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I like life that hides behind a stone or inside the cracks of a wall. My way of photographing is spontaneous, unprepared, sometimes a little crude; and it is precisely this feeling of incompleteness that I abandon myself to when I shoot. Humanist, communicator, recidivist romantic and fundamentalist of the handshake. I believe in the time of waiting and I shoot on film because I like having to wait, imagine, almost tremble before being able to see... NICOLA CAPPELLARI I like life that hides behind a stone or inside the cracks of a wall. My way of photographing is spontaneous, unprepared, sometimes a little crude; and it is precisely this feeling of incompleteness that I abandon myself to when I shoot. Humanist, communicator, recidivist romantic and fundamentalist of the handshake. I believe in the time of waiting and I shoot on film because I like having to wait, imagine, almost tremble before being able to see... LOCATION Vicenza ITALY CAMERA/S Rollei 35T, Leica M6 WEBSITE https://www.nicolacappellari.com/ @NICOLA.CAPPELLARI FEATURES // Analogical Limbo

PICTORIAL STORY BROKEN HEART THE 2020 ZAGREB EARTHQUAKE July 24, 2020 PICTORIAL STORY Photography by Mary Crnkovic Pilas Story by Karin Svadlenak Gomez SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link As if a global pandemic were not enough, on a cold March day the city of Zagreb was struck by an earthquake. It was the strongest quake the Croatian capital had experienced in 140 years; it left the city scarred and the hearts of its residents wounded. Australian photographer Mary Crnkovic Pilas shares a personal account of that day's aftermath in her adopted home. The venerable old city of Zagreb lies gravely wounded. A historic gem, it is among the oldest cities in Central Europe, offering many cultural treasures and lively, safe streets full of cafes and restaurants. Visitors love it. In 2019, the region had experienced a big increase in visitor numbers, continuing a trend over the past several years — some 140,000 tourists visited Zagreb County last year, more than two thirds of them from other countries. So, it is especially heartbreaking to look at the centre of this historic city and see the piles of rubble, the buildings missing entire walls, the cathedral missing a steeple. On 22 March 2020, on a freezing Sunday morning that began with snowfall after the city had enjoyed several weeks of warm spring weather, disaster struck. Zagreb was hit by an earthquake of a magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter scale. And its old structures crumbled. The centre of the city, where most of the damage occurred, is also the area most visited by tourists. Many different types of buildings, both directly or indirectly connected to tourism suffered damage or were destroyed — hotels, restaurants, rental apartments, museums, shops, churches, and cemeteries, to name only a few. When tourists will be able to stay or visit these places again is a big question mark. So the earthquake has had and will have an enormous impact on the general economy, and on tourism in particular. At the time the earthquake hit, the Corona virus was just starting to take hold. Croatia still had only a couple of hundred confirmed cases, but distancing measures and lockdown were already in place. By comparison to the same month in 2019, in April 2020 visits from abroad were down by an incredible 99 percent because of Covid-19. Like in other countries where tourism is a mainstay of the economy, this hurts. The ogre of the pandemic also made a difference to how people reacted. “I believe many people who would normally most probably have gone out to help, stayed home, afraid of the virus. I know I was one of those,” says Mary. “It was also difficult in an emotional way, as when something like this occurs, your first reaction is to cry and hug someone, but we all had to keep our distance when we were sent out into the streets to wait out possible aftershocks.” Mary thinks that having the pandemic present in people's minds was, in a strange way, also a “blessing in disguise”, as few people were in the streets when the earthquake struck. “Had they been out, who knows how many more casualties there would have been.” The damage to buildings was severe, with 6,197 buildings reported to have sustained damage, and 1,900 of those now considered unusable. Most of Zagreb's centre was rebuilt after the strong earthquake of 1880, at a time when building materials and knowledge was not at the level it is today. The only 19h century building that did not sustain any structural damage was the Croatian National Theatre, which had been reinforced after the Skopje earthquake in 1963. For Mary, and for many Croatians, Zagreb's Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary, Ban Jelacic Square, St. Mark’s Church, and the statue of King Tomislav are important symbols of Zagreb. The Cathedral is the largest religious building and one of the most important cultural monuments in Croatia. It was damaged so severely that one of its spires, 13.5 metres tall and weighing 30 tonnes, had to be removed to avoid the danger of collapse and further damage. The removal of the cathedral tower was a unique event — something like this has never been done before anywhere in the world. The removal of the spire's top was achieved through a controlled explosion. The cathedral now stands shrouded in scaffolding and missing a top. Seeing the cathedral in the state it was, surrounded by rubble and with one steeple missing, was a shock for Mary and her fellow citizens. “I always have choir on a Friday evening and being the choir leader, I never miss a session unless I am very ill. But I had to miss choir practice the day they removed the northern tower as it was too emotionally distressing for me to witness it — I couldn’t sing after that.” THE FEAR REMAINS The mood has been very sombre in Zagreb. Seeing the cathedral without one of its steeples is a constant reminder of what happened that tragic Sunday morning. Many people lost their homes. Some stayed with relatives and friends, some, even though their homes were unsafe, stayed there, while around 600 people were given lodgings in Cvjetno naselje, a dormitory for non-resident students. It remains to be seen what will happen to them once the summer holidays are over and the fall university term starts. “Even though I moved to Croatia in 1992 when the Homeland War was still happening, I have never been so afraid in my life,” Mary admits. “Thankfully, no one in my family was hurt, nor did our home suffer any damage in the earthquake, but the psychological trauma is something that we will feel for a long time, especially with the aftershocks that happen every fortnight or so.” VISIONS AND OPINIONS How to move on is a big question. There are many visions and opinions on what should happen next. Because of extensive damage, some buildings just cannot be restored to the way they were before and will most probably have to be demolished. Very little money has so far been made available by the current Federal Government. They have provided 12,000 HRK or approximately 1,600 EUR for chimney repairs to households and buildings affected by the earthquake. Anyone familiar with the cost of building repairs will realize that this is not going to help much. In the beginning there were many volunteers, especially mountaineers and rock climbers, who helped with cleaning up roofs, rubble, etc. Then the Mayor of Zagreb brought about a controversial law that forbids volunteers to help with the clean-up. Now only paid workers are allowed to do this work. At the time of writing, there is still no official law in place for the reconstruction of buildings, even though it has been drafted and is under discussion. Current building regulations allow emergency maintenance work in situations where the earthquake has endangered the usability of buildings. Anything more than that needs a formal construction permit. Public buildings such as museums are waiting for restoration, pending an official government decree. “So to cut a long story short, it has been a nightmare for property owners,” says Mary. “As to whether it is going to be possible to restore Zagreb to the way it was before, this is something many of us would like to know, because at present there is still no clear plan or vision for reconstruction – should it be restored to the way it was, should it be a “mix” of old and new, or should it be completely redone?” How long it will take to rebuild Zagreb is anyone's guess. Estimates range from two years, which Mary thinks unrealistic, to ten years or more. Three months down the road one can still find rubble and debris in the streets. It is estimated that the cost of repairs (using the World Bank’s methodology) will be 42 billion HRK or 11.5 billion EUR, a staggering 10% of Croatia’s BDP. A complete restoration of the city would cost 17 billion EUR. THE HEALING HEART There is a street in Zagreb where a mended heart seems to bond together the cracks in a wall. Even though this healing heart was not conceived to symbolize the recovery from the earthquake by Zagreb based