CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. CRACKED RIBS 2016 July 6, 2025 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Cynthia Karalla INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Stepping into Cynthia Karalla’s studio in Newburgh, just north of New York City, feels less like entering an artist’s workspace and more like slipping into a dreamscape — where reality and surrealism coexist in playful tension. You don’t merely view her work; you move through it. Towering black-and-white prints seem to murmur long-forgotten truths, while, just steps away, a garden of photographed flora traces a fragile timeline of blooming and withering — life and death unfolding in delicate harmony. This immersive, emotionally charged space is a mirror of Cynthia’s mind: curious and unafraid to rework the world around her. Cynthia Karalla isn’t just creating art; she’s actively dissecting and reassembling reality with a fearless sense of purpose and a dry wit. Trained as an architect before turning to photography and fine art, she expertly balances structure with disruption. Her visual language pulls from the raw material of personal experience, especially a chaotic and formative childhood she describes as “an insane journey.” This personal narrative forms the foundation of Cynthia’s work, giving rise to art that is both deeply intimate and socially conscious, grounded in real experience yet often infused with dreamlike, surreal elements. Her process transforms the negative — whether photographic, emotional, or societal — into something charged with meaning. For Cynthia chaos is fertile ground. Absurd Craigslist ads become biting commentary. Urban detritus is reframed as beauty. The overlooked becomes the unforgettable. Through humor, grit, and imagination, she invites us to look closer at the world’s messiness and discover the poetry hiding in plain sight. Cracked Ribs, 2016 was born out of Cynthia’s need to cope with the physical and emotional stillness following an accident that left her with fractured ribs. To combat the monotony of recovery and find meaning in the pain, she turned to photography. While performing breathing exercises prescribed by doctors, she left her camera’s shutter open, capturing hour-long exposures of each breath. Many images didn’t survive the full duration, but those that did became quiet testaments to endurance, vulnerability, and the creative impulse that emerged in isolation — turning discomfort into a meditative act of creation. With this series, Cynthia shares that deeply personal experience. By Pauline Joelle “If you have ever cracked a rib you will relate well to this next venture. In the beginning, cracked ribs are the biggest stop sign you will ever be smacked with. Your busy days come to an abrupt halt and you realize how full your days were. The simple action of getting out of bed is like a long scene in a Bela Tarr film, or a “short” paragraph by Marcel Proust. Minutes transform into hours, hours into a day, just to take care of the simple necessities of life. There is a good and a bad to it all. At first it was a ‘not good’ moment. But when life throws you a curveball there is not much you can do about it. The doctors gave me breathing exercises to do. It hurt when I tried to breathe. It hurt when I tried to move. It hurt just thinking about it all. While my camera equipment sat in the corner of my place in Italy, I laid around in wait. Waiting for life to begin again. Waiting, waiting, and waiting eventually turns into boredom. Boredom is the greatest gift bestowed upon an artist, or anyone else for that matter. It gives the child space to come out to play and little problems become part of the game. In that liberating child-like frame of mind, I set up my film camera and started doing long shutter exposures of my breath. Breath is the first and the last thing in our lives and that is a big note. In the beginning of these experiments, I was home alone. My friend Maria Teresa called me to come out to play, but I could not hang out with her. Living in Italy is like being in a Fellini film. You can't help but laugh hard, so hard your cheeks can hurt for days. Laughing, sneezing, and coughing were at the top of my list of things to avoid. So, for the first three weeks of my boredom, I engaged in photographing my breath, alone. It's almost impossible to disappear in the Sassi di Matera for three weeks. The people look out for one another, and I felt honored to be included in this family. So, of course, the story was about the New Yorker who had cracked ribs. As luck would have it, some of my past models came by to inquire about me. Which opened the door for me to catch their breath in the long takes on film. It was amazing how much pain I was in, but it did not stop me from playing with my chemicals to develop the film, and scan, and review the daily shots. There is something about being locked in with your work; it takes the focus off the pain you are in. I was shooting with my 500cm Hasselblad in black and white. This camera is a medium format with only twelve shots per roll of film. I told my willing subjects what outfits to wear. One particular day we were shooting in the backyard of my friend Judith’s home, located up the stairs from my place. As the girls were ascending the staircase in their black and white outfits, some random dude yelled out loud, “Is it a black and white shoot?” It was as if Fellini was there in spirit. The girls cracked up in laughter, because no one knew the dude, and I could not hold it in either. Painful, laughter, awesome memories. The cracking of the ribs was a gift.” In this interview, Cynthia opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. What emerges is a portrait of an artist who doesn’t just reflect the world — she reshapes it. “The cracked ribs images were built within a few guidelines. The open shutter to possibly catch the unseen as movement versus the non-movement. The hierarchy of the project is the hard contrast between the light and the dark. It mimics the darkness we feel when our body is impaired, and the light is eminent on our road to recovery.” IN CONVERSATION WITH CYNTHIA KARALLA THE PICTORIAL LIST: Your early life was anything but conventional. Can you talk about your childhood and teenage years — how those experiences shaped your sense of independence, and how you navigated education, survival, and personal agency during such a turbulent time? CYNTHIA: Two weeks after my eighth birthday, my father died in a boating accident, leaving me in a situation where two women were fighting over me, one step, one birth, both claiming to be my mother. This is where my life of independence begins. The courts placed me in a juvenile facility because I refused to live with either woman, I wanted my grandma. The place was useless for education and only held the lock and key to “Time Wasted.” To not waste my time, I would dream up new ideas of escapism; the attempts and the successful adventures I did; every month, a new adventure -- 1 January - Out of an unlocked door. 10 Days gone. 2 February - Over a 16-foot fence. 20 minutes, caught. 3 March - Through an open fence. 40 minutes. 4 April - Out a third-floor window. 9 hours. 5 May - Out the back door of a car. 2 Years gone. Yes, there were failed attempts, but at the age of twelve, a child's spirit is strong; it knows no boundaries. Each time I was caught, I got three days in isolation. I enjoyed my moments of isolation, reading books, sleeping a little extra, and having my meals brought to me; this was not a punishment. The fifth time, I made it out successfully. I was missing for more than two years, and when I did return, it was with a lawyer. After this little adventure, there was nothing left to fear. Only the fear of wasting time. Pierre Bourdie, states that for some people there is a Yin and Yang in life, happy childhood, miserable adult life. And then the opposite, a miserable childhood, a fabulous adulthood. Because my childhood was cut short, in my adult life, I am making up for lost time. TPL: You’ve said that accumulating debt or financial comfort can come at the cost of creative freedom. Can you talk about that insight — how it shaped your career decisions, and how you've maintained artistic integrity without being bound to conventional success? CYNTHIA: Yes, to be in debt, it can control your thoughts and stifle your creative process. But there are those that use the financial pressure to create. Some escape in their work and exit the thought of their financial obligation. As long as they don’t think about the money and only think of their creative process, there can be success. Balzac accomplished a huge body of work; he worked through the night avoiding his financial burden as he hid from his landlord. Just like everyone else in the universe I am in debt. There is nothing we can do about it. I feel like we were born with debt tattooed on our forehead. So, I blank on it and live as if today is my last. I speak as if today is my last. I work as if today is my last. That is the greatest gift about getting older, because we know today might be our last. The only future we have is this very present moment. There is a line from Janis Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee, “Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose”. With nothing left to lose, the doors are wide open, go venture without the social restriction, escape the social prisons, and live your life. While working on a piece I might work it too much into ruination. The ruin piece opens the door to experimentation, because I have nothing left to lose. In our life there is no such thing that you own anything. “That Anything” more than likely owns you. The most precious gift in life is owning oneself. TPL: Your life story feels like a process of continuous reinvention through intuition, risk, and transformation. How do you reflect on that arc now, and what advice would you give to artists (or anyone) trying to build a life outside the lines? CYNTHIA: Back in the 1990s, I moved to Greece. I took the plane to Athens. I rode my bicycle to the boat. I took the boat to Heraklion, Crete. I spent most of the day riding up and over an arm of the Psiloritis Mountain. Once at the top, it took me 45 minutes to ride down the other side without a foot on the pedal. I had no idea where I was going. Without knowing anyone there and not being able to speak a word of Greek, all I had was my intuition. Being in an unknown land without knowing the language is going back to the basics. Each day, I would travel in a new direction. No map was needed, just the landscape. I knew where I had settled, left of the mountains and in the direction of the sun. One of the greatest life lessons I learned was while I was living in Crete. After all of my renovations, I still had no back door, and I was out of funds. For more than three days, I stressed out. How could I fix this? I had never built a door before. I did learn how to make a perfect batch of cement, but that was not going to help me build a door. After the panic attacks, I said, let’s examine a door, and in 45 minutes, I built a door with windows and all. Life is so much easier than we think; only the thought and worry weigh heavier than the action. Keeping life simple by being healthy makes everything possible. And never forget, we each have a monopoly; there is only one of us. Cracked Ribs - Isabella © Cynthia Karalla Cracked Ribs - Yard Angels © Cynthia Karalla Cracked Ribs - Angels © Cynthia Karalla Cracked Ribs - Candle Mirror © Cynthia Karalla Cracked Ribs - Girls © Cynthia Karalla Cracked Ribs - Fin © Cynthia Karalla TPL: You started a business at 19, made money, and walked away from it — much like you later walked away from architecture school and a high-paying design job. What were the motivations behind these bold departures, and how did they reflect your evolving understanding