The Pictorial List is a global online magazine exploring the beauty and complexity of all things photography. REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. Latest features PICTORIAL STORY WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. PICTORIAL STORY SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. INTERVIEW GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. PICTORIAL STORY RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. PICTORIAL STORY DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. PICTORIAL STORY SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. PICTORIAL STORY SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. PICTORIAL STORY 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. PICTORIAL STORY THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. INTERVIEW THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. EXHIBITION IN AN INSTANT 25th April to 17 May 2026 A community exhibition of instant film, bringing together a collection of photographs submitted by creators, each bringing their own way of seeing. MORE INFO New York, New York! PICTORIAL STORY NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASTION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy. INTERVIEW FABRIC OF NEW YORK VISUALS Elle Clarke lives NYC — snapping its heart and hustle with her smartphone, one real city moment at a time! INTERVIEW NOD OF RECOGNITION B Jane Levine’s portraits give a playful wink — inviting a nod of recognition to the hidden stories we all carry inside. INTERVIEW NEW YORK IMPROVISATIONS Fast-moving, off-kilter, witty, raw and classic film noir define Bill Lacey's photography. PICTORIAL STORY MERMAID MAGIC AJ Bernstein captures the magic of the Mermaid Parade—where fantasy, freedom, and community come together in a sea of color and joy. INTERVIEW GOTHAM MEMORIES Jeff Rothstein clicks, time unfolds — capturing the heart of the city in timeless frames, from 1969 to today. PICTORIAL STORY TAKING THE PLUNGE Carol Dronsfield takes the plunge with the Coney Island’s Polar Bears, capturing the chill, the thrill, and the heart. INTERVIEW THE AUTHENTIC GAZE Amy Horowitz says “Don’t Smile”— and in doing so, captures the real and wonderfully unscripted faces of New York City. VOLUME ONE- NEW YORK BUY NOW FOUNDATIONS OF PRACTICE ART EXHIBITION February 07 to April 03 Foundations of Practice marks the beginning of The Pictorial List's journey - an opening not only of our new artspace, but of dialogue into the practice of the artist. CALL FOR ART CODE GIRL CODE GIRL is a curated multi-media exhibition presented as part of Women in Public Space. Following the Memorial Day Weekend mural commission, this women's and gender expansive group exhibition expands the dialogue into the Artspace through interdisciplinary practices including photography, painting, printmaking, sculpture, video, film, animation, and expanded media. MORE INFO © Parvathi Kumar, Desiree Washington (2020) join the Pictorial Community >>> Follow us on Instagram #thepictoriallist @thepictorial.list Load More LAND, LABOR AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. Interviews you may have missed REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE Camille J. Wheeler documents Austin's streets, with a particular focus on its homeless community. COMEDIANS Steve Best documents the British comedy scene, backstage and on stage, the highs and lows, and the joy of being a comedian. QUARANTINE IN QUEENS Neil Kramer's humorous and compassionate lockdown diary has gone viral. ENROUTE TO THE PINES Robert Sherman shares his documentary series about drag queens celebrating the 'Invasion of the Pines'. SERVICE INTERRUPTION Wojciech Karlinski documented Poland train stations during the pandemic, highlighting their formal and aesthetic side. VOICES OF THE NILE Voices of the Nile by Bastien Massa and Arthur Larie is a project documenting the relationship of Ethiopians with the Blue Nile. BREAKS FROM REALITY The magic only dreams are made of become reality for viewers as they engage in the poetic imagery of Mariëtte Aernoudts. BEYOND THE STORY Through her documentary photography, Christina Simons is compelled to tell the stories of those who are unable to do so themselves. © Russell Cobb Stay up to date Subscribing to The Pictorial List means joining a community that values visual storytelling. You will get exclusive content, inspiring pictorial stories, thoughtful interviews, book reviews, and more — delivered weekly to your inbox. Media Partners

We are on a mission to discover new photographers, and the most pictorial and interesting photo stories out there. SPOTLIGHT / JEEVAN AKASH JAYAVARTHANAN INDIA AARON RUBINO ABBIE BRIGGS ABDULLA SHINOSE CK ABHAY PATEL ABHISHEK SINGH ADAM SINCLAIR ADESH GAUR ADRIAN PELEGRIN ADRIAN TAN ADRIAN WHEAR AGATA LO MONACO AHMET HOJAMYRADOV AJ BERNSTEIN ALAN THEXTON ALEJANDRO DAVILA ALESSANDRO GIUGNI ALEX FRAYNE ALEX GOTTFRIED BONDER ALEX RUTHERFORD ALEXANDRA AVLONITIS ALEXANDROS ZILOS ALEXEY STRECHEN ALICIA HABER AMY HOROWITZ AMY NEWTON McCONNEL GET ON THE LIST © John St.