artist & designer Ivona ( Voona Design ) — it was part of the street art project Okolo // Around — it went viral as a symbol of the earthquake in a very short period of time in local and international media. Will a post-quake, post-Covid 19 Zagreb return to the way Mary knew and loved it? She is not so sure. “Honestly, I don’t know if Zagreb or the world for that matter will ever return to the way it was in the foreseeable future. It breaks my heart to say it, but I feel that we will live in a world with masks and social distancing and for now, I can’t see the end in sight. As we are a fairly “southern” country, we are very “touchy feely” and like to hug and kiss our friends and family to greet them. But that is becoming more and more difficult and even, in a way, unethical, as sad as it is to say that.” But the human heart is resilient. “ Sve je moguće ” is what is written on this building, which translates into “ Everything is possible ”. May the heart of Zagreb and its people also beat strong again soon. © Mary Crnkovic Pilas © Mary Crnkovic Pilas © Mary Crnkovic Pilas © Mary Crnkovic Pilas A controlled explosion. © Mary Crnkovic Pilas Removing the spire top. © Mary Crnkovic Pilas The injured cathedral. © Mary Crnkovic Pilas Rubble surrounds the cathedral. © Mary Crnkovic Pilas The healing heart by Zagreb based artist & designer Ivona (Voona Design) © Mary Crnkovic Pilas © Mary Crnkovic Pilas © Mary Crnkovic Pilas © Mary Crnkovic Pilas © Mary Crnkovic Pilas © Mary Crnkovic Pilas © Mary Crnkovic Pilas A fireman from Split working with a colleague from Zagreb to help the reconstruction effort. © Mary Crnkovic Pilas © Mary Crnkovic Pilas © Mary Crnkovic Pilas "Anything is possible" © Mary Crnkovic Pilas Thank you for telling us your story, Mary. Our team at The Pictorial List wishes you and your city all the best for a full recovery. view Mary's portfolio Read an interview with Mary >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> Sources used in this story - Ivona (Voona Design) Street art project | Okolo Around 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 am a fine art film photographer who uses analogue film and traditional darkroom printing in my practice. Early in my career, I was a digital artist, creating abstract and conceptual images by incorporating digital photos into multiple layers. Over time, I developed a preference for analogue film, drawn to its timeless tonal qualities and distinctive grain. I am captivated by the rules of negative and traditional printing methods, finding the hands-on approach required to create a silver gelatin print incredibly rewarding. My diverse body of work includes an eclectic collection of prints that span various photographic genres. My works have been featured in numerous publications, including TIME Magazine and Italian Vogue, used in television, and showcased in a number of global exhibitions. PAUL COOKLIN I am a fine art film photographer who uses analogue film and traditional darkroom printing in my practice. Early in my career, I was a digital artist, creating abstract and conceptual images by incorporating digital photos into multiple layers. Over time, I developed a preference for analogue film, drawn to its timeless tonal qualities and distinctive grain. I am captivated by the rules of negative and traditional printing methods, finding the hands-on approach required to create a silver gelatin print incredibly rewarding. My diverse body of work includes an eclectic collection of prints that span various photographic genres. My works have been featured in numerous publications, including TIME Magazine and Italian Vogue, used in television, and showcased in a number of global exhibitions. LOCATION UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Leica M6 M7, Hasselblad 500cm, Leica R4 WEBSITE https://www.paulcooklin.com/ @PCOOKLIN FEATURES // The Art of Analogue

I am an educator, and part time student of psychotherapy. Photography has always been a passion of mine. What inspires me most is the human soul. To capture the essence of a person with my camera is my ultimate goal. JONAS WELTEN I am an educator, and part time student of psychotherapy. Photography has always been a passion of mine. What inspires me most is the human soul. To capture the essence of a person with my camera is my ultimate goal. LOCATION Salzburg AUSTRIA CAMERA/S iPhone 11, Nikon D300 @WELTENPHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES // Moments From The Street

SMOKING CHEFS Shooting within the domain of found photography on the streets of London, Jan Enkelmann's work is conceptual with a defined theme. SMOKING CHEFS February 16, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Jan Enkelmann INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE The act of taking photographs has always been driven by a personal passion for documentary photographer and graphic designer Jan Enkelmann. Originally from Germany and now based in London, Jan first found photography when he was gifted his first camera on his sixth birthday. Instantly discovering something special, photography became a big part of his life forever. Regularly shooting on location within the domain of found photography in and around the streets of London, Jan's work is conceptual with a defined theme. Whether he is capturing a particular expression of emotion or state of mind from strangers on the street, or showing human beings in a state of contemplation and quietness, or documenting the stillness of a city in lockdown, Jan's photography projects are a layered narrative structure illuminated by various visual angles. “My work tends to sit somewhere between documentary and street photography. As with any good documentary work, I will try to do a really thorough job, get under the skin of my subjects, spend a lot of time on a subject and try to illuminate it from various angles. I always aim to create a body of work that hangs together on both a formal and a thematic level. I guess the trick is knowing when to stop before I start repeating myself.” IN CONVERSATION WITH JAN ENKELMANN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Jan please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? JAN ENKELMANN: I was born in 1970 near Stuttgart in south-west Germany. My dad was – and still is – a passionate photographer. He always managed to get his photographs published in books and get commissions for the kind of stuff he loved to shoot alongside his job as a school headmaster. He gave me my first camera, a little Kodak Pocket Instamatic that used 110 cartridge film, for my sixth birthday. I can’t remember anyone else my age having a camera at the time. It felt really special. The first few rolls were black and white, just because it was significantly cheaper to buy and process than colour film, and the camera used single-use flash cubes, which were themselves a pretty exciting part of the experience. I think I got to shoot colour film once my dad saw that I got the hang of it pretty quickly. When the Instamatic camera broke, I graduated to a succession of 35mm film cameras, shooting mainly slide film – again following in my father’s footsteps. Initially, I mainly photographed my family and quickly became the class photographer on school trips. But soon I became interested in travel photography. I did a lot of traveling when I was in my early twenties and that was probably the time I made the first images I was really proud of. I ended up becoming a professional graphic designer and moved to London in 2000. It was there that I started taking photography more seriously, especially with the arrival of the first affordable digital DSLRs. I managed to get a book of travel photography published in 2007 and have been dividing my time between design and photography ever since. Over recent years, my focus has shifted towards documentary and street photography, although I still occasionally do travel photography and other commissioned work. TPL: Talk to us about your photography project SMOKING CHEFS. Can you tell us the story behind your series? What was the inspiration behind it and when did it begin? Is it an ongoing series? What do you want the viewer to experience when they look at this series? JE: Here is the artist statement I released with the book: In the noisy bustle of London’s West End, I have been looking for sanctuaries of quietness and contemplation. I found them in the back alleys and doorways of Chinatown. At night, when the countless restaurants compete for tourists and theatregoers, throngs of visitors collide with Chinatown’s tight-knit ethnic community. By the time the restaurants open, some of the kitchen staff have already been working since early morning. Many of them are recent immigrants who speak little more than a few words of English. Some will have clocked more than 60 hours when the week is over. They may not always be aware of my presence, yet I think of "Smoking Chefs" as kindred souls. I am sharing with them the few minutes it takes to smoke a cigarette, condensing this timespan into a single image. Just like the chefs have established a ritual of seeking out the same locations, following the