of freedom, risk, and creative integrity? CYNTHIA: I missed all of my schooling. Almost finished 7th grade, missed 8th, 9th and 10th due to the custody battle. After being tested for placement of which grade, they placed me in the 11th. After six weeks of 11th grade, we were back in court. That was then I decided no more and moved to New York to wait out the next two years for me to become seventeen. Without much schooling, because of the custody battle, I was not sure what to do with my life. My boyfriend at the time talked me into his dream, his dream to own a deli. We were so young that we had to make his mother president because we were only 19 years in age. We were located in a small town in Nassau County, Long Island, NY., across the street from a McDonalds. The McDonald's coffee was disgusting; we became the big seller of morning coffee. While we were going horrible broke, I decided to design the twenty odd salad trays by color, to peak the eyes of these coffee buyers. I went to Balducci, that wonderful place on 6th Ave and 10th St. in the West Village. I bought little containers of salads by color. Copied their ingredients by taste and captured the coffee buyer's interest. Before long there was a line out the door and then people just stopped to get inline without knowing why. Making money is easy. While we were successful in this business, it was then that I realized that we really owned nothing, it owned us. I needed something more challenging, so I left. From my early years of missing my schooling, I really appreciated being in school. The business was a good learning project, but it was concrete. You can’t move from it. Through schooling it opens the world. Knowledge within, you can move anywhere. I departed from the architectural school after I did four of the five years. It was difficult for the professors to understand that I went to school to learn, not for a piece of paper. Some schools advocate the paper and hope that you might learn something, some don’t but it is up to you what you do when you are there. At architecture school, I would ace design and fail on presentation, nine times out of ten I was still on yellow trace. Once a classmate asked me how I always ace it? I replied that it was easy, it is in all the books they prescribed for us to read. The boy looked at me confused, he never read the prescribed reading material. School is what you make it, the paper may be important for some, but the bottom line is what you learn, because school is just the appetizer to the main course. P.S — The most important card in your wallet is your LIBRARY CARD. Well now it might be Google and YouTube. In the field of architecture, I was on door and window details for almost three months before I was moved up. Being the youngest and the only girl on the design team was the dream job. In the work field it is not really how many degrees you hold, it all comes down to how good you are and that your bosses can make a profit off of you. I was lucky to have a project manager that once worked for I. M. Pei. The project manager, Paul was one of the designers for the National Gallery of Art in D.C., he had a very open mind. His words to me were always, Cynthia this is insane, so insane, it will work. The clients always loved it. The thing about design is that your mind is attached to problem solving, twenty-four hours a day. A drawing board is a must in the residence, or you will sleepwalk to your drawboard at work. The brain does not know how to stop. Right out of school I moved to a neighborhood where the seeds of gentrification were being planted. We really don’t know about gentrification when it is the printed word, but living through it is a real eye opener. Well, let me tell you about my hood; 51 of the 53 buildings burnt down to make way for the new money developers to build. One building we were able to save was filled with Grandmas and Grandpas, all above the age of 70. So many carted off to the hospital suffering from heart failure and scared daily. It was heart wrenching, that is when I started questioning what I am doing? Am I designing for people or the developers? This is when I left the field of architecture. TPL: Looking back on your path — from survival and rebellion to creative reinvention — how do these experiences come together in your art today? What have they taught you about transformation, and what message do you hope others take from the way you've chosen to live and create? CYNTHIA: “Photography is Dead” — These words of David Hockney are echoing around the world. I beg to differ; it is now getting interesting. Back when the camera first came into existence, the portrait, the landscape painters were, “What are we out of Business?” No, this brought in a new light, new ideas all the Art-isms were born. Artists had to think in a new way, because we had a new language and it is a visual one. Just as social media hit the airways, the portrait photographer was now being removed, as to what he thought the subject should look like, whereas now the subject becomes the author as to how they want to be presented. In the 90s, as soon as the digital camera hit the market, with one push of the button everything became Hallmark. Every time I bought a new digital camera, I spent the first day reading the manual and the second day breaking the camera to escape that Hallmark curse. I first started with the film camera, then on to digital, until I exhausted all possibilities. I return to film because there were so many more discoveries to be made. Building on the past knowledge but twisting it into the future. We all know what we should not do; the film negative is so precious, I splashed it with bleach, cut it in angles, shot during high noon, took sandpaper to Bergger fiber darkroom paper, sketched with a developer and shot with the shutter open for two minutes, all to transform the unknown into the known. This is one part of thought in transforming photography, but all of this comes from the transformation within oneself. There is a story I wrote during the pandemic about one of my escapes from the juvenile center, the one of me going out the third-floor window. After writing it, I thought, did I write this once before? I did, twenty years before. It was the same story but within those twenty years I had grown. The tragedy of the story now became humorous. The first writing of this story is still hard for me to read; the second writing is with the eyes of growth and the understanding of the world we live in. Every childhood is the perfect dramatic nightmare of their personal story or film. We are all blessed with the growing pains, and once we realize that it is the right of passage we can move on and grow, because we are all in this together. I will end this with these words from Muhammad Ali — “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” TPL: You mentioned that even breathing was painful, and yet breath became the central focus of your work. How did your body’s limitations translate into the visual language of the project, and in what ways did the act of photographing become a form of healing or resistance? With cracked ribs, breathing is the physical therapy to mend. So much in life we take for granted. We breathe without much thought about it, we breathe, we live, we don’t we die. This simple action took less time than trying to slide myself out of bed. In the beginning I asked for homeopathic medicine, the next day I was back asking for drugs. I was a mess in this beautiful land, the Sassi di Matera, in the Basilicata of Italy. My work is never premeditated, always experimental up to a point. With the basic knowledge of the workings of the camera, you can dive into experimental territories. In order to run you need to know how to walk first. So, learn the basics because there are no failures. Failures are the entryway to new ideas, to build on. The cracked ribs images were built within a few guidelines. The open shutter to possibly catch the unseen as movement versus the non-movement. The hierarchy of the project is the hard contrast between the light and the dark. It mimics the darkness we feel when our body is impaired, and the light is eminent on our road to recovery. In the past I had a bad accident, where all the doctors told me that it was going to be two years of physical therapy and a lot of drugs. I refused the drugs and their thoughts. In nine months, I was back in action. Through drawing and making art the pain would leave my thoughts, making my body able to relax and mend. The body is amazing as to how fast it can heal. I think what takes the longest is for the mind to heal. There are studies that are out there that state; It is Mind over Matter. Our mind is the owner of our body. We can fix our body through thought and image. Locking myself into shooting, developing, editing, helped me forget the pain and without the thought of pain, the body relaxes to heal. As life would have it, it was a negative that needed to be turned into a positive by making me think in a new way. And this brought about this series Cracked Ribs. Boredom is the word for Recharge! TPL: Boredom and isolation are often seen as negative states, but you describe them as a gift. How did the enforced stillness of recovery and the solitude of your time in Matera create space for artistic experimentation and play? CYNTHIA: Boredom is the word for Recharge. When I was studying at the Art Students League, I made an energy chart, so I could possibly understand my creative energy. Why some days everything flowed so effortlessly and other days NOT. My daily chart consisted of; What I ate? How much sleep? How many pages have I read? Fights with my Boyfriend? At the end I would rate my creative energy from what I produced in class. Then I started studying the masters; Matisse, Pollack, Barnett Newman etc. Our primary energy in one week is only 25 hours. Then we have second and third power through the rest of the week. Art makes us naked, it discloses how we live our life and what we eat for breakfast. Art is the telltale sign of the amount of strength we have in energy. Art is everywhere; you just need the energy to capture it. When in isolation you can hear your words in your head. We all have the creative gene within us. Some like to work in the turbulence, my preference is a much simpler way. Be healthy, only give your body the good that will give and not take away. This is my way to go down the rabbit hole and find Christmas. On lovely Matera — The people in Italy are fabulous, Fellini is everywhere, laughter can make cheekbones cry, and the sun shines the most beautiful light. At one time when I first came to the Sassi di Matera, because of my friend Dorothy, I wondered how anyone could live in such a predictable little city, every day the same, nothing new. I learned after a few years how predictability was a solid ground that you can build on and not be the flower victimized by the storm. TPL: You chose to shoot with a medium format Hasselblad using black and white film, with only twelve exposures per roll. What did this technical choice offer you, and how did the slow, deliberate nature of this process mirror or contrast with your personal experience at the time? Did the tactile elements — loading film, developing negatives, scanning — offer a kind of therapeutic ritual or structure during your recovery? CYNTHIA: Every day is like Christmas. Loading the film is wrapping the gift. Pushing the button is the unknown gift. Developing is the unwrapping of the gift. Viewing the results is “the surprise”. When we shoot at times, we have an image in our head of what we wanted it to be. In our everyday life we do the same. And instead, we get something else than what we envisioned, but the beauty is there, unfortunately sometimes we are too young to know it. Gary Winogrand left this earth with 2,500 rolls of undeveloped film. Winogrand would wait two years