Dale Rio

“I like working with x-rays, which can be difficult to source.  They are beautifully luminous, and their imperfect quality invokes a sense of mystery.  I also find the juxtaposition of softly rendered bone and tissue against more rigid forms of medical apparatus intriguing. I use traditional photographic printing techniques, such as platinum/palladium, to turn these utilitarian objects into pieces of art.” 

Dale Rio is a photographer who, after years of photographing people, places, and things that touched her personally, has shifted her focus to projects that address more universal issues, such as man’s place within a greater historical context, our attitudes toward the planet and its resources, and the transitory nature of the very things that we perceive to be permanent.

In addition to these issues, Dale feels very strongly about utilizing and preserving traditional photographic methods.  For her fine art work, she shoots exclusively in film and has recently been exploring alternative and historic processes, such as platinum/palladium printing and pinhole photography.

In an effort to support other photographers working in traditional processes and encourage people to learn about traditional photography, Dale co-founded The Halide Project, a Philadelphia-based non-profit that holds exhibitions and organizes affordable educational programming pertaining to film and alternative process photography.  The organization’s long-term goals include a community darkroom and residency program. 

Dale is currently located in Philadelphia, but travels frequently.  In addition to showing her fine art work extensively, she has done commercial photography for twenty years and worked as a printer for nearly a decade.  She has taught photography for the past eight years at various art and photography centers, including, most recently, Philadelphia Photo Arts Center.  She is available for freelance assignments, teaching gigs, and B&W and color printing jobs.