WHERE WE BELONG
Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home.
May 17, 2026
INTERVIEW
PHOTOGRAPHY Marlon Ramos
INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw
Throughout the Hudson Valley with a focus on the city of Newburgh, New York, photographer Marlon Ramos walks familiar streets with the quiet attentiveness of someone searching for meaning within the everyday. Born in Honduras and raised in Newburgh after arriving in the United States as a child, his life has unfolded between cultures, communities, and shifting definitions of home. These experiences have shaped the way he observes the world, approaching photography not simply as documentation, but as a way to explore identity, belonging, and the subtle connections that bind people to place.
Working primarily in black and white, Marlon photographs the environments and moments that emerge within the flow of ordinary life. Sidewalk conversations, storefront reflections, gestures of routine, and quiet encounters throughout the places we call home form a quiet visual conversation. Often returning to the same locations again and again, he allows time, familiarity, and instinct to guide the images he creates. In doing so, his photographs reveal the layered character of Newburgh, a city shaped by history, culture, and resilience, and an integral part of the Hudson Valley community.
At the Pictorial Foundation, the physical ArtSpace of The Pictorial List Inc., where we have opened our doors in the city of Newburgh, we believe deeply in supporting the voices that emerge from the communities around us while sharing those perspectives with a wider world. Community storytelling lies at the heart of the Pictorial Foundation’s mission, and Marlon’s work reflects the spirit of the place we now call home, offering an intimate view of the people, streets, and everyday moments that shape the character of the city.
It is with great pleasure that we introduce Marlon Ramos to the international community of artists and readers who engage with The Pictorial List. His photographs remind us that the search for belonging is both deeply personal and universally shared, unfolding quietly in the streets, neighborhoods, and moments that shape our sense of home.
“To me, the values instilled by my grandparents, such as a person's character and their word, have gifted me with a sense of responsibility for my family and community. I care for the people around me and beyond. It translates into my personal work by making it hard for me to let time go by without photographing the area I call home and its subjects within. What happens to those moments not captured?”
IN CONVERSATION WITH MARLON RAMOS
TPL: You were born in Honduras and raised in Newburgh after coming to the United States at a young age. How have those early experiences shaped the way you observe people and places through photography?
MARLON: I have a sense of unsettled curiosity with a constant contemplation of our connectedness. I am a firm believer that we all have something in common, even when raised in different places and despite the different messaging one can receive while growing up. I want to capture those things that feel familiar and we can identify as relatable. In the worst-case scenario, opening a window into something could become familiar.
TPL: Identity and belonging seem to be recurring themes in your photographs. How has your personal journey between cultures informed the way you explore these ideas visually?
MARLON: Feeling grounded or settled has been difficult, but I believe in turning it into a strength. My goal is to be able to move fluidly between the two worlds. I think there is work to be done to showcase all of the things that feel familiar to me and to hopefully the viewer. I hope to bridge different perspectives and bring people along through my photos.
TPL: While studying Business Administration and Accounting, you found yourself daydreaming about photography and the world around you. What was happening internally during those years that eventually led you to pick up a camera?
MARLON: I felt very unsettled and unsure about my direction in life, like most young adults, I would look around and observe how others interacted differently with the same spaces I was in. To me, it was very intriguing, and I dreamed about capturing as much as possible but did not know how. Eventually, a camera made sense. It was the first thing I bought with graduation money. I am glad I did!
TPL: You began photographing seriously after a major life transition when your position was eliminated after nearly a decade in the corporate world. How did that moment change the way you viewed both your life and your surroundings?
MARLON: I knew that the look I saw in my older coworkers was not something I wanted for myself in my late 50s. It was a confirmation from the universe to be true to myself. I believe in the further you walk away from your true self the heavier each step gets. I saw an opening to listen to myself, and it is a muscle that I have been working out ever since.
TPL: Much of your work focuses on the places and people within your personal community of Newburgh and the Hudson Valley. What draws you to stick to “home and your backyard”, and what do you feel the city of Newburgh reveals about the broader human experience?
MARLON: Through my ongoing work, I have realized how differently we live our lives, even while in close proximity to one another. It is not groundbreaking news, but when you pay close attention to the flow you cannot help but be impressed by it. We have so much in common yet there is always a feeling of separation. One can wonder how intentional it is.
On the streets of Newburgh, you cannot help but notice how resilient we are as humans. It is a place with many layers, but somehow it wins over those who want to be part of the community. The emphasis is on community! In other places there's large pieces of properties with manicured landscaping creating a physical and psychological barrier. I always wonder what one is giving up in exchange for it.
On the streets of Newburgh, you cannot help but notice how resilient we are as humans.
TPL: You have mentioned revisiting certain locations many times in search of moments that unfold within them. What does returning to the same places teach you about time, familiarity, and the life of a community?
MARLON: Time passes effortlessly, and change is sometimes very slow. Slow enough that we may not notice it in our day-to-day lives. I hope to somehow capture that gradual change. By revisiting a location repeatedly, I also hope to become familiar enough to truly capture the essence of the space and its subjects. I have a hard time accepting that one can gain a real understanding of a place from a brief visit. This practice helps me to cultivate patience and to let things be what they will be.
TPL: Although you are drawn to the vibrant colors found in Latin American towns, you primarily photograph in black and white. What does black and white allow you to express that color might not?
MARLON: Many agree that there is a timeless feel to B&W and that one can focus on the subject more easily. I do too. In a more superficial take, I love the tones that live within the black and white scales. I think it makes for visually appealing images.
TPL: You have cited photographers like W. Eugene Smith and Daido Moriyama as inspirations. What lessons have you drawn from their work, and how do those influences appear in your own photographic language?
MARLON: The commitment to their work. In the case of W. Eugene Smith, who combined beautiful photos with deep storytelling. Daido Moriyama, who used a distinct style that broke from the mold. Of course, their use of black and white is so inspirational and serves as a benchmark for so many people around the world. I am not an exception.
TPL: Your work reflects a deep awareness of current events and the ways social change becomes normalized over time. How do you see photography as a tool for paying attention to those shifts?
MARLON: I believe the permanent nature of a photograph allows us to document people, giving them an undeniable mark in the world. Even in challenging times, we all exist and have the right to take up space and be part of a community.
TPL: When photographing the people and environments, how do you approach the responsibility of representing a community that you are deeply connected to?
MARLON: I believe that I should make the effort to capture what I feel needs to be captured while allowing things to naturally unfold. I am not opposed to being in the mix to get the image, but I do not intervene. I also use an old and small camera that seems to be less jarring for the subjects. Lastly, patience and revisiting a location multiple times to truly capture something that has depth.
TPL: Your work often asks questions about what it means to belong and how we create a sense of home wherever we are. Through your photographs, what do you hope viewers might reconsider about community, diversity, surrounding communities and the ways we coexist with one another?
MARLON: Even if only one image feels familiar to you out of the many, you have to understand that there is a thread that connects us all. That the scenes and subjects are part of this time and world. We are all in this together. Undeniably.
