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COLOUR BRICKS Having worked for many years in war-torn places, Tris now enjoys photographing the colourful lively streets of his home city London. COLOUR BRICKS September 25, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Tris INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Tris is a London-based photographer who likes to go by his artist name @colourbricks. Having worked for many years in war-torn places, he now enjoys the lively streets of London, where he developed a passion for documentary and street photography. He is drawn to the colours, vibrancy and the story of life at home. Social media paints a world of perfection, beauty and unbridled consumerism, but Tris wants to take pictures on the better days: images that reflect the stoics, the optimists and those who don’t want to conform. His photographs show a London that is colourful, vibrant, extraordinary and ordinary. “I’m an old man but young at heart. Throughout the majority of my adult life I have worked in places full of chaos, confusion and sometimes terror. I have seen the resilience of people during the civil war in the Balkans, watched families torn apart in Belfast and Baghdad and been a front row witness to war in the Helmand and Mogadishu. The life I led then has now fortunately passed. After 30 years of being drawn like a moth to the flames of conflict, I am now drawn to the colours, vibrancy and the story of life at home.” IN CONVERSATION WITH TRIS THE PICTORIAL LIST: Tris, how long have you been a photographer? How did you get your start? TRIS: I have always enjoyed being witness to an unfolding story. When the time came to kick off my dusty boots three years ago I wondered how or what I would do next. Walking around London made me realise that there were equally exciting, colourful and dramatic stories unfolding in front of my eyes. Mercifully the stories were about people in a ‘peaceful’ city, but the sense of an unfolding, dynamic and time sensitive drama was like a magnet! I love the passion of street photographers, the requirement to be patient, discrete and humble one moment, confident and courageous the next. I realised that I had been making mental images throughout my life, but now I could make real ones. My family encouraged me to purchase my first camera in 2017, and from that point I haven’t stopped. Thousands of hours and miles wandering the U.K’s capital! TPL: Tell us a bit more about your documentary photography. How did you get involved with that? T: London is so vibrant, dynamic and busy that there is always something happening - and whether a protest, demonstration or parade, people don’t hold back in coming forward! My first Pride parade was incredible! So much colour and happiness, a genuine celebration of life and love. The LGBTQ+ parade was just so special. I didn’t stop taking photographs and realised that I had found my new 'fix'. Documentary photography was one of the ways I could still get that adrenaline rush - never knowing how an event may unfold, but being quick enough to react and catch that moment whenever possible. Regardless of the politics of Brexit, I went to all the parades both for and against, just to catch the story and witness how people felt and acted. I now try to attend everything, from employment strikes, Falun Gong and pro-choice demos, to Extinction Rebellion (XR) and Black Lives Matter. TPL: In your photographic approach, what are your favourite or most memorable moments? T: How I raise my hat to those who are bold enough to take nothing but candid shots! I endeavour to do so, I honestly do, but after a life of conflict I now shy away from it if at all avoidable. I mostly raise my eyebrows or lift my camera when approaching someone, and if they look friendly (or at least look like they won’t assault me!), I try to get some non-verbal indication that they are comfortable with my approach. My favourite relationship is with a shirt seller - he was very hostile and aggressive when I tried this with him on my first two or three protest demonstrations, but now whenever our paths cross in various corners of London we greet each other like long lost friends! TPL: Generally, where do you find your inspiration? T: My first photography book that I read was called Requiem, which was a collection of images taken by the famous Vietnam War photographers. I realised that if I wanted to address my PTSD, I would be better to focus on images I wasn’t so familiar with, so then dived into the work of Vivian Maier, Fred Herzog and Elliott Erwitt. If I am totally honest the two people who have influenced me the most are Sean Tucker, whose mature, reasoned, and generous Youtube videos are a godsend and @Kudo_Bass, whose every photograph and caption posted on Instagram are like stand alone photography lessons. I was lucky enough to recently bump into Sean Tucker in a London camera shop and embarrassed myself by acting like a 14 year old groupie as opposed to 54 year old veteran! TPL: Is there anything special you want to express through your photography? T: Life can be grey and miserable at times. We all have tough days. Social media paints a world of perfection, beauty and unbridled consumerism. Life isn’t like that, some days are good and some days are bad, but my aim is to try to take photographs on the better days - not saccharine, but images that reflect the stoics, the optimists and those who don’t want to conform. I try to reflect London’s colourful, vibrancy and the extraordinary. TPL: Do you prefer to photograph alone or with friends? T: I’m a loner and what friends I have left would say I was anti-social! My evenings and weekends are now selfishly guarded. Offers of collaboration (whilst genuinely appreciated) are not likely to occur anytime soon. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? T: Billie Charity was one of the first accounts I followed on IG, shortly followed by Ibi Gowon. Sadly I haven’t had the opportunity of meeting either of them, but their online support and encouragement were incredibly important in the first few months. There were times when I nearly gave up, and were it not for their infectious enthusiasm and kindness, I wouldn't have continued. I don’t think I have a style yet, I do my own thing and just take photographs of people and scenes that I find curious or interesting. TPL: What is the one quote that has had the most impact on you? “It’s way more important to know how to take a picture than to use a camera.” - Olivia Bee As a beginner I still have so much to learn, but my early anxieties about shutter speed and ISO settings dissolved when I read Olivia Bee’s quote. I started to relax and enjoy the process. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? If so, how? Do you have a preferred camera/lens/focal length? T: The Canon 5D EOS Mk IV is just a wonderful upgrade from my earlier camera. It felt like a huge self-indulgence, but I don’t smoke, drive a fancy car or motorbike and no longer drink to excess. While I love my camera, the truism that ‘the best camera is the one you have on you’ still amazes me, as some of my personal favourites have been taken with my iPhone. TPL: What are some of your goals as a photographer? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? T: In an ideal world I would have enough financial security to leave London and become a war photographer. I would like to capture the human stories. That seems slightly crazy given my desire to put those tragic times behind, but being involved in the unfolding story was like a drug. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… T: Walk my wonderful dogs. Two beautiful, gentle Tibetan Terriers who always seem ready to provide unconditional love and affection!” PORTFOLIO INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

The work should be viewed in the context of my book LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, published by Wakefield Press. My previous publications, ADELAIDE NOIR and THEATRE OF LIFE were focused on, respectively, Industrial Art and Portraiture. The new book is a comprehensive photographic work that finds truth in landscape photography. This means that an honest artistic approach is required to see the landscapes as not only ancient and massive, but dry (driest state, driest continent) with marginal farming opportunities and a kind of rusted beauty that speaks of resilience and the triumph of human spirit. In terms of the continuum of my career, the series of landscapes tie together the threads of my film pedigree because I see my frames in terms of 'mise-en-scene', a device used by film makers. I believe that both landscapes and portraits require the aesthetical approach that a director would bring to film. Photography is not a passive art-form, of merely waiting and getting lucky. It requires the same approach and awareness and philosophical drive and desire that any contemporary art form requires. ALEX FRAYNE The work should be viewed in the context of my book LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, published by Wakefield Press. My previous publications, ADELAIDE NOIR and THEATRE OF LIFE were focused on, respectively, Industrial Art and Portraiture. The new book is a comprehensive photographic work that finds truth in landscape photography. This means that an honest artistic approach is required to see the landscapes as not only ancient and massive, but dry (driest state, driest continent) with marginal farming opportunities and a kind of rusted beauty that speaks of resilience and the triumph of human spirit. In terms of the continuum of my career, the series of landscapes tie together the threads of my film pedigree because I see my frames in terms of 'mise-en-scene', a device used by film makers. I believe that both landscapes and portraits require the aesthetical approach that a director would bring to film. Photography is not a passive art-form, of merely waiting and getting lucky. It requires the same approach and awareness and philosophical drive and desire that any contemporary art form requires. LOCATION Adelaide AUSTRALIA CAMERA/S Yashica 124G 6x6, Nikon FE 35mm, Fujifilm GW1169 WEBSITE http://www.fusionjazzer.com/ @ALEX.FRAYNE @ALEXFRAYNEARENA FEATURES // Landscapes of South Australia

I am passionate about documenting life as it unfolds to create images that matter, at the moment I enjoy capturing my children, nature and the streets of London. I consider myself a visual artist who loves to experiment with light, texture colour and tone, I create images that speak to the mind, heart and soul. Photography is my medium of choice through which I express my artistic vision and love for monochromatic imagery. I also enjoy exploring my city and the mysteries that I encounter with every walk. SOFIA SITNIKIENE I am passionate about documenting life as it unfolds to create images that matter, at the moment I enjoy capturing my children, nature and the streets of London. I consider myself a visual artist who loves to experiment with light, texture colour and tone, I create images that speak to the mind, heart and soul. Photography is my medium of choice through which I express my artistic vision and love for monochromatic imagery. I also enjoy exploring my city and the mysteries that I encounter with every walk. LOCATION London UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Canon 6D Markii WEBSITE http://www.sofiasitnikiene.com @SOFIA_SITNIKIENE @SOFIASITNIKIENE FEATURES // Heart and Soul

