I try to document the little moments of beauty that exist in the spaces in-between us all. I'm self taught and learn through experiencing the streets, the energy, the characters and allow the moment and the camera to work together. Photography is not just an art, but life to me. LUCAS JOHN I try to document the little moments of beauty that exist in the spaces in-between us all. I'm self taught and learn through experiencing the streets, the energy, the characters and allow the moment and the camera to work together. Photography is not just an art, but life to me. LOCATION UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Fujifilm XE-3, Ricoh GR II @LUCASJOHN_PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES // Moments of Beauty

PICTORIAL STORY RESILIENT BRONX As the pandemic swept through the outer boroughs of New York City, Pan turned his focus to the Bronx — venturing out to document the everyday lives, struggles, and strength of his community in a time of crisis. August 27, 2021 PICTORIAL STORY photography PAN story PAN introduction BILL LACEY SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link In August 2021, with most New Yorkers vaccinated and its streets returning to life, it’s tempting to consider a full return to normal even as many countries on the globe struggle to vaccinate their populations before variants wreak havoc. It is too early to fully understand how the pandemic has changed the way we think, see, and listen. Early on, when New York was in truly desperate shape and the pandemic raged in the outer boroughs of New York City, the photographer known as Pan ventured out to document his neighborhood, the Bronx. His pictures and story document his very personal journey to understand the effects of the pandemic on his community. The Bronx fights a pandemic and for its people. In March 2020, news of an epidemic arrived, and then news of ensuing closures of businesses. I went to the taqueria down the block for what might be the last time. I chatted with the owner and two other gentlemen waiting for tortas. “They are not thinking about us here. What are we going to do?” Someone I know made his escape upstate. “But there’s nothing else that can be done.” “No, no, no. Something must be done.” I decided to take on a project, of walking around the Bronx, to every neighborhood my feet would take me, and photographing the scenes of loss, hope, trouble, and resilience. For thirty days, from May 10 to June 8, every day, I walked the streets, looking......looking for messages of resilience...looking for memorials to those who succumbed...looking for people who were getting by...looking for corners where normal life flickered on. With the quarantine, barbers got enterprising and took their business any way they could. As I mentioned about the barber shop, getting a shave and a cut is meaningful to men in the Bronx in a way outsiders might not understand. A quarantine could not lock down that essential part of the culture. So, a lot of barbers had to hide in parks or under bridges or wherever to serve their clientele. I respect the spirit of doing what needs to be done, and also the optimism of my friend who is getting a touch-up here, who didn’t let the quarantine get in the way of looking good. In Devoe Park, there is a woman just exercising, shooting hoops. Except, the police took away the hoop. In March, the police immediately took down the nets and sometimes even the hoops in basketball courts in the Bronx, citing the need to discourage social gatherings. Yet, when I went into Manhattan during the spring, the basketball courts were intact, and games were taking place. We all hear calls from government and media to consider social distancing, wear masks, think of public health, but that the enforcement of policies to encourage public health would be meted out along blatantly racial lines is one of the most discouraging elements of the response to COVID-19. That basketball would be acceptable to white people in Manhattan, but discouraged for people of color in the Bronx, does an enormous amount of damage to the entire program to overcome the disease. It sends out distrust of the message as yet another racist message imposed by authorities, as yet another means to control and limit the life of people in this community who are just trying to get by. I was walking by in Bedford Park and saw a woman wearing a wonderfully timely shirt. Her son is a basketball coach, but with the closing of schools, he had to turn to other means to work up some money, so he was designing and screen printing these t-shirts, and selling them, with the help of his mother. I love that kind of spirit in response to the disaster that was imposed on the people of the Bronx. When I took the photograph, a guy told me, “She’s the real deal, that’s my aunt.” During Memorial Weekend, in the Morris Park neighborhood. Spring was chilly in New York, and that weekend was the first that was reliably warm and pleasant. It was two months into the quarantine, and people were anxious to get out and just live. I walked all the way to Orchard Beach that day and saw parts of the Bronx very different from the neighborhoods I am familiar with, such as this one. The people here could not be more different than me, but we all had the same desire, to enjoy the sun. Then... Two weeks into my sojourn, George Floyd was coldly murdered in Minnesota. Here in the Bronx, people took to the streets. On these streets, people were speaking out, marching, saying their names, and showing their faces. Here are voices that demand to be heard, messages that demand to be read, demands that can no longer be ignored. There is Japanese saying, “fall down seven times, get up eight.” We all need words to get us through, get by, and keep on going in these tough times. It’s as simple as that. © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan As we slowly come out of the pandemic and begin to rebuild our lives and communities, it is important to remember the devastation of the past year and reflect on the lessons we have learned. Pan's personal journey to document the effects of the pandemic on his community is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, and of our interconnectedness in the face of adversity. view Pan's portfolio Read an interview with Pan >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> 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 >>> COLORS OF HÜZÜN Through fragments and gestures, Pedro Vidal traces Istanbul as shared melancholy lingers in everyday life, the city unfolding slowly and refusing to settle into a single, definitive understanding. OUT OF PLAY An exploration of abandoned interiors in which Marco Lugli examines how objects, light, and space carry memory beyond human presence, establishing absence as a condition of material continuity rather than loss. REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape.

