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| Dianne Hofner Saphiere |
Dianne Hofner Saphiere was
born and grew up in a southern Wisconsin farming area between Chicago and
Milwaukee. She lived a major portion of her life in Japan, a country she adores
and where she absorbed its culture and philosophy. She now resides in Mazatlán,
a beautiful city in the Pacific Northwest of Mexico, where she is a
photographer and promoter of social and cultural causes, among other
activities.
She has persistently
dedicated her life to the search for social justice and equality. Convinced
that every human being is a crucial part of a cosmic jigsaw puzzle, Hofner
Saphiere believes we each possess unique abilities, talents and perspectives
that, when fully valued and shared, can enable us to collaboratively solve any
challenge the world might face.
Her artistic work,
community service and support of artistic and cultural activities give her an
affinity with Art without Borders for Peace, an association based in Colombia;
we have thus contacted her to learn more deeply about her work.
Always positive, joyful
and with a great smile, Dianne granted us a video conference to respond to our
questions about her photography. Here is that interview:
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| Work of Dianne Hofner Saphiere |
Art without Borders for
Peace: In which genre does your photography most naturally and fluidly develop?
Dianne Hofner Saphiere:
I am very attracted by nature; photos of wildlife captivate me, and I find joy
and peace in beautiful landscapes. My heart and mind, however, are strongly pulled
towards people, their actions and interactions; I love giving voice to their
natural uniqueness and authenticity. I have a series I’ve created over many
years titled, “Human Cultural Treasures” that delights my soul. However,
spontaneously photographing people can feel invasive. Here in Mexico, people
will automatically strike a pose and put on a big smile as soon as they see my
lens. While my heart is drawn to candid portraiture, I find it much easier or
more fluid to photograph nature.
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| Work of Dianne Hofner Saphiere |
How have you developed
your style and technique?
I have taken quite a few
photography classes and had the privilege of participating in a couple of
photographic safaris with master photographers. Almost every day I study
something about photography online. YouTube is an incredible classroom! As for
how I’ve developed my style and technique, as with most everything in my life,
it has not been a purposeful decision. I never set a goal for myself such as
“this is how I want my style to be.” If I have a style, and I sincerely hope I
do, it has emerged from the interaction between who I am and the subjects I
photograph. I’d say my style has developed from following my heart. As far as
technique goes, that is a matter of constant practice and learning.
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| Work of Dianne Hofner Saphiere |
What inspires you to create
photographs and what is it you want to express with your photos?
In Japanese we have a
saying, "ichi go ichi e", 一期一会or “Each moment is once in a lifetime.” There is
incredible inspiration in that proverb. Photography is a method for preserving
succulent memories of subtle, fleeting moments. As for what I like to express
in my photography, my objective is to keep myself out of the photo as much as
possible. That is, of course, impossible, in that my eyes, heart and lens are
part of me, and thus part of any photo I create, but my goal is to express the
natural essence of the subject, to be able to transmit that feeling to my
viewers.
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| Work of Dianne Hofner Saphiere |
Dianne, what quality is
always present in your photographs?
I am afraid that
questions like that are difficult for me to answer, Maestro, because I don’t
usually pursue certain qualities or styles unless it’s for learning purposes.
My goal is to fully feel the moment and do everything possible to capture and
transmit that feeling. As far as qualities are concerned, I’m searching for the
truth, the core essence of the subject, what makes the subject what it is. I
want every human sense to be present in the visual medium of one photograph.
Does that make sense?
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| Work of Dianne Hofner Saphiere |
With what materials and
techniques do you like to work?
My preferred medium is
digital photography. My main camera is a Nikon D750 with a 28-300 zoom lens,
but I use an 18mm, f1.2 lens for astrophotography, and I am in love with my
fisheye macro lens which permits me some really unexpected and surprising
perspectives! And, of course, I have a long lens for birdwatching. I photograph
in RAW, catalog my work in LightRoom and do 98% of my processing in it. Once in
a while I use PhotoShop for double exposure or conceptual photography. I print
giclée on Canon Pro Luster photographic paper and have experimented printing on
amate paper that I handmake myself using the traditional processes of
the Otomí (hñahñu) of the state of Puebla. I especially like the quality of blackberry
tree paper for photos of traditions and ceremonies. Once in a while I print on
acrylic or other materials for outdoor use.