PICTORIAL STORY SHADES OF THE COALMAN In the wooded hills of Tuscany, an ancient craft still breathes. Simone Batini follows the fading trail of the coalman — capturing the rhythm and legacy of a trade passed down through generations. This is more than documentation; it’s a tribute to hands that keep history alive. April 14, 2023 PICTORIAL STORY photography SIMONE BATINI story SIMONE BATINI SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link In the small town of Pescaglia, located in the Serchio Valley, immersed in the woods of the Italian hills of the Tuscany region, the art of the Coalman is handed down. An ancient and very important trade in the past for this area, because coal was at that time the engine of every house and of many craft activities such as the ironworks present in this area. Luigi Massei is nicknamed “the last charcoal burner” who still today, keeps this trade alive, which Luigi has passed on with passion to his son Arturo and grandchildren Diego and Fabio. It is a hard and complex process that begins with the accumulation of wood, deposited outdoors in a flat area usually close to the forest. From here, the process to obtain coal starts, which develops in the phases of winding, shoeing, veneering, combustion, drawing, cooking, leavening and finally packaging. A hard job, between sweat and smoke, no distractions are allowed for the entire process, where the charcoal pit is kept under control day and night. In the end, the result obtained is an excellent quality coal, which today is no longer used as a lucrative activity. At the end of a long day, in the main image above, Luigi's worn, and dirty hands hold a photo that has a very important meaning for him, between the hope and the feeling that this art will be preserved for many more years and generations for the Massi family. An old farmhouse in the first light of the morning, frames the place where the processing takes place to obtain the coal. The eye (circular access hole) is located at the top of the Carbonaia, and is used in the subsequent phases to feed the fire inside. Luigi and his son Arturo seek the right balance to correctly position the first part of the wood. With a lot of patience Luigi continues the work and arranges the wood in a circular way, the charcoal pit slowly takes shape. The covering phase, carried out with care, consists in covering the charcoal pile from the bottom upwards first with a layer of hay. And then with one layer of earth. Continued, then ending with the positioning of a circular basket which acts as a temporary cap, so as to keep intact the only access point to the heart of Carbonaia. The infuocatura is undoubtedly the most spectacular process. The charcoal burner equipped with a wooden ladder reaches the top of the Carbonaia from where they light the fire inside. A powerful smoke is released. The fire is fed slowly with the addition of small pieces of wood. Then Arturo manually closes the hole/eye using portions of earth obtained from the nearby field. The fire in the absence of oxygen burns slowly and without flame so as to transform the wood into coal. Between dust and smoke the Carbonai carry out the decarbonation, a phase in which the coal is separated from the earth and isolated to be collected with a lot of effort and sweat. © Simone Batini The work is carried out non-stop. © Simone Batini The coal is finally collected and placed in ancient cloth sacks to then be weighed, each sack is partially closed using wooden twigs where the exact weight is written above. © Simone Batini © Simone Batini Simone Batini’s Shades of the Coalman project strives to document the traditional trades and crafts that are slowly being replaced by industry and social changes in the Tuscany region of Italy. Through this project, Simone has done an incredible job of capturing the beauty of the hard and complex process of making coal and telling Luigi Massei’s story of passing on his trade to his son and grandkids. It is clear from this project that Simone wants to preserve and document this ancient art for future generations. To see more of these projects please visit Simone's portfolio and read his stories. view Simone's portfolio View other projects by Simone - Times Past >>> An Artist's Place >>> Read an interview with Simone >>> 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 >>> THE LIFE WITHIN THE MOUNTAIN Ten years after first seeing Larung Gar, Jing Wei returns to a changed mountain, finding continuity in faith, memory and the lives held within it. PROSCENIUM GHOSTS Said Manseur honors these young actors, their courage, and the unseen work they give to keep theatre alive against the odds. REGINA: BOARDING SCHOOL LIFE AND DREAMS A boarding school room becomes the frame for Cleopatra Joint’s portrait of ambition, instability, and a young woman’s search for freedom. LIFE ALONG THE RIVER Along the Hooghly, Shubhodeep Roy photographs Kolkata through faith, labour and memory, revealing a city shaped by water, inheritance and shared life. A HOME OF MEMORIES AND THE PRESENT Davide Santangelo returns to his family home by moonlight, tracing how absence, memory, and love continue to live within place, objects, and atmosphere after loss. THE PULL OF THE EARTH This is more than a record of rural Bengal. It looks at the bond between Sayan Biswas and the place that shaped him, even after distance has changed that relationship. ARE THOSE WINDS Along Istanbul’s northern edge, Ci Demi photographs the last water buffalo herders as they keep working, remembering, and staying put while the city closes in. 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.

I write on urban issues and document urban life in all its forms. I get my drive from my curiosity and the diversity and dynamics of the cities. My focus is on street photography and documentary photography. I am lucky that my work has been published in German and international magazines. MIRKO KARSCH I write on urban issues and document urban life in all its forms. I get my drive from my curiosity and the diversity and dynamics of the cities. My focus is on street photography and documentary photography. I am lucky that my work has been published in German and international magazines. LOCATION Berlin GERMANY CAMERA/S Nikon D7500 and Lumix LX 100II WEBSITE https://streetwise.photography/ @SIR_MIRKO FEATURES // Daytime St. Pauli

PICTORIAL STORY THE FRANKINCENSE BOY In the village of Poshina, France Leclerc met Sahib — a young boy whose quiet curiosity and calm presence created a moment of shared connection. January 19, 2024 PICTORIAL STORY photography FRANCE LECLERC story FRANCE LECLERC introduction KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Originally from Quebec, Canada, France Leclerc is a photographer who has developed a sincere passion for visual storytelling. Being Canadian is an integral part of who France is; she embraces her French heritage, language, and culture. France spent much of her adult life in Montreal until attending graduate school at Cornell University receiving her PhD in management. After receiving her degree, France became part of the faculty at MIT School of Management, as well the University of Chicago Business School, where she was a professor of global marketing. While residing in Chicago it became apparent to France that the path of academia was not the right direction for her, she lacked the passion and commitment that her colleagues who were fully devoted to their work. She decided to change her direction and took a series of classes in a small photography school in Chicago. France found comfort in her steps forward on her new path, continuing to take workshops to feed her new passion, and inspire new ways of critical thinking through the use of her camera. Taking time off gave France a new start, a chance to rediscover the world in new ways. She started traveling to remote areas in Ethiopia, Tibet, Myanmar, each time returning from her excursions with a fever to tell her stories. This is when life changed for France, she had found her passion. Her love for traveling to other places around the world has provided ample opportunity for her to immerse herself in many different cultures. France finds authentic connections in the communities she engages, giving her a clear voice that speaks for the people she photographs. “As a child, being part of the French minority in English Canada, I learned that one may have to fight to preserve a culture. Maybe this is where my interest in cultures originated, I don’t know. I have always been fascinated by the 'world' and curious about its diversity, challenges, and the resilience of human beings, particularly women. I have spent time in over 100 countries, and I have visited many of them multiple times.” Now residing in Chicago, France has spent many years traveling while searching for clues and answers to better understand human behavior, why people behave the way they do. This search has fueled France’s curiosity throughout the years, inspiring what she has defined as 'Life Photography'. Her focus has allowed her to capture the beauty in the moment, making visual and emotional connections inherent to different cultures in society. “I am interested in portraying the way people live, play, eat, dress, interact, celebrate, pray and love. My interest in photography is closely related to my interest in storytelling. Coming back from a trip, I have so many stories to tell, and what better way to tell them than with images.” France’s documentary exploration often brings her to obscure out of the way places around the world, where she embraces the community finding captivating stories for her visual translations. Recently she has turned the focus of her camera to streets, where contemporary life and issues inspire her frames. “I aim to document what I see and share it with the world. When I return from a trip, I write stories around my images and post them on my website. I have over 100 of them now. I hope that the more people know about other cultures and ways of life, the less threatened they will feel by them, and who knows, maybe they will get inspired by them as I often do. It is probably a naïve view, but I feel so privileged when I learn something new I have to assume others, at least some, feel the same way.” France has shared one of her captivating short stories with us, it is a beautiful example of exploring with open eyes and with a clear mind discovering endearing connections to community, respectfully sharing their stories with genuine interest and care for her subjects. This intriguing story takes place in the village of Poshina, Gujarat. I met Sahib in Poshina, a village in the northern state of Gujarat, close to the border with Rajasthan. At dawn, I started walking in the town. I first noticed that a few people were sleeping on the streets, some on a platform in front of an array of small shops. A young boy was awake among them, standing next to a pile of blankets. I waved at him, took a quick photo, and continued to explore further. A couple of hours later, as I retraced my steps to return for what I felt was a well-deserved breakfast, I saw this young boy again. He was sitting on what I assume was his mother’s lap, next to an older boy and a much older lady. The older boy was Sahib, ten years old, looking serious and responsible. I sat with them for a while and learned that the younger boy was his little brother, and the older lady was his grandmother. His father meandered toward us at a later point. Sahib is not from Poshina; he is a wanderer or an itinerant. His family does not have a home. To earn a little money for the family, he burns frankincense in the top tier of a three-tier vessel. Sahib goes around the village, stopping at houses and shops to offer them the smoke and smell of his frankincense that he shares using a small piece of cardboard as a fan in exchange for a few coins. This is his life: he does not go to school; he walks around offering to “purify” people’s lives through a little sniff of his frankincense. After chatting briefly, Sahib announced that it was time for him to start his round, and I decided to follow along. And so, Sahib spent the next few hours in the streets of this small village, chatting with the shop owners, knocking at doors of family homes in narrow streets, and meeting people, some of whom he knew but also new ones. All are welcoming Sahib and his frankincense. At the end of his route, Sahib announced that he was done and was now going to another village for the afternoon. I asked him whether his family would sleep at the same place as last night and if I could return to say goodbye the next day. He said yes. So, at dawn the next day, I went down to the platform where I had seen the little boy the previous morning, ready for another adventure with Sahib. Sadly, nobody was on the platform. I will never have the answers to the million questions I had come up with the previous day, and I will probably never see Sahib’s smile again except in my images of him. But I will never forget our brief time together. © France Leclerc © France Leclerc © France Leclerc © France Leclerc © France Leclerc © France Leclerc © France Leclerc © France Leclerc © France Leclerc © France Leclerc © France Leclerc © France Leclerc France Leclerc is an observer, listening with her ears and her eyes. She brings her stories to life, allowing the viewer and reader to step into the frames, helping them to make the same valuable connections to the cultures and communities she portrays. As a traveler and visitor to global remote communities, France has found a way to assimilate herself into the cultures she visits, as an observer. Her observations have given her purpose to help expose some of the constraints, misguided views, and blind assumptions made towards individuals or groups in communities globally. Photographing her subjects, France portrays them illuminated in the light of their own being, revealing intimate details through her investigations. She is humbled by her surroundings and shares a true respect and admiration for the people she engages and is mindful and has much admiration for their traditions and daily practices. France’s visual storytelling has been embraced by the photographic community and has been exhibited in numerous curated exhibitions winning prestigious awards. Most recently, her images won third place at the Miami Street Photography Festival in 2022 and third place at the Lens Culture Street Photography Award in 2023. One of her series was a gold medal winner in the Culture and Daily Life category of the Julia Margaret Cameron Award in 2023 and two of her series were included in the Curated Selection State of the World at the Prix de la Photographie, Paris, also in 2023. Her work was featured in Geo Magazine, Dodho Magazine, Lens Magazine and All About Photo. The Pictorial List is grateful for France’s commitment to humanity, and for sharing the inspiration that has provided her with the brilliant ambition to explore and understand the world through her photography. We look forward to the next chapter in France’s novel about humanity and how different cultures navigate sociological constraints as well as celebrate their freedoms. view France's portfolio Website >>> Instagram >>> Twitter >>> 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 >>> THE LIFE WITHIN THE MOUNTAIN Ten years after first seeing Larung Gar, Jing Wei returns to a changed mountain, finding continuity in faith, memory and the lives held within it. PROSCENIUM GHOSTS Said Manseur honors these young actors, their courage, and the unseen work they give to keep theatre alive against the odds. REGINA: BOARDING SCHOOL LIFE AND DREAMS A boarding school room becomes the frame for Cleopatra Joint’s portrait of ambition, instability, and a young woman’s search for freedom. LIFE ALONG THE RIVER Along the Hooghly, Shubhodeep Roy photographs Kolkata through faith, labour and memory, revealing a city shaped by water, inheritance and shared life. A HOME OF MEMORIES AND THE PRESENT Davide Santangelo returns to his family home by moonlight, tracing how absence, memory, and love continue to live within place, objects, and atmosphere after loss. THE PULL OF THE EARTH This is more than a record of rural Bengal. It looks at the bond between Sayan Biswas and the place that shaped him, even after distance has changed that relationship. ARE THOSE WINDS Along Istanbul’s northern edge, Ci Demi photographs the last water buffalo herders as they keep working, remembering, and staying put while the city closes in. 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.

SOCIAL STUDIES Argentinian photographer Victoria Gonzalez Garcia finds inspiration in her environment and explores social themes. SOCIAL STUDIES July 31, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Victoria González Garcia INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Victoria González García is an Argentinian photographer currently based in Madrid. Born in Buenos Aires, she studied Social Communication at the University of Buenos Aires, then went on a student exchange scholarship to the Carlos III University of Madrid, Spain. She specialized in Photography, Film and Political and Social Video at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain and is currently studying through distance learning for a diploma in Social Photography (The Camera as a Tool for Social Research) at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. We interviewed her for The Pictorial List. “Photography was always a part of my life, the Kodak reels and cameras. I remember that when I was little I loved posing for photos, my parents recorded my childhood and that of my sisters, our life, the acts at school, when we lost our first teeth, Christmas, holidays and every episode that marked something important for us or for our family. At 21 years old, I started to get interested in the photographic world and decided to start studying, so my parents gave me my first analog reflex camera as a support and incentive.” IN CONVERSATION WITH VICTORIA GONZALEZ GARCIA THE PICTORIAL LIST: Victoria, where do you find your inspiration? VICTORIA GONZALEZ GARCIA: I find it in life, in everyday life, in what surrounds me. But I am also restless and curious, it motivates me to learn new things all the time, whether it is discovering photographers, getting to know their work and careers, watching documentaries about photographic projects, knowing the history behind them, going to exhibitions, festivals, meeting people of that world and exchanging concerns. Trying new things, getting out of my comfort zone, shooting and giving myself up to the mere process of creation. TPL: Do you have a favourite genre of photography? VGG: I am very interested in the social, the documentary, and of course this is due to my social training. I want my camera to be a tool that helps me to visualize stories that can raise awareness or at least leave people thinking about some issues, be they social, political, cultural or ideological. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? VGG: Saying I have a favorite artist or photographer would be a lie. I like many. For example, William Klein, Vivian Maier, Annie Leibovitz, Henri Cartier Bresson, Diane Arbus, Sara Facio, Paz Errazuriz, Adriana Lestido, Marcos López, Chema Madoz, Man Ray, etc., the list would be endless! I cannot say that only one has inspired my style, I think all of them have, and even some that I have not named above. Both photography, painting and cinema have set a precedent for me and have forged my style. TPL: Do you have a favourite place to photograph? VGG: No, I have no favorite places, all places can be great. I think more what defines it is not the place itself, but the connection with what you are photographing and what is generated around that relationship. Art is not a mirror to reflect the world, but a hammer with which to hit it. ~ Bertolt Brecht TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a 'good' photographer? Any tips or advice for someone just starting out? VGG: I think you can have the best camera in the world, but if you don't have a good eye, you don't have anything. I feel that the best advice I can give to those who are just beginning in the art world of painting with light, is to practice, to shoot a lot, to investigate, to study, that if something does not turn out as you would like, do not be discouraged, keep going, practicing. At least that's what I keep doing. A phrase that I say a lot when asked about this is "practice makes perfect". TPL: What camera(s) do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? VGG: I have two favorite cameras, my digital camera and my analog camera that has a 50mm lens which I usually use in my digital camera, exploiting all the artistic possibilities that it can offer me. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the arts before photography? VGG: No, never, the artistic world was always there and I was on the opposite side of the road, contemplating those things, from different fields that fascinated me. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on? VGG: Yes, I am presenting 'Intervenidas', my first photographic and illustrated project carried out collectively among women that was born during the quarantine. It is a small series of my photos, which I sent to six women illustrators of different nationalities, so that without parameters or prior artistic criteria, they would “intervene” in them, trying to cross styles and two disciplines, photography and digital illustration. TPL: “When I'm not out photographing, I... VGG: I am thinking of the next photo I want to take.” PORTFOLIO INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

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

PICTORIAL STORY MUD A documentary project exploring the struggle of an 800 year old lake against the impacts of global warming, revealing its continued relevance and urgent story in today’s changing climate. April 12, 2024 PICTORIAL STORY photography DEDIPYA BASAK story DEDIPYA BASAK introduction MELANIE MEGGS SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Dedipya Basak stands at the intersection of academia and artistry, wielding his camera as a tool for societal transformation. Hailing from Kolkata, his educational journey through Ramakrishna Mission and Jadavpur University laid the groundwork for a career marked by both scholarly rigor and creative vision. Since 2015, he has been the recipient of various research grants from the Ministry of India, allowing him to focus on fields as diverse as Happiness Economics, Human Culture, and Gender Economics over a span of seven years. Dedipya’s research has garnered acclaim in academic circles, illuminating crucial facets of human society, through publications in numerous esteemed journals. The seeds of Dedipya’s photographic passion were sown in childhood, nurtured by the thoughtful gift of a camera from his father, himself a photographer. Though his father’s physical presence may have faded, his legacy endures within Dedipya, driving him to capture the essence of the human experience through his lens. Unlike his father, Dedipya’s early forays into photography were exploratory, lacking a clear direction or purpose. Yet, over time, his camera became a tool for social commentary, a means of amplifying the voices of the marginalized and downtrodden, in alignment with the teachings of Ramakrishna Mission. Dedipya was a student of Ramakrishna Mission for twelve years. “I mainly focus on showing one particular theme with different points of view. It helps me to build up the story firmly and remind my viewers constantly of the central objective of the project. A constant change in point of view makes my images versatile and the sequence becomes engaging for my viewers,” Dedipya reflects on his photographic approach. Central to Dedipya’s approach is his ability to adopt varied perspectives, each frame telling a nuanced story of the human condition. Dedipya navigates communities characterized by reticence and delicacy, often situated in regions marked by extreme climate conditions and remote from urban centers. In such contexts, his network of contacts becomes indispensable, serving as gateways into these communities. These connections act as vital catalysts for his projects, facilitating group interviews, assisting in securing accommodations when needed, and offering support in myriad other ways. Dedipya acknowledges that without the invaluable assistance of these contacts, his ability to produce impactful bodies of work would be severely constrained. In 2021, Dedipya resolved to embark on a professional journey in photography, aiming to integrate his research into visual storytelling at the International Center of Photography in New York. There, amidst a cohort of talented artists and mentors, he delved into the intricacies of street photography, visual storytelling, and documentary practice. His dedication and talent were duly recognized in 2024 when he was honored with the ICP Directorial Fellowship. Throughout his studies, Dedipya honed his expertise in subversion, human culture, photographic editing, and the art of visual storytelling, shaping him into a multifaceted and impactful photographer. When asked about his educational experience in the United States and the valuable lessons learned, Dedipya shared, “The United States is the country of braves. If you have clarity regarding your work, then they will welcome you with heartiness. At ICP, we have some of the faculty members who are the best in their respective practices. They have differences in their opinions, photographic style, and many other ideas. But all of them are good humans. Their down-to-earth nature is the most valuable teaching for me. I strongly believe that apart from my publications in different countries, adapting their humanitarian view in my life is my greatest success.” It is this blend of technical skill and compassionate storytelling that defines Dedipya’s work. In 2022, while at ICP, Dedipya successfully concluded his inaugural documentary project titled Sidewalk . This project delved into the intricate life of Kolkata’s pavements, offering a captivating visual exploration. The compelling imagery garnered widespread recognition, finding its way into various international publications. During the same year, Dedipya embarked on a new documentary venture titled MUD . This project delves into the narrative of an ancient lake, aged 800 years, facing demise as a consequence of escalating global warming. Dedipya is passionate about sharing this impactful story, emphasizing its relevance and urgency in today's world with The Pictorial List’s audience. MUD encapsulates a visual journey documenting the lives of 70,000 impoverished fishermen residing around Lake Bhandardara, an 800-year-old lake in West Bengal, India. Tragically, this historic body of water is facing imminent demise as a result of severe global warming. From the 12th century until the conclusion of the British Raj in India, Lake Bhandardara played a pivotal role as a prominent trade route connecting with Southeast Asia. Moreover, it stood out as one of the few natural habitats for riverine pearls, thereby bolstering India's treasury with valuable foreign currency. Linked to the renowned Padma River, this lake teemed with natural plankton, establishing it as a prime feeding and breeding ground for numerous marine species. Consequently, local fisheries cooperatives reaped substantial daily earnings, amounting to approximately INR 15,000 even a quarter-century ago. Over the past twenty-five years, however, the situation has undergone a dramatic shift. Unprecedented climate changes have led to the alteration of Padma's course, disrupting the lifeline of the lake. As a result, the waterbed is dwindling, weeds are proliferating throughout the lake, and marine life is diminishing steadily. Consequently, the inhabitants of the surrounding twenty-one villages find themselves in dire straits. MUD is an ongoing extended documentary investigation of that glorious past, collapsing present, and dubious future. This poignant reality struck a chord with me deeply. Even today, when I close my eyes, the most repeated sentence by every villager resonates in my ear - “The lake is dying. Can you help us?” To commence the project, I conducted thorough research. During this process, I discovered an environmentalist from Kolkata who had previously conducted primary research on the lake. After multiple meetings with him, forging a connection that led me to individuals still residing in various villages surrounding the lake. Building a robust network with the locals, I pinpointed the existing research gap within the project and began my investigative work. Spanning over 50 kilometers in length, the lake remains largely unexplored, with only a few sections untouched by human influence. Despite my efforts, I have yet to complete visits to the entire expanse of the lake. Through my numerous visits to the lake, I've diligently collected information from the local fishermen. They reminisce about the bygone era as the ‘golden period’ of Lake Bhandardara. Regrettably, the current situation paints a starkly contrasting picture. The waterbed is desiccating due to rampant global warming, while weeds proliferate unchecked. With groundwater resources dwindling, local farmers resort to utilizing the residual lake water for jute farming, leading to a rapid deterioration in water quality with each passing year. My photographs capture the daily struggles of the villagers residing around Lake Bhandardara. Through these images, viewers can discern the residents’ efforts to adapt to the current state of the lake. Despite the challenges posed by its deteriorating condition, they resiliently seek opportunities to address their everyday problems, finding solace in prayer amidst their trials. The central issue of my project serves as a recurring motif throughout my photographs — the impending demise of the lake. Interspersed among these images are ‘no lake’ shots, providing a momentary pause or temporary divergence from my central theme. Upon resuming, I skillfully compose stylistically varied images of the lake, each offering a unique perspective on its plight. © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak Documenting the lives and challenges of marginalized communities, Dedipya Basak captures their essence through his photographic essays. Surprisingly, each return home yields a plethora of positive insights. In this project, Dedipya’s primary revelation was centered on ‘their hope.’ Despite the lake’s dire state, they continue to fish, fueled by a steadfast belief that conditions will ameliorate, and future generations will experience the prosperous era of Lake Bhandardara, reminiscent of three decades ago. Being deeply connected with one’s documentary work can evoke a myriad of emotions. Dedipya’s journey epitomizes this profound connection, where academic inquiry converges with artistic expression to illuminate pressing societal issues. As he navigates the complexities of his projects, Dedipya shares insights into his approach to maintaining boundaries and cultivating a balanced, mindful, and safe work ethic. “For me, it is like meditation. I am involved in the entire process, but I am not attached to it. Though the theme of the project is always very sensitive from a humanitarian point of view, yet I keep myself consciously distant from that event – I become like a cinema screen where one can play any kind of movie, but it doesn't affect the screen. That is how I set my boundaries and create a balanced, aware and safe work ethic for me.” As Dedipya Basak’s voyage unfolds, his photographs stand as poignant evidence of the resilience and hope inherent in the human spirit. With a mindful and balanced approach, he traverses the emotional terrain of his documentary work, providing viewers with profound insights into our collective human experience. view Dedipya's portfolio Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> THE LIFE WITHIN THE MOUNTAIN Ten years after first seeing Larung Gar, Jing Wei returns to a changed mountain, finding continuity in faith, memory and the lives held within it. PROSCENIUM GHOSTS Said Manseur honors these young actors, their courage, and the unseen work they give to keep theatre alive against the odds. REGINA: BOARDING SCHOOL LIFE AND DREAMS A boarding school room becomes the frame for Cleopatra Joint’s portrait of ambition, instability, and a young woman’s search for freedom. LIFE ALONG THE RIVER Along the Hooghly, Shubhodeep Roy photographs Kolkata through faith, labour and memory, revealing a city shaped by water, inheritance and shared life. A HOME OF MEMORIES AND THE PRESENT Davide Santangelo returns to his family home by moonlight, tracing how absence, memory, and love continue to live within place, objects, and atmosphere after loss. THE PULL OF THE EARTH This is more than a record of rural Bengal. It looks at the bond between Sayan Biswas and the place that shaped him, even after distance has changed that relationship. ARE THOSE WINDS Along Istanbul’s northern edge, Ci Demi photographs the last water buffalo herders as they keep working, remembering, and staying put while the city closes in. 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.

SHOOT NEW YORK CITY Leanne Staples is a passionate and driven street photographer whose honest perspective of city life captures both its simplicity and complexity. SHOOT NEW YORK CITY September 27, 2023 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Leanne Staples INTERVIEW Bill Lacey Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Successful photographers shooting on the streets of New York City possess a keen eye, an awareness of space, and instincts that put them in the right place and time to click the shutter. Not all have the passion and drive to stick with it in the way that Leanne Staples does. Her intuitive feel for the city results in a perspective of what real life truly looks and feels like. Her choices are not driven by a need for ‘likes and follows’ on social media. Rather, it is the honesty of the moment that imprints her framing of city life, both the simplicity and complexity of it. Originally from Detroit, Leanne has an attitude and approach that make her a perfect fit for the city - one could easily mistake her for a native New Yorker. A photographer, a writer, and a mentor, Leanne doesn’t limit herself to purely street photography. She also explores the world of abstract photography, in both black and white and color. She embraces both film and digital, using whatever tools suit the moment in order to realize her vision. She moves slowly, always observant, always ready to bring the camera to her eye and frame the moment. When walking the streets of midtown Manhattan, Chinatown, Coney Island, or less touristy destinations, you just might run into Leanne running a private or group workshop. Her rich understanding of the medium and her easy-going demeanor makes Leanne an in-demand educator of both novice and experienced photo enthusiasts. Glancing at her work, it’s easy to understand why. “Photography is a broad subject. I shoot street, abstract street, and abstract photography. For me, street photography is an activity. It’s about forgetting about the camera and being in the moment. Capturing what I see. It is a method of participating in life. I attempt to achieve images that match my feelings and thoughts. I do this on an intuitive or emotional level. I try to leave the intellect and the technology out of the process.” IN CONVERSATION WITH LEANNE STAPLES THE PICTORIAL LIST: Hi Leanne, please tell us about yourself. What would you say first drew you to photography? LEANNE STAPLES: I was born in Detroit, and I left there in 1978. My father gave me a camera when I was 12, and I’ve been shooting ever since then. I had no idea how important photography would become for me, but it has always been a form of communication in my life. Sometimes an image can say more than words. I am also a writer, and I started writing at the same time as photography. For the past 13+ years, I have been providing group street photography workshops, private tours, and mentoring to people of all ages and backgrounds in New York City. It is a very fulfilling experience, and it is a joy to assist people in their photographic journeys. TPL: You shoot primarily in New York City. What special qualities unique to the city influence your street photography and how you portray the community? LS: I have the great fortune to shoot in New York City. It is a dream. That said, if I had to travel to shoot, I’d either move or quit photography. I’d like to think that people can shoot wherever they live. Part of what makes New York City unique is the sheer diversity and number of people. I am a thoroughly urban person so it is ideal for my personality. That said, the title of many of my group street photography workshops is Seeing With New Eyes. I shoot the same neighborhoods over and over again, and I never tire of it. There is much more to see if you take the time to look, to actually observe your environment. Most people who live here or visit here merely skim the surface of the city. TPL: What do you want your photographs to inspire in other people? What is their “takeaway”? How do you hope people feel when viewing your work? LS: I hope that people are inspired by my photography. It’s not a given. But I shoot because it’s what I love to do. Sharing my work with others and having them like it is the icing on the cake. That is something that wasn’t possible in the days before all thing's internet and digital. I was born to create, and photography is an addictive pursuit. NOT for the technology and the consumer aspect. Street and other forms of photography are about self-expression. It is how I see the world. It is communication without words. I am happy when people can connect with my work. But I don’t try to be all things to all people. I try to please myself with my work first. I hope that my photography leaves enough space in it for people to interpret in their own way. I am not trying to convey a particular message. TPL: What is the most rewarding part of being a photographer for you? LS: The biggest inspiration is when people are shooting with me in my workshops, and they find their inspiration, and they feel comfortable shooting street and finding new methods of doing it. I’d like to think that there’s reason to hope in humanity. I often find it on the streets. To be in the middle of a melting pot surrounded by people I will never meet and are beyond the six degrees of separation. TPL: When do you feel most inspired? LS: Great question. I wish I could give you a good answer to that. A good night’s sleep. Strong coffee. Forgetting about a million things going on in the world and just observing my environment. TPL: What are some challenges that you have faced as a photographer? Sometimes I get bored of the same routine, and then I switch up how I shoot. Lately, I’ve been shooting in Auto mode and really liking it. I don’t have many challenges in photography. I think that social media is a double-edged sword. It can be helpful and harmful at the same time. I try not to take it too seriously. Some of my favorite photos get very few likes. At the same time, those that I don’t like so much get lots of likes. So now I just post and what will be will be. I have met some amazing people both virtually and in person through social media, and it’s wonderful to be featured by The Pictorial List and others. Thank you! My photography is like a journal of my life in images. It is how I participate in life. 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. LS: When it comes to street photography I am careful to not have preconceived ideas about what I would like to capture. I like to be surprised by the light, the weather, and the people that I will encounter. I intentionally walk slowly. Street photography is the art of observation. If you are moving quickly you will miss the subtleties. I look for things that attract my eye. For that reason, I set my camera up and forget about it and previewing images. I want to be in the moment and ready to shoot. TPL: Do you have any favorite artists or photographers you would like to share with us and the reason for their significance? LS: I have so many favorite artists and photographers. Saul Leiter is at the top of the list. I especially like how many of his photos almost look like paintings. I also really like Gerhard Richter and how many of his paintings look like photos. When you no longer know which medium it is. Blurring the lines as it were. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to shoot alongside for a day..., who would you choose? And why? LS: Robert Rauschenberg. He was a great artist and photographer, and he continues to inspire me on a regular basis. TPL: What was the first camera you ever held in your hand, brought to your 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 achieve your vision in your photography? LS: The Nikkormat was my first camera back in 1966. That said, I think I had an Instamatic before that. But, the Nikon FE was the camera that I used for many decades before my entry into digital photography. I now use a combination of cameras. Fuji X100 V, Fuji X Pro 3, Nikon FE 2, Polaroid 600, and a number of other film and toy cameras. They are all tools that provide different possibilities. These are the cameras that I am able to bond with, and they allow me to pursue my vision. TPL: Tell us about your workshops, your books, your online blogs, and any events you want us to know about. LS: I provide group street photography workshops in different areas of New York City on most weekends throughout the year. I welcome photographers of all levels of experience, and I limit my workshops to 5 people so that everyone receives individual attention. I also provide private workshops and mentoring, and in both private and group workshops I help people find their own style and see photography in new ways. Street photography is an art. There is no paint-by-number recipe for it. You just have to get out there and do it. I have a newsletter for Shoot New York City, which is the name of my one-person independent business. I have self-published 2 photo zines of my street photography, and I hope to make more if I can learn how to use the technology to make books. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to) … LS: I write, read, exercise, meditate, listen to music, spend time with art and photography books, and watch cinema.” PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