PICTORIAL STORY IN-VISIBLE PAIN Isabelle Coordes makes the unseen seen — through black and white self-portraits, she reveals the quiet weight of chronic pain in a world that demands proof to believe. August 2, 2024 PICTORIAL STORY photography ISABELLE COORDES story MELANIE MEGGS SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link In this profound and evocative series In-Visible Pain , Isabelle Coordes delves deep into the enigmatic world of chronic pain, presenting a raw, unfiltered narrative through her art. This work is not just a collection of images; it is a visceral exploration of the silent, often misunderstood struggle that millions living with chronic pain endure daily. Isabelle, a self-taught amateur photographer from Münster, Germany, uses her keen eye and intimate understanding of human experience to make the invisible visible. Through black and white self-portraiture, Isabelle 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. Her photography transcends mere visual art; it is a compelling dialogue between the seen and the unseen, the spoken and the unspoken. In her images, we witness the haunting presence of pain, not as a mere symptom, but as a profound aspect of the human condition. In this project, Isabelle offers insights into her visual diary. Documenting her chronic pain over the course of several months was a transformative experience for Isabelle. In using her camera as a catalyst, she was able to shed light on the parts of herself that had never been visible before, revealing layers of stored trauma and grief. “When you become your own observer through the eye of the camera, you are gaining a new perspective on yourself. You may see yourself in a new light. You may even develop more compassion for yourself. And this can be a cathartic experience.” Isabelle's background as a Speech-Language Therapist and her extensive studies in Human Medicine, Psychology, Communication Sciences, and Linguistics enrich her photographic narrative. Her systemic approach to understanding humans within their social networks is evident in her compassionate portrayal of isolation and resilience. These themes resonate deeply in her work, reflecting her belief that no one is an island and highlighting the interconnectedness of our experiences. In In-Visible Pain , Isabelle’s camera acts as a mirror, revealing her inner struggles and encouraging viewers to join her on a personal journey. Her ability to capture the profound significance of her solitary existence and the intricate nuance of her pain demonstrates her deep empathy and keen observational skills. Each image serves as a testament to Isabelle as a visual storyteller, evoking deep contemplation and inviting diverse interpretations. “You cannot objectify chronic pain. It is invisible. No brain scan proves it; no blood test shows it. There is no evidence for the hell you are going through. It’s all in your head. And it is mighty real.” These words resonate deeply for many who suffer from chronic pain — a condition that defies conventional medical diagnostics and is often met with skepticism. Chronic pain is an enigma, a relentless tormentor that leaves no physical marks, no tangible evidence for others to see. It is a silent struggle, often dismissed as imagined or exaggerated. Yet, for those who endure it daily, its reality is undeniable. For Isabelle, chronic pain has been a relentless companion since childhood. “I have been suffering from chronic pain since I was a little girl. The fact that nobody found any explanation for it made it clear to me that I had to endure it. It became a given to me which I learned to ignore as much as I could.” This adaptation became a survival mechanism for Isabelle, an ingrained response to a world that didn't understand. Ignoring the pain became second nature, a necessary means to navigate life. However, chronic pain is not a consistent companion; it ebbs and flows, arriving unexpectedly and wreaking havoc on your daily life. Isabelle recounts years spent seeking every possible remedy, from medications to holistic approaches, all in the hope of finding a permanent solution. Yet, each attempt provided only temporary relief. “The pain always returned, more forceful, more frightening.” The burden of chronic pain rarely comes alone, turning life into a battle on multiple fronts. Despite these challenges, Isabelle remained determined to meet responsibilities and live up to personal expectations. Distraction became a coping mechanism, a way to push through the darkness. “Sometimes, the pain brought friends along, also known as Depression and Anxiety. It was getting more and more difficult to ignore it. Still, I kept myself busy with fulfilling my duties and meeting up with the standards I had set for my life.” But there comes a breaking point, a moment when the body and mind can no longer endure the constant strain. “Until I realized that my body was no longer willing to obey. Until I realized that medication no longer brought relief. Until I realized that I had to make room for the stuff I had been pushing down for so long.” This profound realization marked a turning point in her journey. This confrontation with reality took a profound and creative turn. Isabelle turned to self-portraiture, using the camera as a tool for introspection and revelation. “One step on the way for me was to make the invisible visible. In portraying myself throughout this process, I came face-to-face with my truth. I took off the mask and explored what was beneath it.” Through her lens, Isabelle uncovered layers of denial and avoidance, recognizing the vicious cycle of suffering. The camera became a mirror, reflecting hidden struggles that words could not capture. “My camera became the only witness when there were no words left. For the first time in my life, I saw how I kept myself stuck in a vicious cycle. I began to understand that the pain is nothing to be pushed against, nothing to be ignored, but instead: a messenger that deserves to be heard.” Embracing this perspective marked the beginning of a journey towards understanding and healing. By documenting the pain through self-portraiture, Isabelle has brought the unseen into focus, confronting the profound and personal truth of chronic pain. This powerful visual narrative not only offers a cathartic release but also invites viewers to witness and acknowledge the dismissed reality of chronic pain. In this body of work, we witness an artist bravely confronting her tormentor, turning her pain into a powerful visual and emotional narrative. The self-portraits uncover the hidden reality of chronic pain, inviting the viewer to witness and acknowledge its often denied existence. This work stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of art in the face of profound personal struggle. © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes Isabelle Coordes’ work is a beacon of hope and understanding. Born from a lifetime of enduring chronic pain, Isabelle’s work challenges the societal norms that demand physical evidence for validation. Her camera became a tool for introspection and revelation, unveiling the hidden layers of trauma and resilience that define her journey. “One step on the way for me was to make the invisible visible,” she reflects, capturing the essence of her artistic mission. Her dedication to portraying the diverse facets of life, coupled with her passion for connection, underscores the transformative power of art. As a member of Progressive Street and an ambassador for the 24hourproject , she champions the belief that together, we can be the change we want to see in the world. Ultimately, Isabelle invites us all to contemplate our perceptions of pain, empathy, and the transformative potential of visual storytelling. Her dedication to shedding light on the often-overlooked realities of chronic pain is deeply appreciated by The Pictorial List . We commend her unwavering spirit and commitment, which serve as a potent force for cultivating empathy and igniting profound social change through the medium of art. view Isabelle Coordes' 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 >>> COLORS OF HÜZÜN Through fragments and gestures, Pedro Vidal traces Istanbul as shared melancholy lingers in everyday life, the city unfolding slowly and refusing to settle into a single, definitive understanding. OUT OF PLAY An exploration of abandoned interiors in which Marco Lugli examines how objects, light, and space carry memory beyond human presence, establishing absence as a condition of material continuity rather than loss. REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape.