Barbara Peacock is an awarded and published photographer that has contributed to helping define and explore the fabric of American society in a tender, genuine way. She has given us the unique opportunity to see more clearly and embrace our triumphs, as well as our fears, helping us understand and grow as people. You can share Barbara’s personal journey through a series from her book Hometown. Visit her website and make the connections to “community”, the people that she has so vividly and eloquently defined through her photography for over 30 years. BARBARA PEACOCK Barbara Peacock is an awarded and published photographer that has contributed to helping define and explore the fabric of American society in a tender, genuine way. She has given us the unique opportunity to see more clearly and embrace our triumphs, as well as our fears, helping us understand and grow as people. You can share Barbara’s personal journey through a series from her book Hometown. Visit her website and make the connections to “community”, the people that she has so vividly and eloquently defined through her photography for over 30 years. LOCATION Portland UNITED STATES CAMERA/S Canon WEBSITE https://www.americanbedroomseries.com/ @BARBARA.PEACOCK_ABEDROOM @BARBARA.PEACOCK.12 FEATURES // Under The Covers With American Bedroom

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

I am an art photographer in Phoenix, Arizona. I have been highly creative since childhood, making art in various mediums. I have always had a camera and an interest in photography. In Camera Movement (ICM) photography, which utilizes techniques where the camera is intentionally moved during the exposure to create painterly and abstract artistic effects, allows me to create abstract art with my camera. I am inspired by lines and textures, colors and shapes and create art that inspires emotional response. ICM photography inspires me to see, feel and think differently and interpret my surroundings in a new and unexpected way. AMY NEWTON McCONNEL I am an art photographer in Phoenix, Arizona. I have been highly creative since childhood, making art in various mediums. I have always had a camera and an interest in photography. In Camera Movement (ICM) photography, which utilizes techniques where the camera is intentionally moved during the exposure to create painterly and abstract artistic effects, allows me to create abstract art with my camera. I am inspired by lines and textures, colors and shapes and create art that inspires emotional response. ICM photography inspires me to see, feel and think differently and interpret my surroundings in a new and unexpected way. LOCATION Arizona UNITED STATES CAMERA/S Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III WEBSITE http://www.anmcconnel.com @ANMCCONNELPHOTOGRAPHY @ANMCCONNELPHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES // Multiplicity Flux: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Reimagining Taliesin

PICTORIAL STORY REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. April 26, 2026 PICTORIAL STORY PHOTOGRAPHY Amy Newton-McConnel STORY Karen Ghostlaw SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Architecture is often photographed as certainty. Lines are straight, perspectives controlled, surfaces rendered with precision. The camera typically reinforces the idea that buildings are fixed objects, stable markers within the landscape. Yet the experience of architecture is rarely so static. We move through it. Light shifts across its surfaces. Shadows lengthen and dissolve. Space changes as we walk, turn, pause, and return. For photographer Amy Newton-McConnel, this living quality of space lies at the heart of her photographic practice. Working from Phoenix, Arizona, she approaches photography not as a tool for documentation but as a method of interpretation. Through the techniques of Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) and Multiple Exposure (ME), Amy transforms familiar environments into layered compositions where color, structure, and motion coexist. As Amy explains, “Through intentional camera movement and multiple exposure, I am able to capture painterly and abstract effects that tell unique and compelling visual stories.” Her images move beyond description toward sensation, allowing viewers to experience space rather than simply observe it. In her recent series Reimagining Taliesin , Amy turns her attention to Taliesin West, the desert laboratory and winter home of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Situated at the edge of the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, Arizona, the site has long been regarded as a place where architecture, landscape, and human creativity intersect. Rather than approaching Taliesin West as a historical monument, Amy treats the site as a living system shaped by geometry, light, and movement. Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural philosophy emphasized the idea that buildings should grow from their surroundings. For Wright, architecture was not an isolated object placed upon a landscape but a continuation of it. Planes, angles, and materials were meant to echo the terrain, the climate, and the way humans inhabit the landscape. Central to this thinking was Wright’s belief that form should follow function. The shape and structure of a building should arise naturally from the purpose it serves and the environment in which it exists. Amy responds to this philosophy in a distinctly photographic language. Rather than attempting to reproduce the buildings exactly as they appear, she allows the camera to participate in the experience of the space. Through intentional movement and layered exposures, the rigid geometry of Wright’s architecture softens and shifts. Lines dissolve into color. Planes intersect and reassemble. Shadows become painterly gestures. In this way, her work creates a visual dialogue with Wright’s ideas. If architecture allows function to guide form, Amy allows movement and perception to guide the image. The camera becomes a tool not only for seeing structure but for revealing how space is experienced, how light moves across surfaces and how geometry unfolds as the body moves through corridors and courtyards. In these photographs, the architecture becomes an active participant in the image. Angles guide the eye across the frame. Repetition creates visual cadence. Light and shadow introduce subtle shifts in tone and direction. The camera’s movement allows the viewer to sense the passage of time within the structure itself, as though the building were breathing in response to the desert light. Amy’s use of abstraction invites viewers to reconsider how we experience architectural spaces. Instead of presenting Taliesin West as a series of recognizable landmarks, the images emphasize perception. Walls become fields of color. Windows fragment into geometric patterns. Corridors stretch into motion. The familiar dissolves into a visual language that reflects the act of moving through the space. As Amy reflects, this approach allows her “to see the world in a new and unexpected way,” creating images that emerge from intuition and response rather than strict description. In this way, her photographs echo Wright’s belief that architecture is not merely something we look at, but something we inhabit. The techniques of intentional camera movement and multiple exposure allow Amy to compress moments together, blending time, movement, and perspective into a single frame. What might unfold over minutes of walking through the space becomes condensed into one visual gesture. A turn of the camera mirrors the turn of the body. A shift in light becomes a sweep of color across the image. The result is a photographic language that feels painterly. Surfaces blur into gradients of desert light. Architectural forms appear and dissolve within the same frame. The desert palette of warm stone, sky, and shadow moves through the images like a current of light and color. Yet beneath this fluidity lies a careful sensitivity to structure. Her compositions remain anchored by Wright’s architectural logic. Repetition of triangles, diagonals, and horizontal lines continues to guide the images even as the camera moves. Geometry remains present, but it becomes dynamic rather than rigid. In Reimagining Taliesin , architecture becomes both subject and collaborator. The buildings provide the framework, while perception transforms them. This dialogue between structure and perception reflects a deeper theme within Amy’s work. Her photographs suggest that the spaces we inhabit are never fixed experiences. They shift with light, movement, and perspective. A place visited many times may reveal something entirely new when approached with attention and curiosity. Taliesin West itself embodies this idea. Designed as a space for experimentation, learning, and creative exchange, the site continues to evolve through the people who walk its corridors and engage with its environment. Amy’s photographs extend that spirit of exploration into the photographic realm, using the camera not simply to record the architecture but to reinterpret it. As Amy describes her photographs capture “the essence of a singular moment in time,” images that become “a snapshot of a fleeting moment, a blend of movement, color, and emotion.” © Amy Newton-McConnel, Floating Planes (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Integrated Space (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Designed to Belong (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Spatial Harmony (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Geometry Emerges (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Stone Logic (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Spatial Alignment (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Spatial Measure (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Rooted Geometry (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Material Thinking (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Living Structure (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Lines in Conversation (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Geometry Softened (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Geometry of Place (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Framework of Light (2026) © Amy Newton-McConnel, Form Follows Earth (2026) In Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, Taliesin West becomes something more than architecture. The buildings, planes, and desert light that define Wright’s design begin to move, dissolve, and reassemble through the gestures of the camera. Geometry becomes rhythm. Shadow becomes motion. Structure becomes atmosphere. What emerges is not a depiction of Taliesin West as a monument, but as a living system of geometry and light. The photographs invite viewers to experience the site not through precise description but through sensation, movement, and atmosphere. In this way, Amy’s work reminds us that photography can do more than record a place. It can reinterpret it. Through movement, abstraction, and the careful observation of light and form, she transforms Wright’s architecture into a meditation on space, design, and the act of seeing. The result is an invitation to slow down and look again, discovering how even familiar structures can reveal new meanings when perception guides the frame. view Amy Newton-McConnel's portfolio Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List. read more stories >>> WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. 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. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns.

Presenting the work of visual storytellers from around the world. LAND, LABOR AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. PICTORIAL STORY REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. PICTORIAL STORY WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. PICTORIAL STORY LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. PICTORIAL STORY WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. PICTORIAL STORY SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. PICTORIAL STORY RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. PICTORIAL STORY DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. PICTORIAL STORY SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. PICTORIAL STORY SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. PICTORIAL STORY 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. PICTORIAL STORY THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. PICTORIAL STORY ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. PICTORIAL STORY 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. PICTORIAL STORY IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. PICTORIAL STORY UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. PICTORIAL STORY VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. PICTORIAL STORY UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. PICTORIAL STORY NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. PICTORIAL STORY THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. PICTORIAL STORY WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. PICTORIAL STORY BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. PICTORIAL STORY FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. PICTORIAL STORY VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. PICTORIAL STORY CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. PICTORIAL STORY ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement.

AWAKENING INSTINCTS Marilena Filaiti is living proof of the importance that photography can make in your life. An enlightening experience that gave her more understanding of herself and the world she exists in. AWAKENING INSTINCTS November 11, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Marilena Filaiti INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Marilena Filaiti is living proof of the importance that photography can make in your life. It was an enlightening experience for Marilena, giving her more understanding of herself and the world she exists in. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Marilena's father worked for the United Nations and was appointed to work in Africa where he lived with his wife for eleven years and where Marilena was born. They returned to Greece when Marilena was four years old, and her mother was pregnant with her brother, who was born in Athens. Both of their parents had a cosmopolitan upbringing. Marilena’s father, a descendant from the Egyptian Greeks and her mother from Istanbul, with a lineage of Greek descent, felt it important to pass their culture and heritage to their children. Marilena fell in love with the man she then married at a very young age and they soon started their family, a value important to Marilena, a legacy from her Mother. Caring and parenting three children created a demanding life that challenged Marilena, taking on many different jobs along the way to help make a good home for her family. Marilena ultimately took a job that gave her exposure and a chance to learn about marketing utilizing specialized multimedia tools that related to photography. These tools and their applications gave Marilena the inspiration to take up and explore the “Art of Photography”. Fascinated by Photography, she bought her first camera and started experimenting with her new tool, it wasn't long before she entered her first photography contest and was hooked. She decided to penetrate the world of photography and learn as much as she could. Her first teacher, Tolis Chatzignatiou, inspired her first steps and for three years he supported Marilena's development as a photographer. Tolis Chatzignatiou taught Marilena the principles of photography and how to clearly choose for herself what she wishes to include in her frame. She made many educational trips with the photographic group “Routes”, even getting close to her father's birthplace, an experience powerful for Marilena. Marilena was thirsty to learn more and more about photography, to go deeper and deeper, to be able to create meaningful photographs of her own. Marilena wanted to expand her knowledge and understanding of photography and immersed herself in photography workshops led by Lukas Vasilikos in October 2021. He has been an excellent teacher and mentor to Marilena, guiding her in her search within herself to find what she wants to express, while exposing her to new ideologies, working with his direction to create powerful sensational images that have much meaning. This motivating and influential experience gave birth to Marilena's first solo project, AWAKENING INSTINCTS, through which Marilena shares her insightful presentation of her project and her photography. We wish her much inspiration in her quest to create powerful intimate images that speak from the heart. “For the first time I saw my work complete. I continue today to grow personally and as a photographer by studying with Lukas. He keeps pushing me to work on new projects that allow me to express myself. Less need for words, more opportunities for visual inspiration.” IN CONVERSATION WITH MARILENA FILAITI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Marilena, tell us about Athens and what life in Greece has brought to your work AWAKENING INSTINCTS. We see how important your family members are to your work, tell us what inspiration they bring to this collection MARILENA FILIATI: Greece is a unique country worth visiting. Athens is a city with its beauties and its difficulties. Like all over the world, the pandemic touched us here, where photography became an excellent outlet for me. The pandemic directly connected the project with my inner world. Many photographs were taken in different parts of Greece during this period. There is nothing more important to me than my family and my home. My friends are also family. My teacher Lukas Vasilikos urged me to dig deeper and express photographically how important my family members are to me. TPL: Tell us about this project, Marilena; how it came about, what you were looking for, what you finally discovered. What surprised you? MF: When the workshop started, I had no idea what the outcome would be. Step by step we started to build this project gradually through the course of the study cycle. When I saw my photos on the wall I was impressed. I didn't know this side of myself. The most important reason besides my love for photography is that I don't have to talk too much with my images. That's how I've wanted to express myself for the last few years. I was surprised by the result because I finally managed to have a meaningful conversation through this project. TPL: You told us how important your teacher here was to you for this project, how you worked side by side. What were his influences on you, what were the gifts he gave you. What was his role as you created this project? MF: Master Lukas Vasilikos is an experienced and inspiring photographer himself, quite strict with himself but with unlimited patience and acceptance for his students. This characteristic of his allowed me to be inspired by him and many world photographers. Lukas also dared me to express myself freely and personally during our classes. He led me through the photographic process accepting and correcting any technical difficulties I had, while supporting me to move forward to my personal artistic identity through paths I admit, I didn't know I could take. TPL: There is depth in your shadows, creating intimate spaces for your subjects. Tell us about these shadows, darkness and what they represent in your photographs. MF: Within those shadows are important gifts of awareness. I like to create new worlds; escaping from reality. I like after instinctively creating them, to revisit my works as a viewer and have them transform into new stories. I listen to my silence and find the peace of mind I seek. TPL: Your colors are deep and saturated, adding to the depth of space and creating thought provoking connections to your subject matter. Tell us about the role color plays in these images. MF: I originally worked mostly in black and white and through my work with Lukas, I discovered color. I saw color as a tool for individual expression. It transformed the world around me into something else, something colorful, something much more dreamy, lyrical, focusing inward, allowing me to express my deeper self. Saturation is a medium that transports me to these other worlds. The bright color seems fake to me and does not represent my own reality. TPL: When you began this journey of self discovery, where did you start? Why? MF: I started this journey of self exploration with themes familiar to me, close to me, subjects accessible to me, so that I could venture deeper to see them in another dimension. an imaginary transformation of them. Thus my one son was transformed into a creature of my imagination, he effortlessly played this role since he trustingly allowed me to create another reality by "rebirthing" him through my photograph. My daughter, seen through another gaze that perhaps she herself did not initially accept, as the unconventional realistic image that she was, but she quickly realized how redemptive the freedom of a different gaze is. My little son, who grew up through our collaboration, agrees that the result has rewarded us both. My friends showed me the same trust by posing and allowing me to play freely with the lens. I like to create new worlds; escaping from reality. I listen to my silence and find the peace of mind I seek. TPL: What new discoveries have you made while doing this project? Has this project been completed? MF: Expression itself is a great discovery for me who doesn't like words much and is more of a sensory person. That is to speak through a medium that I share with so many people, even globally, and to “say it all” through the common language of the Image. My work has now become synonymous with my existence and as I evolve, it will evolve too. Each new experience I experience motivates me to 'lock in' the moment. Our lives are made up of moments. TPL: Can you recall that defining moment when you understood how to use photography to create what you wanted to say or see with your eyes, heart and soul? When you photograph, how much is instinct and spontaneity programmed? Do you pose your subjects? MF: When I realized that photography was a love for me and that I could express through it whatever I was hiding inside, I decided to leave my job to follow it in whatever path it took me. Because of my love for photography, I decided to only work in the field professionally. There is absolutely no programming in the way I photograph, I work on impulse and instinct, I ‘shoot’ non-stop even if I don't have a camera at that moment. Of course this requires one to have acquired a solid technical base and to have incorporated it. I would say my impulsiveness has gotten me into trouble at times. However, when I work as a professional, I try to listen to the needs of the subject matter but always through the freedom of my personal view. TPL: What are the lasting impressions you want to leave on the viewer, what is their 'Take Away'? What was yours? MF: I have no intention of leaving a lasting impression on the viewer. Everyone is free to make whatever impression they wish based on their reading. I wish to converse and evoke emotions. My takeaway is to have a photograph I see speak to me. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you achieve your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal distance? MF: So far it has been adequate. Currently I have developed a need to try even more sophisticated gear. I am on a quest. Initially I was shooting with my mobile phone. Then I was accompanied on my journey by a Nikon D3400, a Panasonic Lumix DC Vario with which I also shoot with in water, a Canon EOS R, and I have a collection of analogs, mostly old pieces. I've been trying different lenses and haven't settled on a recommended one yet. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? MF: This journey is a journey of freedom for me. It's a journey that matters, the destination of which I myself will know in five years. MF: “When I don't go out to photograph, I like to... I like to travel, drive, walk with my friends, read and often enjoy my ‘solitude’.” We would like to take this opportunity to thank Marilena for her time and insightful presentation of her photography. We wish her much inspiration in her quest to create powerful intimate images that speak from the heart. VIEW MARILENA'S PORTFOLIO Explore more of Marilena's Awakening Instincts >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. 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.

Talking to photographers from around the world, offering an insight into their photographic journey to inspire us all. 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. INTERVIEW GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. INTERVIEW THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. INTERVIEW 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. INTERVIEW 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.

PICTORIAL STORY WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. April 19, 2026 PICTORIAL STORY PHOTOGRAPHY Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan STORY Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan INTRODUCTION Karen Ghostlaw SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Street photography often begins with movement. A walk through a city, a pause at a corner, a moment when light shifts and the ordinary reveals something quietly remarkable. Yet the photographers who sustain our attention understand that seeing is rarely about speed. It is about patience, observation, and the willingness to remain present long enough for meaning to appear. For Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan, that act of attention begins with something simple: walking. Moving through the streets of India with patience and curiosity, Jeevan observes how everyday life unfolds within public spaces. Different moments exist side by side, creating a layered sense of flow that reflects the complexity of the communities around him. His approach develops through sustained observation and time spent within a place rather than the urgency of capturing it. By remaining present within a scene, Jeevan allows the atmosphere of a location to settle, watching as gestures, expressions, and small interactions begin to surface. In many ways, the photographs appear only after patience has done its work. He isn’t chasing big or dramatic moments. His focus is on the subtle, in-between moments that sit just outside what people usually pay attention to. By giving himself time and being fully present, he allows these moments to emerge naturally. The result is a body of work that feels attentive to the emotional texture of everyday life, revealing how people move through their environments, their beliefs, and their shared spaces. That same attentiveness guides him when he turns his camera toward tradition and craft. In the story that follows, Jeevan steps away from the street and into the quiet workshops of Thanjavur, where another rhythm unfolds long before music is ever heard. Here, in the hands of master artisans shaping the Thanjavur Veena , this is the story that exists before the strings. In the quiet corners of Thanjavur, a rhythmic symphony plays out long before a single musical note is ever struck. It is the sound of heavy chisels biting into aged wood, the rasp of sandpaper, and the steady breathing of men whose lineages are etched into the very instruments they create. This is the birthplace of the Thanjavur Veena , an instrument that carries the weight of centuries and the soul of Tamil Nadu’s musical heritage. My journey into this world began with a simple curiosity about the origins of sound. I found myself in the workshops of artisans like Chinnappa, men who have spent over three decades listening to the “ voice ” of wood. To them, a Veena is not manufactured; it is birthed from the heart of a jackfruit tree. The process is a masterclass in patience. It starts with the selection of timber from trees that have stood for nearly a century. These trees, often sourced from the Panruti region, are chosen for their unique density and echo quality. In an age of mass production, there is something profoundly moving about watching a craftsman look at a raw log and see the graceful curve of a kudam , the resonator bowl. For the rare Ekanda Veena , the artisan’s skill is pushed to its limit as the entire instrument, the bowl, the bridge, and the neck, is carved from a single continuous block of wood. Watching this process feels like witnessing an act of devotion. There are no computer aided designs here. There is only the eye measure and the steady hand of a master who has been refining his craft since he was sixteen. As I photographed the stages of creation, I was struck by the sensory richness of the workshop. The air is thick with the sweet, earthy scent of jackfruit shavings and the pungent aroma of melting beeswax used to set the frets. I watched as twenty-four brass frets were meticulously aligned, a task requiring surgical precision, for a millimeter’s error would ruin the instrument’s tuning. Yet beneath the beauty of the craft lies a sobering reality. The artisans spoke of the increasing difficulty in finding the right wood as ancient groves disappear to make way for modern housing. They spoke of a generation gap, where the five years of rigorous apprenticeship required to master this craft feels like an eternity to the youth of today. This photo story is more than a documentation of a manufacturing process. It is a portrait of a living tradition at a crossroads. Through my camera, I chose to focus on the textures: the calloused skin of the craftsman against the smooth, yellow grain of the wood; the intricate carvings of the Yali , a mythical creature that guards the head of the Veena; and the final, vibrant glow of the polish that signals an instrument is ready to find its voice. Before the Strings is a tribute to the hands that labor in anonymity so that music may live. It is an invitation to look past the stage and the spotlight, and to find the profound beauty in the dust, the sweat, and the silent wood that waits to sing. © Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan © Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan © Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan © Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan © Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan © Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan © Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan © Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan Through his photographs, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan reminds us that the stories of culture and craft are often found far from the stage where their final expression is heard. By turning his attention to the hands that shape the Veena long before music fills the air, he reveals a quieter form of devotion, one measured in patience, repetition, and generations of knowledge passed from master to apprentice. In these workshops, sound begins as silence. It lives first in wood, in careful measurement, and in the steady rhythm of tools against grain. Through attentive observation, Jeevan allows us to witness the moment before music begins, when the instrument still waits for its voice. The textures of labor, the concentration of the artisan, and the quiet presence of tradition come together in images that honor both the process and the people who sustain it. As his photographs reach wider audiences and receive growing recognition, they remain connected in the same simple practice that began it all: walking, waiting, and paying attention to the stories that quietly surround us. view Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan's portfolio Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List. read more stories >>> WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. 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. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns.

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

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