PICTORIAL STORY INDIA'S LOST CHILDREN OF POSTMODERNISM Growing up in Varanasi, Jayesh Kumar Sharma developed a perspective shaped by place and time. His work reflects the social and cultural shifts unfolding around him, becoming the concept of his story. June 9, 2023 PICTORIAL STORY photography JAYESH KUMAR SHARMA story KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Jayesh Kumar Sharma is a trained and educated artist and photographer, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts (2012) from the Institute of Fine Arts, Varanasi, who lives and creates important work in India. His earlier interests in painting began to shift to the medium of photography. The different processes around the medium interested Jayesh, and he found them to be the directive to nurture the inspiration in his visual storytelling. Coming from a small village in rural India, close to the city of Banaras, sheltered Jayesh from current affairs of the so-called ‘Modern World’. Jayesh moved to the city of Mumbai, inspiring him to explore many of his country's diverse regions encapsulating the wide range of cultures and traditions. These formative years of investigation led Jayesh to a world of discoveries. His travels made him aware of the myriad changes Jayesh saw sweeping across his country. Jayesh became aware of social struggles and challenges, sensitizing him to the many traditions, rituals, local sports, crafts, that have been lost forever. Jayesh shares his revelation. “The onslaught of Modernism and relentless modernisation are not only spoiling our earth but our age-old way of life through which we have been deeply connected to the earth, to ecology, to the very soil we continue to live on. To me this has been a tremendous loss, and I feel we are losing these things forever. This primeval connection once gone, will alienate us forever.” Jayesh was brought back to his beginnings as a child, looking closer at his own traditions and understanding how and why they began. “Since childhood, I have been inculcating a habit of storing and collecting things, with some rudimentary idea of preservation, be it personal or traditional. Kashi, also known as Varanasi, is an ancient city in India and perhaps the only city in the world which has had the same running cultural practices since over 2,500 years is a city which influenced my formative years. I was inspired to experience and document the nature of human society and its varying beliefs, and to capture my thoughts and present my own formulations and understanding of the same through photography. My family influence has been traditional, and in my own journey of life I have experienced many changes around me. In this fast pace of progressivism somewhere the very structures of human society are being greatly affected, much is being irretrievably lost, and all this is happening so fast. My work has been infused and coloured with these influences – both exciting and sad at the same time.” Jayesh’s photography is driven by the impact of nature and the ecological contemporary situation of human life. It fuels the fire for critical and creative thinking, awakening Jayesh, inspiring him to share his independent thoughts as he embraces traditions and cultures of his country through his visual storytelling defined through his photography. “Photography is a medium that helps me to connect with myself. Amongst all my faculties, I feel that the one I find most developed and the one that I can use most creatively is the visual, so I found a way to express my thoughts in a straight way through photography. I think that photography is on the best footing among all those inventions through which you can work to inspire and awaken the ideas of nature and the relationship to the human condition in society.” Jayesh admits photography is more of a process than a profession for him. Jayesh firmly believes that for an artist to truly develop and create new work, they must be allowed failures, they must struggle and search their souls and go through the work, to understand the inspiration. Jayesh finds meaning and inspiration in a quote from Marcel Duchamp. “I believe art is the only form of activity in which man, as man, shows himself to be a true individual, and is capable of going beyond the animal state, because art is an outlet towards regions which are not ruled by time and space.” I asked Jayesh, what inspired the concept for his project Kushti? How did he approach producing the series? “The social and cultural changes taking place in the society became the concept of my story, in which I have made a poignant and valuable contribution. Varanasi is a very ancient city, where thousands of years of traditional activities helped form the society here. This creates a platform of visual storytelling with a direct outlook of social awareness, while remaining an intimate story about culture and traditions. Disturbed by our decreasing interest in traditional arts, I became more inclined to bring new attention to these fading traditions that once defined our culture. I am involved in an effort to document the few remaining traditional arts. I have a personal connection with each story, making my connections and observations genuine and authentic. Keeping myself personally invested in the story helps me shape my visual storyline. In this project it is Kushti, the ancient form of wrestling, that I am exploring and documenting. I see it dwindling rapidly and know it will disappear within the next few years. The education imparted in childhood affects not only your character but also the character of the society. Wrestling (Traditional Wrestling) is one such medium which has played a great role in the character building of the society, it is one of the ancient arts with a history of 2500 years. This is a practice which is not just about physical prowess but places equal emphasis on the disciplining of the mind - in that sense it is a kind of yogic practice. The wrestlers were an integral part of their communities and received both financial and emotional support from the larger community as this practice was treasured as a morally important practice. In this sense the wrestlers were not just sportsmen but were upheld as men of exceptional honour. The practice becomes not only about the physical, i.e. building the body and strength, but also significant to an individual's personality and one's very soul of being. I came face to face with this unique art/sport form many years back in Varanasi when I was a university student. Wrestling is the first traditional art which made me aware of the ending of many contemporary practices. I met Anurag Kanoria of Nine Fish Art Gallery for a photographic project almost a decade ago and was amazed to find him also speaking about these lost traditions and specifically Kushti too! We had long discussions on the subject of these dying arts and what we as art practitioners could do to intercede or record them before they vanish. He was a mentor and helped me pursue this and other similar projects. In a sense, it was a happy meeting of minds. We have since been working on other projects too. The entire process has been a long one, spanning over 6 dedicated years. As this has required my involvement with a rather closed culture, it took me almost 3 years to be accepted into the ‘fold’, so to say. Over those initial years, I involved myself in the inner lives and ways of the wrestlers. As they began to shed the first layers of suspicion at my presence, they slowly began to allow me to bring in my camera. Many of the frames that finally saw the light were already formulating themselves in my mind and when I could finally click it was an exhilarating experience. These Akhadas are usually very dark places and shooting inside has always been a challenge. Many of the exercises done by the wrestlers are very early in the morning, even before the sun has risen. It took a lot of experimentation from my end to get these images to where I felt they best depicted an accurate story. My purpose was not just to document in only an academic or anthropological way, but also create aesthetic pictures that have more meaning, embodying the soul of the tradition while embracing culture and community. It was this balancing act that I have found most fulfilling.” Jayesh’s project Kushti was just exhibited at MIA Photo Fair in Milan. Jayesh’s Gallerist Niti Gourisaria from the Nine Fish Art Gallery, Mumbai, sets the stage and premise for his story. “India stands in a rather strange space vis-à-vis Modernism and postmodernism as its own particular issues with nation building are layered intensely and intricately with its own myriad, complex and often conflicting civilizational sub-histories. The advent of photography in India happened more or less at the same time as it did in the West, but while its technological history paralleled that of the West, Indian photography had its own variations and interests, and these local concerns have also consumed Indian photographers. While in the West much of the interests of photographers over the past hundred odd years was the obsession with change and modernity and the pressing need to capture the new, Indian photographers have, in light of their own experience of the modern, been shy of highlighting their own community histories of thousands of years, except through the same problematic ‘colonial’ gaze. As India strides exuberantly into the next decades along with the global world it carries with it its checkered local histories of marginalized peoples, cultures, practices, and rituals which are losing ground and identity, and will probably vanish forever in the next decade at most. These are ‘The Lost Children of postmodernism’ to coin a term, and their worlds need to be recorded for posterity and documented for remembrance. Jayesh spent six years photographing the dwindling practitioners of Kushti, an ancient style of traditional wrestling which is dying out. Now it has few takers and is gasping for survival as the lure of international style wrestling and India’s recent glories in that style of sport have attracted most young practitioners. The old mud arenas found almost in all villages, where generations practiced together, are all empty now. Kushti was not just a sport but a philosophy of life and the almost monastic lifestyles and disciplines that the young had to take on, are no longer attractive. These old gymnasiums, known as ‘akhadas’ are largely silent and wear a forlorn and extremely run-down look and the same look is often reflected on the faces of its last few practitioners.” Jayesh’s journey did not stop here. He began an insightful exploration into the subject of ‘Leela’. Leela is a local folk street theatre, acted and played out by young children on the banks of the Ganges once a year. It is peculiar to Banaras, an enriching cultural event he has been attending every year for quite some time. While observing how it is losing ground in popularity and support, Jayesh became more and more concerned that the day is near that it will cease to exist, ending a run of almost 450 years. Jayesh explains the directive behind this work. “Leela is one of the most ancient folk theatre forms in India. ‘Leela’ usually depicts the major events that took place in the life of a significant personality whether real or mythical - an avatar of God (i.e. Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Lord Narsingh) or even a revered saint or hero. The connection of the audience with Leela is much stronger than in any other theatre form because they know the narrative and deeply identify with the hero and his story. The audience can themselves become actors in the performance as they play the crowd scenes for the theatre. It is strongly believed by the Leela lovers that the actor playing the Lord Ram (or any other God) is not a performer, but rather a God himself for that period of time. Most of the Leela performances are out in the streets or public places. The history of Indian folk drama (Leela) has originated and developed from the storehouse of Sanskrit texts (written and oral) in India. Indian folk drama is deeply rooted in Classical Sanskrit theatre and is an important component of popular culture in Banaras. This particular traditional Leela showing the tale of the childhood of Lord Krishna is performed by young children and every year with a new cast. Records show that it has been performed continuously since the last 450 years. It is also performed in the neighbouring districts of Banaras. I have started shooting it recently, but I would like to explore this further and document the same. I am particularly interested in the interaction of these child artists (who otherwise lead everyday regular lives) with the performative space of the Leela which is created to depict the sacred realm. This performative space is temporal as it is at a very crowded public place, wherein the crowd moves aside and watches the actors perform, then closes in again as the actors move on. Interestingly the play’s various scenes might be often enjoyed by a shifting audience, as not all follow the actors around the city as the play unfolds. Deeply conversant with the story of the play, it is easy for the audience to simply enjoy the part performed before them and then move on with their own lives. This transitional and highly temporal spaces of theatre overlapping so casually with the daily lives of the audience is a fascinating act in itself.” Growing up in the ancient city of Varanasi has given Jayesh a unique and authentic perspective. He has witnessed the rapid changes that his generation is being subjected to, including the deep sense of loss and disconnect that begins to filter out memory, and begins to adulterate received identities. Jayesh is concerned that the changes are too rapid and the records of what is vanishing, too thin. Jayesh wants to dedicate many more years in exploring the formations and erasure of cultural identity and memory. © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma © Jayesh Kumar Sharma We leave you with some last thoughts and a quote from Jayesh: “It is said that change is the law of nature, and that change has become a part of my nature. Changing the world means changing the experience of seeing the world, it does not mean that you will leave the real world and go to the world of dreams, I make my pictures with this stream of focus. My job is to know what the truth or reality is, but this depends on what your point of view is.” We thank Jayesh for his time and insight into their fascinating traditions. We wish them much success in their documentation and illumination of these dying cultural ways of life and character-building traditions. You can experience Leela through Jayesh’s critical eye, and respectful perception on our website in his portfolio series, ‘Theater of the Ever-Living Gods’. He has been awarded for his brilliant contributions to photography and exhibits internationally. Follow his links for even more inspiration. view Jayesh's portfolio Jayesh is represented by Nine Fish Art Gallery >>> Featuring forgotten India with ‘Kushti’ and ‘Leela’ at MIA Photo Fair 2023 Milan >>> Fotografia article >>> Jayesh's 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 >>> THE LIFE WITHIN THE MOUNTAIN Ten years after first seeing Larung Gar, Jing Wei returns to a changed mountain, finding continuity in faith, memory and the lives held within it. PROSCENIUM GHOSTS Said Manseur honors these young actors, their courage, and the unseen work they give to keep theatre alive against the odds. REGINA: BOARDING SCHOOL LIFE AND DREAMS A boarding school room becomes the frame for Cleopatra Joint’s portrait of ambition, instability, and a young woman’s search for freedom. LIFE ALONG THE RIVER Along the Hooghly, Shubhodeep Roy photographs Kolkata through faith, labour and memory, revealing a city shaped by water, inheritance and shared life. A HOME OF MEMORIES AND THE PRESENT Davide Santangelo returns to his family home by moonlight, tracing how absence, memory, and love continue to live within place, objects, and atmosphere after loss. THE PULL OF THE EARTH This is more than a record of rural Bengal. It looks at the bond between Sayan Biswas and the place that shaped him, even after distance has changed that relationship. ARE THOSE WINDS Along Istanbul’s northern edge, Ci Demi photographs the last water buffalo herders as they keep working, remembering, and staying put while the city closes in. 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.

5 A.M. Canadian photographer Brian Douglas stepped outside of his 9 to 5 world to document people, places and livelihoods at 5 a.m. 5 A.M. Documenting the people, places and livelihoods of the night shift February 11, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Brian Douglas INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE As the sun peeks over the horizon and the stars begin to slowly fade away, a new day begins. For some of us, it's time to roll out of bed and start the daily grind. But for photographer Brian Douglas, it's time to get to work. For Brian, the early morning, just before dawn, is the ideal time for capturing stories. As a photographer, Brian has a goal to create captivating images that draw in the viewer, telling the story in its raw and honest form. Having traveled to various parts of the world, Mexico, Hawaii, Cuba as well as the East and West Coast of Canada, his camera is always ready to capture something special. But it was at his home in Ontario that Brian developed The 5 A.M. project - a passion project with an interest to step outside of his 9-to-5 world and document people, places and livelihoods at or as close to 5 a.m. as possible. While most of us are tucked away in bed or commuting to our workplaces, Brian is out there catching the moments the rest of us often miss. Join us as we explore Brian's journey and find out what inspires him to capture these stories during The 5 A.M. project. “Every day 5 a.m. passes me by. While I am asleep there is a world that I am completely detached from. When I begin settling in for the evening there are countless others getting themselves ready to start their day. From bakers and farmers to gas station attendants and factory line workers, we live in a world that never truly sleeps. Productivity and services continue to be provided while many of us are asleep and dreaming. When I wake up in the morning I can, without a second thought, enjoy freshly made bread, produce picked hours earlier or even a newly paved road.” IN CONVERSATION WITH BRIAN DOUGLAS THE PICTORIAL LIST: Hello Brian. In your project 5 A.M., your photographs bring together the worker and the workplace. How did bringing these together first manifest for you? Why was it important for you to incorporate both images together as a diptych for the presentation of the image as a whole? BRIAN DOUGLAS: Presenting the worker and the workspace as a diptych in 5 a.m. was a way for me to try and tell a story in one image. Far too often, in my opinion, the people behind the work go unrecognized. We may know the name of a company and enjoy their projects and/or services but how often do we get to see the person who, in some way, helped create that experience for you? By pairing them as one piece my hope was to tell more of the story. This is Doug and he brews the beer you’re currently at home enjoying. Or this is Jesse and Kate and they support some of our most vulnerable people who, for whatever reason find themselves without a stable living environment but deserve as much as anyone else love and care. TPL: What is the full story behind the project? What was the initial inspiration? BD: When I first moved to Kitchener-Waterloo over ten years ago with my wife we lived in a Loft that was once home of the Kaufman Shoe Factory. We were downtown and surrounded by this amazing industrial landscape. Kitchener was built around heavy industry but when I arrived many of the old factory spaces sat empty. The industrial landscape was changing, and I quickly found myself exploring and documenting these buildings. I knew that many would be converted into new spaces (more lofts or office spaces) or they would be torn down. I wanted, in my own way, to create a record of these buildings. These factories employees, thousands of people through their lifetime and sustained a community. I felt that story deserved to be preserved. Once I had pretty much exhausted the spaces I could access and as the work from this project was exhibited and shared within the region, I began looking for my next passion project. While reflecting on my time in those factories I would often think of how empty they were while also wondering about how alive they once were. I would imagine the connections, the conversations, the friendships, and relationships that were formed during the hours spent working within those four walls. As much as I loved creating this body of work, I knew it was missing one thing: the faces of those people. The project has given me a newfound respect for the world of work and ignited a passion in me to further explore work and industry as a theme within my photography. One night I was brainstorming out loud with my wife about what my next project should be. I knew I wanted to give a face and voice to a segment of the working world and she said, “What about night shift workers?” As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted it, but I was all in! The next day I started crafting my artist statement, was on Google researching shift work jobs and not long after that 5 A.M. was born! TPL: How does 5 A.M. 