Photo © Daniel Grant
Culture - NOMINEE: Daniel Grant
Sand People
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‘SAND PEOPLE’
I was raised on the beaches of Southern California where the ocean and surfing was a way of life and everything seemed to be tied to its ebb and flow. On my first surf trip outside of the US, I recognized that this lifestyle was not just unique to California, in fact, it was international, crossing language barriers, religious affiliations and political ideologies. At the root of this is phenomenon is an unquestioned feeling that is inherent to those who venture to the place where the land ends and the ocean begins. Culture is said to be the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group. The languages may be different around the world, but there is still the common denominator of surf. This series was honored to be a semifinalist for the Dorthea Lang + Paul Taylor prize for Documentary Studies at Duke University.
The images 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. 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 vintage analog cameras. These cameras were first produced in the 1960’s as 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. There are many issues with the cameras, a plastic lens, light leaks and film based, but the imagery that they produce is worth the frustration. By taking away the technical aspect of picture making, a sincere representation of the subject matter and vision of the photographer becomes evident.
About author:
The images 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. 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 analog cameras. These cameras were first produced in the 1960’s as 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. There are many issues with the cameras, a plastic lens, light leaks and film based, but the imagery that they produce is worth the frustration. By taking away the technical aspect of picture making, a sincere representation of the subject matter and vision of the photographer becomes evident.
Daniel Grant is a Landscape Architect and Fine Art Photographer residing in San Francisco, California, USA.
I was raised on the beaches of Southern California where the ocean and surfing was a way of life and everything seemed to be tied to its ebb and flow. On my first surf trip outside of the US, I recognized that this lifestyle was not just unique to California, in fact, it was international, crossing language barriers, religious affiliations and political ideologies. At the root of this is phenomenon is an unquestioned feeling that is inherent to those who venture to the place where the land ends and the ocean begins. Culture is said to be the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution, organization or group. The languages may be different around the world, but there is still the common denominator of surf. This series was honored to be a semifinalist for the Dorthea Lang + Paul Taylor prize for Documentary Studies at Duke University.
The images 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. 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 vintage analog cameras. These cameras were first produced in the 1960’s as 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. There are many issues with the cameras, a plastic lens, light leaks and film based, but the imagery that they produce is worth the frustration. By taking away the technical aspect of picture making, a sincere representation of the subject matter and vision of the photographer becomes evident.
About author:
The images 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. 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 analog cameras. These cameras were first produced in the 1960’s as 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. There are many issues with the cameras, a plastic lens, light leaks and film based, but the imagery that they produce is worth the frustration. By taking away the technical aspect of picture making, a sincere representation of the subject matter and vision of the photographer becomes evident.
Daniel Grant is a Landscape Architect and Fine Art Photographer residing in San Francisco, California, USA.