before developing his film; he waited those two years to erase the image and emotional attachment of what he wanted. His theory opens the door to see the unpredictable beauty that is in front of us. It is the camera that teaches us to see what is there. It is the same with life and the expectations that society deems as success, while we chase an image in our head, we miss the beauty of life itself. In six weeks, the pain disappeared like the flick of a light switch. Only because my thoughts were in the project, my body felt less pain as it healed. My dailies knew that without the cracked ribs I would have been shooting something else. So, the bottom line, it was worth it to crack my ribs. TPL: Time seems to play a significant role in both the subject matter and the method — long exposures, slow recovery, and extended periods of stillness. How did this sense of stretched time shape your understanding of breath, pain, and photography itself? Did the long exposures create unexpected results that reflected your mental or physical state in ways you hadn’t anticipated? CYNTHIA: Breathing was my daily recovery exercise that left me thinking all about the breath. I thought about catching my breath on film similar to an earlier project I did call, “Move, Don’t Move”. The past project was all about catching the energy of the people in five different situations. Through two-minute exposures the models sat in the company of a lover, family, work buddy, friend and then a solo shot. All the models picked their poses, some extremely difficult to hold for the two minutes. I was building on an old project. While busy with loading, developing, test scanning, and viewing, time passes quicker than one would like. Being locked into the present moment the mind does not feel the pain of cracked ribs. This was my salvation, filming. I know if I sat still, the pain would be unbearable. The objective is to move and breathe through the pain. The end result, without the premeditation and expectation of what it should look like, was all a wonderful surprise, just like life happening as it is. There was only one image that was redone to be pushed to a final image. Angels, we shot it one day. I developed the film, scanned it and sent it to the models. They all loved the image and were shocked when I said, “We must do it again”. The lighting can be better, and we did it, that was about as premeditated as I get. With my work I try to keep it as close to life as possible. That is the magic, bringing in real life instead of the imagination of what life could be. It is what it is and that is pretty special and that is what I want to capture, the unknown that is there, teaching us to see. Cracked Ribs - Hands & Basil © Cynthia Karalla Cracked Ribs - Basil © Cynthia Karalla Cracked Ribs - Happy 50th Birthday © Cynthia Karalla Cracked Ribs - Carla Face © Cynthia Karalla Cracked Ribs - Carla Flute © Cynthia Karalla TPL: Looking back at CRACKED RIBS now, how do you see it fitting into your broader body of work or artistic journey? Do you feel this experience changed your approach to image-making or storytelling? Would you ever consider revisiting this theme — through new technologies, writing, sound, or installation — to expand its impact and resonance? CYNTHIA: Cracked Ribs is consistent with all of my work, taking what negatives life dishes out and turning them into a positive. Remembering it is a learning gift from the universe, to make us think and see in a new way. My work has no visual stamp that says, “it is a Karalla”. Stamping out a visual is suffocating as it leaves no room to explore the unknown. Looking at a Picasso you know it is a Picasso; it has that visual stamp. But viewing Anselm Kiefer’s work it has that universal feeling without the visual stamp. His stamp is the power of thought and execution. My stamp is the thread of life that dictates the present. When I was bleaching my negatives, I was asked about the process that I was using. When I explained that I was using my original negative and not making a copy, there was a big gulp. Just as we venture in life, we do not make a copy of ourselves to live life. I wanted my negatives to be a part of life, to have that human element somehow attach itself to it. To be more than just a recording, to have the effects of life also attached to it. Through the ever-new technology that is forever changing by the second, in so many ways I still love the old school with modern thinking blended together. Not that long ago Dogme 95 was founded by Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg. In short it was a movement for the directors to escape the movie producers and become artists. Their shooting style was raw, with handheld cameras and even the actors would have no idea what the script was about. It was all in finding the new, walking the edge of the unpredictable. Even Robert Altman with his actors in the film Mash, he let them find their own words to define the characters. Venturing into the unknown opens the doors of finding what we don’t know. So, trying new things is always an adventure. When I stop, I will be six feet under until then I will experiment forever, because I love Christmas. TPL: You live in New York City but maintain a studio in Newburgh, about an hour north. How does moving between these two environments influence your process — and what kind of commitment does it take to maintain a practice across both urban and more rural spaces? CYNTHIA: The contrast is night and day. NYC is rich in diversity; we love this city because of it. Manhattan is the greatest example that the whole world can live together in harmony. In Newburgh, when I first came here, I saw the division between black and white and just thought — No, I don’t want to live through this again, this is my childhood, Grosse Pointe meets Detroit. But and this is a very good BUT, there are a lot of artists moving up here and when you see the police officers being involved in community projects, it secures my heart. TPL: Outside of photography, what practices, routines, or passions help sustain your creativity — especially when you're not actively making work? CYNTHIA: I love Instagram because of the food recipes. My kitchen is the perfect place for playing in it. The first thing I do every morning is a smoothie. Most important is health, with health everything else is easy. I don’t drink alcohol or coffee. I feed myself things that are giving me the energy to play to see and catch the art of life. Also working on my home, I love my home. Right now I am working on the hallways. Hallways are magical, transitional from one space to the next. Most hallways are left blank, mine might be a bit over the top, but worth the walk. And lest not forget driving, I love the road. The road is therapeutic and over the top interesting. You are a voyeur on the road viewing the drivers’ naked personalities. It is another whole other type of art. You have your characters; the polite drivers and then your speed demons that just found the gas pedal. Lest not forget those that break the law always driving in the passing lane below the speed limit. I am driving anywhere between two hundred and five hundred miles a week and what I find that is most impressive is the women drivers behind the wheel. They are owning the road with confidence, not as our mothers or grandmothers riding as the passenger, those days are gone. We are living in the best of times. History is in the making as we have hit rock bottom with our political situation. The Road is open for new ways of life. All of life is Art. No matter what is thrown at you, throw it back as a work of Art. Art is not a job, it is a way of life. Just before Ed Kock’s passing. In a 2009 interview with The New York Times, former New York City Mayor Ed Koch stated, “I've had a wonderful ride. I've done what I wanted to do.” Cynthia Karalla’s career defies categorization, unfolding like a richly layered map of experimentation, reinvention, and unflinching honesty. From architecture studios in New York to a cement-mixed home in rural Crete, from intimate self-explorations to global exhibitions, her work follows both the literal and metaphysical landscapes of transformation. Whether collaborating with artists, teaching the next generation, or constructing entire worlds from Craigslist ads and castaway materials, Cynthia approaches every project with the same core philosophy: to mine the chaos of life for meaning, humor, and beauty. Cynthia’s work has resonated far beyond gallery walls, finding its way into major museum collections and private archives around the world. But more than the accolades or exhibitions, what stands out is her unwavering commitment to truth — unvarnished, imaginative, and often irreverent. She has built a practice that turns adversity into alchemy and invites us all to reframe the world not as it is, but as it could be. In doing so, she reminds us that the real work of the artist is not only to see, but to show us how to see differently. Follow her and take a careful look at her portfolio and website to learn more about her practices and experience new inspiration. VIEW CYNTHIA'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

PURSUIT OF STILLNESS Maarten Rot's photographs reveal abstract qualities that can be found in everyday life, often with architecture as a prominent ingredient. PURSUIT OF STILLNESS October 2, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Maarten Rots INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Maarten Rots is a Dutch visual artist working with photography as a medium. His photographs reveal abstract qualities that can be found in everyday life, often with architecture as a prominent ingredient and a strong focus on composition, texture and colour. He started out with the production of short videos, many of which were screened at film festivals around the world, but by 2015 still photography had become his preferred medium. Maarten travels around Europe in his camper van in search of abstract images in daily surroundings. His work has been exhibited in numerous publications and platforms, and now we are honored to bring you this interview with Maarten, in which we explore his motivations, inspirations, and creative process. Join us as we discover the captivating world of Maarten Rots. “Many of my photographs are composed of a rather rigid set of ingredients; I like to play with a limited colour palette, the effects of light and shadow and I have an interest in textures. I enjoy it when a situation isn’t too clean, a weathered surface indicates the wear and tear through time, adding a hint of history to the overall picture.” IN CONVERSATION WITH MAARTEN ROTS THE PICTORIAL LIST: Maarten please tell us about yourself. You have a degree in Fine Arts and started out as a film producer, quite successfully. Your films have won awards and have been screened at many film festivals. What made you decide to move your primary focus to photography? What is it that drives you? MAARTEN ROTS: I’m originally from a relatively small town in the countryside in the East of the Netherlands called Aalten. When it comes to art there wasn’t a lot around, but I always enjoyed creating things. I used to make flyers for concerts in the area and was the vocalist in a punk band for about 10 years. After going to graphic design school I eventually ended up in Amsterdam where I attended the Gerrit Rietveld Academie. Technically I still live in Amsterdam, but for the past 5 years my wife Anne and I have been travelling with our campervan through Europe a lot so it doesn’t really feel like I still live in Amsterdam. I have always had an interest in still photography and used photography in my work, but I never had the intention to have a photograph become the final work. When my video camera broke I decided to replace it with a DSLR to be able to film and also take photographs and from that point