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? BD: 5 a.m. was different from previous work in that it included portraits. Before this project started, I had not taken a portrait since grade 10 photography. Never did I consider myself to be a portrait photographer. I was terrified! Buildings don’t move. They don’t talk. They are just there. But photographing people was the exact opposite! There was a reason I never photographed them. I was scared. Felt unqualified and was 100% second guessing myself for venturing down this road. Jump forward almost 10 year (I started this project in 2013) and I cannot tell you how happy I am that I took this challenge on. Not only have a learned so much as a photographer but also personally. This was a project in which I truly leaned on my training and skills as a Social Worker: establishing connection, making people feel comfortable and at ease within our interactions together, asking questions and trying to, in my own way, get a sense of who these people are so that I could photograph them in a way that they would be proud of. I plan to, as soon as it is safe to do so, add a few more portraits to this body of work. I have some ‘wish list’ jobs I want to add to this project; a worm picker being top of my list! After that I have considered maybe a book to bring this project to an end. Before that though I hope to exhibit it more. I do have one upcoming exhibit set to be hung sometime in February. Currently I have a few new project ideas on my mind. One of those projects further expands on work and industry as a theme. The other project is purely portrait based but would incorporate some more purposeful interviews to tell stories differently, and a project I have had brewing for several years now would be a photo/video documentary titled “Anticipations: In life a death” and would very much blend my world of social work with my world of photography to tell, what I hope, would be a powerful story of what life teachers us about death and what death can teach us about life. Jan-Michael - Firefighter - Fire Station 2 - Kitchener © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Eddie - Supervisor, Operations - Region of Waterloo Paramedic Services © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Andy - Nurse - Grand River Hospital © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Heidi - Midwife - K-W Midwifery Associates © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Bruce - Constable © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Florance - Spiritual Care Provider - Grand River Hospital © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Overnight Program Support Workers © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Mary - Housekeeper © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Dan - Dairy Farmer - Cressridge Farms © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas TPL: Brian please tell us about yourself. BD: I am a father, husband, social worker and photographer. I grew up in Holland Landing, Ontario about an hour and a half North of Toronto where my parents owned a 14-acre forest. Being able to just go outside and ‘get lost’ in the woods for hours on end was an amazing sense of freedom as a kid! At the very back of the property (the ‘neighbours' so to speak) was a small scrapyard. I would often find myself with my siblings or friends exploring the old cars and school buses and it was the first place I went when I was given a disposable camera as an elementary student for a class project. I was probably 8 or 9 years old and already an urban exploring photographer! That was like 30+ years ago but urban exploring was truly my first love as a photographer and shaped my perspective as a photographer and many of the themes of my work. I currently I live in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, where I work full-time as a social worker. I take on freelance photography/video opportunities when they present themselves, but tend to put a lot of my time and energy in to passion projects such as 5 A.M. TPL: What draws you to photography and art? How did your journey into photography begin? BD: I touched a bit on what drew me to photography in the previous question, but that first disposable camera really did give me this amazing, eye opening opportunity to capture the world around me. I do not remember much about growing up or school as a kid but this has always stood out. I still have some of those 4x6 prints kicking around somewhere! My next venture into photography was high school when I had the chance to truly learn the art of photography; rolling my own film, shooting film, developing it in the darkroom and just loving the ability to create. Although I don’t shoot film anymore, there really is nothing like watching your photograph start to slowly appear on the paper. After high school, I still did a bit of photography but lost touch with it for a bit. I didn’t have a darkroom, I was busy in University and it wasn’t until graduated and decided to purchase my first DSLR that I reconnected with my love of creating images and I haven’t stopped since! What I love about photography is the idea that we all see things in a slightly different way. I also love the challenge, especially with some of my older work, of making something that typically could be viewed as an ‘eyesore’, mundane or not worth a second glance beautiful and relevant and worth a closer look. With my more recent work such as 5 a.m. and some of the street photography I have been doing, trying to capture the essence of a person in a portrait or to make what could be seen as an otherwise ordinary moment on the streets captivating is incredibly rewarding and enjoyable! It also challenges me to grow, learn and adapt as a photographer. One of the things I enjoy about looking at the work of others is the inspiration that it gives me to push myself. There are some other local photographers who shoot the same streets I do, or who create portraits and it drives me to experiment, to look at their photographs and figure out what they are doing that draws me in to their work and how I can, in my own way and with my own style, apply some of those elements. The project has given me a newfound respect for the world of work and ignited a passion in me to further explore work and industry as a theme within my photography. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? BD: A few of my favorite local photographer would be Wayne Simpson (@waynesimpsonphoto), Dan Dunlop (@the__stash) as well as Karl Kessler who is not on any social media. I am also really inspired by Harvey Wang (@harveywang_ny) who my friend Karl introduced me too. I also really love the work of Ben Thouard (@benthouard), Clark Little (@clarklittle) and Ray Collins (@raycollinsphoto) all of whom have a focus on the ocean! TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to shoot alongside for a day...who would you choose? And why? BD: Hmm…this is a really tough question. I’d probably want to shoot with Clark Little for a couple of reasons. The first reason is because I do love his work! But the second reason is that he is based on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii. Growing up I had the privilege of travelling to Hawaii with my family on several occasions. We would frequent the North Shore to watch surf competitions, to have the waves crash on us at the beach or to sit back in awe on the days the waves were just too big to go anywhere near the water. A chance to go back AND to learn to photograph those waves from someone like him would be priceless! 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? BD: My gear for sure helps but I would say the lenses more so than the camera body itself although the camera itself has been important to in order to produce high quality images for print. For this project, to date, the camera body has been exclusively the Canon 5d Mark III although I have recently upgraded to the r6 as I explore more video. For the setting shots I used the Canon 16-35mm. About half the portraits were shot with a Zeiss planar 50mm, f1.4 that a close friend lent me. When he moved, I purchased a Sigma 50mm f1.4 art lens. These two lens tend to be my go to lenses for work like this. If I am on the street I do enjoy the Sigma 50mm but I also really enjoy my Canon 24-70 f2. For street photography I love my Fuji X 100V although I have been wandering with the r6 lately. But I do still reach for the Fuji when I am going out to shoot the streets! In terms of my post-processing, it is minimal. It is rare for me to longer of on an edit and if I do, I tend not to spend more than 10-15 minutes. Dariuza (Derek) - Taxi Driver - City Cabs © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Anonymous - Production - Valley Blades © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Christain - Overnight Motivator © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Chuck - Racker - Kuntz Electroplating © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Doug - Brewer - Brick Brewery © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Jason - Front Desk Ambassador © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Nanct - 9-11 Dispatch © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Patty - Baker © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Oliva - Nurse - Grand River Hospital © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Mike - Newsreader - CBC Radio Kitchener-Waterloo © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Vernon - Sales Representative - Little Short Stop © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Evelyna-Sophia, Shannon and Raina - Servers - Mel's Diner © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas Al - Tow Truck Driver - Active Towing © 5 a.m. Brian Douglas TPL: Is there any advice that you would give yourself if you started photography all over again? BD: Challenge yourself more to step outside of your comfort zones. I think I would also tell myself to create a network of other photographers who you could connect with, learn from and support each other. I probably also would tell myself to embrace social media. I think back to the urban exploring I was doing (and continued to do) long before and after Youtube, Instagram, etc. and to some of the success photographers have had on those platforms with that work. I feel like I was ahead of the game as a photographer but behind the 8-ball in my uptake of the new formats to share work. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… BD: When I am not out photographing (or working) I tend to be home (or out and about) with my family; you may also find me playing guitar or playing something on the PS4. PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. 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