 In the late 1970s, Díaz also begins photographing, documenting and collecting Venezuelan folk art, interviewing folk artists and promoting their works.Since the 1980s, he has published several books that portray some of the most representative Venezuelan folk artists, including Feliciano Carvallo and Sixto Sarmiento.He has won several prizes for his photographic works, including the Venezuelan National Council for Culture CONAC first prize for photography (1984)

As a tribute to his publications and continuing support of Venezuelan folk art, Díaz was awarded the "Premio Nacional de Arte Popular" "Aquiles Nazoa" (Popular Culture National Prize) in 1993.