on I quickly transitioned into photography. It wasn’t a choice at that moment, it just happened. But I was always serious about it. I still really had to develop my photographic skills and wanted to become more deliberate about what I photograph. To speed up that process I came up with a project called ‘Siting’ which had a set of rules. For one week I had arranged a gallery in Amsterdam to be my temporary workspace and restricted myself to photograph in a one-kilometre radius around that space only. Each day I chose one photo that would be printed on a large size and exhibited at the gallery after those seven days of photographing. Quite a bit of pressure, a lot of fun and it worked out really well, I definitely had a better understanding of what I wanted with my photography after this project. I developed a better comprehension of my own fascination which allowed me to focus better. TPL: Your photographs are abstracted images of surfaces, textures, colours, shadow shapes. They are sometimes reminiscent of works by the painter Mark Rothko. Tell us what particularly interests you when you think of a composition. MR: When I walk around to take photos I’m always fascinated how changing your standpoint and framing of a situation can lead to completely different interpretations of the same situation. For me the more a subject transforms through this process, the more interesting it becomes. The transformative power of the camera – translating a three dimensional setting into a two dimensional plane – is endlessly intriguing to me, all the more because the resulting picture can become ambiguous and it’s not immediately obvious what you are looking at, a reason to take a second look and change your perception. TPL: Do you plan your photographs conceptually, or do you walk about and photograph what jumps to your eyes and put them together as series later? Where do you particularly like to photograph? MR: I don’t plan my photographs, but I do have a clear idea of the conditions that can lead to the photographs I aim to take. Possibly one of the most important realisations I have had over the years is to recognise when not to take a photo. When I started out I had a much broader scope of the kinds of things I would photograph and that margin has really narrowed down. When I walk around with my camera I have a part conscious and part subconscious list of the qualities that have to be in a photograph in the back of my head. This list changes over time as my interest slowly shifts, but I try to have it as clear as possible in my head. When I encounter a situation that potentially contains an interesting photograph I always surprise myself with the eventual outcome, that is definitely something that keeps me going. I’m attracted to situations with a lot of natural light and although I like to travel to countries like Italy, Spain and Portugal where there are many more sun hours on average than in the Netherlands, I have found that I can also find these situations closer to home, or even at home. The advantage of being abroad to photograph however adds to the focus I have on my work, I have more hours to work and simply have less on my mind when I am on the road. In this perspective the location is not only important when it comes to aesthetics, but also helps me aim my attention. Untitled (Scenes From Home 2020) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Scenes From Home 2020) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Scenes From Home 2020) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Projections 2020) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Projections 2020) © Maarten Rots Stain Glass Window - Triptych (Kunsthaus Bocholt 2019) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Cologne 2018) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Cologne 2018) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Cascais 2020) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Cascais 2020) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Berlin 2019) Untitled (Berlin 2019) TPL: Your latest series is called KONVERGENZ (Convergence). Can you explain what you mean by this title? MR: In my photographs there are always multiple elements coming together and by choosing a certain standpoint and framing I control how this translates into a photograph. So in a sense the resulting photograph is the convergence of me being in a specific place at a specific time. When I made the photos that make up this series I was doing an artist residency at Sommergalerie Zöbing in Austria, hence a German title rather than its English translation. Konvergenz also functions as a title on a more personal level, referring to how things sometimes just come together at the right moment. The aforementioned residency was the result of participating in an artist’s fair in the Netherlands in 2017. I used to visit this fair every year, already before I started studying arts. When I finally took part myself I met Franz Mrkvicka, the initiator of the residency and also one of the participating artists, who later invited me to come over to Austria. TPL: Some of your work has even been turned into stained glass objects. How did that idea come about? MR: To celebrate the Bauhaus year (2019 was the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus), the German city of Bocholt organized a project and exhibition where they invited several artists to collaborate with craftsmen. I had always wanted to work with stained glass, but never got around to it so this was the perfect opportunity to finally make it happen. Much of my photography is based on a strong division of fields of color and lines, and light is very important in my work, both are elements that are also of great importance in stained glass making. I had been experimenting with printing on transparent material and really wanted to take this a step further. It was an interesting experience in which I came across the limitations of the material which led to a different outcome than I initially expected - in a positive way: I’m very pleased with the resulting pieces. TPL: One technique that is often used in abstract and experimental photography is multiple exposure. The photos in your series Fraction could be taken by the casual viewer as multiple exposures. But they are not, are they? What was your approach in taking these images? MR: They are indeed all single exposures. The photographs in this series came about by using reflecting and transparent objects that can be found in public space. Experimenting with these conditions marked my first steps towards a more abstract direction. In my photographs there are always multiple elements coming together and by choosing a certain standpoint and framing I control how this translates into a photograph. So in a sense the resulting photograph is the convergence of me being in a specific place at a specific time. TPL: How would you say your photography has evolved? When one looks at your earlier work, it seems that you moved from the more concrete into the more abstract? Where do you see yourself going in the future? MR: My photography has become more abstract indeed. It has been a gradual process without the intention to end up where I am now. I think my development has a lot to do with the amount of time I spend looking at my own work, trying to uncover visual patterns that subconsciously influence me while I am out taking photographs. When you know these things, you can be more deliberate and conscious about what you photograph, which creates space for you to subconsciously allow new elements into your photography. And so the cycle continues, you try to uncover those new patterns, etcetera. I don’t know where I’ll end up in the future, but I’m currently very fascinated by the effects of light and shadow, so that will likely be an underlying theme for the years to come. When I am taking a photo I’m not thinking about what it is that I am trying to communicate. I’m simply trying to bring the different elements around me into the frame, to organise it on a visual level and transform the everyday situation I’m in into something miraculous. I am very aware of the influence of the elements you mention, but I try to remain open to any situation when I am out to take photos. Once I start selecting and sequencing photographs for an edition of March & Rock or for an exhibition, the underlying themes that were mostly subconscious become more apparent. Adding or removing one photograph as well as changing the order in which they are presented has a significant influence on what a group of photos communicates. Sometimes this can be based on a feeling that I’d like to recreate by presenting a group of photos, sometimes it is the outcome of a specific visual fascination that becomes the criterion to which I measure what photos will form a series. TPL: Do you have any favourite photographers or artists and the reason for their significance? MR: This is always a hard question to answer, in the end it is a culmination of so many things, also the stuff you don’t like has a big influence on how you develop. And it’s not just visual art, music is also an important influence. There isn’t really one artist that stands out in that respect, but in retrospect I think seeing Saul Leiter’s work has made me realize the camera can also be used to capture and show the world in a less straightforward way. A painter I’ve long admired is Matthias Weischer, I love his use of texture and the way he depicts spaces. Growing up I often took an MC Escher book out of the bookcase, amazed by the visual complexities in his work, and I recently discovered the sculptures of Charles Ginnever that play with a similar effect but in three dimensional space. TPL: The Corona pandemic has affected everyone's ability to travel around as much as we would like. Has it affected your work? How are you dealing with it? MR: Unfortunately I am currently not travelling. However, I am doing a lot of new things that I wouldn’t have done otherwise. This pandemic is horrible on so many levels, but it also allows for us to try new things. After the pandemic had us return earlier than planned, I have found myself working differently. Before this situation I was out on the streets a lot of the time, searching for potential photographs, I only photographed what I found while walking around. Back in the Netherlands I started photographing inside the house with the same outlook, searching for compositions similar to those I find outside. The resulting photographs showed me it’s rewarding to revisit the same place at different times of the day when the light and shadows are different. The latest chapter in these Corona-related endeavours has me photographing compositions that I create by projecting light on the wall by using coloured pieces of glass and several old projectors. A lot of the conditions that I search for when I’m photographing outside on the streets also apply to this way of working and there is still the important element of surprising myself. These photographs are more abstract - shape and colour are the main ingredients. Where my street work often still provides an opportunity for the viewer to figure out what they are actually looking at, these projection works don’t give that kind of information. There is still a lot to explore in this new approach, I’m excited to see where it will take me. Parallel to this I have also been working on some non-photographic projects, making mixed-media collages and works with spray paint on panels, something I had wanted to do for a while, but never got around to. I’ve been enjoying this process very much. It’s a very different way of working in terms of materials and technique but my fascination for composition, textures, colour and the effects of light and shadow are still at the core of the work. Untitled (Zöbing Am Kamp 2019) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Torremolinos 