Dale Niles

Member Spotlight - October 2020

• ­Tell me a little about your background, where you grew up and where you live now?

I was born in Norfolk, Virginia. My dad was a civil engineer who designed bridges. Anytime a bridge project was complete, we moved. The good part is, we always lived near water, because that's where the bridges were built. We lived in several cities along the East Coast, and then my dad took a job in North Carolina in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. After college, I returned to Virginia Beach, Virginia, then moved to Knoxville, Tennessee and later, Fayetteville, Georgia, where I live now.

• Why did you join TPS and how long have you been involved?

TPS was recommended to me by quite a few people. I was at a point where I wanted more exposure and I wanted to network with other photographers. The photography community is one of the best, with the most wonderful, giving people. So that is why I joined. I appreciate what TPS does for photographers and the venues they provide to get our work out there.

• Why did you become a photographer? What do you like about photography?

My art journey actually began with painting. I was influenced a lot by my grandmother who was a painter, and my mom was also artistic. I started painting, then worked with clay for a while. One year I asked for a camera for my birthday. About the same time, a friend of mine was getting rid of his darkroom equipment. He gave it to me and I set up a darkroom in a half bath upstairs. Once I started with the darkroom, that was it - that's what I wanted to do. I switched to digital about eight years ago.

I also like to spin a tale. When I was a child, my two brothers and I would pile in the station wagon with our parents and take a trip. While we were driving, my mom would start a story with a couple of sentences, and then we would go around the car and everybody would add their two cents' worth. The stories were often silly and nonsensical, but it was a fun way to pass the time. I enjoyed the storytelling aspect and that's what I like about photography - it enables visual storytelling, emotion and connection. My series, What We Keep, for example, helped me deal with my parents' death.

• Where or from whom do you find inspiration or motivation for your work? Do you have a mentor?
  

Aline Smithson's portrait series, the light she uses and the color are so inspirational. Maggie Taylor's collage work is exceptional - I wish I could get to that level. And then I love Sally Mann's work. I met her in Atlanta and she is truly a genuine person. I love the way she captures her family and subjects - so heartfelt.

• How would you describe your photography and/or general working process?

I'm all over the board with my projects - some are focused on storytelling, family and collections, and others are collage based. If I am working on a collage, then I will sit at my computer almost all day long, compiling the background, subjects and textures using Photoshop. It may take two to three days or up to a week, to complete a montage. Time just flies because I'm so passionate about it.

• Tell us about some of your work.

Animal Lives Redux

I love animals as do many other people and this has been one of the most rewarding series to work on. I start with an animal or bird photo I have taken - it could be from the zoo or a farm. I also use taxidermied animals I have photographed. Then I find a background from the many photos I have taken over the years, that fits well. Simultaneously I'm thinking of a little story about the animal. Then I put it all together in the collage. The final image may have 15 - 20 layers. Although I have several animals featured in the series, there are still more I want to add - a pig for example, and a llama.

Life Revisited

My parents and my grandparents accumulated boxes and boxes of photographs, including an overwhelming assortment of vintage photos, many in very poor condition. I am thankful to my mother for writing a name and the relation on the back of many of them. The photos obviously meant something to a prior family member, possibly holding an important memory for that individual.

My series, Life Revisited, incorporates relatives and other people found in these photos, as well as landscapes I have photographed. The process includes repairing damaged photos and colorizing them. I spin a tale as I create the montage. It is my way of preserving these images for a bit longer, bringing them back to life as a contemporary tale.

What Lies Within: the Eclectic Collections of Andrea Noel

I met Andrea Noel through the exhibition, SlowExposures, held in Pike County, Georgia. I learned that Andrea was a collector and I asked her if I could photograph her collections. Initially I intended to photograph just her things. But we became great friends and I realized the story is also about her, so I began to include her in some of the images.

Andrea is intelligent, independent and unique. She is her own person. Her collections are incredibly interesting and diverse - kitchen utensils, eye glasses, pin cushions, combs, bedpans, shoe shine kits, doll houses, Barbies and so much more. She meticulously organizes, labels and stores many of the items, as there is not enough room to display everything. Her home is neat and tidy. She goes to estate sales, garage sales, thrift stores, church bazaars, everywhere. She's just amazing and we have fun setting up the shoots together.

What work are you most proud of?

That's hard to say. I guess what touches my heart the most is my series, Gone, about my parents' home. I took pictures of it before it was torn down. I lived in that house. My parents lived there until my mother died, and then my dad stayed for several more years until he moved into a smaller place. I created this series in black and white, because the house is gone and my parents are gone. This contrasts with my other series, What We Keep, which includes my children and family keepsakes; it is in color. I did not mean for the two series to be like that - it just kind of happened.

• Do you have any upcoming events or new projects?

I want to do a book of my animal collages after I get a few more animals. I think the book would appeal to both adults and children. I am also working on curating Andrea Noel's images - sequencing, printing, etc. - and gathering her stories. It is going to take a while to pull it all together.

• Any tips or advice for aspiring photographers?

Just shoot anything, everything. Try to get constructive criticism to help you grow. I think entering shows is important - you can get recognized that way and it is a great way to connect. Definitely find a photography community and people who will support you.