Photograpy by Don Zinteck
Don discusses his book Garden Walk below. It would make one fine Mothers' Day (May 13) gift.
The following is an excerpt from the article:
Don Zinteck is one of the many native Buffalonians who gives our city the nickname ‘Buffalo – City of Good Neighbors.’ And Don does it without needing fanfare or praise. Don and his wife, Diann, own Photographics 2, a photography studio on Elmwood. But Buffalo is more than their home; it is their passion. As you look at the artwork on this page, you probably recognize some of Don’s work from the many public places that it graces throughout our region. What about the man behind the lens?
Don is a proponent of Buffalo, and especially Elmwood. “Loving photography, loving architecture, loving urban life, loving Buffalo is why we pursued all this. I have a passion for this city. I have a love for this city. This is where I want to be. I like to walk to the coffee shop and stay for two hours because I know everybody there. I like the synergy here on Elmwood Avenue. Elmwood is sort of an extension of Buff State College in the arts and crafts. These are educated, professional people who want to be here. The people feed my passion,” Don said.
This passion for Buffalo and photography is what Don brought to his latest project: A book entitled, Garden Walk. “I felt the Garden Walk book had to be done.” All of the photos in this 120-page book are Don’s. In describing the cover shot, he said, “I was shooting for Garden Walk. There was a downpour. I love the look of this one garden when it is wet. Hours later, the rain slowed to a fine drizzle. I returned to capture a shot. I slipped on one of the rocks and grabbed on to a 4-inch tree, soaking my back but saving my camera. Shortly after that, I got the cover shot.’
Don never sets down the camera. “I think in pictures. I can drive anywhere in Buffalo and see pictures. People see the type of images I take, and they don’t happen by accident. You have to recognize the light and when you have to be there. That is the ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ factor. These happen because of the love you bring to your work,” he said.
When we view Don’s art, the pictures seem to speak hope and life into our soul. This is not the view of a negative Buffalo, a hopeless Buffalo, but a place of vibrancy and life. How does he do it? Speaking to the viewers of his art as a collective ‘you’, Don said, “You bring that to me. I don’t bring that to you. I feel the photographs. We go places we love to be, we photograph things we love to see, and know how to photograph them. But if you are moved emotionally, you bring that to me and my work.”
Photographics 2 1045 Elmwood Buffalo 14222 881.6172 pgtwo@adelphia.net
Al and Deb Warner have lived in WNY since 1989. They are Executive Directors of Set Free Inc., a not for profit which develops and connects leaders with heart to serve our region.
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