THE CURIOSITY GAP Samuel Ioannidis is a photographer who searches for beauty through light, color, and lines, communicating his story and generating a curiosity gap for the viewer. THE CURIOSITY GAP February 10, 2023 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Samuel Ioannidis INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Samuel Ioannidis stands on the street, camera in hand, looking to capture the moments that unfold around him. Having always had an eye for capturing moments, Samuel bought his first real camera four years ago and has never looked back. His passion for street photography has led him on a journey of exploration and discovery, unearthing hidden gems and unexpected beauty in his home city and beyond. Rather than a fleeting glance at the world around him, Samuel is driven to capture a glimpse into the stories that reside in his photographs; to capture a piece of time and to communicate his story through his images. His goal is to create images that captivate and draw viewers into a curiosity gap, a contrast to the dizzying pace of modern life and social media. “I wanted to see the world through my lens, with lines and forms that reminded me of geometry. When I put this together I set myself up as a photographer who searches for beauty through light, color, and lines.” IN CONVERSATION WITH SAMUEL IOANNIDIS THE PICTORIAL LIST: Hello Samuel, please tell us about yourself. What would you say first drew you to photography? SAMUEL IOANNIDIS: I was born in Nuremberg, Germany, as a child of immigrants from Greece that came to Germany in 1960. Growing up here in Nuremberg, in my youth, I first came in contact with my fathers camera. I remember fondly of taking the holiday photographs with disposable cameras back then. I think that is what drew me into photography, having the responsibility for the family photographs and I liked it. TPL: You told us that you are obsessed with street photography. What is it that you love about this genre? How would you describe your photography, and what would you say you are always trying to achieve artistically? What is the story you want to tell with your photographs? SI: When I moved out of my parents place I lost the connection to photography for several years. Then I bought a cheap point & shoot camera for my vacations and tried to take some nice shots with it. But still, it didn't ‘click’ just yet for me. Then I remember seeing a Fuji X-E1 at the house of a friend and somehow I fell in love with the design, the look and feel, just the all around aesthetics of this camera. I bought a used Fuji X-E1 and was hooked again into photography. I got my first taste of street photography after attending a public street photo walk with a local street photo collective. The possibilities of taking photographs just being on the streets in the middle of daily life amazes me still today. The last couple of years, my style has moved towards a more minimalistic style. I try to avoid too many colors and concentrate on compositions with high contrast scenes. Artistically I want to achieve photographs that generate a curiosity gap for the viewer, capturing their attention for longer than a second, as a contrast to the fast paced social media. To be honest, I don’t try to tell a specific story with my photographs. I use my intuition and let it lead me without searching for a specific story. But I definitely do want to explore storytelling and thinking of creating a series in the future. TPL: Could you tell us what living in Nuremberg, Germany has inspired in your work? What special qualities unique to your town/city influence your street and the way you portray your community? Outside of your hometown do you have/had a favorite place to photograph? SI: Nuremberg has many sides. You can find many historical buildings in the old city centre with a rich history, but also many new and modern buildings that you can integrate in your photography. There is also a very active photography community you can find for any genre. I'm an active member of a local street photography collective, Nürnberg Unposed Collective (www.n ürnbergunposed.de), where I have found my photographic “home” so to say. Outside of my hometown I would love to visit New York City and Brooklyn again. But also the capitals of Europe are a destination for me in the future. TPL: When you take pictures, do you usually have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? Please describe your process. SI: Inspired by my favorite street photographer Siegfried Hansen, I try to use a concept the most of the time. Which means I am trying to set myself so called triggers. If I go out taking photographs, for example, one of those triggers could be a specific color that someone wears, or for example, hats. Of course I don’t close myself off to other opportunities, which means I'm also on the lookout for good and soft light. But it helps to keep me focused if I already have an idea of what I want to achieve on a specific street session. TPL: What is the most rewarding part of being a street photographer for you? What are some challenges that you have faced? SI: The most rewarding thing I am experiencing has to do a lot with the street photography community, here in Germany, and elsewhere. Especially my good friends from the Nuremberg Unposed Collective. We consider ourselves like a small group of sworn-in good friends or even family who want to raise the acceptance of street photography here in Germany by organising exhibitions and meetups (small and big). But of course, also to have a lot of fun in the process. The biggest challenge so far, which continues to be my biggest challenge, is to keep my motivation up, especially if there are days where you don't have any photograph that you like. But I think the key to stay motivated is to stay humble, and to just appreciate the scenes and photographs that are not the best you have encountered yet. TPL: Is it impossible for you not to be constantly on the lookout for a moment to be captured? SI: Good question! Never thought about this, but yes. Definitely! I find myself keeping on the lookout, even if I don't have any specific camera with me (except my cellphone´s cam) or while running errands. But not always, as life is happening and is sometimes also very stressful. That's why I see photography also as a method of mindfulness meditation. Artistically I want to achieve photographs that generate a curiosity gap for the viewer, capturing their attention for longer than a second, as a contrast to the fast paced social media. TPL: How do you manage a work/photography balance? SI: If you are motivated it always seems easier to find time. But yes, a sort of plan during the week for some hours where you will be only focusing on my photography helps to stay in the ‘flow’. TPL: Do you have any favorite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? SI: Too many, that I can't mention here because the list would be too long. But I want to mention all those street photography collectives and solo street photographers in Germany that are part of a wonderful and great community. But to play by the rules, I will mention two of them: German street photographer Siegfried Hansen, who has helped me and many others also finding their own styles by establishing a specific system. Street photographer Pia Parolin, for her amazing energy, motivation and effort she puts into her work. Not only in her own photography, but also in many other fields. Like her great books, projects and her community work. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to shoot alongside for a day...who would you choose? And why? SI: Joel Meyerowitz. He was one of the first street photographers that I have spent time researching about him, his photographs and specific style. I'm quite sure he is a great mentor. TPL: What was the first camera you ever held in your hand, brought to eye, and released a shutter on? What is the camera you use now and your preferred focal length? Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Is there anything on your wishlist? SI: The first camera I ever have used was a one-time use analog camera when I was a kid and used them every once in a while during my youth. The first real camera was also an analog point and shoot camera from Canon. Many years later (around 2015), I just had the urge to get a camera for my vacations. A friend of mine showed me his Fujifilm X-E1 and I was totally hooked from the design, look and feel and the all-over aesthetics and wonderful colors. Since then I have stayed with Fujifilm. I use an Xpro3 at the moment. I love the design with the hidden monitor that helps you stay in the Flow, but also the rangefinder style of this camera. My preferred focal lengths are 23mm and 35mm (APS-C). To experiment a little bit more I am planning on getting a 50mm lens. But my all round focal length is and will be 35mm. To me personally it is very important to have a camera that you love to take in your hand because of its aesthetics, but also because you know it perfectly in and out. Of course I could take street photographs with any smartphone or any other camera as well. But I would always prefer my Fuji Xpro3 in every sense. TPL: Are there any special projects that you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? What are some of your photography goals? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? SI: I am proud to announce that my good friends and I from Nuremberg Unposed Collective are hosting the annual street photography community meetup in our hometown Nuremberg on the 8th of July. More information can be found at: www.meetandstreet.de . It is a meetup of the German street photography scene where we just meet, talk and have fun together. But we will host also a public gallery with prints from the community that everybody can take with them and give a voluntarily donation. We are also working together with a local charity organisation for social projects. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… SI: Enjoy the company of my good friends and go to the cinema.” Samuel Ioannidis is an example of how creativity and passion can lead to exploration and discovery. His talent for street photography has allowed him to uncover hidden gems and unexpected beauty, both in his home city and further afield. Through his images, Samuel is able to capture moments that are not only captivating but also provide a contrast to the dizzying pace of modern life and social media. VIEW SAMUEL'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. 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.

