PICTORIAL STORY LIGHT IS WHAT WE SEE For Michèle Polak, light is also what we feel. Her work moves beyond representation, using light as a tool to shape her own vision of nature — a space where time dissolves and the reality becomes quietly transcendent. March 11, 2022 PICTORIAL STORY photography MICHÈLE POLAK story KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Bergen is a village in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is known for its magical light. Bergen is positioned between the North Sea to the west, and Ijsselmeer, and Markermeer two large lakes to the east. These three bodies of water act like a tripod of mirrors reflecting the light through the atmosphere meeting at their apex, then reflecting the concentrated illumination back down onto North Holland’s Village of Bergen. This luminous light drew many artists to the countryside of North Holland in the beginning of the twentieth century. Between 1915 and 1925, a new school of painters developed around the French painter Henri Le Fauconnier called De Bergense School. With innovative creative thinkers, like that of Leo Gestel, Dirk Filarski, Arnout Colnot, Matthieu Wiegman and Charley Toorop, began the artistic movement that was to become known as Dutch Expressionism. This movement in Dutch painting embraces influences of dark colors found in cubism, while exploring characteristics inherent in expressionism. Michèle Polak has been influenced from an early age by light, and by the way light is captured with a camera. Michèle was given her first camera at the age of 14, a Yashica B medium format camera, using 120mm film, producing 6x6cm negatives. Over the years of her exploration in different fields of photography, light has remained a focus in personal work. In this feature on Michèle we will explore the inspirational light of the Village of Bergen portrayed in her work over the years. “You are so a part of the light; the light becomes part of you. Light is what we see. Most importantly, if there was no light, we wouldn't see anything would we?” - Michèle Polak The first series of photographs reflect similar landscapes of color and light as that of De Bergense School painters from the twentieth century. It is interesting how the light begins to take on a personality all its own. It is that magical light of the Village of Bergen. Come saturate yourself in the color and light that has moved and inspired Michèle for more than a decade. Michèle Polak was born in Amsterdam into a family within an artistic milieu. Michèle’s family has had an association with De Kring since the 1950’s. De Kring is a club of Artists, Scientists, and Art Lovers, founded in 1922. It has been the place to be for writers, poets, painters, actors since it was first established and has remained the center of cultural Amsterdam. Michèle met her husband at her interview for membership to the club. He was Chairman of the board. She was shy, but he was taken with her and made himself important in her life. His persistent devotion led to a close friendship and relationship for almost forty years, united in marriage for thirty-eight. A true love story. Michèle and her husband moved to the village of Bergen thirteen years ago, while their two daughters stayed in Amsterdam to study, and still reside there today with their children. It gives Michèle much joy to share the magic of the Village of Bergen with her grandchildren, and to spend time playing in the special light that illuminates the streets and landscapes inspiring a unique way of seeing. Michèle has a diverse background in a variety of disciplines related to photography and the arts. She has worked and interned in the Dutch film industry, dabbling for a while in the world of still photography, working on documentaries. The constant demands and pressures led Michèle to take some time to travel. Traveling gave Michèle a new perspective and need for independence. She returned to an unexpected position as a Resident Photographer for the De Nederlandse Opera House in Amsterdam. Her disciplines in photography were nourished with the abundance of different things she had to photograph. Michele honed her skills in storytelling, cataloging the details of the performances. Her photographs became the instructions with explicit details of how to reconstruct the production from ground up. Everything from the costumes, to makeup, sets, lighting, and props, including the sets and their designs, were then able to be reproduced to perfection. Michèle relies on her motor memory skills and utilizes what she has learned instantly, giving her the ability to apply technique without thinking, but by just doing. Michèle has been greatly influenced by art, and one person in particular has made an indelible impression on Michèle, Kees Wieringa, a world-renowned pianist, composer, writer and cultural entrepreneur. Michèle talks about his influence and inspiration. “Kees Wieringa takes chances, with an incredible personality. His Canto Ostinato was for me, a life changing experience, as it is for many people. It’s like meditation, hypnotic and all consuming. Simeon ten Holt is the composer of Canto Ostinato and lived and worked in Bergen.” Michèle has always found nature and the light of the Village of Bergen to be a focus in her personal work. Michèle believes that “You are so a part of the light, the light becomes part of you. Light is what we see. Most importantly, if there was no light, we wouldn't see anything would we?” She remembers one time in particular that made a significant impression. Michèle and her husband were flying home to Holland from Scandinavia, and they could see in the sky that Holland was blanketed with a flame of yellow. This yellow comforter was a thick layer of pollution. During the Pandemic, when stay at home restrictions were put in place in the Village of Bergen, Michèle instantly noticed changes in the sky. Without all the cars and business as usual, the polluted and yellow flame over Holland was being extinguished. This led Michèle to her project Blue Diamonds . Michèle began to document the sky over the Village of Bergen, and the restoration of the clean atmosphere with no pollution. She decided to take a mirror into her garden three times a day, morning, noon, and night. She photographed the reflection of the sky above her. Michèle was fascinated with the changes and the positive influences the pandemic has had with the quality of the air over the Village of Bergen. I found these images to be provocative and hypnotizing. I asked Michèle what these blues meant to her, what they represented. Michèle told me, “Blue can represent many things. Blue can be melancholy, it can reflect grief, sadness and sorrow. Blue can be a solemn place where there is purity, beauty and eternal light. These images represent clarity, a guiding light of hope, that embraces love and inner reflection. They became peaceful and liberating, and healing. They were my ritual of joy. Like a fresh breath, when you inhale deep, you look to the sky.” Michèle sees beauty in the sky whether it rains, snows, or the sun shines. Michèle's work outside of this project addresses nature and the elements in nature. She explores color, light, shape and form, allowing them all to become elements in her creative thought process. Michèle investigates the atmosphere, the fire of the sun, the air we breathe and the illumination and colors of light in the sky above the Village of Bergen. Michèle explains, “My work is not a translation of reality, my work is an interpretation of nature in the universe, it’s a timeless view.” Michèle believes, “Color does not necessarily have to be true to life but should evoke a special emotion and a passionate response to nature. I am endlessly fascinated by the slow motion of nature, as well as the elements. They become dialogue in the now and the future.” Michèle uses sharp color contrasts to emphasize the beauty of nature. Michèle is always working on numerous projects, and there is no surprise that she found even more inspiration and new direction during the Pandemic beginning a new collaboration with another artist Paul Allender. Paul is a painter residing in Sheffield in the North of England, with his partner. He has been painting for ten years and says his work is very influenced by his early childhood years. I talked with Paul, and he describes his work, “Formally my work is trying to find a place/space between abstraction and figuration, and its content is autobiographical, even when it doesn’t look like it is. The paintings often use bright, saturated colour combinations. The drawings and paintings are very direct and maybe somewhat naive.” I asked Michèle how their project began. “Paul and I have followed each other on Instagram for many years. We began to chat early in 2020. We had a mutual admiration for each other’s work. Our discussions focused on our work. Then, in August 2020, I asked Paul if he would consider collaborating with me. He said yes immediately, and the work began. At that point the type of images we worked on were very organic, somewhat geological in appearance. There was a great delight for Paul in working into these images with oil sticks, oil pastels and paint.” This project gave Michèle and Paul an artistic outlet for creating something new and exciting, while adapting to life during the pandemic. Michèle found Paul to be an intellectual, inspiring in thought as well as process. He had a willingness to compromise, and to allow equal collaboration, always respectful of her work. He allowed their work to progress naturally. All the ingredients for a successful project! I asked Paul what was his direction...what was his intent? What surprised him, inspired him, even while challenging him. Paul explains this part of their collaboration. “Our original intention was to work together and see what happened - simple as that. For me to paint and draw on Michèle’s original digital images. What initially surprised me was how easy it felt. I had great admiration for Michèle’s work and felt that I couldn’t ‘improve’ them in any way! But she gave me total permission to do whatever I wanted - so I did! And images that were quite different to her originals began to appear. It was beautiful. It was easy with the more organic, abstract images. This was not the case though with the figurative images. I felt very hesitant to work on them. They seemed so complete, delicate and, in some ways, fragile. I didn’t want to upset their equilibrium. So, Michèle very gently guided me with these - giving me ideas about what I might do. As I had worked on the pieces, back in Sheffield, my confidence began to grow. Michèle was great - hugely supportive of what I did. We established huge trust, However, there was still some nervousness about how she would respond to them.” Their work began in August of 2020 and their commitment to their disciplines and inspiration found in their work culminated in an exhibition together in Paris in October 2021 titled We Could Breathe . Michèle would send her digital images to Paul, printed on a very special photographic paper, Hahnemühle printed with premium pigment inks. Paul then worked with oil sticks, oil pastels, oil paint, and acrylic paint to create the new work from Michèle’s images. For fourteen months while Paul worked on their pieces in his studio in Sheffield, only Paul saw the completed pieces in person. Paul describes this union, “Up until that time, Michele had seen only photographs. Unveiling the work in our Paris hotel was quite an occasion. We were both delighted with it. Then, within an hour, we took it to the gallery to hang it.” Michèle and Paul are now working on a new project together De Bergense School . The project is in its infancy. Michèle has given her images to Paul for his interpretation, and collaboration. Michèle chose some new elements like figure and form to share processes with. She also understands the collaboration process, and what the finished pieces feel and look like when completed and seen in real life. She can adapt her choices now to better accept Paul's influences and inspirations with his painting. Paul continues to explain his part of this process. “I have begun to work on one of Michele’s images - and the first impressions are very good. I usually focus on one image and do multiple versions of working on it. These can get amalgamated, be used in their own right or rejected. So, we will work together on this in the coming weeks and months, and we hope to show this work in North Holland. It is looking good.” They are inspired by their past work together, growing and adapting to change and applying what they have learned to create new work. By re-evaluating and understanding what their collaboration has evolved from, is developing into, will propel their project to new heights of understanding and awareness. Paul is presently mentoring classes with Turps Banana , a painting magazine and educational set-up in London. He has exhibited with them online in 2021-2022 and is currently writing an article for the magazine on George McNeil, a little-known New York Abstract Expressionist. Paul is also organizing a solo show of his work in Sheffield, at a wonderful venue, the Yellow Arch studios. This is taking place between the 8th and 24th June 2021. It will be a large exhibition, showing a cross section of his paintings and drawings over the last ten years. Michèle has had some incredible exhibitions in the last few years from Songs of the Night , Warszawa Polen 2019, the De Winter Salon 2019-2020, People's Revolution Paris 2020, Venice Photo Lab October 2021, Rebirth Venice 2021, to Instant Éphémère Paris 2021. Michèle’s future exhibition at De Kring is very special. Together they will celebrate 100 Years De Kring , 100 artists, for 100 days through September. If you have a chance go see her work, be transformed and have your soul enlightened. © Michele Polak © Michele Polak Michèle with her first camera. Michèle began to document the Sky over the Village of Bergen. She took a mirror into her garden three times a day, morning, noon, and night. She photographed the reflection of the sky above her. Here is a grid image of all her sky photographs. © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Michele Polak © Collaboration between Michèle Polak and Paul Allender © Collaboration between Michèle Polak and Paul Allender © Collaboration between Michèle Polak and Paul Allender © Collaboration between Michèle Polak and Paul Allender Self-portrait of Michèle in recent times. © Michele Polak Michèle Polak is an inspirational woman that has found photography to be a way of investigating the world around her, her explorations have led to discoveries of a lifetime. She has had exceptional discipline to create throughout the years, finding joy in her process, never needing for finality. She always has a camera around her neck and will be constantly observing the environment around her. She is always engaged with her process, body and mind. Michèle feels herself as just another element in the universe. She is always smiling, which makes her very approachable, and immediately her contagious smile ignites yours, and she inspires thought and communication. I said to Michèle, “You are a true artist!” she immediately replied, “NO! I am a life, the love of life, so much so it is the air I breathe deep.” These elements of landscape and light she studies and explores transcend her work, illuminating her soul. view Michèle's portfolio Instagram >>> OF IMPORTANCE TO MICHÉLE - @societeit_de_kring @kunst672 @xgras @gosiawww @lebonheurestdanslinstant @fabiocavessago @venicephotolab @lab77associazione @pauliepaul55 The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? 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UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns. OAXACA In Oaxaca, Tommaso Stefanori captures Día de los Muertos, exploring the convergence of life and death, human connections, and enduring cultural rituals through evocative photographs of tradition and emotion. BEHIND THE PLANTS Wayan Barre documents Cancer Alley residents facing pollution and economic challenges, shedding light on their resilience and the impacts of environmental injustice. THE RED POPPY AND THE SUN By blending archival and contemporary images, Mei Seva creates a visual story that captures the ongoing struggles and moments of triumph for those impacted by displacement and circumstance. FIRE AND FORGE Alexandros Zilos delves deep into the harsh reality of sulfur mining, while also capturing the allure of the blue fire phenomenon created by sulfur deposits in the crater. IN-VISIBLE PAIN Through black and white self-portraiture, Isabelle Coordes brings to light the stark reality of living with chronic pain — a reality often dismissed by a world that requires physical evidence to believe in one’s suffering. CELEBRATION OF LIFE Ahsanul Haque Fahim's photography captures Holi in Bangladesh, celebrating life with vibrant colors and reflecting human emotions, diversity, and interconnectedness in Dhaka's streets. KOALA COUNTRY Sean Paris invites viewers on a transformative journey, challenging our perceptions and fostering a new appreciation for rural Australia through mesmerizing infrared photography. MOMMIE Arlene Gottfried’s poignant exploration of motherhood in “Mommie” is not just a collection of photographs but a profound tribute to the enduring bonds of family and the universal experiences of love, loss, and resilience. BIFRÖST Amidst the breathtaking scenery of Norway, Romain Coudrier discovered the allure of rare light and subtle shades, immortalizing each moment in striking black and white with every click of his camera shutter. MUD Dedipya Basak's documentary project explores the struggle of an 800 year old lake against the impacts of global warming, revealing its continued relevance and urgent story in today’s changing climate.

GRATUITY INCLUDED Chris Suspect is a street and documentary photographer whose work specialises in capturing absurd and profound moments in the quotidian. GRATUITY INCLUDED October 9, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Suspect INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Chris Suspect is an acclaimed street and documentary photographer whose work has been exhibited around the globe and has won numerous awards. His photography captures the absurd and profound moments in everyday life, as well as the results of his deep dives into various subcultures. He is currently the chairperson of the Focus on the Story Festival in Washington, DC, and a guest lecturer at StreetFoto San Francisco and Street Photo Milano. His work has been published in the form of a book titled Suspect Device, which is held in the Leica Galerie Archives. In this interview, we delve into Chris Suspect's relationship with photography and uncover the stories that have shaped his approach to the craft. We explore the creative processes that inform his work, the events and experiences that inspire him, and the impact photography has had on his life and career. “Photography has literally taken me around the world. My first publication, Suspect Device, in 2014, brought me to Photokina in Germany where my work was included in a massive exhibit on music photography. This was part of Leica’s presence at Photokina, and they flew me to Germany to participate. While there, I shared my work with several German gallerists, and those connections brought me to Tbilisi, Georgia, for an exhibit of the same work as part of the Kolga Tbilisi Photo Festival. While this was going on I was also entering my street photography work into several street photography competitions in Miami, San Francisco, London, Brussels, etc. I often was a finalist in these events and over time I have been asked to present my work in these locations. All of this served as a springboard to other opportunities, which led me to Romania, Italy, the Middle East, etc. It’s been a nice and surprising journey.” IN CONVERSATION WITH CHRIS SUSPECT THE PICTORIAL LIST: Chris please tell us more about yourself. What led you to photography? CHRIS SUSPECT: I am from Hyattsville, MD, just over the border of Washington, D.C. While the DC area has been my home for most of these years, I have lived in Moscow, Bangkok and Copenhagen. In addition to being a photographer, I am also a musician, video producer and podcaster. My interest in photography started in my early 20s. I was not a photographer at that time but a bass player for a punk band called The Suspects. I used to go to the library to browse photo books and then make copies of the photos I liked for band flyers. I was primarily interested in war and crime photography because these kinds of graphic images lend themselves to great promotional posters for the kind of music we played. Fast forward 15 years and I wound up getting my first point and shoot camera to document the birth of my son. I read the manual and would go out on my own and try to see what I could do creatively with the camera settings. I had no idea I was doing “street photography” at the time, I was really looking to recreate the style of images I used for flyers many years ago. After some positive feedback on Flickr, many stolen images by bloggers, and requests by a few magazines, I decided to get more serious and started to pursue photography by enrolling in a colour photography class as a continuing education student at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design. TPL: What excites you about the photography you are creating? CS: Ultimately what inspires me is that I do photography for myself. When I started out I told myself I did not want to do photography for money or earn a living off of it. In the past, I have started many creative ventures, for example music publishing, videography, and podcasting, that have turned successful and have become a job. Meaning, I started doing work for clients. What ultimately happens in each case is that I found myself doing work more for the money than for the sake of doing the work itself. This sucks the passion for it right out of the process for me. I think by not caving in to the lure of financial gain, I have been able to maintain my passion for my photographic work. It doesn’t matter if I make money or not. That is not what photography is about for me. Just the ability to create what I want to create, whether successful or not, is what keeps me going and still excites me to this day. TPL: How do you choose your subjects and your projects? Also tell us a bit about your two previous published books? CS: Almost everything for me begins with a serendipitous act. Often I don’t choose a project, it finds me. For example, I have a body of work called Faith that explores gay African Americans and their relationship with religion. This came about by witnessing a car accident in Washington, D.C. I photographed the scene and gave copies of the images to the person who was hit by the car. Months later this person called me up and asked me to shoot a party. Knowing he was black and gay I thought it could be interesting, as I had never been to a party like that before. This experience opened up a whole new world to me that eventually led me to shooting underground African American Baptist Church services. Going to Romania for the VSLO photography and visual arts festival is what led to working on “Old Customs.” I wasn’t planning on starting a project when I went there, but once I got interested in their youth culture I just kept pulling on those threads and pursuing it, doing my best to make sense of what I was doing. At the start of 2020 I made a New Year’s resolution to publish 4 books, 1 for each quarter of the year. Old Customs is book number 3. The previous books are Gratuity Included, a collection of wild party-type photos from over the past 8 years that reads like a fever dream or an Alice in Wonderland-type sequence, and Leather Boyz, a deep dive into the gay BDSM culture in Washington, DC. The fourth book will likely be a return to my roots with an emphasis on music photography. All of these other books are black and white. Old Customs is the only one in colour. TPL: What was the process of getting the people in Vama Veche to be open to you photographing them? Can you describe your creative process in your project/book OLD CUSTOMS that you shared in our stories? CS: A lot of photographs in the book are straight street photography style observations, so I basically just shot freely, like I do in any public space situation. Unlike a lot of countries in Europe, Romania seems more open to candid photography. As far as the conceptual mirror shots go, that came about by meeting people through the photography festival I attended and who were open to my ideas. There are a couple of exceptions where I just met people on the beach or in the town and they were willing to be part of the project. What’s interesting is when I share an image of a mirror shot from my phone, people become really intrigued and open up to the idea of being a subject. It helps that you do not see the person’s face so it allows for anonymity as well. TPL: Do you have a favourite quote/lyric/saying that resonates with you the best? CS: Yes I do! The quote is, “In the fields of observation chance favours only the prepared mind.” This was said by Louis Pasteur, the great French biologist, chemist and microbiologist. Even though he is referring to the process of scientific discovery it also applies to the art of photography. How do you prepare your photographic mind? You take classes, you read photo books, you study the masters, etc. Having all of this photographic history and knowledge in the back of your mind while you are out shooting helps you to better identify interesting situations and challenges, things you may miss if you don’t study this sort of background material. Once you get to this point, you can really start to develop your own unique visual identity or voice. Just the ability to create what I want to create, whether successful or not, is what keeps me going and still excites me to this day. TPL: What do you want to express through your photography? What are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? CS: A lot of what I am trying to express is really dependent on the project or goal. For example “Old Customs” is partly about expressing the feeling of freedom. However, there are numerous photographic tropes and elements that I often return to or explore. One of these is trying to have the viewer feel as if they too are in the midst of the action. I like to get close and I want the viewer to be part of it. Another is humour, I am a sucker for visual puns and juxtapositions. I think gestures can be very telling. And light is very important. I always try to consider the role and meaning of light (or lack of it) in my images to convey a feeling or an intentional interpretation I want to bestow on the viewer. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? CS: I am inspired by many different photographers and artists, from Lee Friedlander and Dawoud Bey to Barbara Kruger and Jeff Wall. All of them have opened my eyes to different approaches and techniques. I often “borrow” or reinterpret ideas from various photographers from time to time depending on my end goals. For my black and white work I am definitely inspired by people like Weegee, Anders Petersen, Larry Fink, Daido Moriyama, and Robert Frank. In my colour work I often look to folks like Joel Sternfeld, Alex Webb, Harry Gruyaert and Ryan McGinley. TPL: Has your style of shooting changed since you first started? CS: I don’t know if it has changed as much as it has been refined. I first gained notice as a music photographer, then as a street photographer and documentarian. I have since moved on to personal diary type work and I am now exploring ideas of conceptual work. I think all of these genres or styles for me still contain the principal elements of my photographic voice. They just get adapted to the genre I am shooting in. If you study the work of Lee Friedlander you will notice his particular viewpoint weaves itself through a wide variety of styles, from street photography to landscapes and nudes. The same holds true for numerous other photographers that have had a long and varied career. TPL: How does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? CS: I have two cameras that I have stuck with throughout the years, mainly for their form and image quality. I have a Leica MP and Ricoh GR II. And, I usually stick with a 35mm or 28mm focal length depending on what I am shooting. Both the Leica and Ricoh are unassuming cameras. I always use my Leica during the day and sometimes at night when I know I am going to be shooting something with purpose. The Ricoh I often take with me at night when I have no real plans. It’s just super handy and can produce fantastic images with the on camera flash aesthetic you see in a lot of Japanese street photography and fashion photography from the 90s and 2000s. As far as focal length goes I use the 35mm during the day and the 28 mm for when I am in close quarters and want to capture as much of the scene as possible. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? CS: Once the COVID-19 nightmare is over I’d like to return to shooting and travelling more. This has really been a tough year for me photographically as all of my work involves people. I have been thinking about what I’d like to explore and I have some ideas of what I’d like to pursue. But for now my main goal is working on this current books project. I hope the ground work that I am laying in 2020 with these publications will offer me more opportunities in the future for exhibits, travel and workshops. I also have a few more book ideas that I already have content for. So essentially in five years I hope to be doing more of the same while broadening my photographic practices. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… CS: I love cooking so I am always working on new recipe ideas and food combinations. I also enjoy playing music with friends and neighbours. And, I am a fitness freak to some extent. I exercise almost everyday, whether running or lifting weights." Chris captures the absurd and profound moments in the quotidian, and dives into various subcultures over the course of years in his documentary work. Connect with Chris through the links below and see more of his brilliant projects. VIEW CHRIS'S PORTFOLIO Read OLD CUSTOMS by Chris Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

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. TRACES OF TIME April 27, 2025 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Zamin Jafarov INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Zamin Jafarov’s photography is a journey through light, time, and the human spirit. Over the past decade, this Azerbaijan-based photographer has cultivated a distinctive body of work that explores the intricate relationship between nature, humanity, and the ephemeral moments that define our lives. Zamin’s photographs reveal a quiet intensity. Whether capturing the solitude of remote mountain regions, the shifting geometry of urban life, or the fleeting gestures of a passerby, his photographs are filled with a sense of presence. There is no rush in his frames — only careful observation, patience, and an instinctive understanding of time as both subject and medium. Zamin’s start into photography began in 2009, developing alongside a deep passion for mountaineering. Perhaps it’s this balance between movement and stillness, the climb and the pause, that informs his unique way of seeing. Zamin’s photographic approach blurs the lines, not confining himself to a single genre — instead, it is a constantly evolving dialogue that spans street photography, metaphysical and abstract explorations, extreme photography, and the quiet power of new topographies. His photography reveals a meticulous attention to detail, using light and shadow not just as compositional tools, but as metaphors for the complexities of life itself. Zamin’s documentary photography further deepens this exploration, capturing raw, authentic moments of everyday life and offering a window into the lived experiences of individuals, cultures, and communities of Azerbaijan. Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin’s long-term projects reveal the layers beneath everyday life, capturing those fleeting moments. He also likes to challenge the notion that the value of a photograph lies in the equipment, emphasizing instead the photographer's ability to uncover truth through their perspective. In his work, the viewer is invited to reflect on the changing nature of human existence and to discover the hidden beauty that often goes unobserved in our everyday surroundings. Currently, Zamin is preparing his first photo book — a collection of images that spans ten years of work, highlighting the evolution of his photographic voice and his commitment to documenting both the immensity and the subtlety of life. As his career continues to unfold, Zamin remains dedicated to exploring how photography can convey deeper truths about the human experience, with each image telling a story not just of what is seen, but of what is felt. In this conversation, we explore the heart of Zamin Jafarov’s vision, his process of capturing moments that reflect the traces of time, and the ways in which his photography questions traditional boundaries to create a visual language all its own. “To me, photography and art carry this meaning: “The Earth without art is just...eh.” The core philosophy is about realizing the act of seeing, learning to observe, and recognizing. The world is rapidly changing, and in this change, within spaces, photographers live, travel, and capture moments. They spend years working, studying, observing, gaining experience, and changing their perspectives to frame just one moment out of the chaos. The key question is, “What do we see and what do we miss?” IN CONVERSATION WITH ZAMIN JAFAROV THE PICTORIAL LIST: How does your experience as a mountaineer influence the way you approach photography — both in terms of physical perspective and emotional mindset? Do you find that the rhythm of climbing mirrors the rhythm of observing and capturing a moment? ZAMIN: That’s an interesting question. I started mountaineering with a photography project. In 2011, my photographer friends Zaur Mirzayev and Vusal Mustafayev and I launched a new project. We created a mountaineering group called “Photo Peak” and began mountaineering courses. It’s hard for me to express my connection to nature in words, just like with photography. When I engage in both activities, it’s true that I lose a lot of energy, but I enjoy the process, and even after many years, those moments remain in my memory, constantly giving me new inspiration, perspectives, and ways of thinking. Both activities require focus, patience, thought, the ability to see and observe, and choosing the right moment to take action, which creates an interesting harmony and rhythm. For me, nature and photography cannot be separated. Nature and mountains always draw me in, despite the challenges. And every time I return, I gain new experiences and a deeper love for life. And, of course, new photos, new work. Another interesting nuance I would like to mention as photographers know, the ideal time for an outdoor photoshoot is about an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. However, this rule doesn’t apply at altitudes above 3000 meters. Every moment on the mountain is different and full of surprises. Every photographer agrees that it is the surprises that make photography interesting. On the mountain, there are many shots that not everyone can access. True, shooting with heavy camera equipment, a mountain bag on your shoulder, in difficult terrain and weather conditions, is not easy. One must also consider the potential dangers to life. You have to measure everything carefully. You need to learn to shoot and also pay attention to your health. Sometimes, you wonder, “What am I doing here?” But over time, as you gain experience and continue with confidence, behaving with patience and caution, you carry on. When you return to the city, the many photos and unforgettable moments motivate you for the next trip. TPL: What does home feel like to you, when you're deep in the mountains of Azerbaijan or walking through the old streets of Baku? ZAMIN: For me, the word “home” means anywhere I feel happy. It’s the Earth. Whether I’m with my family, or in the city, taking photos, walking, or exploring, whether in the mountains or any village, it gives me a sense of belonging and being at home. TPL: Your work speaks in quiet tones — patient, present, and observant. What draws you to stillness in a world that moves so fast? ZAMIN: In a rapidly changing world, we need tranquility. Time passes, and we need photography as a way to slow down the pace of life, appreciate the moment, and recognize life itself. It helps us become aware of ourselves and not regret the time that has passed, so we can better appreciate the present and future. TPL: You have described light and shadow as more than compositional tools — as metaphors. What do they represent to you personally? ZAMIN: Photography is life, and light and shadow are essential elements of this life. Everything in life is dual: day and night, cold and hot, good and bad, etc. This dual system sometimes reflects our choices. It’s hard to appreciate one without the other. A picture with only light, without shadow, doesn’t seem as appealing. Like the contrasts in life, this is the core of photography. The main elements of composition are precisely these pairs. Photography comes alive with these dualities and gives contrast. TPL: Why do you sometimes decide to photograph your projects entirely on a smartphone? How does that shift your perception or creative choices? ZAMIN: In the past, film cameras were used, and photographers would think more carefully, using the 36 frames effectively. Nowadays, there are no limits, and it’s even possible to shoot with smartphones. This might bring a sense of laziness, but if used correctly, it’s an advantage. More photos need to be taken to develop faster and improve. Of course, theory must also be considered, and it should be done systematically, forming and finding the aesthetic. I love walking every day, and since my smartphone is always with me, I focused on development and flexibility, and started shooting with my smartphone, which offered unlimited versatility. This helped me think more about content, rather than technical aspects. With my photos, I want to show moments that people might not notice or that they may not have seen, to make them feel what I feel, even if just a little. TPL: Much of your work is a reflection on impermanence. Do you think photography has the power to hold onto time, or is it more about learning to let go? ZAMIN: Photography combines both opposites. On one hand, it shows us a moment frozen in time, but on the other hand, it reminds us that that moment is already gone. For me, photography teaches us to capture the moment, to be present in it, and to appreciate it. TPL: What have your long-term projects taught you about change — in landscapes, in people, and in yourself? ZAMIN: Long-term projects teach you to see where we come from and where we’re going, to appreciate the rhythm of life, and to enjoy the long-term process. They teach patience and the importance of finding new stories within changing times and people. TPL: Can you walk us through what’s typically in your photography bag? Are there tools or objects you never leave behind, even if they’re not technical? ZAMIN: I would probably say an extra battery. This is one of the most common concerns for photographers. Regardless of whether I’m going out for a 1-hour or a 1-day shoot, the important thing is to always be prepared for surprises. TPL: As you prepare to release your first photo book, what do you hope viewers will take away from the experience of seeing your images in a collection versus individual prints or digital formats? ZAMIN: Initially, I wanted the images to not only tell a story but to convey a narrative. Then, I moved away from this dualism. Now, I want the viewers to flip through the book, fall into a rhythm, and experience a mood, not just to look at the pictures. I want them to find enjoyment, peace, and calm when they view it. I plan to present my first book, “Smart Frames”, at my first exhibition, “Traces of Time.” Therefore, the exhibition will feature both a section dedicated to the photos in the book, as well as other smartphone images that link 11 years of history under the title “Traces of Time.” I am currently seeking a sponsor for both the exhibition and the book’s printing. If successful, I would even be willing to hold the first presentation and exhibition outside Azerbaijan, at the sponsor’s request. TPL: Where do you imagine yourself creatively in the next 3 to 5 years? Is there something you want to achieve in this time frame? ZAMIN: In this period, I have new projects and plans to discover new approaches. I plan to focus more on exhibitions and books, and work on prints. I want to expand the boundaries of my photography. TPL: When you’re not photographing or climbing mountains, what grounds you? What kinds of things bring you peace or inspiration? ZAMIN: My main job is different. But one day I hope I will fully do only photography job. Photography, however, is as essential to me as air and water; it is my soul. Besides photography and mountaineering, I find inspiration in my family, being with them, being in nature, looking, observing, hiking, sports, music, books, exhibitions, meetings, sharing and receiving positive energy, communication, and many other elements that I haven’t mentioned. Through Zamin Jafarov’s thoughtful reflections and evolving body of work, it becomes clear that his photography is more than a visual practice — it is a philosophy of living, seeing, and feeling. Whether navigating treacherous mountain paths or quietly observing city streets, Zamin invites us to pause, to look closer, and to find meaning in fleeting moments. His transition from “Traces of Time” to “Smart Frames” signals not a departure, but a deepening — a shift from narrative to pure visual poetry, where color, form, and composition speak on their own terms. As he prepares to launch his first photo book and exhibition, Zamin’s work highlights the quiet power of observation, the emotional depth of simplicity, and the enduring beauty found in the everyday. His images encourage us to ask not just what we see — but how we see. The Pictorial List wishes Zamin every success with his forthcoming book and exhibition. We encourage our community to stand behind his inspiring new endeavor and celebrate the unique vision he continues to share with the world. VIEW ZAMIN'S PORTFOLIO Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

I am a Kenyan photographer based in Nairobi. I grew up in the Kibera area of Nairobi and among my photographic projects are strong documentary photographs about a resilient strong community with a lot of challenges. I first picked up photography as head of the journalism club of my secondary school. My photographs focus on real life, and portraits of people around me. ANWAR SADAT I am a Kenyan photographer based in Nairobi. I grew up in the Kibera area of Nairobi and among my photographic projects are strong documentary photographs about a resilient strong community with a lot of challenges. I first picked up photography as head of the journalism club of my secondary school. My photographs focus on real life, and portraits of people around me. LOCATION Nairobi KENYA CAMERA/S Canon 5D mark ii, Canon 700D WEBSITE https://sadatphoto.com/ @SADATPHOTOSTORIES FEATURES // Resilience Zainab the Super Farmer Portraits of Africa

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. 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. August 10, 2025 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY David Gray INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link David Gray is not the kind of photographer who simply shows up to take the shot. His work emerges from time, presence, and attention, the three things that can’t be faked or rushed. A Scots-born photographer and writer now based in New York City, David’s creative path has taken him across continents and subcultures, from the remote mountains of Colorado to the chaotic pulse of urban protests, from the car-laden backroads of Florida to quiet corners of public institutions. What ties his work together is not subject matter alone, but an enduring commitment to observe carefully and connect deeply, whether with a place, a political moment, or the people who inhabit both. David is co-creator and one half of the photography team for Driver’s Journal, a print publication documenting America's love of automotive culture. His photography has appeared in publications such as The Sun Magazine, and he’s currently developing a series of large-format, 200-page print volumes that reflect his long-form, immersive approach. His most recent monograph, a portrait of New York City, was released by Grand Editions in late 2024 and quickly sold out, a testament to the resonance and reach of his photography. David’s recent residency as Photographer-in-Residence at Brooklyn’s Central Library took him deep into the life of an institution that serves both as cultural anchor and community lifeline. That project, soon to be released as a major photo essay and exhibition, pushed him to document not just people but systems that support, fail, or quietly sustain everyday life. His ongoing series, What Do We Want? reflects his interest in how public life unfolds during times of protest. Photographed over the course of a year in New York City, the project looks beyond the expected images of marches and signs. Instead, it focuses on the everyday moments that shape these events, listening to people in conversation, the presence of police, the reactions of bystanders. Through this quieter approach, David explores how social and political movements are experienced on a human scale. As a Green Card holder, David is also aware of the personal risks that come with documenting civil unrest. And yet, his journalist’s training and ethical grounding propel him to bear witness anyway. He follows the story, even when he’s unsure where it ends. In the conversation that follows, David reflects on the emotional and ethical dimensions of image-making, the balance between truth and care, that guide his practice. His commitment to walking five to ten miles a day through New York City, builds his vocabulary of visual narratives that live in books, exhibitions, and memory. “As a journalist and photographer, you’re always ‘other’ in a sense: never belonging, always witnessing. And as a Green Card holder, I’m aware of my status here as a guest. I love NYC, and by extension, the USA: what it stands for and its potential and principles are unique, and special. I would hope that journalists who are reporting objectively and fairly will always be welcome, but I am aware that one misunderstanding could imperil my path to citizenship. I can’t not document my adoptive city and country, though, because what seems mundane to us now, or awful, will to future generations be as fascinating and alien as those old subway pics we marvel at, with the graffiti and Guardian Angels.” IN CONVERSATION WITH DAVID GRAY TPL: The title What Do We Want? is both evocative and open-ended, yet grounded and rooted in protest, still resonating far beyond slogans. What does that question mean to you personally, and how does it shape the way you framed the images in the series? How do you translate not just the action of protest, but the emotional undercurrent of grief, rage, hope, resilience, then turning a single image, into a lasting frame? DAVID: I remember student protests in Scotland, where someone would always shout, “What do we want?” and someone else would yell back the answer(s). “And when do we want it?” the original shouter would reply. “Now!” the crowd would shout. And that would repeat endlessly, growing in volume and passion. There’s something primal in most of us, that wants to be part of a crowd, with a clear purpose and magnified power. And I was and am fascinated by the way ordinary people become extraordinary when they have a crowd at their back and a megaphone in their hand. Every emotion is heightened, and every detail exaggerated. These protests, though, had simple political goals. What I see here are protests that are umbrella movements for anger. And in the case of the Drag March and the Queer Liberation March, a defiant wish to be seen and counted. Whatever the motive, protests take courage, and we should all be proud of that, even if we don’t feel the same passion for a particular cause. TPL: As this series begins to take on new forms, as an exhibition, as an essay, what kind of impact or dialogue do you hope What Do We Want? sparks? What do you want viewers to carry with them? What is their takeaway, what is yours? DAVID: Documenting protest in a city where people co-exist despite vast differences, is to witness the social compact fray at the edges. It offers a glimpse of what lies under the surface. For the most part, protests in America are a way for people to blow off steam without burning it all to the ground. It’s democracy’s wonderful pressure valve. That’s what I’d love viewers to see, though what people take from my pictures is entirely up to them. We all see things differently: the trick is to appreciate that, and to know the power of a photograph. All too often protests are reduced to a sensational image of violence. Don’t get me wrong: flashpoint moments are news, and have to be recorded, but they can play into the hands of those who would equate protest with violent revolt. My own takeway? Ordinary people in extraordinary times need a last recourse, and that is public protest. TPL: Has your experience with What Do We Want? opened new directions you want to explore, whether in protest photography, or in entirely different spaces, cultures, or themes that you feel drawn to next? As you look ahead, are there questions you haven’t yet resolved through your work, about people, power, or place? Does that continue to drive you forward creatively? DAVID: I will keep taking protest pictures, as I sense this is only the beginning, as we respond to political and social change. I look forward to seeing what protests and marches might evolve into, if anything: I sense that it takes a lot to make Americans go out on the streets and protest, and it’s hard to know if there’s the appetite for much more of that. I always have other projects simmering. I’d love to take my recent Brooklyn Public Library residency and apply that approach to a great museum or gallery. And my passion project – to record and understand why people act as they do, at the 9/11 Memorial Pools – may or may not come to a conclusion. I’ll also keep taking pics on, around and of The High Line, and the people who crowd onto it and often look like they don’t know why they came. And then there’s my ongoing project on the subject of how people behave around art…I could go on…basically there’s no limit to the things I want to shoot. In tandem, I’m in talks about a bi-annual photo pictorial of my NYC shots, with themed sections, and a long read by an author whose love affair with the city will serve as a counterpoint to my images. That may need a sponsor who adores NYC as much as we do, so who knows. TPL: Has documenting these protests and spending so much time immersed in the city’s charged political and cultural life, changed your understanding of America? What about your place within it? Looking back on What Do We Want? - how has this experience shaped the way you see the country, the city, and yourself? As this chapter of your work evolves, what will propel you forward from the streets, the people, and the moments that made you raise your camera? DAVID: I’ve barely scratched the surface of NYC, let alone America. But seeing why people protest, and how (and how often they don’t protest at all) has given me some minor insight into what makes society