NOSTALGIA In her own words Monika K. Adler tells a poetic and emotional story of an immigrant's remembrance of a life disrupted by war. NOSTALGIA December 2, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Monika K. Adler INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Monika K. Adler is a celebrated photographer and avant-garde filmmaker whose work captures the struggles of life, the power of human memory, and the beauty of the natural world. Based in London since 2012, Monika was born in Poland, and graduated from The European Academy of Photography in Warsaw and the Wojciech Gerson’s National School of Fine Arts. After that she moved to Paris, where she photographed the life of the city and its artistic Bohemia, and had her first solo show. Living a vagabond lifestyle and travelling approximately 180 places in Europe and New York, Monika created a photography project called 'Travel no End', a poetic documentary journal of contemplating daily life in its deepest form, comprising of 200 prints. Her transgressive photography series, 'Chernobyl of Love', earned her international recognition for its thought-provoking portrayal of life in the wake of the 1986 nuclear disaster in Ukraine. Her poetic and experimental films have screened at several film festivals around the world, including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, and the San Francisco Documentary Festival. Monika uses her lens to capture emotions, revealing the truth behind her lens in captivating ways. She has been praised for her bold and daring approach to photography that pushes boundaries and encourages viewers to reflect on their lives. Her work is a testament to her love of storytelling and highlights her commitment to exploring the power of human connection and memory. As a master of her craft, Monika has skillfully utilized black and white photography to bring to life stories of identity, consumerism, sexuality, and history. Her most recent project, NOSTALGIA, is a powerful exploration of the resilience and strength of immigrants who have experienced war. Her work speaks for itself and conveys a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling. In her own words she tells a poetic and emotional story of an immigrant's remembrance of a life disrupted by war. “Cold earth and blackened gunmetal. Taking with you only the most precious and essential. Cast alone amongst thousands; forced, overnight, to leave their home, their family, their animals, and the places they love; fractious, precarious, putting their lives in the hands of strangers. You still feel it, every moment. It’s hard to forget who you used to be, and what was once yours. The new identity is painful, one described by your nationality, an absence, and the place where your heart still lies. Through memories, you belong to a different place, landscape, climate, and environment. In your homeland the seasons had another smell and colour; the rain felt different, the sun was warmer on your face; the fruit sweeter; the trees rustled unlike anywhere else. These surroundings shaped you, and made you remember who you are, and where you came from. You are a stranger in a new place. People don’t trust you. Under apparent kindness, eventually hostility will emerge. They don’t know if you are a victim or aggressor, but you are indifferent to their judgement. You are tied to your nostalgia, which kills you every day. Overburdened by memory, you dream about a return to the land where you left your soul. But is it possible? Will there be anything to come back to? Can your motherland still your home? Does a past life that was razed to the ground have any chance of being reborn? If so, in what form? How to recognise people you don’t know anymore? Will they recognise you? Will your memory survive in them, or will you be forever a stranger? How to forget those who suffered: killed, raped, displaced, and robbed of everything that is human? For how long should one remember the barbarity of the enemy, and how can we ensure their crimes will not fade from the pages of history books? How will they not become rationalised to people of good will? Will the world forgive and forget too soon? These invaders never respect occupied lands and the human beings who created their own worlds there. Filled with contempt and hatred, they wipe out every shred of past existence. They are ready to uproot every tree, annihilate every home, burn libraries, museums, galleries, bomb opera houses and theatres to install a new order, culture, and new language. Despite the immensity of their cruelty, no punishment has ever befallen them, or will. For history, the death of the masses means nothing. The games of clowns and psychopaths at war one day end. Weaponized human bodies are finite and cannot fight forever. The idea of peace sounds enthusiastic, but rebuilding takes time and wounds never heal. They will live on in the next generations, as trauma, and collective memory. Afterwards, is it possible to return, and to what end? What of those who had to flee somewhere to a foreign land, to start again amongst seemingly friendly people? Emigrant limbo: the state between two different pasts. Arriving in a new land is also history.” “In the end, it appears NOSTALGIA is a state between reality and sleep; a haven, a place of exile and eternal seclusion, where you can immerse yourself in a childhood landscape outside the contemporary narrative. A kaleidoscope. You shift the images in your head, one on top of another, and turn them upside down: colours, smells, sounds, feelings and events mix, one in the other. For a moment, you’re where you belong — no longer a stranger.” IN CONVERSATION WITH MONIKA K. ADLER In this interview with The Pictorial List, we speak to Monika to about how she arrived at this project and her journey into her passion for storytelling in her photography and her films. THE PICTORIAL LIST: Hello Monika, firstly please tell us something about yourself. What would you say first drew you to photography? MONIKA K. ADLER: I was born in Gostynin, Poland, during the late communist period. When I was 13, I left there to study art in Warsaw. Afterwards, I led a bohemian lifestyle travelling across Europe, and spent time in Paris and New York. Those years shaped me as an artist. Since 2012, I’ve worked in London on photography, video art, and film, and have exhibited and published around the world. I’m also working on a feature film: Sick Bacchus. What first drew me to photography? The pure joy of stopping time. TPL: How would you describe your photography, and what would you say you are always trying to achieve artistically? MKA: I work in black and white, conceptual, fine art photography that addresses the socio-cultural construction of memory, history and trauma, identity, and sexuality. In this, I’m interested in touching upon unseen truths: the ineffable. TPL: Talk us through the narrative of NOSTALGIA. When and how did this project first manifest for you? What was the inspiration? What journey are you taking us on? What have you learned from this project that has surprised you? MKA: Nostalgia tells the story of an immigrant’s remembrance of a life disrupted by war. The idea for the series came to me on 24 February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, and thousands of Ukrainians headed to the Polish border. I felt a deep sense of identification with the experience of other Central and Eastern Europeans, and our shared history, that made me feel alive again, because the perfect world of consumerist London has a way of killing you inside. In the end, ‘Nostalgia’ reminded me of how Polish I am. It was profound. TPL: What importance does storytelling or key themes hold for you in your photography and filmmaking? MKA: Storytelling is crucial. It adds blood to the image and sets it in time and space. I believe in the strong relationship between photography, film, and literature. Everything around us has the potential to become a great story. I love uncomfortable narratives. The act of provocation is a life’s breath. TPL: Could you tell us how growing up in Poland has inspired your work today? What special qualities unique to your home country influence both your photography and filmmaking and the way you portray your community? MKA: History has somehow influenced the work of all Polish artists. We’re part of a bleeding wound which doesn’t heal across generations. I explore our national demons and mysteries through symbolic, dream-like, still and moving images anchored in the collective unconscious. TPL: There is an intimacy with your subjects, an up close and personal engagement. Do you know your subjects? Please tell us about the emotion you share with your subjects, and what this brings to your work. MKA: My subjects are close to me, for example: my husband Aeon Rose, yet their meaning in my work is not personal but universal. They function as everyman/woman. I’m there as an emotionless observer; the viewer’s omniscient eye. In nostalgia, every time you close your eyes, you reach home. You didn’t die, and you will survive. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? MKA: Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Polish writer, painter, philosopher and photographer active before World War I and during the interwar period), Francesca Woodman and Helmut Newton, rebellious and charismatic, inspire me; pure, and honest in exposing their longest shadows and deepest desires. This is the essence of an artist’s life. TPL: What are some challenges that you have faced as a photographer? MKA: I’ve had a hard experience, but I’ve already crossed and drunk from the River Lethe (the river of forgetfulness in Hades) and now I have so much freedom in my work that nothing and no one can challenge me. TPL: How do you educate yourself to grow in your photography? MKA: I feel developing your consciousness is an essential education in any creative work. You see into your inner self and the depth of your being, and it reflects in the images you produce. I study human psychology and metaphysics, and explore progressive dreaming. This establishes a foundation for ideas and shows us how to ‘see’ not just ‘look’ when you release the shutter. TPL: What was the first camera you ever held in your hand, brought to eye, and released a shutter on? For this project you photographed with an Iphone 7+, do you use any other equipment? How does this equipment help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Do you have anything on your wishlist? MKA: My first camera was PRAKTICA MTL3; a gift my father sent me from East Berlin, where he lived and worked in the late 80s. The last 12 years, I’ve used only iPhones. I don’t think that will change soon. TPL: Are there any special projects that you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? What are some of your photography goals? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? MKA: Nostalgia is a photographic diptych. Next year I’ll work on its second part. A two volume photography book will result. I’m also working on the completion of Sick Bacchus: a feature film. Where do I hope to see myself in 5 years? Let’s leave this open. I love the unknown. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… MKA: I write short stories and screenplays. To create them I study human nature. I read obsessively, not only good literature but also tabloids and historical newspaper archives from 1700s to 2000s. In between them, a brutal, almost vulgar existence merges with something deeper and more elusive. PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. 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.