BARE ESSENTIALS Shira Gold created a series of composite still lifes interrogating the patterns of human behavior and consumerism through Covid-19 in Canada. BARE ESSENTIALS April 22, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Shira Gold INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE As the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded, the world experienced a collective sense of insecurity and uncertainty. With changes to our everyday lives felt all around us, Vancouver based photographer Shira Gold was driven to examine the psychological and economic effects the pandemic had on consumerism and our behavior. Through her project BARE ESSENTIALS, Shira captures the essence of these fleeting moments, exploring how our relationship with mundane objects has shifted during times of crisis and uncertainty. With a focus on still life and landscapes as metaphors for themes common to us all, Shira’s photographs provide visual respite and a means to focus on intention and simplicity. By deconstructing and digesting the experiences that shaped us during this time, BARE ESSENTIALS shows us how we have adapted in order to survive, as well as holds up a mirror to reflect on the effects that our behaviors have on our environment. In this article for The Pictorial List, Shira takes us back to the beginning of the pandemic to discuss her project and how it has helped her to explore art's intersection with mental health and well-being. “In this series, I created conceptual portraits of utilizing these banal commonplace items made valuable through the threat of scarcity — manipulating their form to visually convey their meteoric metamorphosis into often elusive objects of desire. As they seemingly drift through the frame suspended in light - their beauty is ephemeral, undermined by the realization of their functionality, effect on daily life and the environment. The images take on a spectral and slightly ironic quality, calling attention to the dependence on single use goods, supply chain and the newly emerging consumer hierarchy exposed during the early days of the pandemic. These are the ‘bare essentials’ of our private lives.” IN CONVERSATION WITH SHIRA GOLD THE PICTORIAL LIST: Shira please tell us about yourself? SHIRA GOLD: I was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, a city surrounded by temperate rainforests, the Pacific Ocean, and incredible mountains. The city is a convergence of multiple cultures, tourism, outdoor adventure and a ton of film-making. Although I have lived in short fits and spurts elsewhere, Vancouver is my home. It’s where I work and live… a constant source of inspiration. TPL: What draws you to photography and art? How did your journey into photography begin? SG: My mother was an administrator at Arts Umbrella a visual and performing arts school for young people and had a great many creatives as friends, so I was raised around art and artists. I attended Arts Umbrella several days a week and explored a variety of art forms. When I was 11, I began taking darkroom photography. After just a few weeks I knew that photography was a way to articulate my internal voice and sensed it would become a vital part of shaping my world. In a word the experience was magical. To have found such a profound form of self-expression at that age felt like the greatest gift imaginable. It can be a bumpy road to growing up and having a camera to use as armour, and also as a means to engage with others, was incredibly important for an introverted extrovert like myself. When I had my camera with me, I felt fearless. In looking back at those early years experimenting with the camera and in post, it’s interesting to see that my aesthetic was already being formed. There were nods to minimalism and negative space, experimentation printing on mixed media, and compositions that involved multiple exposures both in camera in in the darkroom. Today, I am realizing my childhood dream and have a studio on Granville Island (one of the jewels of Vancouver) right across from the front door of Arts Umbrella, the school that introduced me to my future. I share the space with one of the most motivated and positive artists I know, abstract painter Amy Stewart @amystewart…full circle…full heart. TPL: Introduce your series BARE ESSENTIALS to us. How and why did this first manifest for you? What is the full story behind the project? What was the inspiration? SG: The initial months of the pandemic, when we were told to live and work within the confines of our homes, was a period where I took inventory of my life. I used the time to reflect on my priorities as a person and consider the importance of contributing good to the world. When I make art, I most often utilize narratives from my life as a catalyst. “Bare Essentials” was born from reflection on my fears of Covid personally and its impact on the community and the environment. I was incredibly moved by how the often-invisible essential workers faced the risks each day to maintain the supply chains and keep producing to keep food on our shelves in the midst of such chaos. I learned in these moments the importance of recognizing everyone for what they contribute to society. In the spring of 2020, after multiple unsuccessful hunts for ever-elusive essential goods, I humbly turned to online ordering of toilet paper, disposable masks and hand sanitizer. The oversized box arrived with much anticipation. Opening with delight, the relief was short-lived as reality hit – each item carefully wrapped in bubble-wrap, an almost comedic and devastating visual commentary of early pandemic times. I kept the packaging as a reminder of my contribution to the environmental impact of the pandemic and how I succumbed to the culture of fear driven consumption. Reflecting back on these moments informed and shaped the body of work BARE ESSENTIALS. The collection of composite still life imagery in BARE ESSENTIALS interrogates patterns of human behavior and consumerism as they were affected by Covid-19 in North America. Prior to the world being upended by the pandemic, everyday products such as toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, masks and other disposable goods were generally assumed to be in endless supply with little awareness of the complex systems that deliver them to retail. As the world shut down, these basic items suddenly became scarce, panic purchasing ensued causing goods to fly off the shelves often into the homes of those hoarding against imminent disaster. This abrupt shift in purchasing habits laid bare several uncomfortable truths about our culture of consumption while shining a light on the vital work of vulnerable workers tasked with creating manufacturing and distributing items for our basic comfort. In this series, I created conceptual portraits of utilizing these banal commonplace items made valuable through the threat of scarcity — manipulating their form to visually convey their meteoric metamorphosis into often elusive objects of desire. As they seemingly drift through the frame suspended in light - their beauty is ephemeral, undermined by the realization of their functionality, effect on daily life and the environment. The images take on a spectral and slightly ironic quality, calling attention to the dependence on single use goods, supply chain and the newly emerging consumer hierarchy exposed during the early days of the pandemic. These are the ‘bare essentials’ of our private lives. 'Covert' © Shira Gold 'Pulp Dreams' © Shira Gold 'Elusive Pursuit' © Shira Gold 'Undone' © Shira Gold 'Ephemeral Findings' © Shira Gold 'Wavelength' © Shira Gold 'Keepsakes' © Shira Gold 'It's Complicated' © Shira Gold 'Hide' © Shira Gold TPL: Talk to us about your method of working and experimentation before the final image. Did you know exactly what you wanted from the beginning? How long did each image take to create? SG: I have always worked a bit like a ‘mad scientist’, experimenting with new materials and new methods. How I go about realizing the final concept is often a messy and playful experience, which is a juxtaposition from post where everything is very precise and particular. My approach to creating work has never been linear, however the materials I ultimately use to convey the messaging in my series are always clear. I couldn’t guess how long each piece takes but there is generally a lot of revision. I most often work on multiple pieces at a time as I find it helps me not over work individual images and it tend to help me with eye fatigue. I will say that for as much as my art is rooted in minimalism, my work is deceptively time consuming. TPL: Does your project "Bare Essentials" differ from your previous work? Is this type of visual storytelling something you would like to pursue again in future projects? What do you think is your next chapter in your exploration with future projects? SG: BARE ESSENTIALS is a natural progression from my previous series THE FINE ART OF LETTING GO where I used mostly simple materials and found objects - combining them to tell a story. I think each series I have made relies heavily on visual metaphors and most often involves composite images. In “Bare Essentials” I evolved to incorporated scanography (utilizing flatbed scanners) along with traditional photography and light boxes as alternative light sources in my compositions. The materials I used were toilet paper, disposable masks, hand sanitizer, facial tissue, paper towel and plexiglass. I think my art will always be tied to my personal observations and experiences, and the stories flow naturally. I have just recently completed a new series entitled “By a Thread” which also incorporates photography