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| Work of Dianne Hofner Saphiere |
How many photos do you
calculate you have created in your life that have been exhibited and where have
you exhibited your work?
I have taken hundreds of
thousands of photos in my career and exhibited about 125. I have had individual
exhibitions in Paris, Vienna and Mazatlán, been selected to have 2-meter by
3-meter prints form the entrance to Mexico’s national tourism fair, curated a
show, and been part of collective exhibitions in Athens, Barcelona, Casablanca,
Córdoba, Culiacán, The Hague, Hamm, Neiva Huila, Mexico City, New York City,
Tel Aviv and Tijuana.
Does it interest you to
adopt an easily recognizable style or are you constantly experimenting?
I do love constant
experimentation: in photography, in the kitchen, in life. There is always
something new and imaginative to discover. I trust my personal style shines
through any technique or style I use.
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| Work of Dianne Hofner Saphiere |
How do you see the world
of photography has changed with the arrival of digital photography and programs
such as CyberLink PhotoDirector 10, Photoshop o PhotoScape, among others that
facilitate retouching and every sort of composite? How does that affect the
work of the photographer?
The digital world has
changed everything, life and photography. Many photographers love using film
and antique cameras, feeling they provide a more analogic and sensory process.
Photography is the art of light; whether we use analog or digital techniques
doesn’t change that fact. Personally, I adore the liberty that the digital era
provides, the flexibility to experiment in multiple ways with my images and the
incredible sensitivity and nuance that’s possible with today’s technology. What
I don’t like are photographers who don’t reveal what they create inside and
outside the camera. For me, it’s an ethical question; we should create
photographs with pride and not hide our processes. A photograph or composite of
images highly processed in PhotoShop, PhotoDirector or PhotoScape can be a work
of art—sometimes even more so than a realistic photo.
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| Work of Dianne Hofner Saphiere |
What other interests do
you have besides photography?
I love to cook, and
fortunately my husband, Greg Webb, and my son, Daniel, also enjoy it. Many of
our friends would love to join us for meals daily if they could. I also enjoy
hiking, swimming and being out in the fresh air. I read a lot and belong to a
book club, though, honestly, we probably consume as many bottles of wine as we
do books. A good movie is also very welcome in my life.
A spiritual question:
What for you is peace and what relation does it have to your work?
Peace for me is the
highest natural state for any human being. It’s a firm knowledge that we are
all perfect, unique and interconnected, that we depend on one another and on
our planet. Hindus talk about the golden thread that unites all human beings
and the divine; peace, love and creativity are the experience of that reality.
I do my best to be grateful for the beauty in everyday life, and to share that
with others via my work.
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| Work of Dianne Hofner Saphiere |
We are in a very
complicated time for humanity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. How has this
affected or benefitted your artistic creation?
I am not sure if it has benefitted or adversely affected my work,
but without a doubt COVID has changed it. Before the pandemic I went out almost
every day to take photos. I have now been shut inside since November, thanks to
a concussion I suffered in an accident, followed by hip replacement, and now
with COVID it’s very complicated to get out and about. However, I have taken
advantage of this time of quarantine to organize my thousands of photos, to experiment
with and learn to better use new techniques in my studio. In that sense the
pandemic has been quite useful, although I still have thousands of photographs
to catalog. I will definitely come out of shelter-at-home with many new ideas
and a lot of motivation!
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| Work of Dianne Hofner Saphiere |
Dianne Hofner Saphiere,
from Pacific Television (TVP Televisores del Pacíifico)’s coverage of
her solo exhibition, “I am a foreigner born far away from here” ("Yo
soy fuereña nací de aquí muy lejos," a popular corrida or
regional song).
The
works presented in this article are the intellectual property
of the artist Dianne Hofner Saphiere. In this case they are used to promote her work with the objective of
critical review and artistic education. Partial or total reproduction is
prohibited.
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