2020) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Torremolinos 2020) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Stein An Der Donau 2019) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Rovereto 2018) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Ptuj 2019) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Maribor 2019) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Lisbon 2020) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Krems An Der Donau 2019) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Krems An Der Donau 2019) © Maarten Rots Untitled (Júzcar 2018) © Maarten Rots TPL: You have this super-cool customised camper/work van...we are a bit jealous of that! So, apart from being a great photographer, you seem to be quite crafty as well? Do you enjoy working with crafts? MR: Thanks! It’s been quite a project and I’m very pleased how it turned out. I enjoy making stuff that has a practical function, but I’m not the kind of guy that has a shed full of tools, spending all of his free time making things. Although I definitely enjoy the process of making, being able to use the thing I made is the end goal. It’s usually quite a bit of trial and error, figuring stuff out as I go, that’s how all of my creative processes work. There is a lot of information about anything you want to make on the internet, YouTube can be very helpful. And in the case of the van there were certain technical aspects where the help of friends was very welcome. TPL: Are there any new projects you are currently working on that you would like to share with us? MR: I am in the process of compiling the 20th edition of my magazine March & Rock, which is definitely a milestone. I started making a quarterly zine with my photography a little over five years ago and learned a lot along the way, it definitely pushed me through some harder times when I wasn’t sure where I was going with my photography. I initially started making this magazine with the intention of making a photobook at some point, and I’m really excited to share that I am currently working to self-publish my very first monograph! It will be a compilation of my photography from the past 3 to 4 years and I’m hoping to release it in the beginning of 2021. If you’d like to be among the first to know when it becomes available, sign up for my newsletter. Next to that I have several exhibitions coming up in the coming months: a duo exhibition in Austria and several group shows here in the Netherlands and Germany. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… MR: I really enjoy being outside, walking in nature with my wife Anne and our dog Laika. It’s a great way to let go of some of the daily stuff and I always come back recharged with a clearer idea about how I can deal with things that are on my mind. Another activity that makes me happy is cooking. It’s nice to improvise and experiment, I don’t really use recipes, usually I take a look at what I have and come up with an idea. I always keep a good variety of herbs and spices around and usually cook with whatever is available.” Maarten Rots is a creative force to be reckoned with. His passion for travel and photography has produced some truly remarkable works of art that draw viewers in with their beauty and detail. We have had the pleasure of getting to know Maarten and discovering the inner workings of his creative process. As his journey continues, let us all be inspired to explore the world with the same passionate eye that Maarten has. VIEW MAARTEN'S PORTFOLIO Maarten's website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

CREATIVE FOCUS Inspired to see the world through a different lens by the greats. We find out from Jasper Tejano how it changed his creative focus. CREATIVE FOCUS August 3, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Jasper Tejano INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE For those who appreciate the art of street photography, Jasper Tejano is a name they would be familiar with. This calm and collected photographer has managed to capture the attention of both local and international audiences, with his works being featured in various print and online publications. His journey into the world of street photography began out of a need to explore and grow creatively, leading him to discover the works of Magnum photographers who inspired him to start seeing the world through a different lens. Since then, Jasper has become renowned for his vibrant and expressive style of photography. He is able to capture powerful emotions and intense energy through his use of strong colours, light and multiple planes of focus. Even in his moments of rest, Jasper is never far from his camera, as he enjoys spending time with his wife and creative partner, with whom he can share his love of photography, or doting on his son giving the little tyke basics on photography. This interview takes a closer look at the life, works and motivations of Jasper Tejano; an incredible street photographer whose passion for his craft is evident in every frame. “When I see an interesting traffic of people and light pockets, I would go on a state of 'creative restlessness' (that’s how I describe it) and before I know it my camera is turned on and ready to shoot almost instinctively. I go to urban places where there is a busy flow of people traffic and decent lighting. When I find a good spot, I will exhaust that spot until I feel I have a good photograph.” IN CONVERSATION WITH JASPER TEJANO THE PICTORIAL LIST: Jasper, when did you start getting interested in photography? JASPER TEJANO: I started exploring photography when I was in my pre-teens. I used to borrow my mom's Minolta Pocket Autopak 450E and would use it to photograph school and family events. I was always the designated photographer during family events. However, photography took a backseat when I was in high school and college. It was actually my wife, who was then my girlfriend, who rekindled my interest in photography. My first serious camera was a Pentax Auto 110 which I borrowed from her. She was also the one who taught me the fundamentals of photography. When we got our first DSLRs, this was also the time when my wife discovered the joy of travelling. Since then we never stopped photographing our journeys together. When I became really serious in photography in 2008, I started experimenting on various lenses and researching on settings that can bring out the best in my photos. I started to appreciate the importance of light in creating drama in my images when I attended a workshop on portraiture and creative lighting. However, there was at some point between 2010 and 2011 that I felt that my photography was on a plateau and needed a 'creative jolt'. Most of my photographs were in the category of travel photography – which for me were too manicured, too clean and technical. Nothing wrong with that but I guess I was looking for something else. For a while I explored portraiture, still photography and even fashion photography but none of these were giving me fulfillment. I wanted something different something raw and edgy that somehow defies convention that could bring out my style. It was perfect timing that I started to get interested with the works of Magnum Photographers. The photographs of Henri Cartier Bresson, Alex Webb, David Alan Harvey and Harry Gruyaert blew me away. In 2012, I started seeing the world through a different lens. Street photography has become my genre of choice. TPL: Since you have begun your street photography journey since 2012, how would you describe the way you photograph now compared to then? And what are the characteristics that make a photographer a street photographer? JT: Before, I interpreted street photography as photojournalism (telling it as it is with objectivity) or documentary photography. In the recent years, my street photography has become really subjective. What matters to me now is how my subject interact with the scene considering light quality, how the colors would compliment my subject, how the other details would strengthen my subject and lastly, what fantasy would my finished frame reveal to me. Though I admire many street photographers who present their work in black and white, color street photography has its way of presenting life with much more realism and dynamism. Especially with my work on silhouettes, the blackness of my subjects will just drown in the different shades of gray. I need color to make my subjects emerge from the frame. As a street photographer, what will make me go out and hit the streets and capture moments is the thought that there will always be a new opportunity to experience 'magical moments'. You anticipate with excitement what you will be capturing. Sometimes, you will go home with nothing – not even a single image worth keeping; but there will also days that you have an SD card full of beautiful photographs. Having patience and diligence play an important role in your development as a street photographer. The reward of your patience and diligence is joy. Joy in street photography is when out of randomness in making multiple frames in a scene, I was able to capture a meaningful moment that has a story to tell. I know that, that moment will not happen again and I was very fortunate that I was there in the right place at the right time to witness and record that magical moment. Awareness of your surrounding is crucial as you will need to be comfortable in the scene that you are photographing, making sure that you stay focused and be less distracted when doing your studies. Street photography will always be a reflection of yourself. It reveals who you are, your imagination, your hopes and even your fears. By presenting your work to the world, you are also opening a window for people to see who you really are. Question is, are you ready to reveal yourself to your audience? That window will reveal to everyone that you are either authentic with your vision or a mere copy cat just trying to get 'likes' from photography communities. I learned that to define your vision, you need to build a solid body of work that your audience can say is your signature work. You can only achieve this if you are consistent with your outputs. Being serious about practicing street photography is studying the works of Magnum photographers, going out often and making lots of photographs by exhausting your street scene. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? JT: When it comes to learning and appreciating photography, I would go straight to studying the photographic works of my favorite Magnum Photographers. My curiosity would always be about what made photographers like Alex Webb, David Alan Harvey and Harry Gruyaert stay in a particular street or public scene and decide to press the shutter button. What was it that they saw? What was in their minds? What emotion was prevailing during that moment? What personal battles do they need to set aside for them to focus on their work? So many questions to ask. I don’t have their published hard copy books but I do have their photographs indexed in my hard drive and several of their works are in my mobile as my 'quick inspiration recovery tool'. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? JT: At some point, you need to look for your equipment or gear that will work seamlessly in translating your creative vision. Of course budget is considered highly as I don’t really believe in the idea that expensive gear is the best gear when it comes to bringing to life your photography. Always go for what you can afford based on your budget but this purchase should be backed up by good research of the system and positive consumer and expert reviews. For me, photography is never about the gear and how massively it is endorsed, but about your creative vision and output. It’s all about making the most of whatever camera you are using. Photography is never about how cool or updated your gear is, but about your creative vision and the commitment and dedication that you put in your work to develop that vision. Lastly, it is also about being consistent with your outputs because from these will eventually emerge your style that will define your work and provide identity to your brand of photography. Street photography will always be a reflection of yourself. It reveals who you are, your imagination, your hopes and even your fears. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? JT: When I was a kid, I did a lot of sketching and painting of animals and sceneries. I was also into playing the acoustic guitar that led me to do performances back in my college years. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on? JT: I’ll be launching a regular scheduled live broadcast via Facebook Live called Street Talk. This is a program with Street Photography in mind which will feature guest interviews, critique and feedback, portfolio review and insights sharing. TPL: “If I wasn't photographing what would I (like to) be... JT: I can only think of one wild thing and that is making my own house or trance music and playing it live in front of a packed crowd!” Jasper Tejano is an inspiring street photographer whose works have been recognized and featured by multiple publications. His journey to becoming a street photographer was an unexpected one, triggered by a creative plateau. Thanks to his passion and dedication, he has become a master of his craft and continues to capture the world around him. If you're interested in learning more about Jasper's work and collaborating for projects, you can connect with him directly. VIEW JASPER'S PORTFOLIO Jasper's website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

NUANCES OF LIGHT From the rolling hills of vineyards to the quaint old towns and the rustic feel of traditional craftsmanship, Tuscany is an area of unique beauty that has been captured and immortalised by the Italian photographer Simone Batini. NUANCES OF LIGHT October 22, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Simone Batini INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE As the sun casts its golden light in the valleys of Tuscany, we are reminded of the beauty that can be found in this region of Italy. From the rolling hills of vineyards to the quaint old towns and the rustic feel of traditional craftsmanship, Tuscany is an area of unique beauty that has been captured and immortalised by the Italian photographer Simone Batini. Since a young age, Simone has been inspired by the light and atmosphere of the Tuscan countryside, and his passion for photography has only grown over the years. His photographs tell a unique story of ancient crafts being practiced in modern times, along with capturing the beauty of the region's landscapes. With a signature style that emphasises realism, yet often includes a special light and mood, Simone's work is breathtakingly beautiful. Join us as we take a journey through Tuscany's history and culture, as told through the stunning photography of Simone Batini. “I find inspiration through the research of what I prefer to photograph, from nature that changes with the seasons, to the life of people who through work and crafts have evolved over the years, but also in the present continue to maintain ancient traditions. I love to tell all this through my photographs, with the search for the light and atmosphere that strikes me most to best convey my photographic vision. In recent years, I have been dedicating myself to enhancing my areas with both landscape shots and reportage, always with the great passion for photography that I have since childhood.” IN CONVERSATION WITH SIMONE BATINI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Simone please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? SIMONE BATINI: I live in Italy in the Tuscany region. I have been passionate about photography for years, since I was a child. I have always tried to immortalize through images what struck me the most. Growing up and with the arrival of digital photography, I have tried to learn more and more, and to date, I think I have achieved a good skill level, through the study of light, composition and the search for specific projects. TPL: Do you have a favourite type of photography? In this instance, we present your stunning landscape photographs and, separately, a documentary about artisans in Tuscany. What is your purpose in taking these photos? SB: I like almost all photographic genres, personally I take a very natural and truthful photograph, for my shots I prefer the landscape and reportage genre, however I also practice other genres such as macro and street. The series of photographs entitled TEMPI PASSATI (TIMES PAST)* was born from my idea of telling the artisan working realities still present in my territory. Regarding the landscape series, the first genre that I practiced and to which I am much attached, it is a real thrill to wake up early in the morning and try to capture the nuances of dawn with the mists and above all, with the warm light that follows. It transmits to me positive sensations, through this I try to show the places that are most dear to me, with the same search for light even at nightfall. I love the last hours of the day and I hope to experience these positive sensations for many days of my life. Editor's Note: Read the story by Simone via the link below. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you realize your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a favourite lens/focal length? SB: I have been using Nikon cameras for years, currently Nikon D610 and Nikon Z50. My favourite lenses are the 24-120 f4 and the 16-50 f3.5/5.6, and also a prime lens of 20mm and a 90mm, which are both f2.8. It is a real thrill to wake up early in the morning and try to capture the nuances of dawn with the mists and above all, with the warm light that follows. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? SB: My goals are to maintain the level I have reached and if possible improve it in small steps. In five years, I hope to be still in the field, always engaged in new photographic projects, the hope and the dream of transforming this passion into a real job never fades, but I am aware that today it is difficult to become noticed among many photographers, and I still have a lot to learn. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? SB: I am currently completing a series of reportages on modern sculptors and the landscapes of my land. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… SB: Observe carefully what surrounds me, be in company and meet creative people. Of course also being with the family and above all with my two children, to whom I try to transmit the main values of life, in respect of nature, people and things." By looking at the work of Simone Batini, we can see how a single photographer can capture the essence of a region and immortalise it in their work. We invite you to explore the beauty of Tuscany through Simone Batini's photographs, and experience its unique atmosphere with each image. Join us in admiring the beauty of this remarkable photographer and his work, and take inspiration from his artistry to create your own scenes of wonder. VIEW SIMONE'S PORTFOLIO Read the story TIMES PAST >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

PICTORIAL STORY MY CAPE OF GOOD HOPE November 27, 2020 PICTORIAL STORY Photography and story by Annette Lang Introduction by Karin Svadlenak Gomez SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link German photographer Annette Lang has lived in Nice from 2002 to 2016 and, after some years away in Northern France, moved back to Nice in September 2019. With her three sons growing up in Nice and considering themselves as Niçois through and through, Annette feels strongly attached to this city and now considers it home. She shared with us her very personal account about the Nice waterfront, which she likes to think of as a sort of Cape of Good Hope . For many people, the mere evocation of Nice conjures up postcard pictures of the azure tinted Mediterranean and the scenic waterfront. The best-known stretch is undoubtedly the Promenade des Anglais, competing with the Parisian Champs Elysées and the Croisette in Cannes for the title of the most iconic boulevard. If the Parisian luxury boulevard has its own song by Joe Dassin, the Promenade has its perfume by Guerlain, combining fig, mimosa, rose and bergamot notes. Similar to the namesake perfume, the Promenade, too, comes in different notes and layers and is best appreciated beyond the first obvious scent you pick up. Rather than being a mere logistic connection between the airport to the west and the port to the east, or the place to be for a stroll, the Promenade is a complex living space. It is a hub towards which people of all age groups, backgrounds, cultures and passions converge. It is a bit like the proverbial trees hiding the forest. It is all out in the open, and yet we overlook much, blinded by our travel tinted sunglasses. This story is an invitation to stroll down the Promenade with me and look at the Nice waterfront through a different kind of lens. Right from its origins, the Promenade has been a story of contrasts. Founded by Greeks from what was then Phocaea around 350 BC, Nice was originally called Nikaia. If some see it as derived from Nike, the Greek goddess of Victory, historians tend to see the name as a hellenised version of Nisse, the name of a fresh water source near the port. In Nissart, the local language, Nice is still called Nissa and the local hymn is Nissa la Bella. In any case, Nice quickly became a busy trading port on the Ligurian coast. Interestingly enough, the Roman town Cemenelum developed as a distinct city up on the hills until they were united into a rather modest fishing and trading town under the protection of the Counts of Savoy in 1388. Nice only became French in 1860. From the early 19th century onward, Nice became a much loved destination for British tourists. Nowadays, travellers are fascinated by the Old Town bordering the Mediterranean, thrilled by the narrow alleys and numerous churches and some of the somewhat decrepit buildings. Back in the 19th century, the Old Town was frowned upon as smelly and noisy, convincing the British winter residents to build Newborough – today the New Town in Nice. Nevertheless, the visitors wanted to stroll along the Mediterranean sea. The existing sandy beach path between the Old Town and the Sea lacked the lustre they knew from British seaside resorts. In 1822, Reverend Lewis Way therefore started collecting funds for the construction of a Promenade. The seafront in Nice is often reduced to a tourist destination or a place for a summer stroll. But the story is so much broader and deeper, providing insight into a moving history, a fragmented society, tradition and tragedy, summer and sorrow. Historically speaking, the sea front tells a story stretching from 17th century jail that kept convicts to be sent to the French colonies, to a public space that displays contemporary art alongside luxury yachts next to the small colourful fishing boats, still lovingly maintained and used. Running from the Old Town dating back to the 16th century, the seafront stretches all the way to the airport, past socially disadvantaged areas as much as rich villas. During the day, some unfortunate homeless people tempt their luck in the little alleys of the Old Town or on the Promenade. The laneways leading from the Old Town to the Promenade are both wonderfully scenic and the only shelter for the many homeless people trooping to the South of France. The blue chairs are a true landmark of the Promenade. Beyond being iconic urban furniture, they host so many moments they must have heard and seen it all. The tender whisper of budding love as much as desperate sobbing, loud laughter, and silent grief. Not to talk about the many phone conversations they could eavesdrop on. The blue chairs, too, have their very own monument, created by the Niçois artist Sabine Géraudie in 2014 — 3m high and popped up on top of a cement base, it can be seen from afar and has given rise to quite a number of merchandised products. The distinction the Niçois make between singular and plural when meeting at “the blue chair” and not “blue chairs” becomes obvious when you see how much the sculpture stands out. It has become a landmark in its own right. The Promenade is the only place in the Old Town offering good reception. The thick old walls and narrow alleys make the Old Town the worst part of the city for WIFI – you often see people holding their phones out of the windows in hopes of catching the weak signal. The more scenic option is to zip over to the Promenade and sit on the blue chairs or a bench – something you will find anyone from teenagers to octogenarians doing. Many Niçois children learn how to ride a bike here, often followed by parents running after them with worried shouts. Skaters and inline bladers enjoy the space as much as joggers and cyclists. With the pedestrian part of the Promenade being regularly tarred and maintained, it is not only the perfect playground for children and sports, but also barrier free. As such it is a largely wheelie space. Sports play an important role on the Promenade, motivated by the scenic view. There might be the occasional quarrel between runners nearly tripping over a dog leash or the inexperienced kids bowling you over on their bikes, but the Promenade is a peaceful place. Or so we thought. Theatre for elating moments of happiness and utter joy, the Promenade also saw the most devastating terrorist attack in 2016. A TERRIBLE NIGHT It is July 14, 2016, and the Niçois and many guests are out on the Promenade, enjoying the Bastille Day fireworks traditionally fired from platforms a little off the shore in the sea. The place is packed in that joyful mood of melted chocolate running down your hands from a Nutella crêpe, the incessant snapping of souvenir photos and the impatiently repeated questions from children when it will start. The sky is lit in all colors of the rainbow from 10–10.20 pm. When the sky goes dark again people start moving, totally unaware that their understanding of dark will change forever. At 10.32 pm the terrorist starts mowing people down with his truck, driving his four-wheel murder weapon at high speed over 700 murderous meters. 86 people die, 458 are injured. Grief and sorrow have been part of the Promenade ever since. A memorial has been erected in the garden of the Villa Masséna. Every Bastille Day 86 candles are lit at the memorial and red roses are handed out to everybody who wants to pay their respect through a floral gesture. The 86 victims are also referred to as the Bay's Angels, since the bay at the sea front is called the Angel's Bay. LOVE PREVAILS Permanent messages of love and peace have also been painted on the Promenade itself. Today, life, joy and hope are claiming the space back. People skate and walk and run over it, sometimes unaware of the paintings. I was upset about this for a long time, but now have come to consider it as a symbol of resilience. It is soothing and endearing to see many couples enjoying a moment of love and tenderness on the Promenade, from the first tender cooing to official wedding photos. Strolling hand in hand, watching the ballet of parasails or enjoying the sound of the surf, couples choose the Promenade for romantic moments. That romance might eventually lead the couples a little further down the waterfront to Lenval Hospital, where one of Nice´s biggest maternity wards is located. The striking turquoise and blue glass fronted building belongs to the Lenval foundation. This most beautiful of the Niçois hospitals was founded in 1884 with a Polish man’s grief over losing his ten year old son. Baron Leon Wladyslaw Lenval donated 150 000 francs d’or (gold francs) to create a children’s hospital. Today, Lenval is the biggest pediatric hospital in the Niçois region and includes a specialized children’s psychiatric ward and also a breast cancer center. More than 2000 new citizens are born in the labour rooms overlooking the Mediterranean every year. Two of the best known among them are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s twins Knox and Vivienne. As is so often the case, joy and sorrow, elation and anxiety are close neighbours. Looking out from Lenval Hospital onto the Mediterranean Sea offers a mental escape for those who wait for exam results or tend to a sick child. The Nice waterfront has its very own Cape of Good Hope , as I call it. Across the street from the hospital, the boulders lining the beach are actually a tidal structure and access to them is officially forbidden. But you often spot people sitting down there, deep in thought. The waterfront boasts another sculpture that is often met with scorn and contempt. Bernar Venet's Nine Oblique Lines were erected in 2010 for the 150th birthday of the annexation of Nice County by the French Republic. The nine rusty lines, reaching 30 m up each represent one of the nine valleys forming Nice County. Their story is amusingly similar to that of the Eiffel Tower. Nowadays a globally recognised icon of French refinement, the Eiffel Tower did not get a warm welcome from Parisians. Back in 1887, 40 celebrities from the arts signed a manifesto protesting against the “monstrous” Eiffel Tower “maligning” the beauty of the French capital. Among these critics were the architect Charles Garnier and such well known writers as Alexandre Dumas and Guy de Maupassant, with the latter taking to having his lunch on the “odious bolted column of steel plates” (Maupassant 1890), the only place allowing him not to see the much hated structure. The Niçois react in a similar, yet more relaxed way. They sit down on the blue chairs turning their backs on the Nine Oblique Lines, opting for the sea view instead. Contemporary art does not always have an easy start. Many more stories could be told about the waterfront. As one of the major traffic arteries, life pulsates on the Promenade that has seen so much. What happens here provides a sort of X-ray of what animates the Niçois. Now, COVID-19 is leaving its mark on the Promenade. With restaurants closed, people sit around with take-away food. Even with all blue chairs and benches taken away for the second lockdown, Niçois troop to the waterfront, displaying a slightly rebellious French mindset by not always obeying restrictions or wearing the prescribed masks. © Annette Lang The blue chairs, too, have their very own monument, created by the Niçois artist Sabine Géraudie in 2014 — 3m high and popped up on top of a cement base, it can be seen from afar and has given rise to quite a number of merchandised products. © Annette Lang © Annette Lang © Annette Lang Mounir has known a difficult life leading him to Nice after entering Europe through Italy. He often plays the accordion or harmonica, hoping for a kind gesture from those strolling past. I often wonder what photos he would take, observing us day in day out. © Annette Lang Some residents have to make a living as street performers and use the benches on the Promenade for much needed rest. © Annette Lang © Annette Lang © Annette Lang With the pedestrian part of the Promenade being regularly tarred and maintained, it is not only the perfect playground for children and sports, but also barrier free. As such it is a largely wheelie space. © Annette Lang © Annette Lang © Annette Lang The "Jetée", a pier, was the only vestige of the Crystal Palace like Casino, which disappeared in 1946. It has now also been demolished, and the Niçois are quite sad about it, as it was the last remnant of the Promenade´s former glory. © Annette Lang A fisherman paints his boat in quintessentially Mediterranean turquoise and white colours. © Annette Lang Interestingly, the world "angel" in the Angel Bay´s name does not refer to the winged beings, but to a specific fish often caught here by the fishermen. © Annette Lang Sports play an important role on the Promenade, motivated by the scenic view. © Annette Lang © Annette Lang © Annette Lang That romance might eventually lead the couples a little further down the waterfront to Lenval Hospital, where one of Nice´s biggest maternity wards is located. © Annette Lang Lenval Hospital © Annette Lang "L’amour triomphera toujours” – Love will always triumph. © Annette Lang The nine rusty lines, reaching 30 m up each represent one of the nine valleys forming Nice County. © Annette Lang © Annette Lang © Annette Lang © Annette Lang © Annette Lang The Nice waterfront encompasses a lot of complex memories and manifold emotions. It also offers room for all our quirkiness, and it is definitely the horizon of our hopes. Strolling the waterfront comes close to walking an intense album of memory snapshots for me. My sons mistook their bikes for bumper vehicles here learning how to ride them, scratched their knees trying to imitate Action Man on their roller blades, lived through appendicitis, bubbly excesses and skater moments here and probably numerous moments I don't know about. I spent long exhausting hours here training for the half-marathon Nice Monaco and the Cannes Nice marathon in teams. It was such an obvious living space, it took me a while to discover it through my lens. It is a joy for me to share stories about it that go beyond its scenic views. view Ann's portfolio Read an interview with Annette >>> Instagram >>> Sources used in story - Bottaro, A. (2019). Hôtels et palaces de Nice: Une histoire du tourisme de 1780 à nos jours. Paris: Collectif. Compan, A. e M. Compan (2019). Histoire de Nice et de son comté. Paris: Editions Campanile. De Maupassant, G. (1890). “Lassitude”, in La Vie Errante. Paris: La Pléiade. Fontana, J.L. (2018). Nice et le comté. Une histoire multimillénaire. Nice: Mémoires millénaires. Sentenac, A. et al. (2020). Promenade de la Mémoire. Paris: Les ronds dans l’O. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. 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THE RED POPPY AND THE SUN By blending archival and contemporary images, Mei Seva creates a visual story that captures the ongoing struggles and moments of triumph for those impacted by displacement and circumstance. FIRE AND FORGE Alexandros Zilos delves deep into the harsh reality of sulfur mining, while also capturing the allure of the blue fire phenomenon created by sulfur deposits in the crater. IN-VISIBLE PAIN Through black and white self-portraiture, Isabelle Coordes brings to light the stark reality of living with chronic pain — a reality often dismissed by a world that requires physical evidence to believe in one’s suffering. CELEBRATION OF LIFE Ahsanul Haque Fahim's photography captures Holi in Bangladesh, celebrating life with vibrant colors and reflecting human emotions, diversity, and interconnectedness in Dhaka's streets. KOALA COUNTRY Sean Paris invites viewers on a transformative journey, challenging our perceptions and fostering a new appreciation for rural Australia through mesmerizing infrared photography. MOMMIE Arlene Gottfried’s poignant exploration of motherhood in “Mommie” is not just a collection of photographs but a profound tribute to the enduring bonds of family and the universal experiences of love, loss, and resilience. BIFRÖST Amidst the breathtaking scenery of Norway, Romain Coudrier discovered the allure of rare light and subtle shades, immortalizing each moment in striking black and white with every click of his camera shutter. MUD Dedipya Basak's documentary project explores the struggle of an 800 year old lake against the impacts of global warming, revealing its continued relevance and urgent story in today’s changing climate.

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2025 List. 2025 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Stephanie Duprie Routh ABDULLA SHINOSE CK Malabar INDIA ALEJANDRO DAVILA Pachuca MEXICO ANTON BOU Montreal CANADA AYANAVA SIL Kolkata INDIA BETTY GOH SINGAPORE BUKU SARKAR Paris FRANCE CYNTHIA KARALLA New York UNITED STATES DAVID GRAY New York UNITED STATES EVA MALLIS New York UNITED STATES FANJA HUBERS Utrecht THE NETHERLANDS FUTURE HACKNEY London UNITED KINGDOM GIORDANO SIMONCINI Rome ITALY GUILLERMO FRANCO Córdoba ARGENTINA HIROYUKI ITO New York UNITED STATES JAY HSU Yilan City TAIWAN KAT PUCHOWSKA Barcelona SPAIN LAETITIA HEISLER Berlin GERMANY LUISA MONTAGNA Parma ITALY MASSIMO LUPIDI ITALY MATTEO BERGAMI Bologna ITALY MEERA NERURKAR Düsseldorf GERMANY NASOS KARABELAS Greece ATHENS NICOLA CAPPELLARI Vicenza ITALY PARISA AZADI IRAN & DUBAI PARVATHI KUMAR New Jersey UNITED STATES

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2020 List. 2020 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Abbie Briggs ABBIE BRIGGS Wisconsin USA ABHAY PATEL Delhi INDIA ABHISHEK SINGH New Delhi INDIA ADAM SINCLAIR Melbourne AUSTRALIA ADESH GAUR Uttar Pradesh INDIA ADRIAN TAN SINGAPORE ADRIAN WHEAR Melbourne AUSTRALIA AHMET HOJAMYRADOV Minsk BELARUS ALEX FRAYNE Adelaide AUSTRALIA ALEXANDRA AVLONITIS New York ALEXEY STRECHEN RUSSIA ALICIA HABER Montevideo URAGUAY ANEEKA MANKU England UNITED KINGDOM ANGEL CARNICER Zaragoza SPAIN ANNA MARCHIOLI FRANCE ANNETTE LANG Nice FRANCE ANTONIS GIAKOUMAKIS Athens GREECE ANWAR SADAT Nairobi KENYA ARTURO CAÑEDO Lima PERU ASHISH PATEL Delhi INDIA ASSIA STARKE RUSSIA/AUSTRIA ASTRID NEUNDLINGER Vienna AUSTRIA B JANE LEVINE New York USA BELINDA CORNEY London UNITED KINGDOM BENNY VAN DEN BULKE BELGIUM

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2022 List. 2022 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Adrian Pelegrin ADRIAN PELEGRIN Playa del Carmen MEXICO AHSANUL HAQUE FAHIM Dhaka, BANGLADESH AJ BERNSTEIN New York UNITED STATES ANWAR EHTESHAM Dhaka BANGLADESH ASEN GEORGIEV Sofia BULGARIA ASLI GONEN Eskisehir TURKEY BRIAN DOUGLAS Ontario CANADA CAHLEEN HUDSON New Taipei City TAIWAN CHETAN VERMA Gurgaon INDIA DEAN GOLDBERG New York UNITED STATES ELIZABETH PAOLETTI UNITED STATES EMIR SEVIM Istanbul TURKEY EMY MAIKE Baden Württemberg GERMANY FRANCESCA TIBONI Cagliari ITALY GABRIEL MIELES GUZMÁN Guayaquil ECUADOR GABRIELE GENTILE Parma ITALY GIANLUCA MORTAROTTI London UNITED KINGDOM GIORGIO GERARDI Venice ITALY JAN ENKELMANN London UNITED KINGDOM JEAN ROSS New York UNITED STATES JELISA PETERSON Texas UNITED STATES JENS F. KRUSE Mallorca SPAIN JONAS WELTEN Salzburg AUSTRIA LAINE MULLALLY Stockholm SWEDEN LELE BISSOLI Vercelli ITALY

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2024 List. 2024 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Anna Tut ALEXANDROS ZILOS Athens GREECE AMY HOROWITZ New York UNITED STATES ANA-MARIA ALB Bukovina ROMANIA ANN PETRUCKEVITCH UNITED KINGDOM ANNA TUT Krasnogorsk City RUSSIA CARMEN SOLANA CIRES Madrid SPAIN CATIA MONTAGNA SCOTLAND/ITALY DASHA DARVAJ UMRIGAR Karachi PAKISTAN DEDIPYA BASAK Kolkata INDIA EDWIN CARUNGAY San Francisco UNITED STATES FRANCE LECLERC Chicago UNITED STATES ISABELLE COORDES Münster GERMANY JOHN KAYACAN Los Angeles UNITED STATES JUSTINE GEORGET Lyon FRANCE MARIETTE PATHY ALLEN New York UNITED STATES MATTHIAS GÖDDE Beckum GERMANY MEI SEVA New York UNITED STATES MIA DEPAOLA Washington D.C UNITED STATES NAZANIN DAVARI Tehran IRAN PAUL COOKLIN UNITED KINGDOM PEDRO VIDAL Barcelona SPAIN RAFA ROJAS São Paulo BRAZIL ROMAIN COUDRIER Marseille FRANCE ROWELL B. TIMOTEO La Union PHILIPPINES SASHA IVANOV St. Petersburg RUSSIA

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2023 List. 2023 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Ypatia Kornarou AARON RUBINO San Francisco UNITED STATES ALESSANDRO GIUGNI Milan ITALY ALEX GOTTFRIED BONDER Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA AMY NEWTON McCONNEL Arizona UNITED STATES ANASTASIYA PENTYUKHINA Moscow RUSSIA ANDREE THORPE Ontario CANADA BARBARA PEACOCK Portland UNITED STATES BRANDEN MAY Atlanta, UNITED STATES DARREN SACKS London UNITED KINGDOM DOUG WINTER California UNITED STATES ELSA ARRAIS Leiria PORTUGAL FABIO CATANZARO Venice ITALY GILES ISBELL Chiang Mai, THAILAND IDA DI PASQUALE Rome ITALY JAN PONNET Antwerp BELGIUM JAYESH KUMAR SHARMA Varanasi INDIA JEFF ROTHSTEIN New York UNITED STATES JUAN BARTE Madrid SPAIN JUAN SOSTRE California UNITED STATES KONRAD HELLFEUER Görlitz GERMANY LEANNE STAPLES New York UNITED STATES MENA SAMBIASI Madrid SPAIN MONIKA JURGA POLAND NAIMA HALL New York UNITED STATES NSIRIES Bologna ITALY

Be inspired by the photographers on the 2021 List. 2021 PHOTOGRAPHERS © Meryl Meisler AGATA LO MONACO ITALY ALAN THEXTON Melbourne AUSTRALIA ALEX RUTHERFORD Surrey UNITED KINGDOM ANDRES GONZALEZ Porto PORTUGAL ANDREW ROVENKO Melbourne AUSTRALIA ANDRÉ LOBÃO London UNITED KINGDOM AURÉLIEN BOMY Nantes FRANCE BARRY BOTTOMLEY London UNITED KINGDOM BASTIAN PETER Basel SWITZERLAND BEN ALLAN London UNITED KINGDOM BETTY MANOUSOS Athens GREECE CAMILLE WHEELER Texas USA CARLA HENOUD Beirut LEBANON CAROL DRONSFIELD New York UNITED STATES CHICHEK BAYRAMLY Baku AZERBAIJAN CHRISTINA SIMONS Melbourne AUSTRALIA DAMIEN GORET FRANCE DANIEL GOLDENBERG Buenos Aires ARGENTINA DANIELA PEREIRA Montevideo URUGUAY DANNY JACKSON Essex UNITED KINGDOM DAVID KUGELMAS New York UNITED STATES DAVID LAWLESS Winnipeg CANADA DAVID SHORTLAND London UNITED KINGDOM DREW KELLEY California USA EDUARDO ORTIZ Valparaiso CHILE

The Pictorial List was launched in January 2020 as a passion project to inspire and support the diverse community of photographers and visual storytellers. © Bill Lacey we are THE PICTORIAL LIST mission: Our mission is to support, elevate, and celebrate diverse voices through the visual arts, with a particular focus on photography as a powerful medium for storytelling. We aim to foster inclusive environments that inspire, educate, and connect visual storytellers from all backgrounds — regardless of gender, culture, race, life status, neurodiversity, or mobility — on local, national, and international platforms. By nurturing creativity in a supportive environment, we ensure that all voices are heard and visual narratives have the space to flourish. The Pictorial List is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit arts organization founded by Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico and Melanie Meggs in 2024, following the publication of their first hardcover book, The Pictorial List – Volume One – New York. United by a shared belief in the power of photography to elevate diverse voices and foster meaningful connection, Karen and Melanie co-founded the organization to expand the reach and impact of their curatorial work and to provide a platform for photographers. The Pictorial List began in 2020 as a passion project initiated by Melanie Meggs — a digital platform built to inspire and support a global community of photographers. Over time, it grew into a collaborative space for creative exchange, shaped by a dedicated team. Each member plays a vital role in helping the organization evolve while staying grounded in its founding values. … the goal of art was the vital expression of self. - Alfred Stieglitz WHY PICTORIAL? The Pictorial List was chosen as both a name and a philosophy — a nod to the Pictorialists of the early 20th century who dared to ask, “Can photography be art?” They believed in photography not just as a tool for documentation, but as a means of expression — equal to painting, sculpture, or poetry. Their photographs challenged conventions and opened new pathways for visual storytelling. At The Pictorial List, we carry that spirit forward. Like the Pictorialists, we believe in elevating the photographic voice, and we aim to spotlight those who use the camera as a brush, a mirror, a witness, or a whisper. Through our nonprofit work, we aim to advance the art and science of photography and multimedia by empowering artists — especially those from underserved, marginalized, and diverse communities — to harness visual storytelling as a means of advocacy, reflection, and creative transformation. THE PICTORIAL MAGAZINE Our digital magazine offers in-depth pictorial stories and interviews with photographers around the world. These features move beyond aesthetics, revealing the social, emotional, and personal layers behind each body of work. Whether focused on human stories, cultural shifts, or overlooked places, the photographers we feature share their worlds with generosity, honesty, and heart. At The Pictorial List, we believe in the quiet power of photography to reframe the world — and we are committed to ensuring that all voices have the opportunity to be seen, shared, and celebrated. DISCOVERY + INSPIRATION + COMMUNITY editorial team COFOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR Melanie Meggs COFOUNDER + EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico EDITOR Karin Svadlenak Gomez EDITOR Bill Lacey COMMUNITY MANAGER John St. COMMUNTY MANAGER Ibi Gowon