and scanography, and I am gradually developing a series about neurodiversity…a body of work I have been cultivating for the last few years. My art is alert to the discomfort we all face in our daily lives and I want to turn pain and angst on its side to discover the beauty that accompanies our struggles. TPL: Do you have any favorite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? SG: Yukari Chikura’s work is profoundly moving, quiet, and powerful. She created a book entitled “Zaido” based on her documentation of the 1300 year old Japanese ritual by the same name. Yukari lost her father (something I can relate to as I lost my Mother at 26) and he came to her in a dream urging her to go to the village where he had lived a long time ago. The work documents her pilgrimage. I love the work of Ingrid Weyland. Her art focuses on the fragility of the environment in such a beautiful poignant way through creative landscapes. I love how she reimagines traditional landscape photography and find her art to be very thought provoking. My favorite painter is Gordon A. Smith. He is a Canadian modernist painter who lived to 99 years old and made a massive impact on the arts community in Canada. He was very much inspired by British Columbia landscapes and would incorporate collage in some of his series. Gordon A. Smith gave back to the community in many ways, through his creations and through his Marion & Gordon Smith Foundation which supports arts education. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to photograph with for a day...who would you choose? SG: Photography is a solitary practice for me. Though I adore so many photographers work, I choose to make imagery on my own. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? How much post-processing do you do? SG: I consider myself an emotive photographer and lean less on the actual equipment and more on synchronizing my eye and camera with my heart and mind, and then see the subject and concept expressed through composition and digital collage in post. I have a very lean camera bag - I shoot with a D800 and often use Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII together with my 55mm and 85mm prime lenses. 'Musings' © Shira Gold 'Current Fixations' © Shira Gold 'Torn Sheets' © Shira Gold 'Catch & Release' © Shira Gold 'Four Squares' © Shira Gold 'With or With You' © Shira Gold 'Two Ply' © Shira Gold TPL: Do you have a favourite art inspired quote or saying that resonates with you? SG: “You start blocking out things, and that's a really important part of taking a picture is the ability to isolate what you're - what you're concentrating on.” - Sally Mann Sally Mann was the first photographer I really connected with, and I could go on and on about how formative her work was. Her imagery really captivated me. My mom shared an article about her series “Immediate Family.” And I was transfixed. She has so many wonderful quotes! I love this one because it expresses exactly how I feel. Blocking out the noise is a huge part of my practice. When I am photographing everything around me, the busyness of my mind disappears, and I often am told there is a strong sense of stillness in my photos. For me that’s a great compliment as it means that my practice translates through in my imagery. TPL: Is there any advice that you would give yourself if you started photography all over again? SG: Find your community earlier. I always had the idea that to be an “artist” one needed to be a certain way. As I got older and found my people (I joined a female artist collective Thrive Artist Network and began working with an incredible art consultant Pennylane Shen @dazed.and.confusious) I really came to understand that artists are everyone in their own way. I think I spent too much time concerning myself with the concept of belonging. Feeling like an outsider didn’t hinder me from creating but it did prevent me from showing my work to a greater audience. Today there are so many opportunities to connect virtually, and for shy people such as myself it can feel a little easier to meet people online. Seek out those wonderful resources and find your people…Once you do…It might just change your life like it did mine. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… SG: Be with family. I love the small moments, walking in the woods, collecting sea glass with my kids, making meals together. These times are central to who I am. Hanging out with my family and being a part of the everyday is a precious gift. I also adore live music and cannot wait to take in a concert again! Photography became Shira's applied therapy. With each frame she made, Shira began to learn more about herself as well as, what has shaped the person she has become. Thank you Shira for taking the time to share with us your art and inspirations behind it. VIEW SHIRA'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. 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.

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 Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE 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 >>> WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. 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.

I was born in Parma, Italy, where I completed my studies in the humanities and communication fields. I approached digital photography in my thirties, fascinated by the magical power of this artistic medium that is unique in fixing a moment and making it eternal. Time is the focus of my photographic research, the nostalgic time of the past from which to resurrect ancient buildings today in decay, and the time of the future, projected into minimal visions of modern architecture with futuristic forms and abstract colors. Forms, lines, space. Fundamental even in its negative meaning of empty space. In addition to time in space, color. Another key word in my works is colour, not as an adjective or declination of other subjects, but, a subject itself, a feeling and a photographic alphabet. Photography is a mirror of one's inner world; an aesthetic beauty of rules and exceptions. GABRIELE GENTILE I was born in Parma, Italy, where I completed my studies in the humanities and communication fields. I approached digital photography in my thirties, fascinated by the magical power of this artistic medium that is unique in fixing a moment and making it eternal. Time is the focus of my photographic research, the nostalgic time of the past from which to resurrect ancient buildings today in decay, and the time of the future, projected into minimal visions of modern architecture with futuristic forms and abstract colors. Forms, lines, space. Fundamental even in its negative meaning of empty space. In addition to time in space, color. Another key word in my works is colour, not as an adjective or declination of other subjects, but, a subject itself, a feeling and a photographic alphabet. Photography is a mirror of one's inner world; an aesthetic beauty of rules and exceptions. LOCATION Parma ITALY CAMERA/S Fujifilm XT3 WEBSITE http://www.vetroviola.it @VETROVIOLA FEATURES // De-sidera

LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA South Australian photographer Alex Frayne's new book is a comprehensive photographic homage to his big and beautiful backyard. LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA December 7, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Alex Frayne INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE With a 8mm camera in hand, Alex Frayne has been capturing the beauty and resilience of South Australia's landscapes for over 20 years. He has documented his travels through short films, a feature film and still photography, earning much acclaim for his Adelaide Noir and Theatre of Life series and books. Now, Alex is embarking on a new journey to document the timeless and daunting beauty of his home state in his upcoming book, 'Landscapes of South Australia'. Through his honest and artistic approach, Frayne hopes to capture the rugged beauty and strength of the landscapes, as well as the marginal farming opportunities and a kind of rusted beauty that speaks of resilience and the triumph of human spirit. In this interview for The Pictorial List, Alex takes us on a journey to explore South Australia's vast and stunning terrain, giving us an insight into what it can mean to capture such beauty through his powerful images and narrative. “The idea for a series dedicated to landscapes has its genesis in my early career in filmmaking. One of the assets of South Australia is the plethora of wide open landscapes of incredible diversity we have here. I had always intended to shoot the landscapes either as part of a film or as part of a photographic series. Having a rural upbringing also played a part; I saw the world around me and wanted to depict that world in a way that was artistic.