same routine to escape the relentless demands of their work, I have created my own, always trailing the same path along the streets and back alleys. Most of my personal photography work consists of long-term projects and I often work on them in parallel. I come across something by accident, which then needs some time before I will figure out for myself what it actually is that fascinates me about it. SMOKING CHEFS is one of these projects. Chinatown of course is full of restaurants and a few years ago, I noticed a number of chefs sneaking out for a well-deserved cigarette at pretty much any time, day or night. Being close to all the theatres, Chinatown is one of the busiest areas in Central London. At first, I liked the challenge of capturing these smoking chefs in a way that made it appear as if they were completely alone with themselves in a quiet part of town. In reality they were often surrounded by crowds of people. I did some research and got to know the owner of several of these restaurants. He arranged for me get access to the kitchens, and to be able to speak with and photograph the chefs at work. These images are not part of the project, but it gave me an insight into the staggeringly strenuous work these individuals do. The Chinese restaurant personnel is often targeted by immigration police and although there are some with missing paperwork, the majority are in the UK legally. There have recently been protests and walkouts because they feel unfairly targeted by the government. So there clearly is a social commentary to these images. But, as with much of my work, I try to let the photos do the talking and let others interpret what they are seeing. Someone has described SMOKING CHEFS as “simultaneously intimate, voyeuristic, weary, sad and timeless.” I’m pretty happy with that description. To be able to formally move on, I have published the series as a book. But I still occasionally go back and make more images – maybe for the next edition of the book. However, the pandemic has also changed Chinatown, and probably the chef’s schedules. It’s definitely become more difficult to make these images over recent months. TPL: What does documentary and street photography mean to you? How have the streets and culture you capture influence your photography? JE: For a long time I have resisted the term street photography for my work although I now do most of my shooting in the streets or public spaces in general. I guess it’s the randomness that’s often associated with street photography that doesn’t ring true for what I do. I almost always work to a theme or have a clearly defined subject. Maybe it’s also the fact there are a lot of repetitive, clichéd or simply not very good images out there that have given street photography a bit of a bad reputation recently. But maybe I masochistically enjoy the challenge of not knowing if I will be able to manage to get a usable image any time I go out to shoot, which is what probably drives many street photographers. My work tends to sit somewhere between documentary and street photography. As with any good documentary work, I will try to do a really thorough job, get under the skin of my subjects, spend a lot of time on a subject and try to illuminate it from various angles. I always aim to create a body of work that hangs together on both a formal and a thematic level. I guess the trick is knowing when to stop before I start repeating myself. TPL: What have been some of your favourite memories or moments in your photography journey? What have you personally gained from your experiences? JE: I wouldn’t consider myself a ‘people person’ and I’m more of an introvert. I find it quite easy and enjoyable to interact with strangers, though, when I have a camera in my hand. It’s like a piece or armour. It also helps me to think about and understand my own work better when people ask me, and I have to explain to them, why I want to take their picture. Photography therefore opens up a way of engaging with people that I would otherwise not have. Although there have been many amazing moments, encounters and memories I’ve had over the years while out and about shooting, the bit I enjoy most is probably seeing the individual images turn into a coherent project afterwards – whether that’s a book, exhibition or something else. I find it very satisfying when others simply get what I’m trying to do without me having to explain it. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? JE: Of course there are many photographers I admire, but I hope you won’t be able to tell who they are from looking at my own photography 😊 I really love the work of Gregory Halpern, Michael Wolf, Fred Herzog, Tom Stoddart, Sebastiao Salgado and Alec Soth, to name but a few. When I have a camera in my hand. It’s like a piece or armour. It also helps me to think about and understand my own work better when people ask me, and I have to explain to them, why I want to take their picture. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to shoot alongside for a day... who would you choose? And why? JE: I probably can’t imagine anything worse than working alongside another photographer. For me it’s a very solitary activity. But I would love to be a fly on the wall with maybe Alec Soth or Gregory Halpern to see how they manage to make some of their very intimate but totally natural looking photos of strangers they’d just met for the first time. 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? JE: I suppose one chooses the equipment one feels most comfortable with. I have been shooting with digital SLRs since making the switch from film almost 20 years ago. I know there’s a big revival of film-based photography and a certain snobbism towards digital from some people. I guess I’m with Martin Parr, Salgado and others who spent decades shooting film, then made the switch to digital and never looked back. They managed to retain their style and look of their images and few people care about the equipment they were made with. I often get asked whether certain images were shot on film or digitally, which I guess proofs my point. Over the last few years, I’ve been shooting a lot at night, for SMOKING CHEFS, PAUSE, my project documenting a deserted London during lockdown, and also commercial work. It would have been very difficult to make this work using a film camera. I have been using Nikon cameras since the early 1990s. It was a revelation when Nikon released the D3 back in 2007 for its low-light capabilities and I’ve stuck with them over the years. The photos for SMOKING CHEFS were made with D800 and D850 cameras. I do prefer certain lenses for particular projects. For SMOKING CHEFS, I have only used a Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom lens. For the current project I’m working on, I’m shooting exclusively with a Sigma Art 50mm f/1.4. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? JE: I hope to keep getting inspiration for finding satisfying projects. It’s hard to come across something that hasn’t already been done, but if I can at least find my own take on a subject, that’s probably as good as one can hope for. For me the most fulfilling work is when it resonates both with the photography community, but also with the general public. If I’d be able to finish one such project each year for the next five years, I’d be more than happy. More of Jan's projects - from 'Serious Conviction' © Jan Enkelmann from 'Serious Conviction' © Jan Enkelmann from 'Serious Conviction' © Jan Enkelmann from 'Serious Conviction' © Jan Enkelmann from 'Serious Conviction' © Jan Enkelmann from 'Serious Conviction' © Jan Enkelmann from 'To The Races' © Jan Enkelmann from 'To The Races' © Jan Enkelmann from 'To The Races' © Jan Enkelmann from 'To The Races' © Jan Enkelmann from 'To The Races' © Jan Enkelmann from 'To The Races' © Jan Enkelmann from 'All Right, Catch You Later' © Jan Enkelmann from 'All Right, Catch YOu Later' © Jan Enkelmann from 'All Right, Catch You Later' © Jan Enkelmann from 'Pause' © Jan Enkelmann from 'Pause' © Jan Enkelmann from 'Pause' © Jan Enkelmann from 'Pause' © Jan Enkelmann from 'Pause' © Jan Enkelmann TPL: Congratulations Jan on the recent success of your book PAUSE. Are there any other special projects you are currently working on or thinking about that you would like to let everyone know about? JE: Thank you. PAUSE was my way of dealing with lockdown and not having any work for a few months in early 2020. I am very grateful it resonated with so many people. I’m hoping to put the finishing touches on another long-term project this year. It will be called "ALL RIGHT, CATCH YOU LATER" and extracts from the work can already be seen on my website [https://www.enkelmann.co.uk/brixton]. It’s a documentary project about Brixton in south London. I’ve been living in and around Brixton for more than twenty years and have been fascinated by its people, but also the transformation the area has been going through over recent years. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… JE: I'm a dad to two boys, one of them has just become a teenager. Do I need to say more? 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.

Photography can document a reality that depicts truths. But what if photography was embraced and utilized as an artistic medium, like paint, pencil or pen? Where the photographic image becomes an expressive brush stroke, a significant gesture of character, a simple clue in an abstraction, based in reality. This is the creative approach to photography that allows Monika to create the surreal images that ground and define her body of work. Her imagination writes the story, utilizing photography and innovative techniques Monika depicts and illustrates her thoughts and ideas, allowing her work to speak for itself. MONIKA JURGA Photography can document a reality that depicts truths. But what if photography was embraced and utilized as an artistic medium, like paint, pencil or pen? Where the photographic image becomes an expressive brush stroke, a significant gesture of character, a simple clue in an abstraction, based in reality. This is the creative approach to photography that allows Monika to create the surreal images that ground and define her body of work. Her imagination writes the story, utilizing photography and innovative techniques Monika depicts and illustrates her thoughts and ideas, allowing her work to speak for itself. LOCATION POLAND CAMERA/S mobile phone @MJUMJU_008 FEATURES // New Realities In Visual Poetry

I am an amateur photographer from Belarus currently living in Moscow, Russia. I started doing photography regularly quite recently, in March 2019. Canon EOS 80D is my main content creation tool. Over the year of experimenting with colors, lighting, and composition, my idea of ​​photography has changed a lot. The first six months I took pictures on the Nikon D3200. The lens was catching everything that was around me. As a result, my photos were like a set of completely different pictures. Now I try to find my own style. I guess I don’t like photographing just architecture, just people or just nature. I like to capture moments in the photo. The faces of the main characters in my photographs are usually hidden in whole or in part. The final photographs often turn out a little gloomy, but from this the moments become only brighter. Now I'm working on creation my first portrait series. Stay tuned! ALEXEY STRECHEN I am an amateur photographer from Belarus currently living in Moscow, Russia. I started doing photography regularly quite recently, in March 2019. Canon EOS 80D is my main content creation tool. Over the year of experimenting with colors, lighting, and composition, my idea of photography has changed a lot. The first six months I took pictures on the Nikon D3200. The lens was catching everything that was around me. As a result, my photos were like a set of completely different pictures. Now I try to find my own style. I guess I don’t like photographing just architecture, just people or just nature. I like to capture moments in the photo. The faces of the main characters in my photographs are usually hidden in whole or in part. The final photographs often turn out a little gloomy, but from this the moments become only brighter. Now I'm working on creation my first portrait series. Stay tuned! LOCATION Moscow RUSSIA CAMERA/S Canon EOS 80D @ALEXEY.STRECHEN FEATURES // Catching Glimpses of Life

NETHERLANDS NOSTALGIA José Leyenda is an autodidact living in The Netherlands who seeks to capture the nostalgia of the streets and its architecture. NETHERLANDS NOSTALGIA December 3, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY José Luis Blach Leyenda INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Nestled in the quaint streets of the Netherlands, lies a talented photographer who has taken the art of capturing moments to the next level. José Luis Blach Leyenda is an autodidact photographer whose passion for photography only started a few years ago when he picked up a camera in a pursuit to capture the charm of architecture and nostalgia of the streets. His commitment to pursue those perfect shots is remarkable and for José, every small improvement in his photography is a win. “I try to let the photography speak by itself or at least give an expression that characterize my photography. Let others judge...It can be a moment a spot or a subject passing by and frame it to make the overhaul an interesting perspective. Freeze the moment!” IN CONVERSATION WITH JOSÉ LUIS BLACH LEYENDA THE PICTORIAL LIST: Jose please tell us about yourself. When did you start getting interested in photography? JOSÉ LUIS BLACH LEYENDA: I have a technical background and work in a Medical Device Company. My interests have always been on Architecture, Interior Design and History (Civilizations). Photography has always been there as a kind of nostalgia of the film days when my father shot on film. About four years ago I went to Japan Tokyo on vacation and bought myself an Olympus OMD EM5 with a 35mm and a telephoto lens 175mm to capture my summer vacation and was curious to experience it through photography. I was a little overwhelmed by Tokyo as a street photography city with all its lights and buzzing streets. I was shooting on full automatic because at that point hadn’t figured out the triangle of photography as well as metering and more technical stuff that I wasn’t at that point much familiar. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? JLBL: From interior magazines, architecture buildings, museums and by watching the streets and absorbing all kind of fields. I have always been interested in art actually. TPL: Do you prefer to photograph alone or with friends? JLBL: Prefer to shoot alone and concentrate on the street commuters and random people that I find interesting or shooting architecture and trying to find lights and shadows that can add more to it. TPL: Are there any books that you have read that have inspired your creativity and that you would like to recommend to us? JLBL: I live at The Hague in the Netherlands and visit several times the Escher Museum and read the Escher journals by the graphic Dutch artist. TPL: Who are your favourite artists? JLBL: Fan Ho has an amazing style of shooting and I casually got his name from a YouTube channel about photography and Hong Kong that I was following. Life hasn’t no limitations, except the ones you make. TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? JLBL: Rotterdam because of its modern architecture...London City for its small streets and alleys against high buildings, the Brutalism buildings and the vibe on the streets...Berlin with its mix of modern and old buildings, museums and also the mixture of pop culture and people...Oporto because of its modern mixed with old...Santiago de Compostela in Spain especially the impressive Gaia’s Center Museum, an architecture masterpiece of multiple buildings and granite shapes on top of Mt. Gaia. By the way, an architecture photography must see. TPL: How does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? JLBL: A few years I wanted to change my Olympus OMD and decided after watching reviews on the Fujifilm X system and was quite excited about its handling with the dedicated buttons and the sensor of the X Pro 1 and the well known film simulations. It's a tool but actually I like the handling very much . I started with a 23mm f2.0 and tried to frame a story and then switched to a 58mm Optic Meyer new lens with a vintage look for street . Now I have a telephoto R mount lens 135mm with an adapter to try minimalistic architecture and experience something different and have another perspective of shooting . TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? JLBL: Improve my skills and find consistency on my work and try to see photography from different angles and perspectives. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… JLBL: Like to read biographies and also about Ancient Rome civilization as visit museums and archeological sites if I am on a short vacations.” 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.

PICTORIAL STORY CELEBRATION OF LIFE On the streets of Dhaka, where bursts of color meet raw emotion, Holi unfolds in moments of connection — seen and shared by Ahsanul Haque Fahim. July 19, 2024 PICTORIAL STORY photography AHSANUL HAQUE FAHIM story KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link A passionate photographer from Bangladesh, Ahsanul Haque Fahim has immersed himself in the art of street photography. His visual stories capture the raw moments and genuine emotions amidst the perpetual chaos of the bustling streets of his city. It is a photographic exploration that Ahsanul finds motivating and inspiring. Ahsanul has found much inspiration in exploring and documenting urban and rural landscapes, creating a personal archive of these ever-changing environments. These environmental changes and challenges bring with them a new social consciousness, forcing the urban community to adapt and adjust to new dynamics in their social and environmental conditions. Ahsanul's street photography focuses on the nuances perceived in these evolutionary times. “Through my work, I aim to illustrate the profound connection between people and their surrounding society, exploring how their lives are influenced and transformed by the forces of urbanization.” Holi , also known as Dol Utsav , is one of the most important annual festivals of Hinduism. Devotees of the community around the world celebrate the day in harmony every year. Holi is celebrated predominantly throughout India, with its rich historical heritage, and deep-rooted community traditions, with a 90% majority of the population devoted to Hinduism. However, Bangladesh, once used to be part of the integrated India, is still rooted with the religious values of traditional Hinduism. Here in Shankhari Bazar, located in the heart of traditional old Dhaka, is an area of Bangladesh steeped with history of cultural customs and traditions but where the majority of the community is Muslim, and only 5% devoted to Hinduism. This creates diversity and a nonsectarian nation with coexisting harmony. “Despite being outnumbered, the Hindi community aren’t shy of celebrating their festival in grand fashion with complete participation.” The streets of Shankhari Bazar fill with locals and visitors alike. The joy of sharing inspiration and celebrating together makes this a very powerful, emotional and spiritual experience. Over the years, the Shankhari Bazaar has become a central hub of this celebration, with people making a pilgrimage there to experience this traditional celebration firsthand. Its enduring charm and cultural significance continue to draw crowds, making it an integral part of Bangladesh's festive landscape. The celebration of Holi , also known as Dol Utsav , the throwing of colored powder is much more than a festive tradition. It is a vivid manifestation of broader symbolic meanings that resonate deeply within the community. This colorful practice celebrates different facets of life, nature and human relationships, capturing the essence of the festival in a way that is both profound and communal. This tradition stands as a living testament to the interconnectedness of these elements, providing a profound and joyful way for individuals and communities to connect, celebrate and renew their bonds with each other and the world around them. Although the festival revolves around greeting each other and covering each other with powdered colors, the 'colors' are only metaphorical. Holi is a celebration of life itself. The bright saturated colors symbolize the different shades of life, each representing a different aspect of the human experience. These shades encompass a wide range of emotions, from joy and love to sorrow and introspection. They also signify luck and blessing, reflecting the positive energies and good fortune we encounter. The colors also represent serenity and hope, reminding us of the peace and optimism that sustains us. Playfulness, another essential hue, highlights the importance of joy and spontaneity in our lives. Together, these colors create a rich tapestry that makes us human and teaches us to live joyfully. They encourage us to embrace the full range of our experiences, recognising that each hue contributes to the beauty and complexity of life. Who knows what life would be like without these vibrant hues? It is through their interplay that we learn, grow and find meaning in our existence. “As the title suggests, it’s the celebrations of life. The bright colors symbolize the different various shades of life. Shades such as emotions, auspiciousness, blessing, tranquility, hope and playfulness. In combination these shades make us humane and teach us to live joyfully. Who knows how life would have been or would be, without these shades?” Socially, the festival acts as a powerful equalizer, breaking down barriers and promoting inclusivity. During Holi , distinctions of age, gender, social status and caste are temporarily set aside. The act of throwing colors at each other symbolizes the erasure of these boundaries and fosters a sense of unity and collective identity. It promotes social cohesion and strengthens community ties as people come together in a spirit of joy and solidarity. Religiously, the practice has significant spiritual significance. In the context of Dol Utsav , the throwing of color is associated with the divine love of Radha and Krishna , embodying themes of devotion, playfulness and divine union. It is also in keeping with the wider Hindu belief in the cyclical nature of life, death and rebirth, with the festival serving as a reminder of the enduring nature of the soul and the eternal rhythms of existence. © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim © Ahsunal Haque Fahim The celebration of Holi or Dol Utsav in Bangladesh is a rich tapestry of cultural, spiritual and social significance that is embraced and celebrated around the world. Through Ahsanul's visual translations and evocative street photography, he captures the essence of this vibrant festival, showing the raw emotions and dynamic interactions that unfold in the streets of Dhaka. Holi is not just a festival of color; it is a celebration of life itself, reflecting the diverse and profound experiences that make us human. The tradition of throwing powdered colors symbolizes the myriad shades of our existence, from joy and love to hope and tranquility, and reminds us of the interconnectedness between individuals and their environment. As Ahsanul's photographs illustrate, these celebrations are a testament to the resilience and capacity for joy of the human spirit, offering a rich, multifaceted expression of cultural identity and a joyful way for communities to connect and renew their bonds. Through the celebration of Holi , we are reminded to live joyfully and embrace the full spectrum of life's colors. Ahsanul has shared his work with us before, his visual stories are loved by our community and add a beautiful continuous thread to the ever-growing fabric of The Pictorial List. We are always grateful for his support and brilliant contributions. Follow his links and read more about him on our website. view Ahsanul Haque Fahim's portfolio Read an interview with Ahsunal >>> Read The Outskirts: The Grief of a Megacity >>> 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.

I am a Polish photographer and have been interested in photography since 1980. I am mostly interested in social reportage, culture and landscape. My photos have appeared on the covers of bestseller books and I have collaborated with some of the biggest publishing houses in the country such as SIW ZNAK, Wydawnictwo Literackie, Wydawnictwo Edukacyjne, Wydawnictwo Medycyna Praktyczna, Publishing house A5, Publishing house Austeria, Can-Pack S.A., Umbrella Foundation, Jagiellonian University, Pedagogical University in Cracow, Instytut Książki, Publishing house Arkana, Publishing house Noir sur Blanc, Jewish Culture Festival in Cracow, Festival of Miłosza, Copernicus Festival, The Puppet and Actor Theater "Kubuś" in Kielce. I have been published in Gazeta Wyborcza, Tygodnik Powszechny, Newsweek, Foto Pozytyw, Time of Wine, Foto-Info, Rzeczpospolita, The Times Of Israel, Private Magazine, Dodho Magazine, Excio Journal, The Photo Argus, BETA developments in photography, L'Oeil de la Photographie, Tagree. My photos have been exhibited in Gierałtowski Gallery, MOCAK- Museum of Modern Art in Cracow, BWA in Kielce, The Contemporary Art Center in Toruń, Jagiellonian Library. WOJCIECH KARLINSKI I am a Polish photographer and have been interested in photography since 1980. I am mostly interested in social reportage, culture and landscape. My photos have appeared on the covers of bestseller books and I have collaborated with some of the biggest publishing houses in the country such as SIW ZNAK, Wydawnictwo Literackie, Wydawnictwo Edukacyjne, Wydawnictwo Medycyna Praktyczna, Publishing house A5, Publishing house Austeria, Can-Pack S.A., Umbrella Foundation, Jagiellonian University, Pedagogical University in Cracow, Instytut Książki, Publishing house Arkana, Publishing house Noir sur Blanc, Jewish Culture Festival in Cracow, Festival of Miłosza, Copernicus Festival, The Puppet and Actor Theater "Kubuś" in Kielce. I have been published in Gazeta Wyborcza, Tygodnik Powszechny, Newsweek, Foto Pozytyw, Time of Wine, Foto-Info, Rzeczpospolita, The Times Of Israel, Private Magazine, Dodho Magazine, Excio Journal, The Photo Argus, BETA developments in photography, L'Oeil de la Photographie, Tagree. My photos have been exhibited in Gierałtowski Gallery, MOCAK- Museum of Modern Art in Cracow, BWA in Kielce, The Contemporary Art Center in Toruń, Jagiellonian Library. LOCATION Kielce POLAND CAMERA/S Ricoh GR III and Fujifilm X-T4 WEBSITE https://karlinskifoto.com/ @WOJCIECH.KARLINSKI @WOJCIECH.KARLINSKI FEATURES // Service Interruption

I am an Iranian artist and photographer based in Guilan, on the northern coast of Iran. Inspired by conceptual photography, I create minimalist landscape photographs that are strongly rooted in themes, ideas and symbolism. I have a background in painting and while photography is my preferred medium today, I often combines aspects of both into my working process, often inspired by my own thoughts and dreams, and chance and coincidence. To me, minimal photography is an art in the way that artists learn how to omit the extra elements which seem to be very necessary in such a hectic life. I see it as an international language to communicate with the people round the world. MOSTAFA NODEH I am an Iranian artist and photographer based in Guilan, on the northern coast of Iran. Inspired by conceptual photography, I create minimalist landscape photographs that are strongly rooted in themes, ideas and symbolism. I have a background in painting and while photography is my preferred medium today, I often combines aspects of both into my working process, often inspired by my own thoughts and dreams, and chance and coincidence. To me, minimal photography is an art in the way that artists learn how to omit the extra elements which seem to be very necessary in such a hectic life. I see it as an international language to communicate with the people round the world. LOCATION Guilan IRAN CAMERA/S Canon 7D @NODEHPHOTO FEATURES // Notes On A Landscape

PICTORIAL STORY MAKING A SPLASH Carol Dronsfield shares her portraits of the Coney Island Polar Bears, documenting over twenty-two swims while getting to know the bears. April 29, 2022 PICTORIAL STORY photography CAROL DRONSFIELD story KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link If you live in New York State in the winter, it is best if you find something fun to do to help the short days go by over these long cold months. Some ski, skate, fish, snow mobile, while others who live in Coney Island in Brooklyn, and the surrounding boroughs of New York have found their own way to enjoy and be inspired through the short days and bitter cold of winter. In 1903 Bemarr Macfadden founded the oldest cold water swim club in the United States, ‘The Coney Island Polar Bear Club’. He was called The Father of Physical Culture , being an early advocate for a nutritional diet along with physical exercise. Bemarr believed training the body to endure the cold elements made you stronger and healthier, in body and mind. He was convinced that the dips in the cold water during the winter months boosted your stamina, virility, as well as your immunity. I spoke to the President of The Coney Island Polar Bears, Dennis Thomas, and he shared the club's member information, and what it takes to be a member. “Currently we have about 170 members on our roster and have around 80-90 members at each of our weekly swims. To become a full member, aspiring Cubs must do 12 swims within a single season and be voted in by the membership. To remain a member in good standing, bears must do at least 4 swims within a season.” While the Bears swim every Sunday, rain, snow, or shine, Dennis believes they are best known for their annual Coney Island New Year's Day Plunge where around 3,000 swimmers take a refreshing plunge in the Atlantic Ocean with an additional 10,000 spectators watching. The event has always been free to the public, but we do encourage all attendees to make a donation to our charity partners. In the past we have supported the Special Olympics, Camp Sunshine in Casco Maine, and recently cultural organizations in the Coney Island community such as the NYC Aquarium, Coney Island USA, Coney Island History Project, Coney Island YMCA, Parachute Arts, Friends of Kaiser Park, and New York State Marine Education Association.” The Coney Island Polar Bears descend upon the boardwalk every Sunday from November through April for a dip in the frigid cold air and freezing temperatures of the ocean at Coney. Photographers and filmmakers from all over like to experience and share the inspiration with the bears and are dedicated to their swim, becoming part of that extended family and Coney Island community. Carol Dronsfield is a photographer currently residing in Brooklyn New York and has committed her Sundays to photographing the Bears. Carol shares her amazing portraits of the Coney Island Polar Bears, documenting over twenty-two swims while getting to know the bears. Carol shares her ideas behind this series of work she has created with passion and respect for the Bears, and for the Coney Island community. These are her observations: “With these portraits, I aim to capture the joy, bravery, determination, and love for the frigid Atlantic Ocean these Bears all possess. Bears may be young or old, male or female, large or small, tattooed or plain, fit or not; most of all they are a dedicated group of swimmers, an eclectic tribe. It’s a Sunday at 1:00pm on the beach in Coney Island. A typical winter day at the height of the Bears’ season: Water temp 38 degrees. Air temp 32 degrees. Wind chill makes it feel subzero. Dress code: bathing attire. The nastier the weather, the happier the Bears are at the beach. Some Bears radiate calm, a healing effect the water has on the individual; they worship the ocean. With some, I capture the exuberant reaction to the cold waters rushing over them. I look for Bears who enter and emerge from the water as a group, as if taking the ocean by storm. I try to give the Bears their space, not to interrupt their Sunday ritual; it can feel like witnessing something sacred. There are close bonds between Bears; I’ve watched some casual swimmers become official Bears at pre-swim ceremonies. Graduating from Cub to Bear is a big deal. I’ve watched as the American Flag and the Polar Bear flags are placed in the sand near the water where they swim. I watch with my lens as the Bears march to the water. The group forms a circle; they chant and warm up. They race into the water, frolicking and forming a circle holding hands. They stay in the water anywhere from 5 minutes to 1/2 hour. I try to capture the mutual respect and camaraderie of the Bears: running into the water together, coming out together, encouraging a novice Bear hesitating at the water’s edge. I savor the surprises that come with every Sunday swim. Whether it’s a Bear arriving in costume, bringing a favorite inflatable toy, doing a dance on the beach, their joy is contagious.” The Coney Island Polar Bears are a uniquely diverse group of people that are connected with bonds that only come close to the ties you make within your own personal family. We usually spend years developing friendships and making lasting connections. Somehow those connections are made in the instant you make that plunge and are determined to become a bear. Your family of experienced Bears, welcome and guide you in, often offering some advice, a warm hand, an extra pair of swim shoes, with a big smile, and eyes full of inspiration. In those few minutes societal and cultural differences are washed away at sea, and they are all just simply Coney Island Polar Bears. So, let’s meet some of The Coney Island Polar Bears. MEET AMR BEAR: Amr El Ghaziri was born and lived his younger years in Alexandria, Egypt. At the age eight Amr moved with his family to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He remembers watching the few American shows on their television, Beverly Hills 90210 and Baywatch. It was a very impressionable age in a young boy's life. When Amr’s family moved to the United States, he was in his early teens when Amr and his brother Assem decided to become Lifeguards. When Amr was in High School he joined the swim team. In the locker room was a poster for summer jobs lifeguarding at Coney Island. Amr remembers his awakening, “zero espionage, no submarines, no helicopters or jet skis, absolutely nothing like Baywatch.” But it was a life’s dream come true for Amr and Assem. As a lifeguard at Coney you work the famous Coney Island Polar Bears New Years Day Swim. At first Amr thought they were crazy. He could not imagine swimming in the frigid temperatures and icy waters of Coney Island In January. What good reason could they have, wondered Amr. One New Year's Day, he got his answer, when he jumped in to help a struggling swimmer, as he helped the swimmer to safety, Amr was exhilarated and was finally feeling the energy and inspiration he had witnessed in the spirit of the others over the years. It changed Amr, and now it became a New Year’s Day tradition for Amr, his brother Assem, and two other close friends Matt Huff, and Brian Steele. For the next eleven years they would not join the official Polar Bear swim, but would sneak their dip outside the boundaries, coining themselves the ‘Crime Dippers.’ This year a little unexpected bump into a friend on the boardwalk changed the course of his future. Amr explains. “This year 2022 was different. My friend Doug, a fellow New York City union Ironworker Doug Wenz, ran into me on the boardwalk and I noticed he had a Polar Bear jacket on. I asked where I could buy one and he informed me that you have to join. Doug invited Amr to join the Bears. Amr admits to not realizing what the bears really do, when they are out there in the water. He had always jumped in, then ran out. But he learned the very first day, this was not a frivolous act of insanity, but a process of teaching your body to adapt to the elements. The first time Amr almost felt like he was not going to make it out of the water it was so cold, and as the others just stood in the waters, Amr’s body was challenged. An older wiser Bear came to Amr and grasped his hand and offered him to join the five minute circle. All the Bears hold hands at the five minute mark and make a circle, and take turns dipping. If you last you may join the second ten minute circle. Amr said that after the five minute mark, something changed. His breathing slowed down, as did his rapid heart rate. He began not feeling as cold, assimilating to the water. Amr not only made it to the five minute circle, but was welcomed into the ten minute one that day as well. Only forward, never back, and in April of this year Amr was voted into the official Coney Island Polar Bear Club. Amr is a New York City Local 40 Union Ironworker that has a lot to celebrate this year! Not only has he officially become a Bear, and now has his Bear family, but Amr is engaged to be married to his beautiful fiancé Alexandra Avena on November 10, 2022! 2022 is going to be a year that marks a Cornerstone in Amr’s life. Expanding his family and embracing his community in new ways will bring him many rewards in the future. MEET DANIELLE BEAR: Danielle Mastrion has always loved the ocean, and has a warm place in heart for Coney Island. Danielle grew up in Coney Island and she has always swam through fall into spring. The Polar Bears were not unfamiliar to Danielle, they have long been a part of the Coney Island Community. Danielle has participated in the famous ‘Coney Island Polar Bear New Year’s Day Swim’ for as long as she can remember. She always told herself, “One day I will become a real bear, not just a New Year Bear.” This Easter Sunday will be Danielle’s 3rd Anniversary, for becoming a Coney Island Polar Bear. She was voted in on April 17, 2019. Danielle has steady employment as a ‘Live Painter’ on Sundays at ‘Kitchen 21’ restaurant on the boardwalk. ‘Live Painting’ is a form of visual performance art where artists like Danielle complete a visual art piece as, or as part of a public performance. For a few weeks during a season of her ‘Live Painting’ performances, the Bears decided to do their swims at ‘Kitchen 21’ instead of the usual Polar Bear Bay. This is how Danielle remembers the day she decided to become a full fledged Coney Island Polar Bear. “So while I was live painting, one of the Bears, Antoinette, came into the restaurant and started chatting me up while painting. I had seen her at a few art shows, and she was also familiar with my work. I asked her what she was doing and she told me she was doing the Polar Bear swims, and I basically screamed that I’ve always wanted to do them. She invited me to do a guest swim the following week. I did about 3-4 guest swims with the bears that season, and Antoinette offered to be my Bear sponsor if I wanted to come back the next season and be a cub. The rest is history. I owe it all to Antoinette!” The Community and the family bonds they have formed keeps Danielle coming back. “It’s not just a Sunday connection, the Bears all really come through for each other. I feel like I’m having a family gathering every time I swim. I also keep coming back for the physical benefits but also the mental challenges. The plunges are really a mental challenge over a physical challenge, and training your mind to breath through the ‘pain’, the challenge of the temperature, that training stays with you. I feel mentally stronger after I swim, which continues all week long.” The Bears bring a sense of belonging, and as a family they are all there to support one another. They cheer each other on, encourage and uplift one another Danielle says, “in and out of the water.” Danielle adds, “It is also super, super fun!” Danielle strives to reciprocate the positive energy back to all of the Bears. Danielle’s murals and art in Coney Island ‘Give Back’ to the Bears and the Coney Island community as a whole. Danielle is a huge advocate for ocean clean ups and ‘How to be a responsible beach goer’. She is an advocate for anything positive for Coney. Danielle has painted murals for almost every major artery of Coney Island: The NY Aquarium, Luna Park, Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, The Coney Island Brewery, Coney Island USA, The Cyclone, The Mermaid Parade, The Coney Island History Project, The Coney Island Alliance, Liberation High School in Coney Island, The NY Cosmos, Ruby’s Bar & Grill, and some local businesses in the neighborhood as well. There is a good chance you will see Danielle at work in Coney Island, often throughout the boardwalk and their side streets. Stop by and say hello and be inspired by her work. Share in the positive energy of the community. You can find Danielle and links to her art and work in the Coney Island on instagram, @daniellebknyc, and on her website. MEET JOHN & LUKE BEAR: John Calandra and his son Luke, bring a special father-son tradition to the Coney Island Polar Bears. John first plunged with the Bears in 2006, but became a member in 2010. Luke has been swimming with John since he was one, John was worried at first about Luke in the cold waters of Coney. John quickly realized Luke somehow knew his limits and thrived with brief swims. But the energy of the club is what really made Luke want to be a member. So it was no surprise when Luke was voted in as a proud new young cub of the Coney Island Polar Bear family on March 20, 2022. John shares, “To see Luke succeed at goals he sets, makes me tear with joy.” The Polar Bears' common interest in cold water binds them closer than real family at times. In summary, for John and Luke the Coney Island water cleanses away all of the craziness they deal with in their everyday lives. It has become a father-son tradition that John and Luke have shared since Luke was just starting to walk. They share their Sundays and fill them with positive energy and inspiration that carries with them home and to their communities that extend beyond Coney Island. LUKE BEAR © Carol Dronsfield MEET CHRISTIAN & KATE BEAR: Christian Molieri is a nonbinary trans masculine radical social worker originally from Philadelphia, living in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn. They work for one of the largest AIDS Service