SOULS OF A CITY Always having a love for street photography, Betty is drawn to the power of imagery and how it expresses what she feels. SOULS OF A CITY April 8, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Betty Manousos INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Betty Manousos is no stranger to the art of photography. As a street and social documentary photographer, she has captured the essence of city life through her lens, resulting in award-winning images of people, places and culture. Betty's love for street photography has led her to document the stories behind the scenes. With a distinct eye for detail and an innate ability to capture the spontaneity of life around her, Betty's images provide a unique insight into her own take on reality. Fuelled by her passion for creating meaningful stories through her artwork, Betty founded CUT and DRY Blogzine as a platform to share her work and make it accessible to a wider audience. Joining forces with Photographic Circle Collective, she continues to push the boundaries of street photography by going beyond the typical 'snapshot' aesthetics and instead, strive to capture raw moments of emotion with an aim to leave the viewer with a sense of connection to the subject. Betty Manousos is an inspiring photographer whose dedication to her craft is evident in each frame. Her powerful images hold the power to transport us to a different place and time, taking us on a journey where we can reflect on our own experiences and interpretations of the world around us. “I was born in Athens, Greece where I currently live. I have also lived in the United Kingdom for many years. I have always been artistically inclined growing up with art in the family. My dad was a teacher and artist and my brother is a recognised painter. But I became really interested in photography when a good friend of mine from Britain - who is a black and white photographer - introduced me to the medium. Here's a little story to illustrate. That autumn we went on a photo shoot to Dartmoor in southern Devon, England. That was it. I didn't realise it at the time, but this was the beginning of what would become an obsession. I've hardly put down my camera since then.” IN CONVERSATION WITH BETTY MANOUSOS THE PICTORIAL LIST: Betty, what is it that you enjoy about street photography? Explain your technique? What do you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? BETTY MANOUSOS: Part of the reason I enjoy street photography is the fact that there's always a different way to approach things in the terms of capturing candid street moments and I'm so excited when all the stars align; when all the elements of the scene line up perfectly, from the lighting to the unique human emotion, to the overall ambiance. For me, street photography is also ultimately liberating because it is an expression of my need to look at things differently. I've always been drawn to the power of imagery as a way to express my own completely subjective interpretation of what I feel rather than I see. Over time, I have come up with some techniques that work for me most of the time: - tilting the camera and changing the level of view - often shooting through other objects, as this allows me to create a dramatic sense of mystery in a photograph I'm less interested in creating images the traditional way - as street photography is an art form without constraint - but I'm much interested in the realm of artistic approach of things. Besides, I'm much concerned with the unusual or unexpected. As a photographer, I want my pictures to contain a surplus of meaning, to stimulate a feeling, to move the viewer emotionally. Some of the elements I try to include in my frame are: storytelling; emotion; an interesting character; the soul of a city. Sometimes I want to include only an object or trace left by humans that reveal something about life. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? BM: Inspiration comes from everywhere in any shape and form, from life itself. My significant inspiration comes from my favourite movies and books. TPL: Do you have any favourite spots to go photographing? BM: Street photography is a surprisingly difficult photographic genre to practice in Athens. That said, taking photos of strangers in public, there is always a possibility that you may get punched in the face, I haven't but I got yelled at a couple of times. Perhaps people feel threatened or have become suspicious. In my experience, many Greek people don't like having their photo taken. Perhaps they feel as though taking a photo of them is an invasion of their privacy. Underground station, deprived areas have been some of my favourite spots to photograph. TPL: How has the pandemic affected you personally and your photography? BM: When lockdown was announced, I realised that my life would have to change. Since I couldn't go out to photograph, I decided I wanted to document my life; the sad moments, the quiet moments, the process of accepting the 'new normal. The plan was to staying nimble with my camera. One of the feelings (too many feelings) that I have been experiencing during the pandemic is uncertainty. How can one live in an uncertain world? TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? BM: Ever since I started street photography, I was drawn to the high contrast work of Daido Moriyama, Saul Leiter, Harry Gruyaert, Josef Koudelka, and the art of Picasso has also influenced my photographic style. As a photographer, I want my pictures to contain a surplus of meaning, to stimulate a feeling, to move the viewer emotionally. TPL: Do you have a favourite quote, lyric, or saying that especially resonates with you? BM: "Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." - Oscar Wilde. Our identity is what makes us different; it's what makes us individuals. Just be you. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? BM: I'm definitely not a "gear person" (even with an iPhone you can take great photos). I use the Fujifilm X-T20 for my street photography, with a lot of nice lenses. With mirrorless cameras there is less to go wrong in terms of autofocus. The focal lens that just works for me is the 35mm prime; my preferred lens is a Fujinon XF35mm f/1.4 lens. TPL: When you go out photographing, do you have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? BM: While out shooting, I'm almost always on the move and on the lookout for photographic opportunities. In fact, I look for unusual scenes that evoke a story. That said, I always try to blend in with my surroundings to capture the perfect candid moment. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the creative world before photography? BM: I used to write a lot of short stories when I was younger. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? BM: I'm currently working on a project titled "When People Toil". It is a very challenging project. It's especially risky as that area I go is quite unsafe to walk around. Five years goals...to be working on a photo book, to be documenting an adventure of mine in photos, to be writing a book for beginners about my photographic experience and the lessons I learned along the way. I'd love to plan a trip too (if it is safe to go). TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… BM: I read, watch movies and exercise." PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. 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.

AN ARRHYTHMIC SUCCESSION OF INTERRUPTED PAUSES Poet of photography, Lorenzo Vitali takes us on a walk through his images evoking a sense of surrealism and historical interest. AN ARRHYTHMIC SUCCESSION OF INTERRUPTED PAUSES July 8, 2022 PROJECT SPOTLIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY Lorenzo Vitali INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Matching silence with rationality, color with too long shadows, contradicting the laws of perspective by going beyond reality. Waking up in a remote village in the middle of a flat plain. Asking oneself if in that place people's lives flow as elsewhere on earth or if here time follows a measure unknown to us: a dilated measure, irregularly divided into unequal fractions that never repeat themselves. An arrhythmic succession of interrupted pauses. Walking along streets that indicate temporary paths waiting for non-existent goals, changing and deceptive lights in search of something that has been in us for an ancient time. Classic shapes are transformed into masses of calm colors, which stretch, low and immovable, along a false horizon that dies moment by moment. “The Rationalist Architecture movement originated in various international contexts (Bauhaus, Le Corbusier), also developed in Italy. The town of Tresigallo is a particular realization of this and it has constituted for me an open-air set in which to express a personal interpretation of the concepts, which were the basis of the artistic movements of that period.” IN CONVERSATION WITH LORENZO VITALI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Lorenzo please introduce your project AN ARRHYTHMIC SUCCESSION OF INTERRUPTED PAUSES to us. How and why did this first manifest for you? What is the full story behind the project? What was the inspiration? LORENZO VITALI: For some time I have been interested not only in photography, but, in general, in all the visual arts, in particular in painting. Architecture attracts me too a lot and it is a genre that is often present in my photography. In Giorgio De Chirico's metaphysical painting, various elements that are highly stimulating for me are combined, in which the overcoming of reality takes place in contexts where architecture is very present. In particular, the Rationalist Architecture movement, which, in the 1920s and 1930s, originated in various international contexts (Bauhaus, Le Corbusier), also developed in Italy. There are therefore several examples of this artistic movement. The town of Tresigallo (Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna) is a particular realization of this and it has constituted for me an open-air set in which to express a personal interpretation of the concepts, which were the basis of the artistic movements of that period. TPL: Talk to us about your method of working and experimentation before the final image. Did you know exactly what you wanted from the beginning? How long did each image take to create? LV: I was very clear before I started photographing what kind of images I wanted to collect. Otherwise it would have been impossible to realise this work in which I knew I had to work a lot even in post-production. I needed “clean” images in order to then proceed to a further highlighting of the main elements, subtracting secondary elements. Processing times have been quite variable, but it has always taken many hours and sometimes a few days for each image. TPL: How does your project "An arrhythmic succession of interrupted pauses" differ from your previous work? Is this type of visual storytelling something you would like to pursue again in future projects? What do you think is your next chapter in your exploration with future projects. LV: Architecture is not the only photographic genre in which I have created works of a certain commitment. Lately, for example, I have dealt in depth with the beauty of the female body, intended as a memory, and my work on this subject, which has had a good success, has recently been published also on The Pictorial List. However, I have never neglected to deal with architectural photography and this work is in my intentions a starting point for a new trend precisely in the field of architectural photography. The short text that accompanies it is an expression of what "walking" among these images evoked in me. TPL: Finally, what do you want people to take away from this project? What do you want them to be asking themselves? LV: I hope that this work will induce in the observer a reflection on the themes of metaphysics in people who have a propensity to seek the overcoming of reality in art and that it can at the same time be interesting for those with a historical interest in the evolution of modern architecture. The short text that accompanies it is an expression of what "walking" among these images evoked in me. Lorenzo Vitali is a Milanese doctor and poet of photography. Creative and experimental, always attentive to new artistic proposals in his environment, Lorenzo develops the aesthetic sense of his works by combining classic elements and innovation. He pays particular attention to shapes and materiality. He frames his work by him in a conceptual discourse with a marked tendency towards formal research. Lorenzo has had numerous exhibitions and publications in Italian and foreign trade magazines, as well as collaborations with online magazines. In the editorial field, he has published several photographic books both in the field of reportage and on specific topic. PORTFOLIO WEBSITE WEBSITE read more interviews >>> MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. 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.