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ALEX FRAYNE THE PICTORIAL LIST: Alex, please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? ALEX FRAYNE: I think from the age of ten, I have had cameras around me. My mother bought me an 8mm movie camera in the early 90's and from there I moved into 35mm while studying filmmaking at Flinders University. Indeed my pedigree in film-making looms large in my photographic work, despite photography being my primary 'form'. Though born in the United Kingdom, (my Australian parents were studying there in the 70's) I have lived the majority of my life in South Australia and currently reside there. TPL: Tell us more about your project LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. What was your motivation to make it a book? AF: The idea for a series dedicated to landscapes has its genesis in my early career in filmmaking. One of the assets of South Australia is the plethora of wide open landscapes of incredible diversity we have here. I had always intended to shoot the landscapes either as part of a film or as part of a photographic series. Having a rural upbringing also played a part; I saw the world around me and wanted to depict that world in a way that was artistic. To achieve that, I needed to suffuse the work in honesty and integrity. It meant that I needed to eschew all the notions and stereotypes that existed about landscape photography and South Australia. I needed to create a 'tabula rasa' so that the work could not be linked to pre-conceived notions of South Australia, or movies, or tourism or tropes that float about in my visual memory. This process of "erasure" is key to starting a new project, I feel. The new book LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA is a large, hardcover 216 page art tome which will be in shops for Christmas. I've been working on it this year with the designer Nick Phillips. Wakefield Press are publishing it, they've been very patient and loyal across this and my previous two books, 'Adelaide Noir' and 'Theatre of Life'. Michael Bollen is the boss at Wakefield Press, he works tirelessly at the helm. TPL: Your photographs tell a story and they have this special quality of light and richness of colour...all the quality of cinematography. Is storytelling actually a big part of your photography? AF: Yes colour and light and composition. These are the tools I use. Composition, specifically comes from my cinema heritage, as in the French phrase "mise-en-scene" which means "the arrangement within the frame" or the spatial geometry that exists within a frame. In terms of storytelling, yes, there is an element of that in photography, but I think it's not front-of-mind for me when shooting. For me, more important are notions of mood, tone, dreams, sadness, joy and revelation. People may ascribe a story to a photo, but that's their business. It will inevitably be different to my notion of the story. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? And do you have a favourite place to photograph? AF: I love to photograph ghost towns or rust-belt places. I think Woomera and Tarcoola top the list here, because of the decay that is imbedded in the beautiful and remote areas where they are located. The juxtaposition of these 20th Century places set against the wilderness that eventually saw their demise is fascinating, photographically speaking. These places were all part of various "industries." Woomera was once a Space-Race outpost with cutting-edge technology and a rocket range. It was the place for the Anglo Australian cold-war rocket testing site. Tarcoola was a gold-rush town on the Trans-Continental Railway Line. Tarcoola is actually a proper ghost town - nobody lives there, as in NOBODY. It's difficult to reach, but rewarding, photographically because you are seeing how things are, how things were, and you're enveloped by an outback landscape that has existed forever. To the south, you're in the Gawler Ranges, on Barngala land, inhabited for 60,000 years, with trees like this one, standing there against time and space. TPL: Describe your style? Do you mainly focus on landscapes although I love your series "The Overseers of Street" where you shoot street portraiture. As a photographer sometimes you can get pigeonholed into a certain genre...what are your thoughts on this. What are some elements you always try to include in your photographs? AF: I think my style is free-flowing and improvised, a bit like jazz...It's unrestrained and unencumbered and low-tech. I shoot only analogue formats, my camera gear is probably worth less than 2 grand...but of course there are expenses in film stock and processing (but I develop my own black and whites.) I shoot 120 film and 35mm. So I create my own 'music' through my art, I really don't think too hard about genres and such...if my heart desires to shoot a street portrait series, I'll go and do it. My second book was a portrait book, 'Theatre of Life'. What I don't do is ask permission from anybody to do what I do. I don't sit around wondering what friends and colleagues or powers-that-be might think. That's not jazz, that's art by committee. Elements I include in my work are whatever elements are required to yield an emotional response; and that response is more important that format, sharpness, camera brand or film emulsion. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? AF: My favourite artists are the ones you've probably never heard of. The grass roots artists. The community artists, the rural artists, the art teachers in public schools, the amateurs and the older artists who've had to work in a factory their whole life and who have kept doing their hobby art. These people often they write to me asking if they can paint an image of mine to improve their technique. As far as major artists of influence I'd include Steinbeck, Miles Davis, the guitarist Allan Holdsworth and the noir-fiction writer James Ellroy. Frayne's eerily still urban landscapes have been likened in their classical framing and pervasive sense of strangeness in the familiar, to the work of Stanley Kubrick and Jeffrey Smart. - Simon Caterson, The Australian TPL: Do you have a favourite quote or saying that especially resonates with you? AF: Being a jazz nut I can't help but quote the great Miles Davis, who once wrote: "The real music is the silence and all the notes are only framing this silence." I think this applies to photography. It relates to using space, negative space and keeping the frame uncluttered. TPL: What motivates you to take photographs? Do you ever have any struggles in photography? AF: It's the same struggle that confronts most artists and that is the struggle of perpetually having to create new work that gives voice to the ideas that are always percolating away underneath the surface. The motivator can be variety of things. It can be artistic, commercial or in the best case, both. The motivator can also be boredom. If that is the case, taking photos is a sure-fire remedy. TPL: Describe what you love or hate about the camera you use? Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? AF: I only shoot film, though have used digital for some night work. I shoot with three cameras: a Yashica 6x6 124g medium format camera; a 6x9 Fuji camera also in medium format; and I shoot a Nikon FE 35mm camera for everything else. I love all these cameras in different ways, they're all film cameras, and if handled properly yield images that produce sparkling, element images that digital can never reach. Film has an emotional undercurrent in the image, it just looks better to me. For monochrome I usually shoot Kodak Tri-x, and I develop at home in a HC110 developer. My favorite lens is the 4 element Tessar 80mm lens in my Yashica. Film can also have challenges. In a story that I've told many times, I once took my rangefinder Fuji 6x9 camera up to the Riverland. I shot what I considered to be my some of my best work. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten to take the lens cap off - a mistake that can easily happen with rangefinder systems. A day later the lab called to tell me the developed slide film had "no density." That's a mistake you only make once. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? AF: Yes I've been around art since forever. I had great teachers all through school and Uni, and I am surrounded by great people in Adelaide in all the allied arts. Adelaide is the arts capital of Australia - my old Latin teacher would say..."quod erat demonstrandum," Adelaide is the Athens of the South. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Are there any special future projects that you would like to let everyone know about? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? AF: I think a goal is to continue being curious about the world! Without that, there is no anchor. I'd like to continue collaborating with other artists as I do from time to time and to continue working on my aesthetics. I think the notion of aesthetics is really wound up in how you view the world, which is really about how you understand your own place in the universe. This could take five years or fifty! Apart from the immediate project and book LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, I am also working on a project with theatre director Catherine Fitzgerald, it's called called DRY, and it recently received major Commission Funding. It's a play, and features some of my images as projections. It's slated to tour in October 2021...definitely worth a look, Catherine's a top notch director. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… AF: I'm usually on a sand-belt golf course somewhere! I play golf off a handicap of 8...and if you think photography is a tough caper, try playing golf...it's an impossible sport." In Alex's new book, he has shown us a side of Australia that is often overlooked and forgotten. His photos take us on an intimate journey through the beauty and honesty of the South Australian landscape. His photography speaks of resilience and the triumph of the human spirit. We are inspired by his work and encouraged to reflect on the beauty of his home state and the importance of preserving it for future generations. To join in the celebration of this work, we invite you to buy his book or tour Alex's website and Instagram and see the beautiful honesty of Australia for yourself. VIEW ALEX'S PORTFOLIO Buy LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. 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.

SOCIOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE Capturing the sociology of everyday life, searching for human faces and emotion, brings Neslihan Uslu closer to photojournalism. SOCIOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE March 11, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Neslihan Uslu INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Photography has the ability to capture and communicate stories in a way that no other medium can. For Neslihan Uslu, a Turkish-born photographer living in Antwerp, Belgium, photography is a way of life. Combining her studies in sociology and photography, her artistic practice is about uncovering the everyday stories of our lives. To her, the nuances of everyday life are the most powerful and beautiful stories that can be told. Neslihan's passion for documentary photography began three years ago when she moved to Antwerp. In her desire to learn more about this new city, she saw photography as the best way to do this. Every week she would focus on a different topic, seeking out the hidden stories that were hidden away in the streets of Antwerp. Her images are a reflection of her passion for looking at both the ordinary and extraordinary through a photographer’s eye. She looks for emotional moments and captures them in an honest and cinematic style, creating a visual dialogue of the beauty of everyday life. Neslihan Uslu's work is a powerful blend of fine art and photojournalism. It is a tribute to her dedication to capturing the subtle stories of our lives and the emotion that lies within them. Her work gives us a glimpse into hidden moments that many of us would never have the opportunity to witness. Through her lens, we can experience the intimate beauty of the everyday and appreciate the unique stories of our lives. “In my opinion, sociology is bold, but photography is even bolder. What I want to express with my photos is to convey events, social problems, situations, sometimes everyday life and routines as much as possible, to show real lives and feelings. I also want to do this by keeping the story plain and simple, without trying to transform or reproduce reality. Photography is already reproducing its reality through the eye of the photographer.” IN CONVERSATION WITH NESLIHAN USLU THE PICTORIAL LIST: Neslihan please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? NESLIHAN USLU: I was born and raised in Istanbul. I have been living in Antwerp for about 3 years. I've been the photographer of the family since I was young. But it was more about taking snapshots and recording everything. I started photography training in AFSAD (Ankara Photography Artists Association) the year I decided to study Sociology at the university in 2000. I feel like I’m still at home while developing photos in the dark room. During my 4-year university education, photography training and projects continued simultaneously. During this period, I also had the opportunity to participate in group exhibitions. My focus on documentary photography was continued with my thesis. This was the breaking point for me. While I was writing my thesis on "Othering and Labeling in Modern Era: Romani people living in Turkey”, I met many people, took many pictures and I had the opportunity to learn a lot about photography. That's why Josef Koudelka's Gypsies project is always very special to me. TPL: Tell us more about the series of images from Chinatown that you have shared with us. Could you elaborate a bit on your thoughts on the concept and how you manifested your ideas into a documentary project? NU: Actually, this short study is one of the first steps of my work on the “cultural importance of festivals and their perception in different cultures” that I want to do in the long run. Festivals are an impressive way to celebrate culture and traditions. At the same time, we come together with our loved ones and share happiness. It is important for cultural solidarity. In addition to this, it can evoke different emotions in different cultures. What I wanted to show was the difference and similarity of the emotions it aroused in people from different cultures through the Chinese New Year celebration. To put it better, it was the cultural perception of this celebration. Before the celebrations, I went to Chinatown many times and observed. That gave me the information about the photos I will be taking: where I should stand, from what point of view I will see. I don’t think I can easily tell a story that I don’t have an idea about, whether it is a documentary or a photojournalism. TPL: Sometimes you combine your Sociology into your Photography. What do you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? NU: In my opinion, sociology is bold, but photography is even bolder. What I want to express with my photos is to convey events, social problems, situations, sometimes everyday life and routines as much as possible, to show real lives and feelings. I also want to do this by keeping the story plain and simple, without trying to transform or reproduce reality. Photography is already reproducing its reality through the eye of the photographer. When I think of myself as a viewer, the photographs that awaken a feeling in me, make me ask myself questions and think critically feed me. I want them to inspire similar feelings in those who look at my photos as well. I believe that the more we present to the world, the greater steps we take for change and development. That's why Lewis Wickes Hine, the photographer and sociologist who documents child labor, is one of my idols. Hine's images of working children helped change the nation's labor laws. Through his photography, Lewis Hine made a difference in the lives of American workers and, most importantly, American children. I'm trying to include the connection between the sense of place and people in my photographs. I think this allows me to tell my photo stories more powerfully. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration to photograph? NU: I find my inspiration in history. Everything that has witnessed history means a lot to me. Maybe that's why I love to chat with old people and listen to them, to go around antique markets and second-hand bookstores. TPL: Do you have a favourite place to photograph? NU: Everywhere that I can find documentary photos and stories. To be honest, I think the events and the connections you establish make the difference, not places. Nevertheless, the historical streets in İstanbul that start from Istiklal Street and end in Galata Tower are always a journey to my heart and my childhood. I also like to go to the old passages and shoot in low light conditions there. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? NU: There are many photographers and artists. Master photographers always inspire me, teach me to see and narrate. Dorothea Lange, Vivian Maier, Bieke Depoorter, Semiha Es, Ansel Adams, Sebastião Salgado, Alec Soth, Ara Güler, İzzet Keribar, Martin Parr, Josef Koudelka, Emin Özmen, Alex Webb…Their works play a big role in making me who I am. Cinema and my favorite directors also make me look at photography differently. I learn how to use tones, whether in monochrome or in color, and how to take dramatic photographs through cinema. I think it is necessary to keep the intense and fertile relationship between cinema and photography in order to do a good job in photography. Jean-Luc Godard expressed "Photography is truth. And cinema is truth 24 frames a second." I absolutely agree with this. At the same time, the magical world of cinema contributes to my imagination in every way. Vittorio De Sica, Lars Von Trier, Ken Loach, Nuri Bilge Ceylan have a special place in my heart. And all of my photographer friends who live in different places of the world. We also have a photography group called Antwerp Photo Collective in Antwerp and I am inspired by all of them. I find it historically and sociologically important to convey culture from generation to generation. Being able to explain a cultural structure that I know makes me feel both excited and responsible. We're losing so many memories and I want to keep them alive. TPL: Do you have a favourite quote, lyric or saying that especially resonates with you? NU: In an interview, Ken Loach says, “You have to find a story you have to tell. It should be a story that you must tell, not a story which might have been a good one when you tell.” I'm trying to do this with my camera. It takes me into photography, pushes me to research and learn. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? NU: I currently have equipment that I love very much. I use Fujifilm X-T3. I want to have a medium format camera in the long run. I take most of my photos with 35mm f/1.4 lens and 50mm f/1.8 lens. However, sometimes I need different equipment and lenses, depending on the style of the photo I want to shoot. 35mm prime lens is always my favorite. It is a wide angle lens and it helps me have a more accurate perspective. It's enough to capture powerful images. I also have zoom lenses but I rarely use them. I like my camera being small and quiet but I always have to carry a spare battery. I do my analog shots with Nikon F80 and Leica Z2X, even though less often. I'm a fan of cinestill film. TPL: When you go out photographing, do you have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? NU: I often let the images come to me when I go out shooting. Maybe I will encounter something new that I do not know or I will see something I am familiar with, from a different perspective. I keep a sort of photo diary. Sometimes I just give myself homework about a specific theme. I am trying to create a photo series about the theme. For example, from the people who are reading at the café to the street lamps, from the women dressed in green to the bins, from the joy of victory to the someone who seems unhappy, there can be a variety of subjects and emotions. Also, even when I have a concept in my mind and shoot about that, the results I see are different from what I plan. Sometimes this makes me happier, sometimes it causes me to throw everything away and rework the same concept. It helps me to realize long and extensive projects. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? NU: I want to reach more people with my photos. I'm building my website (www.neslihanuslu.com ) and it will be accessible in February. I would like to publish my project that I am working on and dedicate it to my parents. I would like to present my 2nd draft project to a publishing house in Belgium and work on it in collaboration. I have a long way to go, and I love this feeling. Some things will change along the way and this will influence my approach to photography. TPL: You mentioned that you are currently working on a documentary project 'Crimean Tatar Villages.' Could you tell us about it. NU: I find it historically and sociologically important to convey culture from generation to generation. Being able to explain a cultural structure that I know makes me feel both excited and responsible. We're losing so many memories and I want to keep them alive. I am a Crimean Tatar from my father's side. My grandfather settled by migration to Turkey after a difficult period. My father was born and grew up in Eskipolatlı, a typical Tatar village in Ankara. Crimean Tatar is spoken among themselves. This group has a unique culture and lifestyle. This is what I was born in. I listened to the stories and witnessed this culture. I will especially focus on the food culture and domestic life. I will do photo shoots and interviews in Eskipolatlı village in order to maintain the cultural heritage and introduce this culture to future generations. Due to Covid-19, I couldn’t travel to Turkey and I couldn’t make the shots that I had planned last spring. For the moment I continue to do interviews. If everything goes well, I aim to complete my project within a year. Unfortunately, while I was writing my thesis, I could not reach the references that I wanted and I think I know the difficulty and the meaning of this. For this reason, I want it to be a small contribution for those who are interested in the subject. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… NU: Watch movies, spend time with my family and friends, cycle, do handicrafts and travel. Neslihan Uslu's photography is a powerful medium for capturing and communicating the stories of our lives that often go unnoticed. Her commitment to uncovering the hidden and unique moments of everyday life is an inspiring reminder of the beauty that lies within us. We can all learn something from Neslihan's dedication to photography and her passion for telling the stories of our lives. VIEW NESLIHAN'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. 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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. 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NastPlas is an international creative duo based in Madrid, Spain and formed in 2006 by illustrator Fran R. Learte and creative director Natalia Molinos. Their work combines an impressive range of digital elements and abstract patterns which they create in order to elaborate pieces of art with a deeply aesthetic feeling. NASTPLAS NastPlas is an international creative duo based in Madrid, Spain and formed in 2006 by illustrator Fran R. Learte and creative director Natalia Molinos. Their work combines an impressive range of digital elements and abstract patterns which they create in order to elaborate pieces of art with a deeply aesthetic feeling. LOCATION Madrid SPAIN CAMERA/S Canon, Polaroid WEBSITE https://www.nastplas.com/ @NASTPLAS_SNAPSHOT @NASTPLAS FEATURES // Conceptual Reality

I draw inspiration from the stunning natural landscapes and diverse wildlife found in the Yarra Valley. My dedication to encapsulating the essence of this remarkable region through photography has earned recognition in numerous international and national publications. While my expertise primarily lies in landscape photography, I also specialize in professional portraits and various other genres and styles. SEAN PARIS I draw inspiration from the stunning natural landscapes and diverse wildlife found in the Yarra Valley. My dedication to encapsulating the essence of this remarkable region through photography has earned recognition in numerous international and national publications. While my expertise primarily lies in landscape photography, I also specialize in professional portraits and various other genres and styles. LOCATION Healesville AUSTRALIA CAMERA/S Full Spectrum Converted Nikon D800 (Infrared), Nikon D850 WEBSITE https://www.seanparisphotographer.com/ @SEAN.PARIS FEATURES // Koala Country

BOOK BOOK May 3, 2021 GROUNDED Photography by Samantha Brown Words by Samantha Brown and Melanie Meggs Samantha Brown is a British-Canadian photographer, and a digital nomad. Over the last year Samantha has documented the pandemic, mostly from the back of her campervan 'Juno', whilst travelling safely in line with local lockdown restrictions. GROUNDED is her first book. How does a pandemic affect a physical place, and our sense of self within it? That's the question that Samantha pondered on a ten month, socially distanced journey in 2020. Departing India prior to the grounding of flights in March, Samantha documented the empty streets of Bristol during the first lockdown, before venturing to Europe via a deserted ferry as restrictions eased. Along the way, she encountered an out-of-season, out-of-time atmosphere that haunted every landscape, allowing her to explore themes such as alienation, loneliness and the isolation of travel. GROUNDED is a photo book of visible beauty towards a deeper well of immersive, indefinable emotion filled with promise and hope. Every page is a joy to look at by itself. The book can be understood as a travel memoir, too, inspiring those who are wanting to begin a similar journey. Grounded is presented as a special boxed book with a signed 10x8" print. Available exclusively from www.artdecomagpie.com (ADM Publishing). First edition run of 150 copies. Published: April 2021 by ADM Publishing Book - 70pp softback book on 170gsm paper. 350gsm cover with matt laminate. Perfect bound. Digitally printed. 253mmx203mm. ISBN: 978-1-9997596-3-6 READ INTERVIEW CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE