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The girl that not exist, from the heart, to the eyes to the camera. MARA The girl that not exist, from the heart, to the eyes to the camera. LOCATION Rome ITALY CAMERA/S Canon 1100D WEBSITE http://www.badassbnw.com/mara @M_A__RA FEATURES // Her Wonderland

I am an American photographer of Indian origin, based in Northern Virginia, USA. Growing up in Kolkata, India, I came to the USA on a job visa, back in 1998. I have been taking pictures since the 1980s. My initial inspiration comes from the Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray. From his films, I've learned the fundamentals of photography, cinematography, storytelling, composition, lighting, and many other essential techniques. PRADIP MAZUMDER I am an American photographer of Indian origin, based in Northern Virginia, USA. Growing up in Kolkata, India, I came to the USA on a job visa, back in 1998. I have been taking pictures since the 1980s. My initial inspiration comes from the Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray. From his films, I've learned the fundamentals of photography, cinematography, storytelling, composition, lighting, and many other essential techniques. LOCATION Gainesville UNITED STATES CAMERA/S Nikon D5600, Fujifilm X-T3 WEBSITE https://www.pkmphotography.com/ @_PKM_PHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES // The Holy River The Human Stage

MY INDIA Ritik Agrawal started to connect to his city and people through his camera when he found the genre of street photography a few years ago. MY INDIA May 10, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Ritik Agrawal INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Deeply immersed in a world of business analytics, Ritik Agrawal never imagined his life taking such an unexpected turn. A few years ago, the Indian street photographer found himself bonding with his city and its people in a way he had never experienced before – through the lens of his camera. During the 2019 Kumbh pilgrimage in Prayagraj, his home town, Ritik’s photographs were appreciated by many, pushing him to explore the genre of street photography further. It was through this exploration that Ritik discovered his passion – to capture the stillness and emotions of the people around him, especially those from less privileged backgrounds who have more to express despite their lack of resources. In a world that has become increasingly materialistic, he strives to document genuine emotions that are often overlooked. Ritik Agrawal is now an inspiring photographer who is passionate about capturing life’s most precious moments and preserving them for generations to come. “I was born in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, but currently I'm living in Noida. In 2019, Kumbh was held at Prayagraj, where I took several photographs and those were appreciated by many, and hence I started to get interested in photography.” IN CONVERSATION WITH RITIK AGRAWAL THE PICTORIAL LIST: Where do you find inspiration? RITIK AGRAWAL: I find my inspiration in each an every photograph, paintings, movies I see. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists and photographers? RA: I'm very inspired by some of the great photographers like Steve McCurry and Raghu Rai. TPL: Do you have a favourite place to go photograph? RA: Sangam Ghat at Prayagraj, as I get all sort of people over there indulging in various expressions...happy, sad, mourning or enjoying there time with loved ones. TPL: What happens when you go out with your camera? Do people respond positively to you, or do you sometimes get negative reactions? If yes, how do you handle it? RA: Usually it's mix of both, mostly it is positive one. People out there ask a lot of questions. I try to answer them honestly. I want to express stillness and emotions of people, especially the positive ones. People with less resources have more emotions than us. We have become materialistic, so I try to capture original emotions. TPL: When you take pictures, do you usually have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? RA: Mostly I let the images come to me. Sometimes I interact with people, get to know their stories and then try to capture the similar concept through my lenses while taking portraits. Otherwise I just capture the beauty of the nature, whether it's in people or any place. 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? RA: Yes it's helpful but not every time because I have a basic camera that is Nikon D3400. I prefer 18-55mm and f1.8 35mm lens most of the time. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? RA: To work with renowned photographers and enhance my skills and to be known for them. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I like to… RA: I see different photographs and try to learn different aspects of photography." 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 THE LUMBER YARD Back in her hometown in Alabama, Leigh Ann Edmonds joins her family’s lumber yard, not just to work but to observe and document. Through this project, she reflects on heritage, hard work, and the strength of the community that raised her. December 22, 2021 PICTORIAL STORY photography LEIGH ANN EDMONDS story LEIGH ANN EDMONDS introduction KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link We are often in search of what will make us happy in life. We go to faraway places, see and try many new and different things, meeting interesting people along the way. All of these experiences help us determine who we are, and where we feel we have a place of belonging. We often make meaningful connections in life that not only surprise us but allow us to grow and understand things in ways we never expected. Leigh Ann Edmonds is a woman with many talents pulling her in interesting directions both personally and professionally. Leigh Ann is a successful photographer running her own photography business and getting paid for the kind of photography she was finding little inspiration in. Leigh Ann was frustrated with that type of work and decided to close her photography business and concentrate more on her documentary work, and to go back home to her roots to work in her family's business, a lumber yard in northern Jefferson County, in the state of Alabama. For Leigh Ann, coming home was more rewarding than she ever thought possible. Reconnecting with her family and personally working with the people in her community on a day-to-day basis, has given Leigh Ann valuable insight and a genuine understanding of the integral role her family business plays in the building of a stronger and better community. Leigh Ann has made lasting meaningful relationships with her family and rewarding inspiring connections to her community. These photographs depict Shaw Building Supply, and the family and workers that are building a better place for the people of Jefferson County and surrounding communities to live and work in. When I decided to join the family business back in 2015, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. For so long, I had not shown an interest with the small family building supply and my knowledge base and skills had been solely in photography for the past fifteen years. My focus was more on the outside world, travels, chasing what life had to offer and always thinking about life outside of my hometown. I went to school for photography, my first job out of university was in photography, I even started my own photography business back in 2006 where I was a freelance photographer for family portraits and weddings. But all this seemed to have changed overtime as my love of photography faded. My business grew and with that came more demands. My creativity diminished as bookings increased and I felt that I had become a generic portrait photographer, photographing individuals dressed in their Sunday best, smiling pretty for their photographs. I felt that my images lacked depth and purpose, and I easily grew bored of this redundancy...so I wanted out. Leaving a successful photography practice to work at the lumber yard seemed to many individuals a step back with my career. But it was the complete opposite. And therefore, I feel life has more purpose now than it did when I was only a photographer. It all started well before I was ever born when my grandfather moved to Birmingham in the 60s from a small sharecropping town in Pickens County, Alabama. Work was hard to find in the countryside if you wanted to do more than farm. He found work at Hays Aircraft over by the Birmingham airport but was eventually laid off. During this time, my grandfather used this as an opportunity to create a new path for him and all of his family for generations to come. The family business, Shaw Building Supply, started back in 1974. My grandfather and his two young sons (my dad and uncle) saw a need for this industry up in the northern Jefferson County of Alabama. The city of Mount Olive was growing as many families were moving out of the city and into the neighboring communities. They all had experience with construction and after much thought, they felt the time was right to plant roots in this small town just 12 miles north of the city of Birmingham. So, he and all the family moved out of the city and into a small, quaint community that has now been home to the Shaw family for over four generations now and counting. My grandfather passed away when I was just 11 years old, leaving the company to my dad and with the recent passing of my grandmother just a month ago, I found myself reflecting on their life and legacy that they left behind for their children and their children’s children. And this is when I found that what I am involved in now has much deeper meaning than all the years of me having my own photography company. This family business has given the family a bond of working together, reliance on another and has helped keep us close within the community. Without it, it’s crazy to think how scattered about all our family would probably be. The lumber yard has saved me in so many ways, not only has it provided a good life for me and all of the family it also helped to keep me working during the lockdown of 2020 with the outbreak of COVID-19. This job was essential whereas if I had only been a photographer, I would have not been able to keep work. Over the years I have noticed the value in small businesses within a community. It provides not only a service to the locals but also a place for employment who may not always want to commute to the larger cities. In a way, I feel it not only helps bring my family together but the community together as well. The lumber yard has a lot of character that makes it different than the bigger box stores such as Home Depot and Lowes. The small business has years of charm to it with the old nail bins to the mounted largemouth bass hanging on the wall of my dad’s office and a small coffee station where several of the regulars gather around in the mornings to discuss local happenings and petty gossip. Over the years I have taken note that it is more than just a business but also a gathering place for locals who enjoy their morning cup of coffee that the big box chain stores will never have. There is personality here and I feel that is what is lacking in the big department stores. The lumberyard is my favorite location to shoot with the business. This is where I find most inspiration with the local lumberyard dog, named Tramp, to the sounds of forklifts carrying heavy loads of treated pine lumber. The work is hard and over time, I began to take notice how important it is for people to still work with their hands, outside in the extreme heat and humidity through the cold, rainy and wet winter months. The men in the lumberyard stood out to me in many ways as there were both older and younger generations of workers, not scared of manual labor. I didn’t know many of their names when I started working at the company and felt guilty for not having been more involved. I didn’t want to be known as the owner’s daughter who hid away in the office. I wanted to get out and speak with them, let them know that I truly appreciated and noticed their hard work and efforts. When I first started bringing my camera to work, the employees seemed to run from me and avoid wanting to have their picture taken. It wasn’t until one of the employees saw an image, I had printed that they realized these were not the posed formal photos that they were used to seeing. So, I feel after that, they didn’t run from me anymore. I didn’t know what I wanted to capture but I did feel inspired through the hard work of the employees, and I found myself wanting to document the lumberyard more often. My favorite time to photograph the employees was first thing in the morning when they would be loading trucks and getting ready for the workday. This was the least busy time, and it allowed me to capture the workers in their element without distractions of customers. I didn’t fully start to focus on the lumberyard series until 2020 when I started to focus on doing some of my own photography projects for me. I had been burnt out of photography for such a long time that I did not have a desire to pick up my camera without it feeling like work. This time, it felt more like I was shooting for a purpose again. Not those pretty, dressed up, perfect smiling family photos I had become accustomed to in years' past. This was real life, nothing pretentious and planned. Photographing the lumberyard not only helped inspire me with my photography again but it also allowed me to have a better understanding of the employees and the work that is involved as well as connect me to my family and community that I had been removed from for many years. I also feel that it is a way for others to hopefully find some insight into manual labor and the importance of it. My job at the family business is in their flooring department. It is a good balance for me as I feel that working in a different industry other than photography has given me more job skills to work with. Working in the flooring department still allows me to book photography sessions, but it also allows me to not feel the need to book every inquire I have. I feel working in this environment has allowed me to find balance with my creativity, with my family and with my work and community. There are many individuals who I deal with daily that may not ever know that I’m a photographer and then there are many individuals who only know me as a photographer. It’s kind of fun having the ability to wear two hats. © Leigh Ann Edmonds © Leigh Ann Edmonds © Leigh Ann Edmonds © Leigh Ann Edmonds © Leigh Ann Edmonds Yard manager, Jason Dupree, takes a quick smoke break before starting his work day. © Leigh Ann Edmonds © Leigh Ann Edmonds Long-standing employee, Steve Dyess, hired back in 1988 drives the delivery trucks to job sites. © Leigh Ann Edmonds New hire, Jerry Crane, a forklift operator and driver in the process of unloading treated pine lumber. © Leigh Ann Edmonds A local neighborhood dog, Tramp, visits the Building Supply 7 a.m. sharp to greet the workers. © Leigh Ann Edmonds Tramp greeting forklift operator, Tristan, first thing in the morning. © Leigh Ann Edmonds The fire barrel helps keep the back lumber yard employees warm in the winter months. © Leigh Ann Edmonds © Leigh Ann Edmonds © Leigh Ann Edmonds Leigh Ann Edmonds has demonstrated the power of a return to one's roots and the positive impact it can have on both the family and the community. Her story is one of hard work, dedication, and the importance of community. As Leigh Ann has shown, there is much to be gained by forging meaningful relationships with the people and businesses in our local communities, and it is up to each of us to take the initiative and get involved. Let us all strive to build strong and vibrant communities by taking part in local initiatives, supporting small businesses, and striving to make a positive change. view Leigh Ann's portfolio Read an interview with Leigh Ann >>> Read the story "TURNING NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES" >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> THE LIFE WITHIN THE MOUNTAIN Ten years after first seeing Larung Gar, Jing Wei returns to a changed mountain, finding continuity in faith, memory and the lives held within it. PROSCENIUM GHOSTS Said Manseur honors these young actors, their courage, and the unseen work they give to keep theatre alive against the odds. REGINA: BOARDING SCHOOL LIFE AND DREAMS A boarding school room becomes the frame for Cleopatra Joint’s portrait of ambition, instability, and a young woman’s search for freedom. LIFE ALONG THE RIVER Along the Hooghly, Shubhodeep Roy photographs Kolkata through faith, labour and memory, revealing a city shaped by water, inheritance and shared life. A HOME OF MEMORIES AND THE PRESENT Davide Santangelo returns to his family home by moonlight, tracing how absence, memory, and love continue to live within place, objects, and atmosphere after loss. THE PULL OF THE EARTH This is more than a record of rural Bengal. It looks at the bond between Sayan Biswas and the place that shaped him, even after distance has changed that relationship. ARE THOSE WINDS Along Istanbul’s northern edge, Ci Demi photographs the last water buffalo herders as they keep working, remembering, and staying put while the city closes in. COLORS OF HÜZÜN Through fragments and gestures, Pedro Vidal traces Istanbul as shared melancholy lingers in everyday life, the city unfolding slowly and refusing to settle into a single, definitive understanding. OUT OF PLAY An exploration of abandoned interiors in which Marco Lugli examines how objects, light, and space carry memory beyond human presence, establishing absence as a condition of material continuity rather than loss. REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye.

HOW DOES MY BODY HOLD ME IN THIS MOMENT AND TIME? With significant changes happening in her life, MG Vander Elst's sustained attention to examine her body led her to examine herself. HOW DOES MY BODY HOLD ME IN THIS MOMENT AND TIME? March 8, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY MG Vander Elst INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE On International Women's Day, it's time to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of remarkable women like MG Vander Elst. Originally hailing from Belgium, MG's impressive career path has taken her to the United States, where she attended Atlanta's Portfolio Center and earned a degree in Advertising Photography with Honors. She then moved to New York City, where she has spent the last three decades as a professional photographer. MG is particularly renowned for her portraiture, which captures the subtle nuances and intimate moments of her subjects. She emphasizes vulnerability and authenticity in her work, and her poetic self-exploration project “How does my body hold me in this moment and time?” is a powerful testimony to this ethos. Through her sustained attention to herself, MG has rekindled the lost friendship she once had with her body and is now accepting it in all its glory. Today, we're honored to feature MG Vander Elst as part of our International Women's Day celebration. Her inspiring story and remarkable talent inspire us to strive for a world free of gender bias, and her words remind us to appreciate all that we have achieved and all that lies ahead. Join us in celebrating this incredible woman on International Women's Day. “With significant changes happening in my life I am returning to myself to find answers. How am I shifting and grappling with the change? What is the language of my body? What does this stillness mean? How does my body hold me? How do I make peace with myself? This sustained attention to examine my body leads me to examine myself. By this steady attention to my myself I am rekindling the lost friendship I once had and I am accepting how my body holds me in this moment in time.” IN CONVERSATION WITH MG VANDER ELST THE PICTORIAL LIST: MG please tell us what the story is behind your project HOW DOES MY BODY HOLD ME IN THIS MOMENT AND TIME? What inspired it and when did it begin? MG VANDER ELST: I started this project late last fall in a self portrait class with Samantha Box which led me down this path, in this work; the light, the simplicity of the image and the feeling it evokes are all elements that I try to infuse in the the work I make. TPL: As you stated, "with significant changes happening in my life, I am returning to myself to find answers." Did you find the answers? What did you learn and take from this project? What do you want the viewer to experience and take with them? MG: As a mother of a teenage boys one heading to college and another one heading to high school, a lot of my time and focus was spend on them, turning the camera on me is a way to rekindle a friendship with myself, appreciating and loving who I am today. This project is teaching me how important it is to take the time for myself, love the person I am today. I hope this is something the viewer can also take away. TPL: MG please tell us about yourself. MG: I grew up in Antwerp in Belgium. My parents loved and collected art and took us on numerous trips to museums. During school outings we often went to visit the Dutch Masters. I feel that all this exposure is imprinted in me and guides me every day when I am photographing. Currently I live in Brooklyn, New York with my family and I am working on my fine art work every day. TPL: What draws you to photography and art? How did your journey into photography begin? MG: I was unsure which direction to take in college, I ended up taking a gap year and became an au pair for a family of four girls which led me to take an evening photography class and the rest is history. TPL: What have been some of your favorite memories or moments in your photography journey? MG: I think this is because I have been photographing for a while but taking pictures for me is like having my cup of coffee every morning I must have it! With my self portrait project, each week I put some time aside to photograph this project sometimes with an idea or sometimes I am not sure of which part of me I will photograph but the end result is always one of learning or with a great result and leaving me wanting to push further. This project is teaching me how important it is to take the time for myself, love the person I am today. I hope this is something the viewer can also take away. TPL: Do you have any favorite artists and photographers? MG: There are lots of artist that inspire me and I often go to museums and galleries, here in New York we are spoiled. But to name a few, Irving Penn, JoAnn Verburg, Saul Leiter, Josef Albers, Georgia O’Keeffe, Laura Letinsky, Paul Klee, David Hockney and Morandi. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to shoot alongside for a day...who would you choose? MG: Irving Penn, for his mastery but also a photographer Jennifer Pritchard whom I recently discovered, a lot of her work speaks to me, the emotions she evokes in her images how she puts her images together and her practice, I would love to be alongside her for a day. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? How much post-processing do you do? MG: I photograph most of my work with a Nikon Z7 and a 50mm lens, I also photograph with a Bronica 645 for other projects. In the future I see myself shooting with an analog Large Format Camera like a 4x5, this thought keeps popping in my mind as I l love the quality of black and white grain which I cannot attain with digital. I do very little post processing, just the basics. I started photography 30 years ago when everything was analog, I guess I have kept my editing choices as they were back then. TPL: Is there any advice that you would give yourself if you started photography all over again? MG: Keep shooting what comes naturally to you. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? What do you think is your next chapter in your exploration for future projects? MG: Continue to learn more, I am an avid learner and want to continue to learn more I think there is no end to what you can learn in photography, I currently am photographing a couple of different projects alongside this self portrait one, they both are still life one mainly with flowers the other one is more of table-top setting but in a minimalistic genre. I am curious to see where those two projects are heading. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… MG: My family comes first and you will find me cooking and baking for my hungry teenagers or escaping the city for a hike with them. Nature inspires me a lot! 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.

A LOVE SONG TO THE AMERICAN WEST We have the pleasure of seeing and hearing the visual stories created between photographer, Ross Taylor and musician, Russick Smith. As the wind sweeps through the landscapes the notes of a cello fill every void. A LOVE SONG TO THE AMERICAN WEST A WONDROUS NOTE September 6, 2023 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Ross Taylor FEATURING cellist Russick Smith INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE We have the pleasure today of seeing and hearing the visual stories created between a photographer, and a musician. As the wind sweeps through the landscapes the notes of a cello fill every void. How does a photographer elicit sound, allowing us to see the music, as our ears interpret what we see? Photographer Ross Taylor is based in Denver Colorado, focusing his eyes through the lens on the ordinary, engaging the viewer to observe more. Ross frequently documents events that have led to human trauma, he finds that through his visual storytelling he can help mitigate grief. Ross explains. “I seek to create work that reveals and lends new insight into common experiences, In hopes of creating a deeper understanding of the human condition through visual representation.” Living in Colorado has inspired a new series, a love song to the American West. The musical scores are composed and realized in the western landscapes of the United States, performed by cellist Russick Smith. Together Ross and Russick journeyed nearly 3000 miles, across Colorado and Utah hoping to create a new awareness for geological fragilities that are suspect of the preservation challenges of the devastating effects of climate change. Through a heightened sense of wonder seen in this photographic series they hope to inspire new respect for these spaces. Russick Smith and his cello bring life to the landscape. Whether performing for audiences high above, like a bird nesting in the trees, Russick plays the accompaniment to the rushing waters of the estuaries cutting through the landscape, carving through the canyons. Together they synthesize the elements, visualizing the music and allowing a deeper, more meaningful connection to be made. Russick adds insight into the creative and critical thinking processes they shared. “Many of the unexpected circumstances that we encounter throughout our lives are negative, possibly traumatic experiences. Those experiences have a tendency of mounting internally, fostering a cynical mindset that can ultimately become the default lens through which we view the world. To counter these negative surprises, and thereby the cynicism which they foment, my goal is to generate simple and meaningful moments to prove that the world can be unexpectedly beautiful - that to interact with the world-at-large does not just mean susceptibility to trauma but also vulnerability to joy.” Russick recently lost his father and finds these performances help him heal the trauma of losing a loved one. He shares his loss and inspiration. “Once, as I sat up in an aspen grove, I played what I would’ve played if I could have sat with him and played him out. I had clipped a picture of him into a tree below, nobody knew it was there. It was the last thing I took out of his place when I cleaned it out. I felt like it was the first tree performance, and he was looking up at me, still helping. When I am helping people see the beauty of this world, I am continuing his legacy. And when I’m playing, no matter where, I’d like to believe that the music is still reaching him; that maybe it finds its way to places at which I could only wonder, to wherever he’s hiking now. Doing these things, the way I’m doing them, I know that he was proud of me and, hopefully somewhere, still is.” Together Ross and Russick have transformed the American West landscapes, with a symphony of music, allowing the aperture to open providing the viewer with a front row seat to the visual stories that embody the elements through sound. We have been invited to reveal more of the magic they create in this interview with Ross Taylor that may lead to more understanding of their visualization and their inspiration. “The narrative we consistently pursued was one of unexpected joy, as that counterbalance to cynicism. While you don’t see it in some of these images, there were sometimes people who stumbled upon us as we made these images. To see their faces, light up and the joy they held in watching him perform was so wonderful. I think that’s at the heart of it - creating something ostensibly just beautiful for its own sake, that’s what we are trying to do.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ROSS TAYLOR THE PICTORIAL LIST: Thank you Ross for taking us on your journey through the landscapes of the American West. How did the two of you find each other? What was the connection before this project? ROSS TAYLOR: Thank you so much for this opportunity. It’s an honor to be here. I first learned of Russick from an article in The Denver Post, where I saw an image of him in a tree. It was amazing - I’d never seen anything like it (or him) and wanted to learn more about him. I contacted him via social media, and we later met for coffee. I learned some about his unique past - in part, that he used to work on tall ships along the East Coast and was used to climbing with harnesses high above a ship. I asked if he’d be open to a collaboration over the next year and, thankfully, he agreed. TPL: Taking a journey over so many miles can be a bonding experience, or distancing one. What were some of the ground rules? Was working together and living together a key to this project? If so how and why? RT: You’re right. We spent a lot of time together, not just in the making of the images, but in the preparation of them. We also don’t live in the same city (we live roughly an hour and a half from each other), so coordinating these sessions required a lot of planning. During these sessions, we grew a lot closer together, which was key since collaboration was at the heart of this project. We spent scores of hours either together in a car, in a hotel or on location and the ability to get along was critical. Our one ground rule, per se, was that the images had to be made in unexpected spaces in nature, and whenever possible, in remote locations. In short, we wanted as much distance between the expected norms of cellist performance as possible. The idea was to invoke a heightened sense of wonder as a result. TPL: Introduce your series, ‘A Wondrous Note’, to us. When and how did this project first manifest for you? What is the full story behind the project? What was the inspiration? RT: The project began in fall of 2021, our first session together was along a mountain pass outside of Breckenridge, Colorado in an Aspen grove. It was there, seeing Russick high above in an Aspen tree mixed with the brilliancy of the fall colors, that I felt we were onto something. I think the story behind the project is multi-layered. I’ve worked as a photojournalist for a long time, and I’ve covered some very intense and traumatic issues along the way. For me, this portrait series was a type of counterbalance to some of this work. I wanted to give myself permission to ostensibly create work that was beautiful and could spark joy, and Russick felt the same. As noted in this piece, Russick’s father passed away unexpectedly not long before we began this series. He was quite close with him, and his father instilled a deep appreciation for nature. While I can’t speak for him fully, I do know that he thinks of his father often when he plays in such locations. As a team, we both also wanted to create a sense of wonder in these images, through the connection of his performance and the stunning backdrop of the American West. TPL: Talk to us about your method and experimentation before the final images in your project. Did you know how you wanted the project to look? How long did each image take to create? RT: Russick has lived in Colorado a long time, so that helped in our understanding of the region. His insight, paired with my understanding of visuals, helped us scout out locations and time of day/lighting, etc. Regarding the aesthetic, we wanted no imprint of human activity (buildings, power lines, etc.) and a theme of remoteness throughout. Most images usually took a day (more or less) as we normally would photograph around sunset and just had time for one scene (typically). The actual photographic part was usually a window of about 30 minutes to one hour. TPL: What camera did you use? How much equipment did you bring, what did you use? What was Smith’s equipment? RT: I used a Nikon D850 with a 24-70mm, 35mm, or a 50mm, typically. I often brought a 8-foot ladder, or a step ladder when needed. Russick brought a cello that he uses for outdoors and he hand-built his tree harness! It’s really impressive. TPL: What importance does storytelling or key themes hold for you? RT: For me, storytelling ties us together. It helps bridge gaps and offers connections through a shared experience and heightened understanding. When you mix this with unexpected moments of joy and beauty in the natural world, I think the experience is also more deeply shared. I wanted to give myself permission to ostensibly create work that was beautiful and could spark joy, and Russick felt the same. TPL: Was there a time of day you aimed for? Music is played in time, did time dictate the music? RT: We usually photographed at sunset, and we had to make sure weather conditions were appropriate (not too cloudy, etc.) He played usually improvisationally and he’s exceptionally good. It was a joy hearing him play. TPL: Did you keep a journal, a sketchbook, did the music and photography inspire words? What stories did you share over a campfire? RT: I didn’t keep a journal, but we did work out some of the wording you referenced earlier in the piece. It took some time for us to distill the project idea. And while we didn’t have a campfire, we spoke often and at length about some of the deeper issues we’ve faced in our lives, and how creating work like this can be therapeutic. I’ve very grateful for those conversations. TPL: What were some of the surprises along the way? What was your 'take away'? RT: I think almost each session had a surprise, mainly in seeing Russick perform in such stunning places. It just so unusual, seeing and hearing him perform with stunning backdrops. It’s also really fun seeing people who come across us. One woman we ran across in a slot canyon in Utah told Russick it was the most moving performance she had ever seen. My 'take away' from this is that it’s ok to want to create work that has the potential to be therapeutic, in whatever form that may be. TPL: What do you want the viewer to 'take away' from the visual stories? RT: Our hope is what we talked about above, namely that the images can spark some unexpected wonder and joy in the viewer. I know creating these images did this for Russick and me. TPL: What have you learned about collaborating on projects? Share some of your wisdom about making these honest connections through photography and music. RT: Collaboration was key here. I couldn’t have done this without him, obviously, and the same for Russick. Together, we created something beautiful, in my opinion. Making these images was an honor. To hear Russick playing high in an Aspen tree, in a lonely desert landscape or with the backdrop of mountains at sunset, was just such a privilege. I don’t take it for granted and will always be grateful. Thanks so much for allowing us to share these images, as well. It means a great deal. TPL: “When I am not out photographing… I love to be outside exploring Colorado and the surrounding western states. I also really love to hike high elevation mountains - anything above the tree line is where I like to be.” 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.

ORDINARY INTIMACY Photography for Claudia Orsetti is a way of knowing places and people and their stories, but also knowing herself. ORDINARY INTIMACY June 26, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Claudia Orsetti INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Italian Photographer Claudia Orsetti is an architect, but as long as she can remember has been photographing "things". She has lived in Switzerland, Tokyo, New York, and London, before moving to Amsterdam at the beginning of 2020. Photography for her is a way of knowing places and people and their stories, but also knowing herself. She is most interested in the "obvious things", the imprecise moments without expectations, the reality where you think there is nothing to see. She is attracted by contradictions and those often become the centre of her work. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. - Samuel Beckett “I remember I printed it and hung it over my desk, when I was doing my master diploma and somehow it stuck with me in everything else afterwards. I am someone who jumps into the high water and just does. Sometimes...a little bit too fast! But I would say that this attitude of not being afraid of doing something (therefore potentially failing at it) has been proven to bring very interesting and unexpected turns in my life!” IN CONVERSATION WITH CLAUDIA ORSETTI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Claudia, when did you start getting interested in photography? CLAUDIA ORSETTI: Honestly, I don’t know...I don’t remember. I think it must have been at the beginning of highschool, my parents got me a camera for me to play around, but back then it was not a priority. I guess when I was around 20 and I started travelling for real, that was the switch: seeing realities so different from mine pushed me to somehow find a way to express what I was seeing. Photography was my way of telling back the stories of people and places I encountered. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? CO: I find that a very difficult question and the most honest answer (probably also boring!) is that I find my inspiration everywhere. I am an eager observer and a good listener, and I think that is always the beginning of a story. So if by inspiration you mean how do I start any project, I would say that is it. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? CO: I am in love with the photos of Luigi Ghirri and Guido Guidi. That minimalism way before the instagram square, which was almost ermetic is super poetic for me, and allows the viewer to complete the image the way he wants. I find incredible the frame cutting of Alex Webb, the genuine and disarming honesty of Sebastiao Salgado and the irony of Tony Ray Jones. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? CO: Absolutely and necessarily. I’d like to think I constantly grow and evolve as a person, and that brings me to new perspectives and more banally new knowledge and technology. Therefore my focus on things shifts and so does the way I portray them. Also I believe that one develops a style through time; I think your own style is not just the same pinkish filter you add to your shots, it’s something deeper, an overarching theme or mood which at some point you’ll realize is your own. TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? CO: Iceland. I adore that place and I keep going back every other year. I just feel good there and I love driving so...it’s my perfect place. It’s surreal, primordial, moody, extreme, and it’s different every time. It is mainly about landscape obviously. I also love shooting on the streets, when travelling especially. Somehow my mind gets into a different dimension and I feel open and receptive to many more things, which consequently allows me to get closer to people and their stories. I am an eager observer and a good listener, and I think that is always the beginning of a story. TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a better photographer? What are your tips or advice for someone in your genre? CO: Be curious. Be open and generous, meaning be ready to open yourself up to others and listen, and let unexpected circumstances drive you on different paths that you haven’t considered. In that sense also be very resilient, be able to adapt and yet be stubborn in pursuing what you want. Allow a lot of time. Shooting is just a part of a photographic project, then you need time to reflect, to research, to think, to write perhaps, and most probably to shoot more. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? CO: This is the classic tricky question as I guess everyone will tell you that a good photographer is good regardless of the equipment. It’s the mind and the eye that makes the photographer. Nonetheless, the right equipment does allow you to reach the level of expression that you aspire to, so yes it is important, but, if we reverse it, an amazing camera doesn’t make you a good photographer! To someone starting out I would say experiment and explore a lot. Try different cameras, old, new, film, digital, colour, b&w, anything. But do go out a lot to take a lot of pictures. That is essential. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? CO: Well, I am actually an architect by training, so yes! Although architecture is an incredible mix of science, art, technology, business, sociology, and communication. But hey....so is photography. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on? CO: I’m currently working on a few things. One project is called IRAN IS PINK, and it is using the colour pink as a thread to talk about the women in Iran. Pink is a colour that has gone from being a symbol of fragile femininity to being punk and strong: it has become feminist. And the story starts on the Maharlu Lake, which is a salt lake (hence pink) south of Shiraz. The project is still evolving, not sure how, but will definitely become more rich than what it is now...at least I hope so! I’m also working on a self-published book called ORDINARY INTIMACY, which is a project born during the quarantine. Nothing to do with photos in the domestic environment...instead it is a collection of photos of ordinary things and moments without expectations, which I found by looking back into my archive. They were shots I didn’t remember, and lots of them I didn’t remember when or where I took them, but those things or moments were so ordinary, so easily identifiable, that you could project any similar memory into that. So that process became the project...which is also still in evolution! Last but not least a series called SUSPENDED, which is ongoing. TPL: “If I wasn't photographing what would I be doing? CO: As I said before, I am also an architect, so that is what I am actually doing together with photography! I’d like to be an event organizer, to be honest, which I do sometimes, but not professionally. Nonetheless I always say that if I had to choose something else completely, I would grow and sell plants and flowers. My house is a small jungle!” 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 AMY'S ASHES February 26, 2021 PICTORIAL STORY Photography and story by Camille J. Wheeler Introduction by Karin Svadlenak Gomez SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Camille J. Wheeler lives and works as a photojournalist in Austin, Texas. Her principal concern is the documentation of social issues, and she often photographs and engages with Austin's homeless community. Camille shared with us the impactful story of one Austin resident: Brian (Scotty) and his mother Amy. A story that deserves to be told in her own words. In the winter of 2020, as Austin braced for the coronavirus outbreak, I met a woman named Amy, a member of the city’s downtown homeless community who spent her nights roaming Sixth Street. Uncharacteristically for me, a street photographer possessed of an insatiable curiosity and a love of people, I never interviewed Amy. I never engaged her in conversation. And in a decision that will haunt me forever, I never took her picture. Amy wore a heaviness like a cloak. She was small in stature, maybe just shy of 5 feet in height, and she walked with the odd, halting gait of the psychically wounded. Spring arrived in Austin, bringing with it the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent closures of bars on Sixth Street, the wild beating heart of the downtown Austin entertainment district. Face mask on, I became a denizen of the night in my own right, sporadically venturing to Sixth to hear one of my favorite street musicians, acoustic guitarist David Quick, perform outside a closed bar on what was now a virtually deserted thoroughfare. It was in this empty space that I began to take closer notice of Amy. I often saw her from a distance, walking alone. I respected Amy’s privacy. Sensing her depths of raw pain, and seeing her tired, forced smile, I decided not to pry into her personal life. A few times, Amy and I briefly stood together on Sixth, listening to David play. Our greetings were simple. A friendly nod, a quick hello before Amy ambled off, to locations unknown. What I didn’t know about Amy was substantial. I didn’t know that she grew up in Danville, Illinois, where she was a model student in school. I didn’t know that she was a mother of three children, including her eldest son, Brian, who was born in Danville and was living in the homeless community in South Austin, some five miles away. I didn’t know that Amy had come to the Austin area several years prior, trying to get her life back on track after suffering a series of personal setbacks. I didn’t know that Linda Addis, a close friend of Amy’s since their freshman year at Danville High School, had taken in Amy and her two sons, Brian and Zach, at her home in Bastrop, southeast of Austin. I didn’t know that Amy lost custody of her sons, sending her family into a destructive tailspin and sending Brian and Zach, 15 years apart in age, into the Texas foster care system. And I didn’t know that for Amy, the loss of her sons was a pain too great to bear. And neither I, nor anyone else, knew that on August 27, 2020, at approximately 12:30 a.m. in downtown Austin, a wayward bullet fired from a stranger’s gun would claim the life of Amy Lynn Warner, a mother, a daughter, and a friend to many, at the age of 51. There was no obituary for Amy, just short news articles summarizing what happened. In late August, Hurricane Laura evacuees from Southeast Texas were sheltering in Austin. On August 27, two evacuee groups began brawling near the intersection of Sixth and Brazos streets. Shots were fired, and Amy was accidentally killed. I gleaned more details from my friends on the street. Amy was standing on the Brazos Street sidewalk, right in front of a newly installed City of Austin water drinking station, when a fight erupted over an electric scooter. A man inside a car pulled out a gun. Four shots rang out, and one bullet tore through the stainless steel of the water station, ripping into Amy’s neck. She was rushed by ambulance to a hospital and died later that morning. Tragically, it was in Amy’s death that I began finding out about her life. From my friend Catherine “Cat” Fako, who knew Amy as a fellow street resident, I learned about Amy’s son Brian. In a strange twist of fate, he had lived with his mom in downtown Austin before moving to the city’s south side. Cat said she was worried about Brian, a sweet kid living on his own. Devastated that I had never gotten to know Amy, I resolved to find Brian. I didn’t know what kind of help I could offer him. But I wanted to try. So it was that I embarked on a mission of locating Brian, a journey that would take a heartbreaking turn of helping him find his mother’s ashes. In the ensuing months, I cautiously started looking for Brian in the homeless encampments in South Austin, respecting both the Coronavirus and the privacy of individuals whom I did not know. Eventually, I met a man named Hex, who lived in a tent beneath U.S. 290. Hex knew Brian — Scotty, as he was known — and graciously volunteered to help me find him. There are dozens of encampments and countless tents in this South Austin area. Even with Hex’s help, I kept failing. I couldn’t find Brian. On Thanksgiving Day in November, I was visiting with a homeless man at a gas station near the expanse of concrete where Hex lived. Hex saw me and walked over. He said he had just seen Scotty and would go get him. About 20 minutes later, Hex approached with Scotty, a sorrowful figure dressed entirely in black. Tears flooded my eyes. Scotty, a beautiful young man with red hair, a slender build, and twinkling blue-green eyes, was the spitting image of his mother. Hex left Scotty and me alone to talk. Scotty started crying. He said he had heard from several people that I was looking for him. He was overwhelmed that I cared. “I’m just happy that someone came around to talk to me,” he said, choking back tears. “Thank you.” His story, and his grief, came tumbling out. Brian Scott Smith, who prefers to be called Scotty, hadn’t seen his mother in about two years before her death. He learned of her passing from Linda, his mom’s longtime friend, who drove to South Austin from Bastrop and somehow found Scotty in the camp where he was staying. Scotty filled in missing details from the past. Amy and Zach, his little brother, moved from Danville to Bastrop, Texas, to live with Linda, a woman so close to Scotty’s family that he calls her his aunt. Eventually, Scotty joined his mom and brother in Bastrop. Amy lost her job, and, because of serious legal problems, lost her sons to foster care. Amy became homeless and joined the community beneath Interstate 35 in downtown Austin. Scotty and Zach were sent to a group home, where they were separated from each other. From the ages of 16 to 18, Scotty was shuffled between foster care homes in Texas. Desperately unhappy, he ran away more than once, and he wound up homeless as a teenager in downtown Austin. One day, shocked, he saw his mother under I-35. “Wow, Mom,” he asked, “how are you here?” Amy and Scotty stayed together for a while at a small camp, but Scotty was frightened by the violent crime in the area. Plus, tensions were high between him and his mom. They got into a heated argument, and he left, migrating to South Austin where he felt safer. Scotty was adrift, without a nuclear family. His father, Donald Smith of Ashmore, Illinois, died of cancer on July 27, 2020, one month before his mother was killed. His younger brother, who was about a year old when he and Scotty were separated, was sent to an undisclosed foster care location. As for his mother, Scotty had harbored a dream that they would someday live together under better circumstances. “All I was really hoping to do was get housed and then take my mom in,” he said. “Now I can’t do that.” What he needed the most, Scotty told me, was to learn where his mom’s body had been taken. “If she’s not at the coroner’s office, of all places, then where the hell is she?” he asked. “All I want is my mom’s ashes and to know where she is, if she got buried and I can go visit her grave.” He looked at me, tears shining in his eyes. “I’m sure my mom can see me right now. I miss her a lot.” I told Scotty I’d help with the search. I called the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office but was denied information available only to family members. I next reached out to Linda Addis and her husband, Josh, the Bastrop couple who have done so much to help Scotty and his family. During a phone call in December, they told me that Amy’s body had been sent to Illinois, where Scotty’s half-sister has their mother’s ashes. I met again with Scotty six days before Christmas. Now living in a tent under U.S. 290, he thanked me for the information about his mom. He was grateful she went home to Illinois. “At least I know where she’s at,” he said. “She didn’t just disappear.” Undated photo of Amy Lynn Warner with her two oldest children, Brian and Katelynn Photos courtesy of Brian Scott Smith Undated photo of Amy Lynn Warner Photos courtesy of Brian Scott Smith On August 27, 2020, Trey Brewington was standing relatively close to Amy Lynn Warner when she was caught in the crossfire of two groups fighting on Sixth and Brazos Streets in downtown Austin. Amy was talking with an unidentified friend on the other side of this water drinking station, which stands on the Brazos sidewalk, just south of Sixth (in foreground). Two bullets, as Trey shows in this photo taken three days after the shooting, struck the water fountain. The top bullet lodged in the stainless steel of the fountain and didn’t pass through. The bullet that hit lower, more to the center, struck Amy in the neck. She was rushed by ambulance to a hospital, where she died in the early morning hours of August 27. Trey counted Amy as a close friend in the downtown Austin homeless community and is distraught in the wake of her death. © Camille J. Wheeler Watson Robertson, a homeless man on Sixth Street in October 2019 © Camille J. Wheeler When street photographer Camille J. Wheeler first met Brian Scott Smith, who goes by Scotty, on Thanksgiving Day in late November 2020, he cut a sorrowful figure dressed entirely in black. Brian, who goes by Scotty, is one of the younger members of Austin’s homeless community. At the age of 23, he is on his own without his mother, Amy Lynn Warner, who was shot to death in downtown Austin on August 27, 2020, his father, Donald Smith, who passed away in Illinois in July 2020, and his little brother, Zach, who is at an unknown location in the Texas foster care system. Scotty and Zach, who are 15 years apart in age, were separated at their first foster care placement. In a strange twist of fate, Scotty and his mom lived together in the downtown Austin homeless population before he migrated to the south side of the city. He still lives in South Austin, in a tent beneath the concrete expanse of the U.S. 290 highway. © Camille J. Wheeler © Camille J. Wheeler Scotty on his bicycle outside a local restaurant where he asks people to buy him meals. Ever resourceful, he taped a battery-operated clock to the handlebar assembly of his bike. © Camille J. Wheeler Scotty lives in a tent beneath the concrete expanse of the U.S. 290 highway. © Camille J. Wheeler With his red hair, slender build, and blue-green eyes, Scotty is the spitting image of his mother, Amy Lynn Warner, who was accidentally shot to death on August 27, 2020, in downtown Austin. © Camille J. Wheeler In March, Scotty will celebrate his 24th birthday without his mother or his brother, who is turning 9 in February. Scotty still doesn’t know where Zach is living. “I want him to know that he does have a brother out there, you know?” Scotty said, his voice cracking with emotion. “That he wasn’t just alone.” And Scotty wants me to tell his mother’s story — that she struggled with significant mental and physical health challenges. He wants people to understand “that my mom wasn’t just some other homeless person. That she had a family; she had people who cared.” Editor's Note: It's with deep sadness we write that Scotty passed away on August 5, 2021. He was only 24. view Camille's portfolio Read an interview with Camille >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> THE LIFE WITHIN THE MOUNTAIN Ten years after first seeing Larung Gar, Jing Wei returns to a changed mountain, finding continuity in faith, memory and the lives held within it. PROSCENIUM GHOSTS Said Manseur honors these young actors, their courage, and the unseen work they give to keep theatre alive against the odds. REGINA: BOARDING SCHOOL LIFE AND DREAMS A boarding school room becomes the frame for Cleopatra Joint’s portrait of ambition, instability, and a young woman’s search for freedom. LIFE ALONG THE RIVER Along the Hooghly, Shubhodeep Roy photographs Kolkata through faith, labour and memory, revealing a city shaped by water, inheritance and shared life. 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I am a street and documentary photographer from Canvey Island in Essex, which is about 30 minutes from London. I have had a passion for street photography for about five years. Always have been a bit of a people watcher...people interest me, and I suppose street photography is an extension of that interest. In 2019, I started working on a portrait series called 'Eccentric Essex'. This project consisted of people of a eccentric nature photographed in their own homes .The Pandemic bought me the opportunity to go through my work, which in turn has lead to the development of the series "This is Essex", and 'EccentiCity'. Both of these series focus on eccentric and interesting people. Why Eccentrics? I've asked myself that question quite a lot, and I suppose the main reason is eccentric people seem to live life a different way to the rest of us, they rebel against the established approach, and let their interests and passions consume their lives. My father died a few years ago and it had quite a profound effect on me, it made me feel the fugacity of life, and it changed me. It made me want to leave something behind. DANNY JACKSON I am a street and documentary photographer from Canvey Island in Essex, which is about 30 minutes from London. I have had a passion for street photography for about five years. Always have been a bit of a people watcher...people interest me, and I suppose street photography is an extension of that interest. In 2019, I started working on a portrait series called 'Eccentric Essex'. This project consisted of people of a eccentric nature photographed in their own homes .The Pandemic bought me the opportunity to go through my work, which in turn has lead to the development of the series "This is Essex", and 'EccentiCity'. Both of these series focus on eccentric and interesting people. Why Eccentrics? I've asked myself that question quite a lot, and I suppose the main reason is eccentric people seem to live life a different way to the rest of us, they rebel against the established approach, and let their interests and passions consume their lives. My father died a few years ago and it had quite a profound effect on me, it made me feel the fugacity of life, and it changed me. It made me want to leave something behind. LOCATION Essex UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Nikon 7200 @_BARKSEY_ FEATURES // This is Essex Eccentri-City

I am enamoured with photography and the visual arts. Through photography, I can express my perception of reality and tell my unique vision with an emotional approach more than a rational one. People and nature are my favourite subjects - the latter constantly surprises me! Having started out in analogue photography, I put my passion on pause for a few years due to personal matters. However, digital photography did not completely replace my beloved analogue cameras. I prefer creating stories with photos, but I also enjoy experimenting artistically. Photodynamism and ancient printing techniques such as cyanotype are two techniques I have dabbled in, and recently, I've been using analogue cameras to make film soup. The best thing about experimenting is the unexpected and one-of-a-kind results! With the goal of realising projects and small photographic stories, I have been honing my processing and editing techniques to better express my thoughts on a given subject. Though my training is largely self-taught, I recently took courses in storytelling to deepen my knowledge in the area. More recently, I have been collaborating with an association to organise an event on visual arts, displaying my works in several group exhibitions, festivals and photography circuits. In 2021, I achieved the pinnacle of these successes with my first solo exhibition, ‘Eurythmia’. Additionally, some of my works can be found in sector publications and I have been a winner in multiple national competitions organised by Fiaf - the Italian Federation of Photographic Associations - which honoured me this year. IDA DI PASQUALE I am enamoured with photography and the visual arts. Through photography, I can express my perception of reality and tell my unique vision with an emotional approach more than a rational one. People and nature are my favourite subjects - the latter constantly surprises me! Having started out in analogue photography, I put my passion on pause for a few years due to personal matters. However, digital photography did not completely replace my beloved analogue cameras. I prefer creating stories with photos, but I also enjoy experimenting artistically. Photodynamism and ancient printing techniques such as cyanotype are two techniques I have dabbled in, and recently, I've been using analogue cameras to make film soup. The best thing about experimenting is the unexpected and one-of-a-kind results! With the goal of realising projects and small photographic stories, I have been honing my processing and editing techniques to better express my thoughts on a given subject. Though my training is largely self-taught, I recently took courses in storytelling to deepen my knowledge in the area. More recently, I have been collaborating with an association to organise an event on visual arts, displaying my works in several group exhibitions, festivals and photography circuits. In 2021, I achieved the pinnacle of these successes with my first solo exhibition, ‘Eurythmia’. Additionally, some of my works can be found in sector publications and I have been a winner in multiple national competitions organised by Fiaf - the Italian Federation of Photographic Associations - which honoured me this year. LOCATION Rome ITALY CAMERA/S Nikon D90, Nikon D610 WEBSITE https://www.artlimited.net/1063270 @IDADIPA @IDADIPAPHOTO FEATURES // Cracks To Mend

BEYOND THE STORY Through her documentary photography, Christina Simon is compelled to tell the stories of those who are unable to do so themselves. BEYOND THE STORY August 20, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Christina Simons INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Award winning international documentary photographer Christina Simons has been committed to discovering stories and sharing them with others using her camera. Part American and Icelandic, now residing in Australia, Christina is a true citizen of the world speaking multiple languages, and having worked in the visual arts industry for over twenty five years, she is a technical master of imagery. With a passion for justice and compulsion to observe, Christina has stuck through the highs and lows of independent work to produce personal projects she is truly proud of. Her commitment has led to series such as THE HAITI PROJECT on children in domestic servitude, Women’s health in the Philippines and Aboriginal Education in Australia; not to mention her solo-exhibition and multi-award winning series RUNNING TO NOWHERE on Central American Refugees. Her curiosity of subcultures has produced projects such as award winning series DERBY GIRLS and multi-award winning series LIL' BULLFIGHTERS of Mexico. Christina's work traverses many interests including travel, lifestyle and portraiture and is represented in publications such as The New York Times and The Guardian UK as well as working with several NGOs such as Medicines Sans Frontiers and UNICEF. So it is with great honour we speak to Christina about how her journey into photography began, her inspirations and experiences, and how she feel compelled to use her work to tell the stories of those who do not have the means to do so themselves. “I try my hardest in all my stories to ensure my opinions and judgments take a back seat to the story itself. I try to remain impartial and tell the story as it presents with no projections on my part. It’s really important to me to try to do this because it’s from this place I gain a deep holistic understanding of what is happening. I want the subject (person) to feel unguarded and unjudged and feel able to share as openly as possible what is really happening for them. Likewise, I want the viewer to experience an untainted perspective and to form their own opinion. This is not to say that I don’t have an opinion of my own – it is to say that I don’t want the subject or the viewer of my work to be impacted by my opinion.” IN CONVERSATION WITH CHRISTINA SIMONS THE PICTORIAL LIST: Christina please tell us a bit about yourself. CHRISTINA SIMONS: I was born in Seattle, WA and went to grade school in Milwaukee, WI but spent between 3-5 months of nearly every year of my life in Iceland until I was 16, when I went to boarding school in Colorado from the ages of 16-18. After I graduated high school, I left the US and moved to London to attend Central St Martins and then Ravensbourne University. My parents relocated to Iceland at that time, so that has since become the ‘home’ that I visit. When I graduated with an honours degree in Visual Communication Design I went on to work in film and television post production for 5 years, promising myself that when I worked out what I really wanted to do with my life, I would quit post production to do that! I moved to Australia in 2001 to work on the Ned Kelly film and when that wrapped up, I made the jump to photography. I did love working in post production but after spending a few years behind a computer monitor working on other people’s images, I realised that what I really wanted was to make my own. TPL: What was that moment that sparked your interest to pursue photography as a profession, and in specific documentaries? CS: My first camera was a Polaroid camera that I got for my 10th birthday - I loved the magic of freezing a moment by simply clicking a button. Not long after, my cousin introduced me to the darkroom. He told me that he had ‘magical photographic paper’ and that he would show me how it all worked but to ‘NOT open the paper until he had time’ to teach me. Of course, as soon as I got a moment alone with it, I opened the packet and saw nothing but blank white paper! I flicked through the pages and nothing happened, so I put it back feeling quite disappointed. A few days later my cousin came to me furious, asking if I’d opened it. The magic paper had given me away as it had all been exposed to the light that I’d let in, rendering it un-magical. He was very annoyed and told me he couldn’t show me the magic because I’d ruined it. Not to be dissuaded, I took photography classes and electives all the way through school, high school and my university studies. It was like a constant thread that had weaved its way throughout my life – but for some reason I ignored the quiet voice inside me that told me photography was actually what I wanted to be doing. I only really listened to that voice after I’d left university and spent 5 years working in Post Production; when the quiet urge to become a photographer had become a loud and painful longing. My late American father was a doctor who specialised in clubfoot corrective surgery for children. It was he who influenced my humanitarian interests. He travelled the world for conferences and to give lectures, often taking us with him so we could learn about other cultures and countries. I feel that I can attribute my passion for travel, exploration and human connection to these early trips. When I was about 12 years old, my father received a thank you card from a man living in a leper colony in India. The man had asked someone else to write the card for him as he’d lost his fingers to the disease. My father had corrected his daughter’s clubfoot without charge. The man was deeply grateful that his child had a chance at a normal future and could provide for the family. My father wept as he read it to me and in that moment, I understood that making a positive difference to one person can profoundly impact those around them. I am not an academic person - becoming a doctor like my father was never on the cards for me, so it is with my camera that I try to interpret the world we live in. I feel compelled to use my work to tell the stories of those who do not have the means to do so themselves; to convey their hopes and fears. TPL: Talk to us about some of your other projects. For you personally, why are making these photographs important? What do you want viewers to understand through your images? CS: I’m a deeply curious person. I want to know and understand the world around me at a deeper level than what I can see on television or the internet the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of their world better. I want the firsthand encounter to be able to answer my own questions about the cultures, anthropology and the psychology of people I photograph. I sometimes think perhaps my photography is secondary to this desire. I have the privilege to gain access to and meet some very unique people in my work. I feel that it’s my responsibility to ensure that the stories I am entrusted with are told with honesty and integrity. I think with this privilege I get to see and hear things many others don’t, so I do my best to try to expose stories otherwise undiscovered and frequently misunderstood. I try my hardest in all my stories to ensure my opinions and judgments take a back seat to the story itself. I try to remain impartial and tell the story as it presents with no projections on my part. It’s really important to me to try to do this because it’s from this place I gain a deep holistic understanding of what is happening. I want the subject (person) to feel unguarded and unjudged and feel able to share as openly as possible what is really happening for them. Likewise, I want the viewer to experience an untainted perspective and to form their own opinion. This is not to say that I don’t have an opinion of my own – it is to say that I don’t want the subject or the viewer of my work to be impacted by my opinion. For example with my Little Bullfighters series – if I had approached this story with critical judgments of what they were doing I would have learnt and seen very little. I went in with curiosity and an open mind to fully understand how and why they were training to become bullfighters at such a young age. I then felt that sharing those images with the same impartiality would provide people with opinions across the spectrum to engage with the series more openly. Sondos Qur'aan praying inside Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand on Friday the 23rd of August 2019. © Christina Simons. Shot for the NY Times. Children attend Uighur language school in Gilles Plains, Adelaide, South Australia on Saturday the 23rd of March 2019. The students and their mothers celebrate their participation in an international Uighur community competition called Uyghuryar. © Christina Simons. Shot for the NY Times March 2019. Bimbi, 70, lives with her daughter Maria Majo, 40. Together they look after her granddaughters Ellen, aged 6, and also named Ellen, aged 2. July 2019. © Christina Simons. Shot for UNICEF to promote the benefits of a positive parenting program. Tobia’s grandchildren help her peel potatoes from the garden. Tobia has six grandchildren that she cares for in her home in the mountainous region of Chimbu, PNG July 2019. © Christina Simons. Shot for UNICEF to promote the benefits of a positive parenting program. Salvador, aged 6, sits on his bed in anticipation of witnessing the afternoon bullfight at Plaza de Toros Mexico. Behind him are several ribbons, each symbolizing a bull dedicated to him by his matador heroes. Salvador's family is wealthy and are staunch Catholics. They believe God will protect him from any harm. © Christina Simons. From the series ‘Little Bullfighters’ a personal project. Shot in December 2015. Cristóbal Arenas Moncayo is 10 years old: “To fight a bull is something beautiful, there are a lot of emotions…adrenaline, excitement and the danger is always there. As a torero you are always afraid but this is normal, it makes you stronger and helps you to take control of your fear…from that point you move ahead.” © Christina Simons. From the series ‘Little Bullfighters’ a personal project. Shot in June 2016. Sixty-nine year old Patricia poses proudly with photos from her days as a Pin-up model. She has lost the ability to hear, speak and see out of one eye due to beatings she sustained. Patricia resides in Casa Xochiquetzal, a retirement home in a dilapidated Spanish casona in one of Mexico City's roughest barrios. The Casa is named after the Aztec goddess of sex and love and its residents are retired sex workers. © Christina Simons. From the series ‘Casa Xochiquetzal’, a personal project. Shot in Mexico City, June 2017. Normita, aged 82, sits on her bed where her stuffed teddy bear also rests in her bedroom in Casa Xochiquetzal, Mexico City, June 2016. © Christina Simons. From the series ‘Casa Xochiquetzal’, a personal project. Shot in Mexico City, June 2017. Angelica dances to live music. Angelica is still actively working at the age of 55. She is the only transgender woman living at Casa Xochiquetzal, Mexico City. April 2017. © Christina Simons. From the series ‘Casa Xochiquetzal,’ a personal project shot in Mexico City, June 2017. Anthony Bourdain © Christina Simons TPL: What kind of difficulties have you encountered as an outsider when working on your documentary projects? CS: I think the biggest difficulty I’ve experienced is the language barrier. I speak some Spanish but when I need to understand nuance, subtlety and more complex concepts and vocabulary, I’ve been let down! The consequence of this has been that I now travel with someone whose English is better than my Spanish so that things don’t get lost in translation. Likewise, when I’ve been to countries like Papua New Guinea it’s absolutely vital that the translator I’m working with can speak both languages fluently so that I don’t misunderstand anything. I still spend time chatting to people but I make sure that when I’m recording someone’s account of their experience, I use a trusted translator so that I don’t miss anything. Another difficulty I face is reluctance or fear. Sometimes, the people I’m speaking with are too frightened to talk to me or let me photograph them. In fact, that is quite common. I don’t necessarily think it’s due to me being an outsider, more so me being a photographer. I think this would be the case if I was a local photographer as well. I have had people lie to me, like the lovely women at Casa Xochiquetzal, a retirement home for sex workers in Mexico. Their truth isn’t always something they want to expose. I discovered that for some, lying enabled them to hide a deeply traumatic story while for others, it was pure entertainment! That can be hard and frustrating as it means I can’t use the story they’ve given me, although I think in this particular case it was pretty understandable. I mean, who am I to them but a privileged white woman who has appeared from nowhere to ask them about the sordid details of their lives? I totally respect that sentiment - it is a strange position for them to be in and all I can do is hope that the telling of their story through my photographs results in a valuable and positive outcome for them. Ultimately, my work was to be used in a fundraising campaign for the casa, so I hoped that my work could directly impact their daily lives. TPL: Your work ranges from photojournalism to portraits of celebrities and food, how do you define yourself as a photographer? CS: I primarily consider myself a documentary reportage photographer and visual storyteller. I focus on humanitarian issues but I also am really fond of exploring human behavior within sub-cultures and/or groups of people who have underreported interests. I love working as a photojournalist for the New York Times and other news groups. Within both of these genres I shoot portraiture so shooting celebrity portraits isn’t much of a leap. When I first started out as a photographer, I got a job with a food and hospitality magazine in which I photographed portraits, food and lifestyle imagery. I had always set my sights on documentary photography but especially in those early days, that work did not pay the bills. As the documentary and photojournalistic work picked up, the commercial work petered off. There was a time where the only way I could support my projects was to shoot commercially. I still take on commercial work when it comes along as I enjoy doing it, but I mostly identify with storytelling through imagery and that is what most of my clients hire me for now. TPL: What are some of your best and worst memories as a photographer? CS: My ‘on the job’ happiest moments are when the people I’m photographing and I find connection - something that ties us together, a recognition of our humanness, our alikeness, no matter how unlikely that might seem. It's in these moments that both of our defences come down and our more authentic selves show up. Then they are no longer the subject and I’m no longer the photographer, but a friend. In that place, we create the storytelling together. Building a rapport makes a difference with celebrities as well. I remember shooting Anthony Bourdain after he’d worked a shift at Fenix restaurant in Melbourne, Australia. My colleague and I were second in line to photograph and interview him after his shift - he was tired and didn’t want to be there. Ed Charles, the writer, began asking him what his least favourite food was and he said: ‘Icelandic rotted shark’. Ed and I laughed and told him that I was in fact Icelandic and this started a great conversation about his travels in Iceland and the food there. Then we discovered that we had both fallen in love with Laos and its people. This shifted the whole vibe of the shoot from him feeling annoyed and standoffish to finding mutual ground to bond over. I was no longer a photographer and he was no longer a celebrity - we were just people hanging out having a good conversation. Another highlight I can recall was in October 2019, when I opened a huge exhibition at the Museo de Arte e Historia de Guanajuato in Mexico with Médicos Sin Fronteras (Doctors without Borders) on my ‘Running to Nowhere’ series which focused on the plight of refugees in contemporary Central America. The show contained nearly 100 pieces from this body of work. It was exhibited in a space of 1000m2 and it was stunningly curated by Israel Arenas with the vision of the viewer experiencing some of the intensity that the refugees experience. It was grander than any exhibition I could have ever imagined for my work and an incredible moment to have hundreds of people and press at the opening. In that moment, the stories I worked so hard to share were seen and heard again and again by thousands of people. I returned home feeling that if I never held a camera again – I would have felt complete satisfaction with what I’d achieved. Of course, I still feel that deep satisfaction, but the exhibition was meant to travel to the United States and then Covid occurred. The Central American refugee plight endures and so I still feel compelled to continue to press on with the series. *Editor's note: Read the Pictorial Story "Running to Nowhere" by Christina via the link below. The darker moments have been moments that have come from experiences where I have felt that I was in danger or that those around me might be at risk. The first time this happened was when I was in Haiti in 2006. We had met a man pretending to care for the street children who had previously been ‘Restaveks’ (children given or sold into a life of domestic slavery). We interviewed a few kids living on the streets who told us this man had sexually abused them. This man was directly connected to the gangs in the slums of Port au Prince. He had weapons and a lot of support. He knew where I was staying and continued to try to contact me. I won’t go into any deeper details, but I felt scared for myself and for my fixer who lived there and had a family there. That stuff stays with you long after you leave and takes time to settle psychologically. It takes less time for me now but frightening and stressful moments whilst working have happened on a few other occasions. I see it as a part of the job I have chosen to do and the stories I choose to cover. It is a choice and I wouldn’t change a thing. So I’ve learned to manage it with self care and time out. It is with my camera that I try to interpret the world we live in. I feel compelled to use my work to tell the stories of those who do not have the means to do so themselves; to convey their hopes and fears. TPL: Did you have a mentor? Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? CS: I’ve never had a mentor...no...but I’ve had several people who have believed in me and supported me on my journey and to whom I'm extremely grateful. I have a lot of favorite photographers but my all time favorite photographer is Sebastiao Salgado. I feel that when I look at his work it reaches into me, it captures my feelings, my heart and I am deeply moved – his are some of the most beautiful and touching images I have ever seen. I love the greats like Mary Ellen Mark, Sally Mann, Werner Bischof, Saul Leiter, Alex Webb, Diane Arbus, Elliott Erwitt, Josef Koudelka, Vivian Maier, Rene Burri… etc. There is a lot of new talent and imagery out there now. The more people I encounter on Instagram the more blown away I am at the talent in this world. TPL: Do you prefer to work in black and white or colour? Do you spend a lot of time editing? What is your process? CS: I prefer black and white but I always shoot in colour even if I feel the series works better in black and white. I prefer to convert the colour files to black and white in post-production. I like having the ability to control the way the colour is converted, so I never shoot black and white in camera. By editing if you mean image selection – I’d say yes, I labor over what the best image is and which is truest to the story. Especially if it’s a series, then it’s about which images work best together as a cohesive story. But if you mean retouching – no, I don’t retouch my images. As a documentary photographer and photojournalist I only apply contrast and manage saturation and exposure tweaks. I might darken the corners/edges and if I need to convert to black and white, I will do that. However, when I’ve worked commercially, retouching is a totally different story! TPL: The past year and a half has been tough on many artists. How have you been feeling through this time, both personally and as a photographer? CS: The mantra I have chanted in my head over and over is that I am not alone and I am not the only one going through this, the whole world is faced with this crazy awful circumstance. Melbourne, where I live, has endured a total of 6 months in hard lockdown. At times it was really hard seeing people on social media in the rest of Australia living life and doing normal things, but I know that in the rest of the world people were struggling much more than we were. I’m fully vaccinated now, so in theory I’d like to take on work overseas again, but Australia has made it very difficult to get back into the country, so we’ll have to wait a bit more to see. Meanwhile, I am pursuing local stories and assignments. I teach photography one day a week at a private university and in that I find inspiration and joy – being able to share what I love about photography. I feel we are really very lucky to have a safe and comfortable place to stay in our lockdown in Melbourne when many other people had a terrible time and experienced terrible circumstances. I was able to get a few jobs during this time as an essential worker, working within the media for the New York Times to photographically report on some of their stories. For example, the Times ran a pitch that I sent them on the Melbourne public housing high-rise towers that went into a snap hard lockdown in 2020. The people in those towers had no warning of the lockdown. The buildings were suddenly surrounded by hundreds of police and residents had no idea why. It was really traumatic for a lot of the residents, some of whom had come from war-torn countries where they had been traumatized in the past. Many families had young children in small two-bedroom apartments with up to 8 people living in them, it was not at all well managed by the government. The residents had no time to prepare for this and they had a really tough time. Of course, none of the residents argued that a hard lockdown was unnecessary, but the way it was implemented caused much angst. In fact, it was found by the Victorian Ombudsman that the North Melbourne public housing lockdown breached human rights. The colourful girls of Derby World wait to start their bout. © Christina Simons. From the series ‘Derby Girls’ Shot for the Big Issue in January 2011. Two Roller Derby girls fly through the air as they crash into each other during a bout. © Christina Simons. From the series ‘Derby Girls’, shot for the Big Issue in January 2011. Eight month pregnant Sonia with one of her two daughters Daniella, age 11. Sonia grew up within the gang world and knew all the members in her neighbourhood. Her partner, a MS13 member and the father of the unborn child has been in prison for 5 of their 6 year relationship. Their baby was conceived during a conjugal visit. The MS13s support her while her partner is in prison. When asked how she feels about the circumstances, Daniella tearfully said,"He (her mother’s partner) is more of a father to me than my biological father ever was. I love him and I miss him." Daniella’s biological father left when she was 7 months old. © Christina Simons. From the series ‘Resilient rɪˈzɪlɪənt/ adjective: (of a person) able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. Synonyms: strong, tough, hardy’, a personal project shot in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, January 2018. Iris and her husband were convicted of kidnapping. Her husband was a policeman, as were their two other accomplices. The person they kidnapped was rather high profile and they were captured at the location that they held him prisoner. Iris fed and looked after their prisoner. They were all sentenced to 20 years in prison, however she will only serve 16 years. Iris has become pregnant twice while serving her sentence through conjugal visits with her husband who is also incarcerated. Her older son Roberto now lives with his father's family and left prison when he turned four. Her younger son Henry is still with her and wears the blue tee-shirt. © Christina Simons. From the series ‘Babies Behind Bars’ for The Guardian. Tamara Women’s Prison, Honduras, January 2018. Maria Juarez is only 53 years old. Her son is 18 years old and a MS13 member. He was arrested for possession of guns. On this day she traveled two hours to El Poso prison to visit him, however she is unable to see him due to a government crackdown on gang member inmates. Maria had to leave her severely disabled daughter at home, tied to a chair for several hours whilst visiting her son. She is frightened because she has no money or way to feed herself and her daughter. She fears she won't see her son again. © Christina Simons. From the series ‘Resilient rɪˈzɪlɪənt/ adjective: (of a person) able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions. Synonyms: strong, tough, hardy’, a personal project shot in Llama, Honduras, January 2018. A three year old girl stands at the prison bars that enter into the section of the prison, known as Casa Cuna, where she lives. © Christina Simons. From the series ‘Babies Behind Bars’ for The Guardian, Tamara, Honduras, January 2018. The countryside, near Gonaives. The deforested mountains had no topsoil to absorb or slow the rushing water that besieged Gonaives during Hurricane Jeanne in 2004. When the rain ceased, more than 3,000 people had been killed, many washed out to sea. Thousands of people were made homeless. © Christina Simons. From the series ‘The Haiti Project’, a personal project shot in Gonaives, Haiti, March 2006. A street boy eats a mango. From the series ‘The Haiti Project’ a personal project shot in Cite Soleil, Haiti, March 2006. The older girls of the orphanage Foyer des Enfants play and sing. Sourette owns and runs a private orphanage called Foyer des Enfants. The day I met the children of orphanage Foyer des Enfants, the children hadn’t eaten in 3 days. There are 35 children at this orphanage and it takes a mere $50US per month to feed them all. Most of the children at this orphanage have lived as a Restavek. The orphanage was flattened in the 2010 earthquake and the last I heard was that while the children and Sourette survived, they were living on the streets. © Christina Simons. From the series ‘The Haiti Project’, a personal project shot in Port au Prince, Haiti, March 2006. TPL: What are some of your goals as a photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? CS: I have a ‘bucket list’ of clients I’d like to add to my client list. I love working with MSF. Their projects have constantly inspired me, so I hope our relationship continues for a long time. I think in the next few years as my son gets a bit older, I can take on longer assignments away from home and pursue both those as well as personal projects. I just want to keep telling important and untold stories, doing more of the work I love and hope that it may impact one or two people who haven’t previously heard of the subject or story I’ve covered. TPL: Are there any projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? CS: We had hoped to exhibit in the US, but it was cancelled last year. I’m still hoping for the exhibition to travel there eventually. We are still planning to exhibit ‘Running to Nowhere’ in Australia and Greece. I am in the process of publishing a book on the series as well. In 2020, I had a huge couple months planned in Africa but unfortunately that was cancelled. I still intend to do that work but it’s hard to know when that will be. I am also researching a couple of potential projects in Venezuela and Columbia, but until I can travel it's all on hold. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… CS: I have a seven year old son so I spend most of my spare time running around after him and enjoy watching him grow up. However, when I’ve been on assignment in Mexico and have a few days to myself I’ve been known to take myself off to Cozumel to go scuba diving or Palenque to trek through the Mayan ruins in the jungle. If it’s just a day, I would spend hours in the Museums of Mexico City; Anahuacalli, National Museum of Anthropology, Palacio de Bellas Artes and the ruins in and around the city...all these sorts of experiences feed me like nothing else, all of it is in the name of learning, inspiration and exploration." 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.

GOTHAM MEMORIES: NEW YORK CITY (1969-2022) Wandering the streets with his cameras, urban observer Jeff Rothstein has been photographing New York City since the dawn of the 1970s. GOTHAM MEMORIES: NEW YORK CITY (1969-2022) January 6, 2023 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Jeff Rothstein INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE As the sun rises over the rooftops of New York City, Jeff Rothstein wakes up to start his day as an urban observer. With his cameras in hand, Jeff embarks on his journey to capture the streets of his beloved city, just as he has done for five decades. His passion for photography dates back to the dawn of the 1970s, when he first roamed the streets of Brooklyn as a native of the city. A stroll down any given street transports us back in time, as each frame of Jeff's photos is carefully composed for the viewer to feel a part of his story. We witness life as it was through his viewfinder, from the mundane commutes to the liveliness of city life. His photos have become a treasure trove of nostalgia and a reminder of what this great city has been through over the years. Over the years, Jeff’s photos have appeared in a variety of publications, including Black & White magazine, SHOTS, Street Photographers Notebook special monograph edition, London Evening Standard, Daily Mail, Mojo, YES. Yoko Ono exhibition catalog, URBAN Unveils the City And Its Secrets Vol. 7, and Fillmore East: The Venue That Changed Rock Music Forever. Recent exhibitions include New York Public Library Mulberry St. branch, September-October 2022 (solo), Filter Space, Chicago, September-October 2022 (group), Black Box Gallery Online Annex, Portland, Or., September 2022 (group), ImageNation Paris at Galerie Joseph Le Palais, May 2022 (group), Porec Museum, Croatia, August–September 2021 (solo); H.P.F. Christopher, New York City, July 2017 (solo); and Winter, Analog Forever magazine, December 2019 (online group). His project Gotham Memories: New York City Images of the 1970s and 1980s won the Urban Photo Awards 2021 exhibition prize at the Poreč Museum (Croatia). Images from his book were picked as vintage award winners in Black & White magazine’s contests in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Jeff’s photobook, Today’s Special: New York City Images 1969-2006, was published by Coral Press Arts in June 2017, and is in the collections of many university and institutional libraries. Jeff Rothstein has been able to capture New York City with such beauty and vibrancy that it’s hard to believe he’s been doing this for over fifty years. His commitment to documenting his city’s history is unparalleled and makes us appreciate the ever-changing yet timeless beauty of this stunning metropolis. Follow Jeff as he continues to wander around New York, and take a peek into its past and present through his lens. “They are already memories once I press the shutter. These memories are at once mine and ours. Mine because they are what I have witnessed and captured with my camera. But they will be shared by all of us who know or have known the city intimately or casually or even remotely and vicariously. The photos are a record of history through a local eye. Many are evocative of the time and place of bygone eras, imbued with a timeless quality. The images in this portfolio span the years 1969 through 2022.” IN CONVERSATION WITH JEFF ROTHSTEIN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Welcome to The List Jeff, please tell us about yourself. What would you say first drew you to photography? JEFF ROTHSTEIN: I was born and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and lived there for many years. I’ve been living in Manhattan since 1988. I now devote all my time to photography. I used to attend lots of baseball games and thought it would be fun if I bought a camera to take to the ballpark. So my getting into photography was really a means to an end. TPL: How would you describe your photography, and what would you say you are always trying to achieve artistically? JR: My genre is street photography. I try to have the viewer feel like they’re right there with me as part of the theater of the street. TPL: Could you tell us what living in New York City has inspired in your work? What special qualities unique to the ‘Gotham City’ influence both your street and documentary photography and the way you portray your community? JR: Being a street photographer, I feel fortunate to live here. The city’s not as gritty as it was when I photographed years ago, but there always seems to be subject matter just around the next corner. I think people can sense the fast and crazy pace of life here when they look at some of my images. TPL: For the people who are not familiar with NYC, describe the atmosphere around you when you are photographing on the streets of NYC…the sensory perceptions that hypnotize and seduce you that constantly brings you back again and again. JR: When I’m shooting the streets of New York City I feel that I’m on the ultimate stage, with life’s everyday dramas and comedies always being played out. I seem to be drawn to the chaos that surrounds me. TPL: Did you ever think back then that you could be capturing an iconic era when you were photographing on the streets of NYC? In the future looking back at now, what do you think will be iconic about this era? JR: You know, when I was out photographing back in the day, I didn’t really think about iconic or historical eras. I was just recording life as it was happening. It’s only when I had the perspective of passing time that I realized I was recording a city that no longer exists. I think the same answer applies to photographing this era. TPL: What is the most rewarding part of being a photographer for you? What are some challenges that you have faced? JR: The most rewarding part for me is when people appreciate my images, whether through exhibits, books or online articles. Most of the challenges have been self imposed. I took a long time to finally decide to do my first photobook, though people whose opinions I respect were telling me to do one for quite a while. Finally having the book published was the best thing that happened to my career. When I’m shooting the streets of New York City I feel that I’m on the ultimate stage, with life’s everyday dramas and comedies always being played out. TPL: Is it impossible for you not to be constantly on the lookout for a moment to be captured? JR: Ha! Good question. I have to admit I’m always constantly scanning the streets looking for subject matter. TPL: How do you manage a work/photography balance? JR: I’m retired from previous jobs so photography is a full time pursuit for me. TPL: Do you have any favorite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? JR: Robert Frank, William Klein, Garry Winogrand, Saul Leiter. Plus a few great street photographers that unfortunately some people aren’t as aware of. These include Sylvia Plachy, Frank Horvat, Louis Stettner, Louis Faurer, Frank Paulin. Also the early NYC photos of Alfred Stieglitz and the NYC Ashcan School of early 20th century artists. TPL: What was the first camera you ever held in your hand, brought to eye, and released a shutter on? What is the camera you use now and your preferred focal length? Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Is there anything on your wishlist? JR: When I was a kid, it was my family’s Kodak instamatics. My first proper camera was a Kowa SETR slr, which I bought in 1969. For many years, I just shot with film cameras (Nikkormat FTN, Nikon F2A, Nikon F3HP, Nikon FM2, Olympus XA, Olympus Stylus, Rollei AFM). I still use the F3HP, FM2A, XA and AFM. My preferred focal length is 35mm, but I also like 28mm. Years ago, I also shot with 50mm and 105mm quite a bit. A few years ago, a friend gave me a small, inexpensive digital point and shoot (one of the Canon powershots.) I’ve been using that for all my digital images so no, I really don’t believe equipment is that big a deal. It’s the photographer’s vision that really matters. That being said, I really should upgrade to a better digital camera (have my eye on a couple of Fujifilm cameras). TPL: Are there any special projects that you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? What are some of your photography goals? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? JR: I edited and sequenced my next book and now I’m trying to find a publisher. It’ll cover the same time span as my first book (1969-2006 New York City) but will have twice as many images. My goals are to produce more books and to continue to exhibit my work. Hopefully in five years I’ll still be photographing the streets of the city. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… JR: Go to art exhibits (my wife is an art historian), eat good food, watch film noirs, read, listen to music (60s and 70s rock and folk, jazz, classical, blues). 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.