FRAGMENTS OF A TIME These unfocused images connote the mixture of emotions and uncertainties Daniela Pereira perceived as time passed during the pandemic. FRAGMENTS OF A TIME April 26, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Daniela Pereira INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Daniela Pereira is passionate about photography as a hobby and artistic expression. She is interested in several genres and likes to experiment with photographic techniques. Daniela has shared this series of photographs of her exploration of long exposure photography. These blurred, unfocused images, of different colours and shapes, connote the mixture of emotions and uncertainties she perceives as time passes during the pandemic. “The purpose of this project is to explore long exposure photography. It is a technique that helps me to portray the passage of time. The blurred, out-of-focus images of different colors and shapes connote the mixture of emotions and uncertainties derived from this year of the health emergency due to Covid-19. They can also be related to the different ways of perceiving the passage of time at that stage. The dynamism conveyed by the photographs is associated with the speed of change, with the intensity of the experience. The dilated figures, without precise limits that seem to be moving but never end up passing, suggest the slow course of a time that does not coincide with the usual.” IN CONVERSATION WITH DANIELA PEREIRA THE PICTORIAL LIST: Daniela please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? DANIELA PEREIRA: I was born in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, South America where I’m living now. I work in international cooperation for development, in the area of education and culture. I traveled to many countries around the world. I studied abroad in Spanish universities. My interest in photography began during my trips. Photography is my great passion. Whenever I have the opportunity or the time I take my camera with me. Four years ago, I began studying specialising in amateur photography at Foto Club Uruguayo, a well known photography institution. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? DP: My main source of inspiration are Montevideo city streets. As I live there, most of my photographs are taken in the city. I love walking through the city looking for amazing places and people. I also like nature and landscapes. TPL: What do you want to express through your photography? What are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? DP: I always try to include a personal look in my work through the different aspects of my photographs: technique, lights and shadows, use of light, topics, movement, double exposures. The elements I pay most attention to are the ones that make a balanced composition. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? DP: There are many artists and photographers that inspire me...Aleksandr Rodchenko to name just one. TPL: Where is your most favourite place to go photograph? DP: The city, the street during the day and at night. Photography is my great passion. Whenever I have the opportunity or the time I take my camera with me. TPL: What happens when you go out with your camera? Do people respond positively to you, or do you sometimes get negative reactions? If yes, how do you handle it? DP: I used to enjoy the interaction with people in the street when I’m photographing their places or making some kind of portrait or scenes. According to the Ethic and Human Rights Act, I do try to be respectful for their images and identity so I always ask them for agreement. I also express my gratitude for the opportunity. If some disagreement appears I make an explanation and apologise. TPL: When you take pictures, do you usually have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just 'come to you', or is it both? DP: Both. Sometimes I have a definite idea or concept and I go out and look for it, and other times, the images just find me. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? DP: Equipment offers goods possibilities. I use a Canon EOS 77D. I don't have any preferred lenses. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? DP: I think I will continue to improve and experiment. I also see myself participating in photography groups, calls and photographic exhibitions. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… DP: I work or I am with my family. I also like to exercise, play field hockey or go to the movies. PORTFOLIO INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. 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.

HUMANS IN MOTION Shawn Byron Danker is a Singapore based photographer who focuses primarily on physical manifestations of humans in motion in urban settings. HUMANS IN MOTION September 11, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Shawn Byron Danker INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Shawn Byron Danker is a Singapore based photographer who has been shooting professionally since 2006. To Shawn the cityscape is a physical manifestation of the very human tension between what is and what ought to be, and also the moral tension between what merely appears to be and what is unspoken. This constant double tension infuses Shawn’s photography, which both celebrates and rehabilitates the contemporary spaces and humans in their urban habitat. Shawn challenges himself to create and recreate this double vision in each new series he embarks upon, to help audiences become aware of the natural, the undiscussed, the undisputed, the implicit – and to ultimately reflect and question them. Shawn´s pictures have been showcased in publications in Bangladesh, France, Japan, the Philippines, and Singapore. Shawn has also held two exhibitions in Singapore. “I was born and raised in Singapore. I got into photography as a kid because I always wanted to create beautiful work that would make people stop to look at the story in front of them. My bread and butter is photojournalism so I use the storytelling skills I developed there in every other genre of photography I work in.” IN CONVERSATION WITH SHAWN BYRON DANKER THE PICTORIAL LIST: You have shared your photo project SHALL WE DANCE with us. What gave you the idea of photographing street dancers and turning it into a long-term project? SHAWN BYRON DANKER: I was in the middle of finishing up my second exhibition in Singapore when I started thinking about what would be the subject for my next show. I decided that I wanted to do something fun since my previous two shows were about dour and serious subject matter. I have always loved watching the human form and enjoyed dance as a spectator, but I felt I lacked the skills to properly photograph dance. After my second show ended, I felt I was now ready to take on the challenge so I decided I was going to use every trick I had ever learned to put my own spin on photographing dance. I wanted to mesh genres to hopefully create something new...I set out to show the world that dance and dance photography is more than just ballet. What you are now seeing with this body of work, is the fruit of that resolve. The plan is to eventually take this body of work and turn it into a traveling exhibit and coffee table book. TPL: In your street dance photographs, you pay a lot of attention to the setting. How do you pick a location, what criteria do you employ? SBD: The art direction’s mandate for this series is that the location should matter within the composition. The setting helps set the mood and reveal character. The negative space around the dancer should enhance their presence and impart a richer meaning into the frame. I also tell my dancers that they are not dancing in a vacuum; they should be using their bodies to tell a story of how the scene makes them feel. I use a lot of film theory when I look for locations and plan my shoots. I look for anything that helps build an engaging mise-en-scene, so that can range from the quality of light and shadow, the colors, but most importantly the shapes and forms that the structures impart to the scene. Working on this series has taught me to look at a location in front of me and see it as it could be. From there I start to figure out how I would compose the shot. Do I go for a composition using juxtaposition and or do I want to convey a sense of scale and perspective? It all depends on how all these factors come together while I look at what is in front of me and figure out if I can somehow add some visual tension into the shot. Sometimes it can take me years to finally figure out how to best use a location for maximum visual impact. TPL: You have told us that contextualizing your photos matters to you. Does it make a difference what type of dance genre you are shooting? For example, if you are shooting ballet, do you try to select different locations from when you are shooting street? SBD: Many people will argue otherwise but I see the series as a form of street photography because I apply a lot of street sensibilities into the composition. That is why context matters in my composition. Context helps to make a shot more engaging. The more engaging a shot is, the longer your eye will linger upon it to drink it all in and make for a richer viewing experience. For ballet, I look for locations that juxtapose the environment against the ballet dancer’s etherealness; soft versus hard. When I am looking to create something with an emphasis on pronounced statuesque shapes (think Rodin’s thinker) I bring in a contemporary dancer. I tell my jazz dancers that I want them to seduce and invite their audiences into their parlour like how a femme fatale would in film noir. For pole dance I tell the dancers to tone down the overt raunchiness and play up their physicality. Pole dance audiences tend to focus on the dancer’s sexiness and not how amazingly fit they really are. I want to break the negative stereotype associated with the genre. The photos you see may not show it, but some dance genres are a lot more difficult to shoot than you think. This Melbourne break-dance crew had plenty of energy to bounce off one another so I decided to use that to my advantage. I had some of them dance while their other crew mates were egging them on from behind the window, pretending to be spectators. Dancers from left to right: Michael Fox (@bboyflyinfoxy.rhf), Emmy Li (@ramenloverli), Andrew Mcintosh (@anndramcin) and Fauntine Lariba (@bgirlfontz) Josh Glavin (@joshglavin) tap dancing at an artificial waterfall in Tokyo. Scottish Dancer Natalie Smith (@nattts_dance) dancing Fosse style in a parking lot in Tokyo. Break dancer Syafiq Junior (@stylejoinsrhythm) leaning into Robot Love a mural by artist Sonny Liew in Singapore. Jazz dancer Angeline Chin (@angelineychin) on a stairway to heaven in Melbourne. Jazz dancer Kelly jams outside an Izakaya in Toranomon Tokyo. Wrecking Ball: Finding a pole dancer like Yoshimi Higo (@hkanon1112) who is both proficient and confident enough to take on the challenge of dancing outside the dance studio is a massive challenge in itself. Popping is a difficult genre to shoot because it's difficult to show the muscles popping while the dancer is moving so Shawn opts to focus on the dancers´ shapes instead. Popper Ryosuke Inagaki (ryosuke_1974) is juxtaposed here against the oldest part of Tokyo, Kanda City. TPL: Which dance genre do you think is the hardest to photograph then? SBD: It depends. To be frank, Dane Shitagi made a very pertinent point when he said that dance is best consumed in video form. This is because dance is a continuous sequence of movements. What I am doing as a dance photographer is akin to what sketch artists do when they draw gesture: capturing a movement to express emotion and motion. I love watching ballet but it can be a pain to shoot because of how perfectionist ballet dancers can be. Contemporary can be very challenging to audiences who have no dance training because they lack the dance vocabulary that would allow them to understand what they are looking at. But genre wise I would say the hardest ones to shoot are popping and pole dance. Popping is naturally stiff looking and you are confronted with this conundrum: how do you show your subjects popping their muscles while they keep their shirts on? I solved this little problem by directing the dancer to give me shapes and lines that identifies the genre to the viewer. Pole dance is hard because of two things: The logistics involved and the competency of the dancer. I do not use those portable poles that pole dancers sometimes use because I want the pole dancer to use what is within the natural urban environment. When I shoot pole dance, the first thing that I have to do is find a street sign that is situated in an interesting location. Then I have to find a pole dancer who is confident enough to be able to dance using a street sign instead of what they are used to in the dance studio. Finally after meeting these two conditions, I have to hope and pray that the conditions on the ground are favorable when we finally head there to shoot. That is why my very first pole dance themed shot took me five years to create. Popping is naturally stiff looking and you are confronted with this conundrum: how do you show your subjects popping their muscles while they keep their shirts on? I solved this problem by directing the dancer to give me shapes and lines that identifies the genre to the viewer. TPL: Do you in a way “choreograph” the dances you shoot? Meaning, do you tell the dancers what to do, or do you let them do their thing and just shoot? SBD: When I started on this series, I used to come into the shoots with a preconceived move that I wanted the dancer to do for the shot. I slowly began to realize as I gained more experience, that the best shots I ever got was when I let the dancer freestyle their moves. Doing this really let them improvise and inject their own personality into their movements instead of being boxed in by a specific expectation. I keep a large store of researched imagery on hand to show the dancers if they need some ideas, but I tell them to always put their own spin on their inspiration and make the shot/move theirs. For the most part I intentionally keep the art direction vague. I tell the dancers that they are free to do what feels right to them as long as I see shapes, lines or extensions. From there we make whatever adjustments are needed to improve the shot. The biggest breakthrough I have had was the realization that dance is not just about movement. Dance is also about what Jay Maisel and sketch artists would call gesture. The more engaging a shot is, the longer your eye will linger upon it to drink it all in and make for a richer viewing experience. TPL: In many of your photos there are dancers performing incredible leaps and twirls, and there are passers by seemingly unconcerned with what is happening. How does that happen? Do people not stop to ask what is going on, or at least to watch the action? SBD: Well they look unaware because they are usually on their way to wherever their life is taking them. Occasionally some of them stop to watch or ask what is going on. There has been a few times where we get an audience while we work who either applaud or smile at us while remarking “beautiful”, but that mostly happens when the passers by actually stop to pay attention to what is going on. TPL: Other than in dance, where do you find your inspiration? What else do you like to photograph? SBD: I find a lot of inspiration from video games, comics and movies. Some of my composition ideas come from movies by Denis Villeneuve, Wes Anderson or Akira Kurosawa. I also get a lot of ideas for my battle style dance photos from the Ryu Ga Gotoku (Like a Dragon or Yakuza) series. The cinematics in that game series contain some amazing dynamic cinematography. I love photographing street when I get the chance. It helps to hone my eye while helping me to relax. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? SBD: I adore Platon and Moriyama. Little Shao has been a constant source of inspiration for dance related photography. He is constantly trying new things with dance and street instead of repeating the same thing over and over. With regard to who has influenced my style the most. It is a combination of people. Akira Kurosawa’s movies taught me how to add a sense of kinetics into a shot by incorporating motion with stillness within my compositions. Film Noir, like the Maltese Falcon, gave me my love of using light and shadow for drama in my compositions. But my college friend, Dena, taught me the most important lesson I ever had to learn as a photographer: “Even if the shot is not technically perfect, you should find a way to make it work for you anyway.” It’s a philosophy that I have held close to my heart ever since she said it to me. She is the reason why I am not a technical photographer. I look for emotion and I shoot by feel. That is why my style tends to be very emotive. Is ballet dancer Catherine Donato (@catdonato) real or simply a part of the graffiti on Hosier Lane in Melbourne? Urban Dancer Alley Kerr (@alleykerr) takes a leap of faith while riding the subway in Tokyo. Breakdancer Takeo Okamoto (bboykamo1130) plays a trickster on a subway platform in Tokyo. This guy was outside Shibuya station posing for the cameras and I knew I just had to get a shot of him because he actually made his costume light up! In the end I asked him for 2 shots. Parkour Athlete Hikari Izumi (@hhhhi02) in Tokyo shows us how women can do anything that boys can. Daniel Sonic Rojas (@danielsonicrojas) works some parkour in Singapore. "Teardrop": Contemporary dancer Darnell Williams (@darnyyy_) is statuesque in the halls of the Harumi Futo in Tokyo. Aussie dancer Jess Page (@jesslbepage) decided to have some fun with this space in Tokyo. What camera/s do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? My workhorse is my Canon 1DX and the 24-70mm f2.8 lens. It is fast and it lets me break down the dancers' movements frame by frame to find the best moments. The zoom length also gives me a lot of freedom and allows me to work quickly without having to waste time trying to figure out whether a wide angle or telephoto lens would work better. For situations that require stealth and discretion, I switch to my Fuji X100F. It is silent and is the perfect walk around camera because its compact size does not intimidate people on the street at all. TPL: Are there any special projects, other than the long-term documentary on street dance, that you are currently working on? SBD: I have a few. The other book that I am working on simultaneously with SHALL WE DANCE is THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. It is a body of work where I am shooting revelers on the street during Shibuya Halloween. Halloween in Shibuya is like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but with costumes. I thought it would be fun to showcase the Japanese take on Halloween. I am also shooting PARKOUR as a spin off from SHALL WE DANCE; I take what I am doing with dance but apply it to parkour instead. Another project that I am working on has me photographing the architecture of public housing buildings. And I have a portrait series called WAR PAINT where I photograph headshots of wrestlers as they emote: a sight that wrestling fans never get to see up close. One day if I ever get the chance, I would love to do something with cosplay. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I like to… SBD: Either look at other street photographers to research locations I would like to shoot dancers with or chill out and play some video games. Or eat. Because I have a weakness for food.” PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. 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.

THE WONDERS OF EVERYDAY LIFE Through her work, Anna Marchioli communicates her feelings as she faces the wonders in the pieces of her everyday life. THE WONDERS OF EVERYDAY LIFE February 10, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Anna Marchioli INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE The world is a vast and wondrous place, filled with beauty and mystery, and Anna Marchioli is determined to explore it all. Through her lens as an abstract photographer, Anna captures the light, colours, and sights that move her, transforming them into something ethereal and mysterious. Her works are a diary of her emotions - of gloom and melancholy, but also of awe and admiration - as she faces the wonders that life offers. Each piece of Anna's art is a snapshot into her own life, shaped by her unique perspective on the everyday. Anna's photography is an invitation to explore the world from a different angle. With every click of the shutter on her camera, she takes us on a journey through her eyes to a place where reality blends with abstract emotion. From the smallest details to the grandest vistas, Anna captures the emotion and depth of each moment, creating unforgettable pieces of art. Whether we are left in awe of the beauty or moved to our core by a sadder mood, Anna's work will draw you in and captivate you. When you get an idea that you fall in love with, this is a glorious day. - David Lynch “What he said stayed with me. This is how I feel when I manage to shoot something that feels right, I feel like I’ve fallen in love with it, as narcissistic as it may sound. And so, I chase that feeling around when I’m taking photographs and working on them later on.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ANNA MARCHIOLI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Anna please tell us when you started your interest in photography? ANNA MARCHIOLI: When I was a little girl, I must’ve been eight maybe, and my father first lent me his camera. I started taking photographs then and have ever since, sporadically. But since I’ve started sharing my work, it’s become a true passion. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? AM: Just walking around cities or in nature will inspire me. It’s a combination of factors such as light or colour, which will create moments of inspiration, I think. TPL: Has your style changed since you first started your photography journey? AM: Yes, very much so, it might always keep evolving. I like the idea that you can sublimate feelings through art, to me it’s about channeling negative or positive feelings at a given moment. TPL: What artists inspire you the most? AM: I seem to be more inspired by painters than photographers. For example, by Paul Gauguin, because if he saw something a certain color, he would paint it that same color, although most people thought it was absurd at that time (late 19th century). I like how he twists colors and makes them vivid, whether he painted in Brittany or in Tahiti. TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? AM: I don’t have a favorite place to photograph but I have a favorite time of the day: during Blue Hour or Golden hour. I love how everything becomes poetic and how the changing light and colors transform everything. I like the idea that you can sublimate feelings through art, to me it’s about channeling negative or positive feelings at a given moment. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? AM: I don’t think I’m in a position to give advice, but one thought that helps me is that being yourself is key. I don’t remember where I read this and it can encompass everything in life. But sometimes when I feel self-conscious when sharing something different or a bit bold and this is what I will tell myself. To me equipment is just a tool, I don’t like technology per se, but I will learn to use it if I feel that what it can accomplish is motivating. TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a photographer? What’s your tips or advice for someone in your genre? AM: I would say passion! Other than that, I don’t know, I’d also like some tips if anyone has any! TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? AM: No, but I did spend more time drawing than taking photographs growing up. My father painted after being in the military corps. And my sister is working in the photography and art world. These are my connections to the art world. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? AM: I am working on a series of unedited photographs called “Greater (Lens) Paris”. It’s about shedding a new light on the city where I live, Clamart, which is a part of Greater Paris. Paris, just like London once did, is building its Greater Paris around Paris. But it’s underexposed, often misrepresented and very diverse. You will find many versions of the “banlieue”, the French word used to call everything around Paris in the Paris region. I like to show mine with vivid colors, a bit of mystery and hopefully some poetry. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… AM: I have worked many jobs. I worked in HR, as a translator and as a teacher. But as far as this artistic path is concerned, if I’m not taking photographs, I’ll be drawing, painting or sculpting and I also have a comic book project I’ll pursue once I have more time.” PORTFOLIO INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. 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.

AUTHENTIC MOMENTS Vicki Windman shows us the beauty in the everyday details of her immediate world, no matter how mundane it may appear at first glance. AUTHENTIC MOMENTS June 10, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Vicki Windman INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Originally hailing from New York, Vicki Windman is a now Boston-based photographer with an eye for the artistry of everyday life. Working mainly on the streets of her hometown, Vicki is passionate about capturing the beauty of small, seemingly mundane moments that often go unnoticed. She has a gift for finding unexpected beauty in her immediate world, inviting her audience to explore the often overlooked aspects of the city and its inhabitants. Through her lens, we come to appreciate the richness of a single moment, the texture of city life, and the grace found in its everyday miracles. “My dad was an amateur photographer, he had a great eye for irony. After an injury I had to come up with a way to find happiness, I had a mirrorless camera and decided to take a class...that was it I was hooked.” IN CONVERSATION WITH VICKI WINDMAN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Vicki, where do you find your inspiration to photograph? VICKI WINDMAN: I find my inspiration on the streets. I fell in love with Coney Island because of its authenticity. I felt like time stood still and memories flooded back to simpler times. I also love people. I love engaging with the people I meet. Sometimes I just snap...other times I banter. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? VW: I think there is continuity in my style. I am willing to take more chances now and try different techniques. I have also slowed down looking more for the decisive moment. TPL: Do you have a quote or saying that fires you up? VW: "Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith." - Steve Jobs TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? VW: Hands down Vivian Maier is my favorite photographer. I also love Diane Arbus, Helen Levitt, Elliott Erwitt and Martin Parr. I think Vivian Maier influenced me the most because of who she was and how she looked at people, especially children. TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? VW: Coney Island, Williamsburg and now that I have moved to Boston I think it will be Revere Beach. I grew up with a very talented mother who is a designer. I believe her eye and my dad's humor groomed me for the art world. TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a good photographer? What’s your tips or advice for someone in your genre? VW: I believe to become a good photographer you need to take pictures everyday. Take chances...life is short...so go with your gut. I am a street photographer. The best tip I can give is practice asking people - you have to smile- though right now is more difficult because of COVID. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the arts before photography? VW: Photography has been my first experience in the art world. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? VW: I have bought and sold so many cameras until I found two that work for me. So yes the equipment has helped me with my vision. If I had the opportunity to talk to someone first starting out I would suggest a camera without so many bells and whistles. I started with my iPhone. I also think if you want to learn take a class just in learning how to use your camera. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? VW: Right now I am documenting COVID - I hope I can photograph it in a different slant than others. TPL: “If I wasn't photographing what would I be doing?... VW: This is a great question! I honestly don’t know what I would be doing as I am limited physically. My other passion is technology so I probably would be engaging more in the world of apps.” PORTFOLIO INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. 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.

THE CREATIVE CIRCLE John Lillie likes photography, it gives him the chance to be creative and to make images that combine design, information and emotion. THE CREATIVE CIRCLE February 22, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY John Lillie INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE John Lillie is a man of many talents. From his years as a triathlete to his lifelong passion for photography, his story is one of profound transformation and artistic discovery. John found himself inspired by the world of triathlon, captivated by its challenge and energy. As he immersed himself in the sport, he quickly developed an entrepreneurial spirit and launched his own triathlon magazine. However, it was not until he bought a camera to capture images for the magazine that his passion for photography truly blossomed. Since then, John has dedicated himself to the craft, taking summer courses at St Martins Art College and immersing himself in street and portrait photography. Now retired and living in Spain, he has been able to bring his creative vision to life through his work. His focus is to make images that combine design, information and emotion. John’s dedication has paid off; in 2020, he had six exhibitions of his work in galleries and exhibition spaces. His passion for capturing the beauty of everyday life has only grown and he continues to explore creativity and experimentation as he further develops his craft. “From my days of producing a print magazine each photo I took back then would involve some forward planning; how I would use the picture, where it would go, landscape, portrait or double page spread, all these options would be considered. Also, using film and paying for every frame, plus the processing fees, kept my shot rate low. I continue with this same mindset.” IN CONVERSATION WITH JOHN LILLIE TPL: John please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? JL: I am an Englishman, born in 1945. In my youth my passion was cycle racing. After racing I had various businesses - I have always been self employed. While working I still rode my bike and also played squash which led me into triathlon. I was a triathlete for a few years (a four times Ironman finisher). One day I was so disgruntled with the existing triathlon media that on a whim I started my own triathlon magazine (it still exists). I did not have a budget to pay for pictures so I bought a camera. This is how I became interest in photography. I stopped being the editor after 7 years but kept my Canon EOS1s and said goodbye to Fujifilm Velvia and gave up taking snaps. Twenty years later (2015) I bought a used Fujifil XT1 with pancake lens and walked around taking pictures of my locale. By now I was retired and living in Spain. Since then I have immersed myself in photography. To get some education, I have taken various summer courses at St Martins Art College in London, specialising in street and portrait photography. A little while ago I started printing and framing my best pictures, I liked seeing them in print so much that I put my energies into finding galleries and exhibition spaces. I have had six exhibitions in 2020. TPL: When you go out to photograph, do you have a concept in mind of what you want to photograph, or do you just let the images 'come to you', or is it both? JL: I look at people; not landscapes, not architecture, not animals, just humans. TPL: Do you have a favorite place(s) to photograph? JL: Somewhere new, different from home, a busy place, probably any foreign city, the more foreign the better. In 2019 I visited Kathmandu, a dirty, dusty, poor beleaguered city. But full of wonderful, amazing and beautiful Nepalese people. I made a collection of pictures that I am proud of, I hope to revisit one day. I look at people; not landscapes, not architecture, not animals, just humans. TPL: Do you have any favorite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? JL: I am inspired by many famous photographers and I regularly buy books (mostly second hand) but these four I like a lot: Mary Ellen Mark for her storytelling, André Kertész for his graphic design, Philippe Halsman for being astonishing and Duane Michals for a bit of all of them. Looking at some of these classic photos inspired me to take similar pictures which led me to a series of Homages - It’s fun to make a very similar but not a carbon copy of the original. I had my friends dress as Picasso and emulated the Robert Doisneau photo with bread in place of Picasso’s hands. I was visiting friends in Bali and bread wasn’t easy available so a couple of Picasso's had bananas for hands. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or do you hope to see yourself in five years? JL: I like to print and hang my pictures in public spaces, it completes the creative circle. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… JL: To keep moving; I still do my best to keep fit. PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. 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.

We are on a mission to discover new photographers, and the most pictorial and interesting photo stories out there. SPOTLIGHT / EMMA VARGA London UNITED KINGDOM 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.

BREAKS FROM REALITY The magic only dreams are made of become the reality for viewers as they engage in the poetic imagery of Mariëtte Aernoudts. BREAKS FROM REALITY May 20, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Mariëtte Aernoudts INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Mariëtte Aernoudts is an artist living and creating art in a small village in Raamsdonksveer, about an hour drive south of Amsterdam. Mariëtte is an autodidact photographer and image maker creating images visually depicting her own poetic world of fairytales. The magic only dreams are made of, become the reality the viewers are immersed in, when they engage the visual stories Mariëtte creates through her photography and poetic imagery. Mariëtte would always photograph her own children, and this led to her interests in photoshop. She enjoyed making photographic montages, expanding her abilities to create these fantastical worlds where her fairytales would soon play out. Mariëtte began engaging children in her neighborhoods and in the streets to practice and experiment with this new idea of portraiture as a montage. She started working conceptually, creating a narrative for each image, often alienating her subjects creating solitary environments. Mariëtte tells us, “I am always looking for new and innovative ways to add reflections of my own feelings and emotions to my photos and aim to take the viewer just a little step beyond the ordinary.” This inner reflection adds depth and soul to her poetic fairytales. Mariëtte was given some good advice once that has become an important thread in her work and has become part of the way Mariëtte approaches and creates her work. They told Mariëtte to only make series that are close to her, hold meaning for her. In her series of work titled OBSTACLES is a photographic autobiography that tells the visual story of living with anxiety through a series of images. Mariëtte wanted to express the consequences of anxiety in many ways. “Shall I, or Shall I Not, also known as Obstacles, was made to break through the taboo around living with anxiety. Millions of people have to deal with this, it is always hidden and in my opinion not accepted and is viewed as a sign of weakness.” Mariëtte depicts her subjects in conflict with the struggles they face, but also in the light, not darkness, exposing the realities not hiding them. Mariëtte's trilogy of poetic images in her tryptic THE JOURNEY, conveys the whimsical story about a young girl being very curious in life. The young girl starts in the morning and her return is in the evening. “What did she experience?!? That’s totally up to the viewer to interpret,” says Mariëtte. Mariëtte brings us along for the journey allowing us to participate in the adventure. One of Mariëtte’s favorite things in photography to explore is caching motion. The freedom of the movement elicits feelings of spirit of adventure and childlike joy in the playful acts of having fun. Mariëtte loves working with colors to express the fun depicted through these playful images saturated with a palette of hues expressive of the emotions and spirited wiles of youth. Mariëtte has been a member of an ambitious, small photography club for the past seven years. The goal of the club is to help each other achieve a higher level of knowledge to accomplish their photographic goals. Mariëtte is challenging herself with social themes in a variety of series. She is not trying to tell her story with documentary images, but instead she creates her fairytales through symbolism and visual poetry. Mariëtte says this new work is very relaxing and has found it to be a good way to get more connectivity to nature. I had the absolute pleasure to interview Mariëtte and this is what she shared with us at The Pictorial List to inspire you all with. “I always want to express emotions in my photography or at least try to make people curious about the story in the photo. Often the viewer can make their own story by ‘reading’ the scene.” IN CONVERSATION WITH MARIËTTE AERNOUDTS THE PICTORIAL LIST: Mariëtte please tell us about yourself. How does where you are from influence your work and when did your journey into photography begin? MARIËTTE AERNOUDTS: I was born in a little village in the south of the Netherlands. We had enough possibilities to play outside and used our imagination with the available situation without toys. In our village we had no cultural life, no cinema, no museum and at home we never discussed the subjects. Photography was not in my life at all. But I loved books, and had many adventures in the stories. Nowadays I live in a village in the middle of the country and spend my days mainly with photography in different ways: reading about it, experimenting, watching photos on the internet and I post sometimes, and also I work on commission. My journey began by using my husband's analog camera. Mainly photographed our children, on birthdays, during holidays and special occasions. I wanted to make memories for the future as I don’t have any photo of myself as a child. TPL: What was the first camera you ever held in your hand, brought to eye, and released a shutter on? What is the camera you use now? Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? MA: The first camera I held was an analog Yashica, don’t recall the type. I shot with an auto. Nowadays I have a Canon 5D Mark III and a Fuji TX3 which I always take along. I always shoot with my own camera settings and photography is always a challenge now to make the desired result as I see/feel things. TPL: You create these worlds of fantasy and illusion, with poetic notes of authenticity. You often work with children as your subject. Tell us why you choose your subjects, and how they personally have influenced your work. MA: I think I use the subjects because they bring me into a nicer world, softer and it is a little escape from reality. Children are so open and behave so naturally, I love their sincere expressions. 'Obstacles 1 - Pulling Your Life Together' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Obstacles 2 - Shall I' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'The Journey I' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'The Journey II' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'The Journey III' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Colours - Red' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Colours - Yellow' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Colours - Orange' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Colours - Green' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Colours - Blue' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Cloudy Days' © Mariëtte Aernoudts TPL: Nature and the environment play important roles in your work, often seeing humanity mimic nature, or your environments mimic humanity, there is a strong connection. Tell us about these connections, and how they set the stage for your portraits. MA: Most of the time my models are selected based on their expressive faces and attitude. They are children or adults who make me feel their mood. For the portraits they don’t need a scene or setting because their expression moves me so much that this tells the whole story. TPL: In your series ‘Obstacles’ you address the challenges one faces when they are challenged with Anxiety Disorder, tell us the passion that drives this study. MA: In fact I myself have been managing my anxiety disorder since I was ten. It made my life a daily struggle and not many people knew about it. I lived to survive each day as good and ‘normal’ as possible but my anxiety became a hindrance in many ways. It was lonely because I thought I was the only one but through the years, talking about it, I met more and more people with the same problem. This is an underestimated problem and hard to understand. Therefore I wanted to break the taboo and shame by ‘showing’ it with my photos to achieve more understanding. I am always looking for new and innovative ways to add reflections of my own feelings and emotions to my photos and aim to take the viewer just a little step beyond the ordinary. TPL: Do you feel your work has therapeutic or healing qualities? Do you try to portray hope and possibilities through your studies and work? MA: I hope so! For me my work is a way to relax, have fun making it and sometimes it makes me very happy. It would be awesome when viewers feel the same. I always want to express emotions in my photography or at least try to make people curious about the story in the photo. Often the viewer can make an own story by ‘reading’ the scene. TPL: You directly engage your subjects whether in eye contact or through body language, it is honest, and genuine. Tell us the importance of this. MA: It is very important to read body language because this tells emotions of a person and all my models are always authentic and natural. I always work with them one on one, with the presence of one parent. Try to make contact as close to themselves and my emotions as possible. Before we start we have a long chat to get acquainted. Eyes are the soul of every person. TPL: In your series of single images, light plays an inherent role in the way you illuminate and define your subject. Talk about your quality of light and what it represents in these works of art. How long has Portraiture been a subject you have studied through photography? MA: My most used light is available light. Just a slight change of position of the head or body can make such a big difference. What I love to use is backlight to make materials like clothing or textures a bit transparent. It makes me wonder everytime when I reach this result. Light is a fantastic tool to work and play with. Sometimes the light enters a room or in plants in a way I really love and then want to catch it immediately before it will change. Actually, since I had my children, about 36 years. It all started then. The last 13 years I have spent more and more time on it. Then I started courses and workshops. The things I want to learn I look up on the internet and experiment just as long as I know how to do them. Once it took me a year to learn an act in Photoshop! 'Stairway to Heaven' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Worried' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Escaping' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Little Mona Lisa' © Mariëtte Aernoudts 'Autumn Thoughts' © Mariëtte Aernoudts TPL: Do you have any favorite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? MA: I love the light Rembrandt used in his paintings and the colors of the Italian painter Rafaël. The photo portraits of Stephan Vanfleteren impress me very much, the way he captures the emotion of people is stunning. Sally Mann inspires me by her uninhibited child photography. My favorite Dutch photographers are Danielle van Zadelhoff, Carla Kogelman and Anton Corbijn. TPL: Are there any other photographic projects you are working on, or have planned in the near future? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? MA: At the moment I am working on a project with mother and child. The way to imagine the story differs sometimes but work is in progress. In five years I hope to be healthy enough to keep on doing what I am doing now. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… MA: To take walks (not too far) together with my husband, have fun with my grandchildren and start to attend more art classes.” PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. 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.