here work. I think that within the USA, individual states differ more than European nations do (language aside) and that people are struggling to find a meaningful national identity. There’s nothing like pointing a camera at someone to let you see their true character. And – touch wood – I’ve found the overwhelming majority of people here to be good hearted and kind, even if they don’t always know how to express that kindness to fellow Americans (and would-be Americans) who they don’t understand. The experience has also reminded me of the need for balance: there are people who seek to paint the great cities as anarchic hellholes, whereas I see in NYC eight-million-something people all mostly getting along and seeking to sleep safe in their beds at night. So, I’ll also keep shooting dogs sleeping in cafes and people doing wheelies on bikes: the everyday stuff that society runs on. TPL: Can you share the backstory behind one photograph that deeply moved you? Perhaps an image where something in the atmosphere, gesture, or energy instantly connected with you and made you press the shutter without hesitation? DAVID: Of the protest set it’s perhaps the quietest one. It’s a close up (and a little soft) night shot of a woman turning to look past me, and her eyes are glistening. The full story of what was happening at that exact moment isn’t clear in the image (so in that sense it was a flawed shot, though aren’t they all?): it was the end of the Drag March, and a crowd had gathered outside the Stonewall Inn to sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. It sounds a little corny, but there and then it was one of the most moving things I’ve ever witnessed. I think she was overcome with emotion as the song ended, and looking for someone, but I might be reading too much into a moment that was gone in a flash. That’s the power and danger of a still image: we can interpret it any way we please. TPL: When you’re photographing someone in a moment of intensity, vulnerability, or confrontation, especially in communities outside your own, how do you balance the responsibility to tell the truth with the need to protect dignity? What guides you in making those calls with both care and clarity? DAVID: I always have in my head the question, “What would that person’s mother think of the photo you’re about to take?” Of course I’ve no way of knowing the answer, and if I only took photos, I was sure someone’s mum would love, I’d hardly ever press the shutter button. But as a rhetorical question it helps remind me of my purpose and responsibility. I’m not a fan of ‘poverty porn’, where the picture only serves to show someone at their lowest point, with no greater purpose than titillation. Equally, I’m not telling anyone else what to take or not to take: documenting the human condition is vital. But every photo posted affects how we see ourselves and our society, and we have a duty to be honest about our motivation for portraying things the way we do. And that’s never more acute than when photographing communities outside of our own. I wouldn’t assume everyone loves the pictures I’ve taken of them, but I hope they would agree I treated them with respect. TPL: Walking five to ten miles a day through New York has become part of your creative rhythm. How has that daily practice shaped the way you see and photograph protest, or the city more broadly? Has it helped you tune into the unspoken cues or emotional currents of public gatherings? DAVID: It means I stumble across things that I would otherwise have missed. I was recently on the way to the Memorial Pools at the 9/11 Museum as part of yet another of my obsessions: documenting how people behave at a sacred site. En route, I walked into an anti-ICE protest downtown, that was because of its spontaneity and anger, one of the most memorable. A few days later, on a hot summer night, a similar protest stalled at a particular junction, and the mood abruptly changed for the worse. There were more police than protesters, and they became my focus: their formations and intent, a sense of watchfulness and implicit warning. Living in the city means always having a sense of the mood, and the knowledge that things can change quickly. That said, of all the cities I’ve lived in, I rate NYC as the most gregarious and open. As a Brit, you have to lose the urge to waffle politely when asking a stranger for help: “Excuse me, sorry to bother you but…” will ensure you get nowhere. If you get to the point, though, people will go out of their way to assist. Or at the least, tell you what they think at full volume. TPL: Your images often focus not on spectacle, but on what’s unfolding quietly at the edges: bystanders, police, stillness in the quiet tension that surrounds moments of public unrest. What are you hoping to reveal by including these often-overlooked perspectives? How do these peripheral figures add to the emotional and political complexity of the story you're telling? DAVID: When you look at protesters and police in NYC, it’s easy to see utterly opposing sides. But if you could see connections as an overlay, we’d see all kinds of associations, and commonalities. The police shape the protests and contain them, and give them a sense of purpose as well, since they are often the visible arm of the very things the protesters are on the streets to protest against in the first place. When you have tens of thousands of protesters, and thousands of police, plus marshalls, legions of bemused tourists and intolerant motorists all crammed together, you see people at their most alive. The center of a protest is mostly predictable and vivid. The edges are where the dynamic is most flexible and most important, because it’s where protesters and police and passersby all meet, rub up against each other. A thousand little dramas play out on the periphery. I love to be able to move in and out, to see the faces of police from inside the protest, and to frame the protesters from the point of view of the police and bystanders. TPL: Before your camera even leaves your side, what speaks to you first in a new place, whether you're halfway around the world or just across the city? Is it the rhythm of people, the quality of light, a flicker of tension? What tells you there’s something worth listening to with your lens — across cultures, across borders? DAVID: I just start walking. I have a very poor sense of direction, and it takes a lot of miles before I have any idea where I am. My niece visited NYC recently, and wanted to go to the Met Museum, which is one of my favorite places. It went well until she started to ask me to show her specific items, and it became clear I had no idea how to find any of them. “How can you be lost when you come here all the time?” she demanded. “Not knowing exactly where you are isn’t the same as being lost,” I explained. Amazing things happen when you don’t have rigid expectations. TPL: You’ve photographed everything from rural car culture to public institutions to protest marches. What connects these projects for you? Is there a thread or question that runs through all of your work, regardless of subject? DAVID: People. The way people react to their environment and each other is endlessly fascinating. I’m intrigued by everyday interactions and fleeting emotions. I could look at faces all day long, but often shoot people from behind, because that places the viewer in the driving seat, almost like a first-person video game, and rather than being distracted by trying to read too much into an expression, we see what the subject sees, and where they’re going. We then make all kinds of mental connections and guesses based on conscious and unconscious cues and biases. Landscapes – particularly urban ones – without people are also fascinating. We do not, as a species, tread lightly on the environment. TPL: Many of your projects, especially your long-format print volumes, require patience, endurance, and deep focus. In a fast-paced media world, why have you chosen to work in this slower, more sustained way? DG: There’s a nostalgia for a time when images and words were tangible things. I do a lot of digital work, but I’ve never been busier on print projects than right now. The printed page, and the ability to juxtapose images and build a narrative through the order and presentation, is unmatched. I was fortunate recently, to experience something that people like us seldom do: witnessing others react to my work in a public setting. I had promised to deliver an issue of a print mag I’d shot for, to a legendary automotive designer (it’s always a pleasure photographing people who are passionate about whatever they do). I did so quietly in a hotel bar, and to my horror, he made a fuss, gathering a collection of his world’s great and good around, so they could go through the magazine page by page. That is pretty much my worst nightmare, as I hate being the center of attention. So, being quizzed on every shot, and having people (unasked) articulate what they took from it and ask me why I had shot things as I had, was excruciating. It must have taken 20 minutes, that felt like hours, and I was a puddle of sweat by the end. But what an honor, to see your work through others’ eyes. David Gray’s photography moves beyond simply capturing moments. It explores the deeper stories and emotions within them. Whether documenting protests in New York City, daily life in a Brooklyn library, or landscapes and communities around the world, his images reveal layers of human experience often overlooked in the rush of headlines. What Do We Want? is more than a record of protests; it’s a reflection on the complexities of social change, the quiet interactions, the emotional rhythms, and the many perspectives that make up a city alive with activism. This project stands alongside a broader body of work that connects cultures, places, and people across continents, all approached with an attentive and respectful eye. David’s work doesn’t just observe; it engages. It listens. As both a journalist and photographer, his approach invites viewers to look deeper not just at what they see, but at the feelings and contexts that give each moment meaning. While What Do We Want? reflects a city in motion and a photographer responding to the moment, David Gray’s wider body of work reveals a practice rooted in curiosity, patience, and respect. Each image encourages us to ask not only what do we want — but what do we see, and what do we remember? Explore more of David Gray’s diverse and evolving work by visiting his portfolio. VIEW DAVID'S PORTFOLIO website >>> instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

I am a West Yorkshire photographer with a long standing interest in documentary photography dating back to the 1970s. This has evolved into a portfolio that documents everyday life against a backdrop of the ordinary urban landscapes of northern England over the last fifty years. Since my retirement in 2006, I have immersed myself in photography, undertaking many different projects, exhibiting work internationally, gaining several hundred acceptances and receiving numerous awards. In 2010 I was awarded a Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society (LRPS). A long term project photographing Manchester’s Northern Quarter included a body of work that I gained Associateship of the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS) in 2018. I have self-published several books of my work including the titles ‘Shards of West Yorkshire’ volumes one & two, ‘The Northern Quarter’, ‘Various Covered Vehicles’ and ‘Empty Premises’. October 2020 saw the publication of my 2019 project ‘A Day at the Races’ through the Worcestershire-based photobook imprint ADM Publications. A DAY AT THE RACES: Race goers are an eclectic group. At one extreme there is the serious punter, and at the other the casual race goer simply enjoying a day out. There are those that go to be seen as well as to see, the high-rollers, the young, the old and those in between, the wealthy and those less so, the country set and the townies that just go to party. The mix of attendees is endless, creating a colourful atmosphere within the spectator enclosures as people circulate between the stands, the betting ring, the bars, and the parade ring interacting and engaging with one another. I spent much of 2019 visiting race meetings in the north of England to capture a fly on the wall document of attendees enjoying a day out. Studying the odds, enjoying a drink, having a laugh, and soaking up the drama, Peter’s candid photos showcase the frivolity of pre-pandemic race days. Most elite sports now take place behind closed doors and will continue to do so in the immediate future. Even when spectators do return, numbers are likely to be substantially reduced with the spectator experience significantly altered by social distancing and other Covid-safe protocols. When starting this project in the Spring I could not have anticipated that I was documenting the carefree dynamics of pre-pandemic days that we are unlikely to witness again in the foreseeable future, or indeed, perhaps for several years. PETER BARTLETT I am a West Yorkshire photographer with a long standing interest in documentary photography dating back to the 1970s. This has evolved into a portfolio that documents everyday life against a backdrop of the ordinary urban landscapes of northern England over the last fifty years. Since my retirement in 2006, I have immersed myself in photography, undertaking many different projects, exhibiting work internationally, gaining several hundred acceptances and receiving numerous awards. In 2010 I was awarded a Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society (LRPS). A long term project photographing Manchester’s Northern Quarter included a body of work that I gained Associateship of the Royal Photographic Society (ARPS) in 2018. I have self-published several books of my work including the titles ‘Shards of West Yorkshire’ volumes one & two, ‘The Northern Quarter’, ‘Various Covered Vehicles’ and ‘Empty Premises’. October 2020 saw the publication of my 2019 project ‘A Day at the Races’ through the Worcestershire-based photobook imprint ADM Publications. A DAY AT THE RACES: Race goers are an eclectic group. At one extreme there is the serious punter, and at the other the casual race goer simply enjoying a day out. There are those that go to be seen as well as to see, the high-rollers, the young, the old and those in between, the wealthy and those less so, the country set and the townies that just go to party. The mix of attendees is endless, creating a colourful atmosphere within the spectator enclosures as people circulate between the stands, the betting ring, the bars, and the parade ring interacting and engaging with one another. I spent much of 2019 visiting race meetings in the north of England to capture a fly on the wall document of attendees enjoying a day out. Studying the odds, enjoying a drink, having a laugh, and soaking up the drama, Peter’s candid photos showcase the frivolity of pre-pandemic race days. Most elite sports now take place behind closed doors and will continue to do so in the immediate future. Even when spectators do return, numbers are likely to be substantially reduced with the spectator experience significantly altered by social distancing and other Covid-safe protocols. When starting this project in the Spring I could not have anticipated that I was documenting the carefree dynamics of pre-pandemic days that we are unlikely to witness again in the foreseeable future, or indeed, perhaps for several years. LOCATION UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Olympus Pen F, Ricoh GRiii WEBSITE https://www.peterbartlettimages.co.uk/ @PETER.J.BARTLETT @PETER.BARTLETT.792 FEATURES // A Day At The Races A Sense of Time and Place

I am a fine art film photographer who uses analogue film and traditional darkroom printing in my practice. Early in my career, I was a digital artist, creating abstract and conceptual images by incorporating digital photos into multiple layers. Over time, I developed a preference for analogue film, drawn to its timeless tonal qualities and distinctive grain. I am captivated by the rules of negative and traditional printing methods, finding the hands-on approach required to create a silver gelatin print incredibly rewarding. My diverse body of work includes an eclectic collection of prints that span various photographic genres. My works have been featured in numerous publications, including TIME Magazine and Italian Vogue, used in television, and showcased in a number of global exhibitions. PAUL COOKLIN I am a fine art film photographer who uses analogue film and traditional darkroom printing in my practice. Early in my career, I was a digital artist, creating abstract and conceptual images by incorporating digital photos into multiple layers. Over time, I developed a preference for analogue film, drawn to its timeless tonal qualities and distinctive grain. I am captivated by the rules of negative and traditional printing methods, finding the hands-on approach required to create a silver gelatin print incredibly rewarding. My diverse body of work includes an eclectic collection of prints that span various photographic genres. My works have been featured in numerous publications, including TIME Magazine and Italian Vogue, used in television, and showcased in a number of global exhibitions. LOCATION UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Leica M6 M7, Hasselblad 500cm, Leica R4 WEBSITE https://www.paulcooklin.com/ @PCOOKLIN FEATURES // The Art of Analogue

PICTORIAL STORY THE HOLY RIVER LIFE ALONG THE RIVER GANGES July 17, 2020 PICTORIAL STORY Photography and words by Pradip K. Mazumder Introduction by Karin Svadlenak Gomez SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Pradip K. Mazumder is an American photographer of Indian origin, based in Northern Virginia, USA. He has documented life along the Hooghly River, in local tongues the 'Ganga', a tributary of the river Ganges and part of the Ganges Delta, in the city of Kolkata, one of the largest metropolitan areas of India and where he was born and raised. Pradip's vibrant colour photographs provide a glimpse into a world where the Ganges plays a central role. He specifically wanted to highlight the richness in the diversity and character of the people in Kolkata, whose lifestyle is very much intertwined with that of the river. What starts as a trickling source of frigid ice-cold waters of the Gangotri glacier, a Hindu pilgrimage site at about 13,000+ feet in the Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand, India, becomes the primary source of water for one of the major rivers of the world – the Ganges. From the snout of the Gangotri Glacier, springs the source of the Bhagirathi River, one of the primary tributaries of the Ganges River. The mighty Ganges is fed by multiple small streams on its journey towards its delta, a long run that takes it South and East through the Gangetic Plain of India and Bangladesh. After a journey of about 2600 km, the Ganges finally meets the Bay of Bengal, some 100 km south of Kolkata. The Ganges is a source of sustenance to millions of people, whose lifestyle, culture, religion, and habits have been shaped by the river for generations. Some of the biggest fairs in India, which attract millions of pilgrims and visitors, are located along the banks of the Ganges. One of the branches that the Ganges splits into downstream is the river Hooghly (also known as Bhagirathi or, locally, Ganga), which flows past Kolkata, today one of India's most populous cities. The wider metropolitan area has a population of about 14.8 million. It is here that I have photographed life along the river. THE CITY OF JOY The year was 1690. In the afternoon of a late August day, a boat belonging to Job Charnock, an agent of the British East India Company, drifting on the Hooghly River, had to make an emergency stop at the banks of the river due to heavy rain. The place, ruled by the Emperor of Bengal under Mughal dominion, consisted of three villages – Sutanuti, Gobindapur, and Kalikata. After the Nawab granted the East India Company a trading license, the area was developed by the Company into an increasingly fortified trading post. Thus, Kolkata was born. It served as the capital of British-held territories in India until 1911, when the capital was moved to New Delhi due to the growing nationalism movement in Bengal. Kolkata (previously Calcutta, the official name until 2001), nicknamed the “ City of Joy ” is regarded as the cultural capital of India. It played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement and remains a hotbed of contemporary state and national politics. Following India’s Independence from Britain in 1947, Kolkata evolved into a center for modern Indian education, culture, science, politics, and sports. LIFE ALONG THE RIVER The most notable and historic landmark across the river Ganges is the ‘Howrah Bridge.’ When commissioned in 1943, it was the third longest suspension cantilever bridge in the world, connecting Kolkata with the city of Howrah, a major railway hub and industrial center. On average, it carries approximately 100,000 vehicles and 150,000 pedestrians daily. The bridge has been renamed Rabindra Setu after the great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, who was the first Indian and Asian Nobel laureate. A second bridge, called Vidyasagar Setu, the longest cable-stayed bridge in India, was completed in 1992 to ease the pressure on Howrah Bridge. Life around the river Ganges starts early in the morning with the bathers and people offering prayers. In the Hindu religion, the river Ganges is considered sacred and is personified as the goddess Ganga. She is worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists who believe that bathing in the river causes the remission of sins and facilitates 'Moksha' (liberation from the cycle of life and death). There are several temples and places of worship by the banks of the river. It is also a place for business and people’s livelihoods. Located adjacent to the Howrah Bridge, the Mullik Ghat flower market is the largest such market not only in India but in all of Asia, with over 4,000 vendors selling everything from roses, marigold, jasmine, rajanigandha (tuberose), imported lilies, to a host of other flowers. The place is a visual treat to watch, particularly for street and travel photographers. Kolkata is vibrant throughout the year, but more so during the weeklong, Durga Puja Festival, in October. During this time boats laden with piles of straw arrive in Kolkata. This straw is used to build the framework of large idols of the Goddess Durga, which are made out of wood, straw, and clay. Some are as high as 15-20 meters (50-60 feet). The festival ends with much fanfare when the huge idols of the Goddess Durga, along with her four children, are immersed in the river Ganges. © Pradip K. Mazumder © Pradip K. Mazumder © Pradip K. Mazumder © Pradip K. Mazumder © Pradip K. Mazumder © Pradip K. Mazumder © Pradip K. Mazumder © Pradip K. Mazumder © Pradip K. Mazumder © Pradip K. Mazumder © Pradip K. Mazumder © Pradip K. Mazumder All this activity along the river is not without its problems. The Ganges is threatened by severe pollution and riverbank erosion due to the cutting of trees. The rich river ecosystem that sustains human life and wildlife is threatened, and the Government’s effort to clean the waters of Ganges has so far proven inadequate. This is an issue that needs the active support of religious groups, local authorities, and common citizens, as well as global awareness and support. Without this, India’s holiest river - and the livelihoods it supports - are likely to suffer irreparable damages. view Pradip's portfolio Read an interview with Pradip >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> Sources used in this story - Ancient History Encyclopedia Encyclopedia Britannica Wikipedia Times of India The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns. OAXACA In Oaxaca, Tommaso Stefanori captures Día de los Muertos, exploring the convergence of life and death, human connections, and enduring cultural rituals through evocative photographs of tradition and emotion. BEHIND THE PLANTS Wayan Barre documents Cancer Alley residents facing pollution and economic challenges, shedding light on their resilience and the impacts of environmental injustice. THE RED POPPY AND THE SUN By blending archival and contemporary images, Mei Seva creates a visual story that captures the ongoing struggles and moments of triumph for those impacted by displacement and circumstance. FIRE AND FORGE Alexandros Zilos delves deep into the harsh reality of sulfur mining, while also capturing the allure of the blue fire phenomenon created by sulfur deposits in the crater. IN-VISIBLE PAIN Through black and white self-portraiture, Isabelle Coordes brings to light the stark reality of living with chronic pain — a reality often dismissed by a world that requires physical evidence to believe in one’s suffering. CELEBRATION OF LIFE Ahsanul Haque Fahim's photography captures Holi in Bangladesh, celebrating life with vibrant colors and reflecting human emotions, diversity, and interconnectedness in Dhaka's streets. KOALA COUNTRY Sean Paris invites viewers on a transformative journey, challenging our perceptions and fostering a new appreciation for rural Australia through mesmerizing infrared photography. MOMMIE Arlene Gottfried’s poignant exploration of motherhood in “Mommie” is not just a collection of photographs but a profound tribute to the enduring bonds of family and the universal experiences of love, loss, and resilience. BIFRÖST Amidst the breathtaking scenery of Norway, Romain Coudrier discovered the allure of rare light and subtle shades, immortalizing each moment in striking black and white with every click of his camera shutter. MUD Dedipya Basak's documentary project explores the struggle of an 800 year old lake against the impacts of global warming, revealing its continued relevance and urgent story in today’s changing climate.