Organizations in the country, based in NYC. They have worked for over 20 years in HIV Prevention, Harm Reduction, LGBTQIA2S+ and Gender Diverse communities locally as well as nationally. Christian works relentlessly to break down binaries and subvert bureaucracies and systems of despair and disrepair, which further oppress already oppressed and marginalized communities in order to create and build mindful, intentional, communities. Christian can be found near the ocean year round, occassionally in a tutu, as they says, “always queer as fuck”. Kate O’Donnell is a Coney Island regular living in Brighton Beach, on the border of Coney Island. Kate is a chef that often volunteers her services to help others in need. She has volunteered for Sandy Relief Kitchen, after hurricane Sandy, as well as being a major contributor to the efforts of the Brooklyn Relief Kitchen. Kate shared an experience that stayed with her all her life. “I started swimming with the club because growing up my Dad would take me and my brothers to the beach on Long Island to swim on Christmas Day. For years I only watched them and took pictures. I moved to south Brooklyn to be near the water, just seeing the water makes me happy. To be able to walk on the beach, to smell the ocean air, feel the sun on my skin, watch the sun rise, or set, it is all such a gift.” Kate officially made her 12 swims, and was voted in on March 4, 2018. Kate and Christian met in September 2021, and Kate made it clear from the start that the Bears were her family, and every Sunday from November through April her Sundays were committed to them. Christian saw the inspiration it brought to Kate and knew they not only wanted to experience this for Kate, but wanted to understand and experience the magic for themselves. On November 7, 2021 Christian took that first step and never looked back. Sunday March 20, 2022 Christian became a bear. They instantly felt the love and acceptance of their new family. Christian and Kate relate their world to a Venn Diagram. “Community is what we create and build, and there are communities within communities within communities. It’s how we relate interpersonally with one another, as well as with how we show up, authentically, for ourselves, for each other, and for the world, every day.” Each community has different attributes and contributions and they overlap and draw inward to the heart and soul, and then spread out growing and reaching more people and communities all the time. KATE BEAR MEET ANDREW BEAR: Andrew Samberg is 56 years old, and has been an Engineer with the New York City Department of Education for 30 years. Born in Canarsie Brooklyn, Andrew moved out to Long Island as a child and has lived there since. Andrew shares his inspiration and drive to becoming a bear. “Every year, since I was a kid I’ve always seen the New Year’s Day plunge on television and I’ve always wanted to do it. I looked up the Polar Bear club online, and saw that I was able to take a guest swim with the club, and went for my first dip in February 2010. From the first swim I attended, I was made to feel by members of the club, that these people knew me and that we had been friends for years. After my first swim I knew that this was something that I wanted to be a part of every week. I was able to get my 12 swims in and became a member during the 2010/2011 season.” Andrew is not a religious person, but sees himself as a spiritual person. He describes coming to Coney Island every Sunday as like their Church/Synagogue. It is a personal or spiritual connection that touches the soul. Andrew describes his extended family. “I consider the members of the club as family and a community that I am honored to be a part of. I look forward to the sense of camaraderie every week! People from all walks of life, white collar, blue collar, every race, religion come together with no prejudice, no judgements and have fun together. Everyone is always in a good mood and I forget about anything that might be troubling me at the time. How can you be stressed about anything when you are in 38F degree water?” I asked Andrew about the Shark, and its significance. This was his answer. “A group of friends and I would go to a different Club Med every year starting in my late teens and I brought a 6 foot blow up Godzilla on the trip every year. It was always a big hit during the week and one year I blew it up on the plane on the way down and the stewardess dressed it up. I still have that 6 foot Godzilla and an 8 foot blow up Godzilla as well that I have been taking to the beach with me every time I go to this day. People are always coming up to me telling me how much they love it, how much fun it is and asking to take pictures with it. I have tried to continue that sense of fun with the shark. It too seems to be a hit.” Andrew brings a sense of adventure and fun in his own unique way and shares his positive energy and drive while he conquers the icy waters at Coney Island with his fellow Polar Bears. MEET CARLOTA BEAR: Carlota Wojnar was not from the United States and moved to the Bronx, New York, in 1985. Carlota was only twenty five upon her arrival in New York. She was dreading the cold winters, and winter was approaching very quickly. Carlota came to the realization that if she was staying here, there was no way of avoiding the winter. Carlota searched within and decided, “I better learn to enjoy it!” Carlotta had a process of learning her own way to adapt to her new environment. She started taking cold showers, and took many walks in the freezing mornings. Then Carlota found the Coney Island Polar Bear Club online and made a call. She was invited to become part of their Bear community, and her first season to share the waters of Coney Island was the season of 2017-2018. Carlota was officially voted in that season in February. She has met some amazing people, describing her Polar Bear community, “I have a community that loves not just the beautiful calming cold waters of Coney Island in the Fall through Spring, but their love for Coney Island and caring about the environment in general.” Carlota shares the comradery of her extended family. “I found that jumping in the water on a freezing day, my Bear family gives me comfort and peace. I think we all give something to the community by being in Coney during winter, people enjoy coming to see us and I enjoy them.” Carlota insists, “I would be more than happy taking the one hour ride to Coney just to meet my Bear brothers and sister and clear my mind of all the events in my life.” Carlota shares in the family commitment of being a bear, it has become a part of her, and is something that will remain an inspiration for the rest of her life. MEET RICH BEAR: Rich Realmuto is a husband, father and grandfather. Growing up in Queens, New York, he is a retired teacher in the New York City school system and loved his work. Rich lost his sight at the age of forty. He told me that because of the passage of The Americans with Disability Act, he was able to continue his work until he retired. I quote Rich, “I am now in my seventies and have great vision, but no sight!” Rich vividly remembers his very first plunge. My first plunge was back in 2011, I didn’t know what to do. The Bears all circled up but I wasn’t a bear. So, they went in and I told my wife, I would be OK and would just walk in. Two guys noticed me earlier with my white cane and came over and asked if they could go in with me. I said sure. That was the hook. We walked into the foam as three crazy guys and walked out as the “Three Amigos”. My friendships both old and new bring me back each season. Rich finds inspiration in making things for his family, and his extended Polar Bear family. “I still like building things from wood like toy boxes and chairs and name plates for the grandkids. I make and have a goal of setting up a clam shell with an American flag planted in the top with a gold-colored coin with Coney Island New York embossed on it for all the bears. I ask for help from bears to find shells for this goal.” I found such inspiration in what brought Rich to the Coney Island Polar Bears. He told me, “Being a blind person, I needed a goal that would place me on equal footing with sighted folks. The cold water of Coney Island was what I came up with. I contacted Dennis Thomas and he said that I needed to make 12 plunges between November and April and then the bears would vote on my acceptance. He also told me that the club was only accepting four cubs and there might not be a slot available for me. Luckily, it was a very cold Winter and I made it!” What keeps Rich coming back? “Frustration and self-doubt can mount up during the week. I can come to Coney Island on a cold Winter Sunday and focus on the dip and not my insecurities. When I do this every insecurity drops away like the rain off a duck's back. The ocean has always been that for me.” For Rich when I asked him what his ‘takeaway’ was he joyfully replied,” Well, that is easy. I am a Polar Bear for a few minutes, not everyone can say that. My Sundays at Coney instill confidence in me. And, with all the things that matter, I am OK!” Now that is a takeaway Sunday, with a cherry on top! MEET CAROLINE BEAR: Caroline Quick came to the Bears in September of 2019. She had recently arrived to attend university in New York. Caroline decided to go to Coney Island to see The Warriors at the Coney Island Film Festival, even though she had never been to Coney Island and had little experience with the subway system of the greater metropolitan boroughs of New York. Caroline’s spirit of adventure brought her to Coney Island two hours before the event. Caroline took a stroll down the boardwalk along the beach until she came to the ‘Polar Bear Way’ sign outside of the New York Aquarium’s Education Hall. So this true Texan decides to send an email, intrigued in the cold water swim and the Polar Bears. To Caroline’s surprise she was emailed immediately from the club to tell her she had been entered into the lottery and to come in October, she was a cub. Her fate was sealed and Caroline returned in October again to ‘Polar Bear Way’, but this time as a cub. Caroline kept coming back for more, it was not a one time dip for Caroline, but became a part of her life. She shares with me, “I keep coming back because these are my most favorite people on earth. I love them so much. The water is medicinal, and it rejuvenates my Sundays and balances my life, but the people are truly welcoming, loving, and eternally wonderful. You really become part of a chosen family when you become a Bear, and I think that the inclusiveness and acceptance that they've created makes all who join feel at home. The habit of spending your Sundays whooping and yelling and laughing with these people (despite not being able to feel my feet), is therapeutic to me and to so many others I've spoken with, and I'm forever grateful to be a part of it.” I asked Caroline what do the bears bring to you? “I think they bring a sense of belonging. Everyone has their own lives, and their own worries, and to be able to come to a group where you can just be hugged, and laugh until you worry even just a little less, is a gift. I think that the Bears have taught me how to be kinder, and how to approach life with a certain level of appreciation.” This experience changed Caroline and her new family supported her and taught her new ways of experience and enjoy life by supporting and being a supportive community. Caroline explains, “They've really taught me how to love people, and how to be myself. I think that I owe a lot to the Bears in how I navigate New York, and how I approach opportunity; they love wholeheartedly, and never hesitate to give back to their community, particularly Coney Island, which receives donations raised from the New Year's Plunge. Even recently, when we attended Deno's Phoenix fundraiser for the Ukraine, the Bears were endlessly generous in their donations, and they were vocal about spreading awareness for the event on social media. The Bears are amazing in their ability to love and help other people.” Caroline became an official Polar Bear in November 2021. MEET ROBBIE AND ALLYSON BEAR: Robbie Bailey, a North Carolina Native, moved to New York in 1995. She has led the Coney Island Polar Bears in the past as Vice President of their club. She is even married to another Polar Bear, Robert Bailey. Robbie prides herself as a devoted Yankee fan! I asked Robbie what brought her to the Bears? “As an aspiring photographer, I attended my first Polar Bear swim on Jan 1, 1996. The New Year’s Day attendance back then was comparable to our weekly swims now. It’s been amazing to watch this remarkable tradition evolve and grow over the last 26 years.” Robbie earned her patch on Easter Sunday, 2009, it doesn’t get much better than that! What keeps Robbie coming back every year? “The fascinating people, the enchanting location, and a commitment to one of NYC’s most beloved and bizarre traditions.” For Robbie the Bears provide her with a beautifully diverse, eclectic, and supportive community. As a visual storyteller, Robbie is committed, she says, “to preserving our unique role in Coney Island history while also ensuring our place in its future. Putting the place and the people in a positive light is always top priority.” The Bears have helped Robbie connect to the Coney Island community. Many of the Bears volunteer on New Year’s Day. Robbie shares, “The annual event is a major economic boost to all Coney Island businesses. The money raised helps support nonprofit organizations like the New York Aquarium, the Coney Island History Project, and Coney Island USA.” Robbie was also a big help in gathering contacts and making connections for this article. A special shout out and thank you to a much respected and admired fellow photographer and colleague, for her contribution and collaboration to The Pictorial-List. Allyson became a member of the Coney Island Polar Bears on January 17, 2016. MEET OLEG BEAR: Oleg MaryAces was not a newcomer to the cold waters of Coney Island. Oleg had actually been going into the ocean by himself at the Rockaways, and with friends in Coney Island, Brooklyn for four winters prior to joining the Polar Bear Cub community. In November of 2020, an official member of the Polar Bears, Naum Barash noticed Oleg and his buddies chilling in the waters at Coney. As most Bears do, they reach out to others that they think share the same connections with cold water, and invite Oleg and his friends to join the Bears the following Sunday. Inspired by the invitation, they did! Oleg shares his commitment to the bears. “I am very inspired by the diversity of the Bears. There is such a wide range of ages, nationalities, genders, and backgrounds, proving that humans of all kinds are able to share a deep level of comradery and mutual appreciation.” I asked Oleg what do you bring to the Bears? His response was as inspirational as the rest of the bears. “Clearly the Bears are a very courageous bunch. I believe that I contribute to that energy with undaunted positivity.” When I asked him what do you bring back to your community that the Bears have brought you? “My weekly social media posts bring awareness to the health benefits of breathing exercises and winter ocean dips that often inspire others to join a healthier lifestyle.” Being from the Ukraine in these perilous times, I asked Oleg if his community with the Bears helps him maintain strength and persevere? “ I was born in Odessa, Ukraine in 1983. My parents emigrated to New York in 1994. I have always planned that upon achieving success in the USA, I would come back to Ukraine to help the country and its people reach the prosperity that they deserve. That mission has now become more important than it ever was before. It's critical to gather support for Ukraine as a genocide continues to take place there. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club gives me an opportunity to show support and express awareness to a wider range of people. Several Bears have offered support and their time to volunteering with a local non-profit organization ‘Ukraine and Ukrainians Abroad’ that sends essential supplies into besieged cities in Ukraine.” Oleg finds comfort and solidarity from his fellow Bears, and considers them to be his extended family, supportive and loving in the United States. The years come and go, but one is never exactly like the other. There are always new Bears, lifetime Bears, one time Bears, young and old, from all walks of life that bring new spirit and energy everytime they come. They always look forward to seeing what those twenty minutes will bring. One big Happy Family. MARY BEAR - aka Mary Isakson © Carol Dronsfield EDDIE BEAR - aka Eddie Mark © Carol Dronsfield ABI BEAR - aka Abiodun Bello © Carol Dronsfield © Carol Dronsfield JOSH BEAR - aka Josh Kalin © Carol Dronsfield © Carol Dronsfield LIAM BEAR - aka Liam Shea Hartigan © Carol Dronsfield DOUG BEAR - aka Douglas Wenz © Carol Dronsfield KIM BEAR - aka Kim Zirino © Carol Dronsfield © Carol Dronsfield MEET CAROL - Photographer Photo taken by a friend. The years come and go, but one is never exactly like the other. There are always new Bears, lifetime Bears, one-time Bears, young and old, from all walks of life that bring new spirit and energy every time they come. They always look forward to seeing what those twenty minutes will bring. One big Happy Family. We conclude here with Carol’s closing thoughts about Carol's cherished Bear family and beloved community. “I’ve witnessed so much with my camera during the 22°F Sunday swims I’ve attended; maybe one day I’ll dip my own toe into the frigid surf. The Bears have shown me their unique personalities, and I am grateful that my camera and I have earned their trust. The Bears inspire me; they’ve taught me bravery, determination, friendship; how to seek joy while I’m out on the streets photographing strangers. A huge thank you to all Bears who have participated in this project. I look forward to continuing the project next season. Until we meet again at Coney, “Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson view Carol's portfolio 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. 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