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. PERIPHERAL PLACES June 15, 2025 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Catia Montagna INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE In ‘Peripheral Places’, Catia Montagna constructs a lyrical topography of the ephemeral — a series of triptychs that speak softly but resonate deeply. Born in Italy and now living between the United Kingdom and her homeland, Catia is an academic economist by profession, but her artistic voice is shaped not by data, but by a deep, intuitive sensitivity to the poetry of the everyday. A Progressive Street photographer with a growing international presence, her work reveals a philosophical and reflective perspective — one grounded in an awareness of time, memory, and social impermanence. ‘Peripheral Places’ is part of her long-term series ‘Short Stories’ — a project that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into carefully curated triptychs. These “short stories,” as Catia terms them, are not narratives in the traditional sense. Instead, they are elliptical visual fragments, as minimal and open-ended as whispers of verse, anchored in the belief that less is often more. The triadic structure, like a literary vignette, provides just enough to provoke memory and emotion without closing the interpretive door. The places Catia captures are non-places in the Augé sense, but they hum with subtle presence. The human figure is nearly absent, but never far. Traces remain: an empty chair, a bent signpost, an empty vehicle — all imbued with the quiet echo of lives once present. Catia’s skill lies in making these echoes visible. Her photographs are not didactic; they ask rather than answer. Who passed through here? What moment unfolded just before or after the shutter clicked? There is an undeniable temporal dimension to her work. Time does not march forward. Each image is a still point in a turning world, evoking that moment when something is already becoming memory. This feeling is enhanced by her muted tones and soft natural light, which eschew the harshness of modernity for something quieter and more reflective. Her compositions feel accidental yet exacting, and always respectful of the space they depict. The photographs avoid central focal points, compelling us to explore the margins — mirroring Catia’s deeper thematic exploration of the periphery, both as a physical and conceptual space. The tension between the built and the grown is constant, neither fully dominant, each quietly coexisting in states of neglect and endurance. The power of Catia’s work lies in its suggestion rather than its certainty. Each story gains resonance. Images echo and enrich one another through subtle repetition and variation. Sequenced together, the works invite a slow, inward movement — not forward, but deeper into perception. What do we ignore? What lies just beyond our field of view? What stories do the edges tell? In this conversation, we explore the quiet architecture of her vision: her relationship to time, place, and disappearance, and how her dual background in economics and art shapes a photographic voice that speaks not in statements, but in questions. “Looking back at photographs, I often wonder what became of those people with whom I briefly coexisted in a certain place and at a given moment in time. People who only left a trace of light through the lens of my camera, an impression in my memory. Who were they, where were they going? These questions always evoke the idea of a story in my mind and raise the further question of how long a photographic narrative should be – so as not to provide the viewer with too narrow an interpretative key. This is how I began to conceive a project consisting of a series of ‘short stories’ – each of three photographs – that, as in literature, are more ‘open-ended’ than longer, more articulate narratives. Tales that are as short as the chance encounters that underpin them, with human presences often barely hinted at, and united by the fact that the narrator in each is the ‘place’ in which they unfold: places that speak of the passing of time and the ephemerality of existence reflected in the imprints it leaves on objects and landscapes. In Peripheral Places the stories unfold outside large urban centres in sometimes anonymous places, places of passage and of discrete existences frozen in instants of the present as they are already turning into the past.” - Catia Montagna IN CONVERSATION WITH CATIA MONTAGNA THE PICTORIAL LIST: Each story is structured as a photographic triptych. What did the 3-image structure offer you narratively or emotionally that a single image or longer series could not? CATIA MONTAGNA: I think the triptych works well on both a narrative and emotional level for me. The idea of developing short photographic stories did not come to me till the first story in this series – The King of Diamonds – was born. On our way to Brescia to see a Fontana’s exhibition, we stopped at a café near Cremona. It was a quiet and rather hot summer day, with a glaring light, and I was immediately taken by the almost out-of-time atmosphere of the place. I wanted to capture it and took a handful of photos. As we got back on the road, without looking at the photographs, I started to visualise a triptych. It was all rather instinctive, really. I felt there was a story to be told and one single photo could not do it: there was the sign, the dusty courtyard, the somewhat dated décor of the café and inside, behind the old rope curtain, the young people chatting quietly in the rarefied silence of the heat. But to convey the uncertain aura of the place, I knew the story had to be barely sketched, as short as a Japanese haiku. Looking back at it later, it reminded me of the first collection of short stories by Katherine Mansfield I ever read, as a teenager. I was thoroughly captivated by their narrating power – sketched, and yet precise, descriptions of places and people, stories that lingered in the mind and provoked strong emotional responses partly because of their very sense of unfinished. That is how the idea of developing this concept came to me. TPL: Your visual stories lean into ambiguity and openness. How do you negotiate the tension between revealing just enough and allowing space for mystery, interpretation, and the viewer’s own projection? CATIA: I see photography as being intrinsically relational: it is in its nature to say and not to say, to suggest rather than reveal, leaving room for interpretation in what is, ultimately, an open dialogue, a conversation between the photographer, her subjects and the viewer. And as with any conversation, communication is the most effective if any one actor does not take over and dominate the exchange! So, clearly, there is always a tension between the richness of a story and that ‘space for mystery’, as you call it, that has to offer room for the viewer’s freedom of interpretation – or the freedom of interpretation of the photographer, for that matter… A degree of ambiguity needs be there for me too; if a lot is left unsaid, I myself see something different every time I look back at a story. I suppose that is how I resolve this tension – I put into a story just enough not to kill my own curiosity… TPL: You refer to the narrator in these stories as ‘the place’ itself. How do you decide when a place is speaking – and what gives a place, in your eyes, narrative authority? Yes, in these short stories I chose to put the ‘place’ at the centre, as narrator, and to barely hint at the human presence – which I find is increasingly the case when I do street photography. I suppose this partly reflects the strong sense I have of the importance of places, of how they shape and are shaped by our lives. Places speak and can reveal more of a society and a culture than the people who move in them do. I spoke earlier of the relational nature of photography. I very much agree with the view – so powerfully expressed by Ariella Azoulay in her Civil Imagination – that the subject-actors relationship in photography unfolds in and is influenced by the ‘public space’. And our interaction with the public space occurs at the intersection between our personal experiences and the social and cultural structure that precedes those experiences – which, incidentally, is another reason why these stories may speak differently to different people. So, to go back to your question: how do I decide when a place is speaking – and what gives a place narrative authority? It is very subjective. The atmosphere of a place is the first trigger for me when taking photographs. And it is that atmosphere that gives it narrative authority. I need to ‘feel’ the place – and I find that for me this is all the more likely the most ‘normal’ is the place, be it in a city or in the countryside. When a place speaks to me, I want to give it voice through my photographs…whether others will hear the same story remains to be seen – but that is the beauty of it all, I think. 1 - The King of Diamonds © Catia Montagna 2 - The King of Diamonds © Catia Montagna 3 - The King of Diamonds © Catia Montagna 4 - Coca-cola © Catia Montagna 5 - Coca-cola © Catia Montagna 6 - Coca-cola © Catia Montagna TPL: There is a powerful meditation on time and memory throughout this work. How does photography help you process the ephemerality of life – the sense of ‘things passing’ – both personally and conceptually? CATIA: The unstoppable passing of time – I felt it since I was a child. This sense that we are ourselves very transient has gone hand in hand with a certain inability to live in the moment. Photography helps me in this. It is a powerful way for me to feel the moment; it accentuates my awareness of the here and now. I guess for me the experience of photography is what gets closer to a state of meditation. When I photograph, I become oblivious to everything else, and all that exists is that instant. Transient and insignificant as a moment might be, by pressing the shutter I freeze it and recognise its importance, not so much or not always with the intention of documenting it or constructing memories, but to experience it fully in the very instant it is already turning into the past. In this sense, the personal and the conceptual are very much entwined, as it were. TPL: What does the term ‘peripheral’ mean to you – geographically, emotionally, philosophically – and how does it manifest through the series? CATIA: The ‘peripheral’ has always been quite central to my academic interests and work, not least because it is such a multifaceted and dynamic concept. As the non-centre, it can be seen as referring to what is marginal or less important, e.g. in the context of geographical, economic, or social hierarchies – what makes a ‘periphery’ and what does a periphery reveal about the ‘centre’? But the peripheral can also hold the unexplored or the unknown and invite exploration. In a narrow sense, in this series of short stories, the periphery manifests itself in the locations of passage from which we can at best glimpse the