I grew up in a household of art dealers and thus had some early exposure to the art world. This later influenced my development as a photographer. Focusing on storytelling and documentary photography, I am now a photojournalist, travelling the world with the goal of taking pictures that are thought-provoking rather than merely beautiful. SOPHIE LINCKERSDORFF I grew up in a household of art dealers and thus had some early exposure to the art world. This later influenced my development as a photographer. Focusing on storytelling and documentary photography, I am now a photojournalist, travelling the world with the goal of taking pictures that are thought-provoking rather than merely beautiful. LOCATION Berlin GERMANY CAMERA/S not disclosed WEBSITE https://www.sophie-linckersdorff.de/ @SOPHIE.LINCKERSDORFF FEATURES // Exclusion Zone Stories To Be Told

PICTORIAL STORY RIPPLED REALITIES Susan Bowen reshapes the meaning of panorama, turning wide horizons into intimate revelations. Her daring approach doesn’t just capture landscapes — it challenges how we see, think, and connect through the frame. June 23, 2023 PICTORIAL STORY photography SUSAN BOWEN story KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link The panorama has been redefined in the brilliant work of a New York City based photographer, Susan Bowen. In 2002 Susan found herself needing new direction after navigating through significant life changes. After a hiatus from photography, Susan found new inspiration in a class being offered at the New School. “I was looking for a way to ease myself back into doing art in some form; I stumbled on a 4-week class (taught by Meredith Allen) on the Holga.” The Holga is a very lightweight plastic toy film camera, conceived and fabricated in Hong Kong China in 1981 and introduced to the Chinese public as an inexpensive medium format camera. It is a rangefinder, so you are not looking through the lens. It has no controls, having a fixed f-8 aperture, and 1/100 shutter speed. The Holga is designed to use 2-¼”, 120 medium format film allowing for large scale photographic prints. It has a hot-shoe for flash photography, as well as a bulb mode for creating long exposures. These cameras were plagued with light leaks, became known for their out of focus, blurry, incorrectly exposed attributes that were more than frustrating to some, yet addicting for others, becoming a sought after cult camera. Little did Susan know how this class would change her life, creating new direction and unforeseen inspiration. “The lightness is a major benefit. I also enjoy the quirkiness of it; I work in technology (I’m a computer programmer) so I enjoy the low-tech-ness of it. Using a toy also encourages one to shoot freely and spontaneously. Also, you can’t do the technique I do with a normal camera.” Susan developed a unique process that embraces Low Fi Technology, and High Fi technology, combining the two to find equilibrium. She has an acquired wealth of knowledge accumulated over years of experience defining the world around her through the viewfinder and lens of a Holga. She is known for her overlapping, multiple exposure panoramas. Susan has mastered a way of creating a unified negative, a negative that has no dividing frames, making it one continuous image that is all encompassing. This was achieved by first removing a rectangular piece of plastic on the inside of the Holga camera. This simple piece of plastic masks the film and creates individual frames, if left in Susan would not be able to create continuous 32” long film negatives. After releasing the shutter and exposing the film, Susan would not advance the film all the way, creating double exposures by overlapping the frames, exposing one continuous negative. Susan is often asked, how far to turn the dial, to advance the film. She has no exact answer, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less, allowing the visuals and living in the moment to direct the exact amount of the turn. Susan enjoys the magic that happens in those serendipitous moments, letting them be the visual stories documented in continuous thought and consciousness. “The long overlapping images are created by only partially advancing the film between exposures – the overlapping occurs in the film itself. I don’t plan my images; they turn out however they turn out. I like the chance element, and I like that they have a cinematic, narrative quality.” Susan found this multiple overlapping technique to work well on a myriad of landscapes, from rural Midwest farmlands, to industrial wastelands, as well as a multitude of urban landscapes. Susan finds focus and inspiration through being open to the experience. She can apply her knowledge and technique in many different environments, understanding at once what will help create that continuous image and monumental landscape. It is an intuitive process from beginning to end. “Although I have lived in suburbs, small towns, and have rural connections, the city is where my heart lies. Wherever I photograph, I see things from the perspective of an urbanite. I find it interesting how even in the country I seek out things industrial and man-made. Drop a city girl in a rural setting, and it's only a matter of time before she goes straight for the man-made items. I enjoy exploring the contrasts and similarities between my urban life in New York City and my experience of rural America. The urban experience to me is largely about motion. The intense pace and vitality of the city excites me; I like to shoot fast and furiously, to be totally immersed and to be swept up in, and along with, the tide of the moment. Either I am shooting people that are in motion or I myself am in movement around my subject. I will stalk my subjects, be they a swarm of gesturing humans or abstract shapes of color and light. Subject matter-wise I like industrial objects, monumental things like grain elevators and Times Square billboards, and big crowds of people. I guess it mostly expresses that I’m uncomfortable sitting still! But movement is what invigorates me. I chose to live in New York largely because there is so much going on, people moving fast, things happening fast. In shooting people, if they are not in motion they bore me, and in shooting stationary objects I have to jump around the thing like I’m doing a fashion shoot or something. I’m not sure why, but that fast pace is inherent to how I shoot; it fuels it.” For Susan, chance plays a major role, the serendipitous frame is part of what excites her, she is always on the outlook for the element of surprise. The continuous negative of multiple exposures captures the authenticity of the experience in the moment for Susan, where the single frame does not express this for her in the same way. Not only has Susan developed a method to expose this 32” long negative, but through trial and error she has discovered innovative ways to print them. Susan soon realized she faced another hurdle, how to display these very large prints. Through her creative ingenuity she came up with economical and beautiful solutions to all the obstacles she faced. As technology advanced over the six-year period Susan found the need to stick with film, there was no digital camera that could do this technique. However, with the advancement of digital developing software like Lightroom and Photoshop, allowed her to work in ways that were nearly impossible in the darkroom. Through the scanning of the negatives Susan could fully embrace the digital production of her continuous multiple exposures. “Things have changed so dramatically just in the short time I've been doing photography again. Most of the labs and darkroom rental places that were still flourishing 8 years ago are now gone, which is sad. The technology is great...I scan my negatives so from that point on I'm digital...so I love the amount of control you have with Photoshop...and that it is permanent (that you don't have to redo the process with each print). Doing these prints in the darkroom was a nightmare (all the dodging and burning due to the uneven exposures) ...especially in color where you have to work in complete darkness. So, I appreciate the technology. I am however really concerned about the impact of the over-accessibility of image-taking and the ease of publishing...everyone shooting anything and everything and posting hundreds of images all over the web. This overwhelming flood of mostly mediocre images dulls the senses and makes the appreciation of good photography, art photography harder. I also worry about the increasing rareness of the physical print; the vast majority of digital images get posted and that is that. These images are not going to be preserved over time. That much historical documentation is going to be lost.” Susan spends many hours editing and making tonal adjustments to the scans of the negatives in Photoshop before printing. There is a lack of continuity where the images overlap and become a multiple exposure. Some of the areas would be dark, while others could be light, tones that needed to be evened out, it was a balancing act that Susan became very efficient at. “I scan my film using a large 11x17 flatbed scanner (Epson 1640XL). I can scan a half of a roll at once and only need to do one splice. Because I want the option of printing large, I always scan at the maximum optical resolution (with this scanner only 1600 dpi). Though I wish I had a higher res scanner, in actuality the files are so large even at that resolution. My files often start out a gig or more and are never less than 250MB as the finished file. I work a long time on my images. The original exposure is very uneven (due to the overlap). I select small areas of the image, define the adjustment (usually via curves), clear the area adjusted, and then paint on that adjustment wherever needed. I go through many, many adjustment stages, usually flattening the image as I go due to the large file sizes involved. I beef up the color via increasing the contrast; I like purity of color and am usually trying to nurse that out of the file. I do edit the images; I remove distracting details like cigarette butts on the ground, and I sometimes move things around. Rarely do I combine images from multiple rolls. I do, however, sometimes remove chunks just to keep the piece a manageable width. I am usually taking away, not adding to the imagery, if changing it at all. A roll of medium format film of maybe 24 or so overlapping exposures will at most give me two final images (I usually use a 7:1 aspect ratio, which is about half of the length of the roll). Occasionally I've printed an entire roll as one piece, but that is one unwieldy print. Most rolls will at most yield only one piece, from somewhere on the roll.” Susan’s exhibition prints are digital C-prints. Her standard print size is 30”w x7”h , matted and framed at 36”w x12.5”h. The negatives have a high-resolution allowing Susan to print images as large as 28’w x 2’h. It wasn't long before Susan recognized her desire to make things really big and started applying for public art projects, where they financially support the creation of the art. The Holga opened up a whole new world for Susan. A good reminder to all of us that you can change direction in life, and to not be afraid to learn new things. Susan went from creating no art at all, to allowing for a new direction to fully envelope her, enriching her life, and bringing much inspiration to ours. Susan believes coming back to her art later in life has its advantages. She feels she benefits from her maturity. She approaches her work without the fear of failure, or being accepted, giving her the freedom to be genuine to her art. “Doing any kind of photography allows one to engage with the world in a way you don’t normally (to be more intensely attuned and responsive to what is going on around you). The Holga does help me to be more spontaneous and put myself in places I would normally be too shy to go. I’d say I interact with the world differently when carrying a Holga. I like to think that my work has a lot of interest and complexity, and I intend for the images to celebrate the everyday details of life. I am also delighted how often these mostly unplanned juxtapositions capture my experience of a particular time and place and at the same time have an identity all their own.” '42nd Street' © Susan Bowen, 2002 'Times-Square Swirls/Three Kings' © Susan Bowen, 2002 'Graffiti' © Susan Bowen, 2002 '8th Ave Street Fair' © Susan Bowen, 2002 'Reflections to Go' © Susan Bowen, 2002 'Pride Parade' © Susan Bowen, 2002 'Departing G at Dusk' © Susan Bowen, 2003 'Merry-Go-Round' © Susan Bowen, 2007 'Halloween Parade' © Susan Bowen, 2006 'Gleason's Gym' © Susan Bowen, 2006 'Times Square' © Susan Bowen, 2006 'Lights of Fremont' © Susan Bowen, 2005 'Skateboard Park, Arms Up' © Susan Bowen, 2003 'Houston Roller Coaster' © Susan Bowen, 2004 'Prairie City Grain Elevator' © Susan Bowen, 2004 'Sea of Snakes' © Susan Bowen, 2004 'Field Silhouettes' © Susan Bowen, 2004 'John Deere Lot' © Susan Bowen, 2004 'War Memorial and DePew Fountain' © Susan Bowen, 2005 'Citizens Thermal Energy Plant' © Susan Bowen, 2005 'Power Plant and Train' © Susan Bowen, 2005 'J&N Feed Supply' © Susan Bowen, 2006 'Orange Trucks, DOT' © Susan Bowen, 2006 'Sauk Rapids Bridge from Below' © Susan Bowen, 2006 'Cement Plant, Snaking Pipes' © Susan Bowen, 2008 This was a period of growth for Susan Bowen, her fearless journey created new critical and creative thinking patterns that motivated and inspired a profound body of work. Most of all Susan allowed her art to help change her life. The Pictorial List is sincerely grateful to Susan for sharing her diligent exploration and insightful discoveries photographing with a toy camera, and taking it to its extremes to create exceptional art. Please follow her links, she has a resource of knowledge that is hard to come by. Follow and support her on social media to see what she is currently up to. view Susan's portfolio Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns. OAXACA In Oaxaca, Tommaso Stefanori captures Día de los Muertos, exploring the convergence of life and death, human connections, and enduring cultural rituals through evocative photographs of tradition and emotion. BEHIND THE PLANTS Wayan Barre documents Cancer Alley residents facing pollution and economic challenges, shedding light on their resilience and the impacts of environmental injustice. THE RED POPPY AND THE SUN By blending archival and contemporary images, Mei Seva creates a visual story that captures the ongoing struggles and moments of triumph for those impacted by displacement and circumstance. FIRE AND FORGE Alexandros Zilos delves deep into the harsh reality of sulfur mining, while also capturing the allure of the blue fire phenomenon created by sulfur deposits in the crater. IN-VISIBLE PAIN Through black and white self-portraiture, Isabelle Coordes brings to light the stark reality of living with chronic pain — a reality often dismissed by a world that requires physical evidence to believe in one’s suffering. CELEBRATION OF LIFE Ahsanul Haque Fahim's photography captures Holi in Bangladesh, celebrating life with vibrant colors and reflecting human emotions, diversity, and interconnectedness in Dhaka's streets. KOALA COUNTRY Sean Paris invites viewers on a transformative journey, challenging our perceptions and fostering a new appreciation for rural Australia through mesmerizing infrared photography. MOMMIE Arlene Gottfried’s poignant exploration of motherhood in “Mommie” is not just a collection of photographs but a profound tribute to the enduring bonds of family and the universal experiences of love, loss, and resilience. BIFRÖST Amidst the breathtaking scenery of Norway, Romain Coudrier discovered the allure of rare light and subtle shades, immortalizing each moment in striking black and white with every click of his camera shutter. MUD Dedipya Basak's documentary project explores the struggle of an 800 year old lake against the impacts of global warming, revealing its continued relevance and urgent story in today’s changing climate.

While my Holga work captures the energy and motion of the city, my more recent work is more quiet. These images are culled from my eight years of shooting for Instagram, taken on my morning walks, primarily in the East Village where I live. My subjects here are objects, spills, and other things found on the street or sidewalk itself. These things are ephemeral in nature...that what I am shooting will likely be gone or changed at any moment. As with the Holga, I enjoy the element of chance in my work; I never know what I will find. To me few subjects are out of bounds; what might be considered trash to others is for me an opportunity to find beauty and the possibility for self-expression. SUSAN BOWEN While my Holga work captures the energy and motion of the city, my more recent work is more quiet. These images are culled from my eight years of shooting for Instagram, taken on my morning walks, primarily in the East Village where I live. My subjects here are objects, spills, and other things found on the street or sidewalk itself. These things are ephemeral in nature...that what I am shooting will likely be gone or changed at any moment. As with the Holga, I enjoy the element of chance in my work; I never know what I will find. To me few subjects are out of bounds; what might be considered trash to others is for me an opportunity to find beauty and the possibility for self-expression. LOCATION New York UNITED STATES CAMERA/S Holga, Canon g9x, Olympus E-M5 and Sony RX100 WEBSITE http://www.susanbowenphoto.com @SUSANBOWENFOTO @SUSANBOWENPHOTO FEATURES // Rippled Realities

PICTORIAL STORY UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. August 3, 2025 PICTORIAL STORY PHOTOGRAPHY Nasos Karabelas STORY Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link In his series Figures , Nasos Karabelas interrogates the human form as both subject and substrate, treating the body not as a static object to be represented, but as a mutable, expressive force capable of evoking the immaterial dimensions of thought and feeling. Born in Pyrgos, Greece, and now based in Athens, Nasos approaches photography not as a documentary device, but as a mode of emotional inquiry. His work unfolds at the intersection of photography, painting, and performance, resisting the notion of the camera as a neutral observer. Instead, it becomes an instrument for articulating the instability of perception, the fragmentation of memory, and the psychological weight of embodiment. Through the deformation of the human figure, Nasos opens a space in which inner states — often ambiguous and unresolved — can be rendered visible. “It started as an emotional need,” Nasos reflects. “I’ve always felt that the way we show ourselves on the outside doesn’t always match what’s going on inside. Distorting the body gave me a way to express that — the confusion, the movement, the moments when emotions feel too big or too unclear to put into words.” Positioned at the intersection of visual abstraction and emotional inquiry, Figures invites a reconsideration of how the body can be represented, encountered, and felt. What follows is an exploration of how Figures mobilizes photographic techniques to construct an image-world where psychological states take visual form and where the instability of perception becomes both subject and method. At the core of Figures lies a formally restrained yet conceptually radical intervention: the deliberate disruption of the human figure as a means of articulating what resists verbal expression. In this series, the body is not approached as a fixed subject to be depicted, but as a mutable site. One shaped by psychological rupture, transformation, and emotional residue. Nasos’ use of long exposure undermines the traditional photographic impulse to arrest time, instead allowing duration and instability to surface. What he captures is not the external likeness of the body, but the lived sensation of inhabiting one. “I think of time almost like a texture in my work,” Nasos explains. “Long exposure lets me go beyond the idea of a single, frozen moment. It brings in movement, which means I can show change, emotion, and instability — things that are always happening beneath the surface.” This reflects key ideas from post-structuralist and phenomenological theory: that the body is not a container of truth, but a fluctuating site of experience and perception. The result is a series of images where limbs smear into the dark, faces dissolve into formlessness, and the figure itself becomes a threshold between presence and disappearance. This conceptual logic is reinforced by Nasos’ restrained yet intentional visual strategies. Across the series, he employs blur, movement, and tonal minimalism to destabilize the body's legibility. His reliance on a monochrome palette displaces the figure from its representational anchoring. Occasionally, subdued color is introduced, most notably in the form of red, which acts not as decoration but as a rupture. “Color is a kind of interruption,” Nasos says. “It pushes the viewer to feel differently… it’s something that black and white alone can’t fully express.” Rather than serving as an index of identity or physicality, the body in these images becomes elusive, disarticulated. His use of darkness as an enveloping visual field further abstracts the body, isolating it within an existential void — a liminal zone where the viewer must fill in what cannot be seen. The material character of the images plays a critical role in this process. The use of grain, evoking analog processes, amplifies a sense of tactility and impermanence. In the black-and-white compositions, tonal contrast is pushed to its extremes: highlights glow, while shadows engulf. The skin is rendered not as flesh but as surface, subject to visual erosion. In this context, grain functions not merely as texture, but as a metaphor for instability: the image itself becomes a fragile membrane through which sensation, memory, and uncertainty flicker into view. The photograph becomes an emotive topology, mapping internal states onto blurred contours. Each composition operates as an autonomous psychic portrait, less about who is being depicted than what is being revealed. As Nasos conveys, “Since I include self-portraits, the work is definitely partly about me. But at the same time, the forms go beyond just one person. They represent feelings and struggles that many people share — like vulnerability, confusion, or change.” In this framework, the self is articulated as both singular and relational, at once introspective and emblematic of broader emotional terrains. The body, rendered unstable, becomes a conduit for shared psychological experience. Building on this, Figures may be understood as a form of visual resistance. One that challenges dominant visual paradigms predicated on clarity and stable identity. Nasos deliberately unsettles the viewer’s gaze, foregrounding the instability of perception and the fragmentary nature of selfhood. By disrupting legibility through movement and absence, the work subverts the photographic imperative to define and contain. Instead, it opens a discursive space wherein trauma, vulnerability, and psychological opacity are given form. As Nasos notes, “If I had to describe what Figures feels like, it would be like standing inside a moment of emotional uncertainty — like being in between clarity and confusion, presence and disappearance. There’s beauty in it, but also fragility.” It is precisely this interplay between formal experimentation and affective intensity that positions Nasos’ work as both conceptually rigorous and emotionally resonant — inviting reflection not only on what is seen, but on how it is felt. © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas © Nasos Karabelas What Nasos Karabelas ultimately offers in Figures is not resolution, but an invitation to inhabit the image as a space of vulnerability and transformation. In resisting coherence, the work does not collapse into obscurity; rather, it opens up new possibilities for how the photographic image might function as a mode of embodied thinking. Figures does not seek to define the human form, but to question the terms by which we have come to understand it. The body, here, is not a conclusion but a question — unfixed, unresolved, and continually becoming. This refusal to settle into recognizable tropes of identity or representation gives the series its critical urgency. As the boundaries between self and other, surface and depth, presence and absence are made unstable, Nasos gestures toward a broader visual ethics, one that privileges emotional complexity over visual certainty. Figures chooses to withhold, to destabilise, and in doing so, to more honestly approach the ineffable contours of human experience. view Nasos Karabelas’ portfolio Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List. read more stories >>> ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns. OAXACA In Oaxaca, Tommaso Stefanori captures Día de los Muertos, exploring the convergence of life and death, human connections, and enduring cultural rituals through evocative photographs of tradition and emotion. BEHIND THE PLANTS Wayan Barre documents Cancer Alley residents facing pollution and economic challenges, shedding light on their resilience and the impacts of environmental injustice. THE RED POPPY AND THE SUN By blending archival and contemporary images, Mei Seva creates a visual story that captures the ongoing struggles and moments of triumph for those impacted by displacement and circumstance. FIRE AND FORGE Alexandros Zilos delves deep into the harsh reality of sulfur mining, while also capturing the allure of the blue fire phenomenon created by sulfur deposits in the crater. IN-VISIBLE PAIN Through black and white self-portraiture, Isabelle Coordes brings to light the stark reality of living with chronic pain — a reality often dismissed by a world that requires physical evidence to believe in one’s suffering. CELEBRATION OF LIFE Ahsanul Haque Fahim's photography captures Holi in Bangladesh, celebrating life with vibrant colors and reflecting human emotions, diversity, and interconnectedness in Dhaka's streets. KOALA COUNTRY Sean Paris invites viewers on a transformative journey, challenging our perceptions and fostering a new appreciation for rural Australia through mesmerizing infrared photography. MOMMIE Arlene Gottfried’s poignant exploration of motherhood in “Mommie” is not just a collection of photographs but a profound tribute to the enduring bonds of family and the universal experiences of love, loss, and resilience. BIFRÖST Amidst the breathtaking scenery of Norway, Romain Coudrier discovered the allure of rare light and subtle shades, immortalizing each moment in striking black and white with every click of his camera shutter. MUD Dedipya Basak's documentary project explores the struggle of an 800 year old lake against the impacts of global warming, revealing its continued relevance and urgent story in today’s changing climate.