North Dakota Abandoned:  Dan Francis Photo Exhibit

We often rely on photographs to capture life’s happiest moments. Weddings, birthdays, graduations, and other events with friends and family are typical targets for photographers, amateur and professional alike. On the other end of the spectrum, photojournalists often photograph moments of pain and suffering, tragedies and wars, to create a permanent record of them as important events in human history. But, perhaps it is as important to capture those moments in between happiness and sorrow as well. Perhaps there is something of value in those moments of loneliness and desolation.

Fargo-based photographer, Dan Francis, presents a collection of these moments in his exhibit, “North Dakota Abandoned.” For example, in one image an abandoned car peeks from a mound of snow, surrounded by miles of white and the contrast of a darkened sky. In another, a sign reading “DEAD END,” illuminated by the full moon, stands beside a road to nowhere.

Francis, who was born and raised in North Dakota, is the owner of Dan Francis Photography, 417 Main Ave. Suite 210, in downtown Fargo. Although Francis worked for a professional photography studio for almost seven years prior to opening his business in early 2009 and has more than 10,000 hours of Photoshop experience, “North Dakota Abandoned” is his first exhibit.

“I chose these prints because even though they show a lonely side to North Dakota, they show the beautiful side as well,” said Francis. “I look for the simple, beautiful scenery in North Dakota and I use my knowledge of composition to create an art form.”

The images in the collection are similar in that they are all devoid of people. Many of them show reminders of what people have left behind, such as the abandoned car or the solitary street sign in the above descriptions. “This selection of images shows North Dakota through blizzards, through abandonment, and through an artistic eye,” Francis said. “I try to keep the viewers eye on my picture as long as I can. And to do that, [my] pictures have to stand out and they have to be different; it has to be something nobody has seen before and if seen before, seen in a different way.”

Francis, who also teaches Introduction to Photography at M-State (formerly Northwest Tech., where he graduated with a degree in graphic design in 2003), said that although not all types of photography are always considered art, “there is a place for photography in the art spectrum. There is a way you can compose a photograph to represent what you see in your mind such as a painter would with a paintbrush. Fargo has been very kind to local artists. We have many creative, talented artists and many supporters [of the arts] in Fargo.”

“North Dakota Abandoned” is on display at Babb’s Coffee House, 604 Main Ave., May 19- June 20. Francis’ other works can be found around Fargo and on the web. Francis’ print of the Vietnam Memorial Wall is now on display at the Fargo Air Museum as part of their Vietnam Memorial. His piece, “A Walk Down Broadway,” was chosen to represent the 2007 Fargo Film Festival and he has received several awards through the F-M Camera Club, where he will serve as vice president for the 2009-2010 term. His work has also appeared in online publications, and is available for purchase online at http://www.danfrancisphotography.com.