busy life of the ‘centre’, or in the sense of quietness but also of remoteness and isolation of a place. But there is more to the idea of periphery than this. To live in the world, to interact with it, to even begin to make sense of it, we need to be able to transcend our own skin and, from within our core, to cross our mental and emotional periphery. And photography can act as the key that unlocks our own boundaries and allows us to look beyond what we see... When a place speaks to me, I want to give it voice through my photographs. TPL: Do you find these peripheral places reflect aspects of your own identity, perhaps your experience of living and travelling between countries, cultures and disciplines? CATIA: Yes, our photography, the lens through which we look at and interpret reality is always the product of who we are. So, I guess my fascination with these peripheral places is somewhat shaped by my personal experiences. Growing up in a working-class environment meant experiencing to an extent both the geographical and the sociological meaning of periphery. And living abroad, travelling across borders has given me glimpses of what it means to inhabit the periphery of a culture. TPL: Is there a relationship between stillness in place and stillness in thought that you are seeking through your photography? CATIA: Yes, I think unconsciously this may well be the case. As I said, photography is also a means for me to fully live in the moment, and achieving a state of temporary stillness is instrumental to it. TPL: Do you set out with a narrative intent when photographing, or does your story form in later reflection – almost like finding poems in prose? CATIA: Normally, setting out with a narrative intent in photography does not work for me! I am rather instinctive – I respond to a situation, to a place, or to an atmosphere. At times, the idea forms while I am taking a photograph and this prompts me to take more pictures, to try to tease out a story that can articulate what I feel. At other times the idea forms later when, looking back at photographs, I start to see patterns emerge that bring out new meanings and interpretations. 7 - The Fiat © Catia Montagna 8 - The Fiat © Catia Montagna 9 - The Fiat © Catia Montagna 10 - The Bridge © Catia Montagna 11 - The Bridge © Catia Montagna 12 - The Bridge © Catia Montagna 13 - The Chair © Catia Montagna 14 - The Chair © Catia Montagna 15 - The Chair © Catia Montagna TPL: If so, how has your work on this project changed your relationship with photography? CATIA: My relationship with photography changes all the time; the more I photograph, the more my photographic interests evolve and the more I feel the need to experiment. This project has had a strong impact because it has changed my view of what a narrative can be. Interestingly, as I am developing the short stories, I have started to work on a couple of projects that are more documentary in nature and therefore require more articulate narratives. But even in these projects, I am very much aware of the tension between revealing and leaving space for the viewer’s interpretation. TPL: What possibilities are you imagining for the next chapters of Short Stories? CATIA: I see it continue to evolve as an exploration of the narrative power of photography, developing in several directions, both in terms of ‘places’ and ‘themes’. In this series of short stories, I used colour – something I do not often do – because when it all started, in the King of Diamond café, I was struck by the light and colour of the scene. I am now working on a black and white series. But the project is still very much fluid, and its final shape could well be very different from what I am currently imagining. PORTFOLIO INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. 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.

FROM MY WINDOW Danielle L. Goldstein started photographing the life she could observe from her eighth-floor apartment during the concurrent crises. FROM MY WINDOW October 28, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Danielle L. Goldstein INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE As New York City, the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic, went into quarantine lockdown in March 2020, Danielle L. Goldstein, a street photographer from the city, found herself unable to document life in the streets as she normally would. Refusing to be held back by the limitations of quarantine, Danielle made an effort to capture her world from her eighth-floor apartment window. What began as an attempt to document life during these unprecedented times soon became an unexpectedly poignant journey as Danielle observed the intersecting crises of Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement with both a heavy heart and hope. Through her photography, Danielle discovered how her fellow New Yorkers were connecting with one another amid isolation and how a sense of resilience and humanity still prevailed. “It speaks to New Yorkers' resilience and how much we care for and look after one another, even if from a distance.” IN CONVERSATION WITH DANIELLE L. GOLDSTEIN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Danielle please tell us about yourself. When did you become interested in photography? DANIELLE L. GOLDSTEIN: I don’t come from an art background at all. I was a history major in college and then went on to law school. I practiced law for a few years, and then devoted myself to raising my two daughters full time. I had dabbled in photography for years, but never in any serious way until I took an introduction to photography class at the International Center for Photography in NYC about 11 years ago. From that moment on I was completely hooked. Photography became my passion and my way of expressing myself. It has become a very large part of who I am. TPL: Explain your idea behind your project observing life from your apartment? DLG: I’m primarily a street photographer. When Covid-19 hit in mid March and I quarantined in my apartment, there were days that I never left. I initially panicked that I wouldn’t be able to go out to shoot, since it’s my source of solace and one of my greatest joys. I spent a good deal of time staring out the window, and it wasn’t long before I realized there was life in NYC that I could document without leaving my home. I began shooting every day at 7pm when my neighbors would emerge at their windows and balconies to applaud our essential workers. Some of my neighbors caught on to me and would look for me and my camera at 7pm. One family would wave and blow kisses every night, my most favorite moment. I also began shooting at other points during the day, often capturing everyday mundane moments and expressions. What I learned most from this project is that you don’t have to go far to make work. In fact, sometimes the best work comes from staying close to home and just being invested in your subject matter. TPL: Do you have a favourite quote or saying that resonates with you the best? DLG: Susan Sontag said that “every style is a means of insisting on something.” Over the years I have had so many wonderful photography teachers who’ve inspired me and helped me grow tremendously. But through it all I’ve stayed true to myself and my vision in my work, despite an occasional push back. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? DLG: In the streets, architecture and people of NYC. I enjoy shooting all over the world, and hope to be able to return to travel when the world normalizes. But NYC is my first love and my greatest inspiration, and I feel I do my best, most meaningful work right here at home. TPL: Is there anything you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? DLG: I’m interested in the juxtaposition of the structures of the city and the individuals who inhabit it. It’s rare that I don’t have a human form in my images. I’m also very drawn to composition and order. I would say most of my images are carefully composed. TPL: Do you prefer to photograph alone or with friends? DLG: Definitely alone. What I learned most from this project is that you don’t have to go far to make work. In fact, sometimes the best work comes from staying close to home and just being invested in your subject matter. TPL: Who are your favourite artists and photographers? DLG: There are so many! The greats in classic street photography, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Saul Leiter , Robert Frank, Lee Friedlander, Vivian Maier, and Ray Metzker. And some contemporary photographers like Alex and Rebecca Webb, Matthew Pillsbury, Alan Schaller, Clarissa Bonet. Edward Hopper is also a huge inspiration. And Harvey Stein, Margarita Mavromichalis and Nina Welch Kling, all friends and fabulous photographers. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? DLG: I hope that I have and will continue to improve my craft. But my basic style of shooting has remained remarkably consistent. TPL: How does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? What would you say to someone wanting to start out in your genre of photography? DLG: I think I am in the minority of street photographers in that I prefer zoom lenses to fixed. My preferred focal length is 24-70mm, but for this project I used a 70-200mm. It had been sitting unused on my shelf for a year before the pandemic hit and I found really good use for it! For someone just starting out in photography, my best advice is to go out and shoot, experiment, take a lot of pictures, see what feels right to you and don’t worry about the gear. The camera is just a tool, and it takes some time to figure out how you want to express your vision and what camera and lenses will best accomplish that. Allow yourself some time before you invest in expensive gear. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? DLG: I have been making self portraits in hotel rooms for many years now. With Covid, and diminished travel, that project is a bit on hold. But it is one I hope to continue in the future. Now that quarantine restrictions have eased a bit here in New York, I’ve been back out on the street. I often back into projects, and I’m hoping that happens again in the coming weeks and months. I hope the images I am making now will ultimately coalesce into a coherent project that I can develop and work on mindfully. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? DLG: I hope to continue shooting, and to improve , always. But mostly, I hope to continue feeling joy when I shoot and to make work that I am proud of. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)... DLG: Spend time with my family and friends, read, exercise, eat out. With Covid, I thought that it was travel that I missed the most. But once things opened up and I could go to the gym, go to museums and meet friends for dinner I realized it is the small things in life that we take for granted that are most precious and most missed when they are gone." PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. 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