studio: charleston, south carolina

2014
‘unnamed exhibition’ – sfmoma artists gallery: ‘my affair with diana’ series: san francisco, ca

2013
‘open water’ – the kiernan gallery: lexington, va
‘p.o.p. in progress’ (prevalence offering potentialities): new york, ny
‘the big picture colarado: 2013’ – month of photography: redline, denver, co
‘6th annual international juried plastic camera show’ – rayko gallery: san francisco, ca

2012
‘unreal’ – the kiernan gallery: lexington, va
‘peaches and cream’ – milim gallery images, dreamspace gallery: london, uk
‘water’ – the vermont photography workplace: middlebury, vt
‘holga out of the box II’ – tcc photo gallery: longview, tx
‘plastic fantastic III show’ – lightbox photographic gallery: astoria, or
‘7th annual black + white spider awards’ – nude: online competition
‘prix de la photographie paris’ – 13 sévigné gallery: paris, france
‘3rd annual curious camera plastic camera show’ – arts eye gallery: tucson, az
‘texas national exhibition 2012’ – sfa gallery: nacogdoches, tx
‘lust’ – jennifer schwartz gallery: atlanta, ga
‘f-stop portrait issue’ – f-stop magazine: online zine
‘5th annual international juried plastic camera show’ – rayko gallery: san francisco, ca

2011
‘dreams’ – the center for fine art photography: fort collins, co
‘the art of photography show 2011’ – lyceum theatre gallery: san diego, ca
‘4th annual international juried plastic camera show’ – rayko gallery: san francisco, ca
‘krappy kamera 13 international juried competition’ – soho photo gallery: new york, ny

2010
‘light’ – wallspace: santa barbara, ca
‘tps 16th annual collector's fine print auction’ – texas photographic society: austin, tx
‘photoplace open’ – the vermont photography workplace: middlebury, vt
‘3rd annual juried plastic camera show’ – rayko gallery: san francisco, ca

2009
(solo) ‘remembered landscapes’ – flying goat gallery: healdsburg, ca
‘tps 18: the international competition’ – texas photographic society: san antonio, tx
‘10x10x10’ – sfac and photoalliance – sf arts commission gallery: san francisco, ca
‘models and artists - the muse in history’ – studio2gallery: austin, tx
‘2nd annual juried plastic camera show’ – rayko gallery: san francisco, ca
‘tps 23rd annual members only show’ – texas photographic society: san antonio, tx
‘artspan benefit art show’ – electric works gallery: san francisco, ca

2008
(solo) ‘sand people: culture on the edge’ – dolores park gallery: san francisco, ca
‘pcnw members show’ – photographic center north west: seattle, wa
‘collectectable’ – wall space gallery: seattle, wa
‘introductions’ – reaves gallery: san francisco, ca
‘aesthetics 2008-09’ – the perfect exposure gallery: los angeles, ca
‘hootenanny’ – nomad gallery: austin, tx
‘landscape other’ – rayko gallery: san francisco, ca
‘artspan benefit art show and auction’ – electric works gallery: san francisco, ca
‘new directions’ – wall space gallery: seattle, wa
‘international photography awards’ – best of show exhibition - farmani gallery: los angeles, ca

2007
(solo) ‘photographs’ – flying goat gallery: healdsburg, ca
(solo) ‘chapters’ – dolores park gallery: san francisco, ca
‘international photography awards’ – best of show exhibition - spalshlight studios: new york, ny
‘world in focus’ – pdn photoplus expo - jacob javits convention center: new york, ny
‘photomedia center: open juried exhibition’ – photomedia center gallery: erie, pa
‘snap to grid’ – lacd gallery: os angeles, ca
‘prix de la photographie paris’ – 13 sévigné gallery: paris, france
‘texas national exhibition 2007’ – sfa gallery: nacogdoches, tx
‘artfest 2007’ – regency ballroom: san francisco, ca
‘flourish’ – reaves gallery: san francisco, ca
‘art auction’ – soma arts gallery: san francisco, ca
‘thru the lens: life in motion’ – coastal arts museum: half moon bay, ca
‘krappy kamera IX’ –- soho photo gallery: new york, ny

europe, culture, landscape, mediterranean , toy camera