PICTORIAL STORY THIS IS ESSEX June 25, 2021 PICTORIAL STORY Photography and story by Danny Jackson Introduction by Karin Svadlenak Gomez SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Danny Jackson has captured the sometimes weird and often wonderful everyday lives of residents in Essex in pictures. As a passionate people watcher, in 2019 Danny started working on a portrait series called Eccentric Essex . The Pandemic has given him the opportunity to go through his work, which in turn has led to the development of the series This Is Essex , and Eccentricity . Both of these series focus on eccentric and interesting people. Why Eccentrics ? Danny has asked himself that question quite a lot, and his main reasoning is that eccentric people seem to live life somewhat differently from the norm, they rebel or let their interests and passions determine how they live their lives. When I was a child growing up in Basildon, a new town in South Essex, in the 80s and 90s, I became aware of a growing stigma attached to my county. The expression Essex Girl had recently found purchase in modern lingo; a derogatory term that was used to describe women who were considered promiscuous or lacking in intellect. It was a stereotype that was compounded by the television programme Birds of a Feather with its own archetypal Sharon and Tracy; vacuous characters who bumbled through each episode with dropped Hs and glottal stops galore. The Essex boys fared little better. They found their representative in Harry Enfield’s creation Loadsa Money . Enfield’s depiction of a brash, up and coming man with oodles of money and no accompanying substance or class was a clear comment on the generation of young Essex men who had found lucrative jobs in the nearby city of London. And so, it went on… Big Brother , Pop Stars , X Factor and more recently TOWIE . Any contestant that hailed from the county of Essex inevitably conformed to the classic stereotypes of the pretty but vapid Essex Girl and the materialistic and loutish Essex Boy . Modern culture has been saturated with the media’s propagation of this unkind and unfair stereotype, but if we look a little deeper then maybe we will find that there’s more to the Essex species than these narrow and restrictive generalisations acknowledge. Essex, as we know it now, has evolved and expanded over the duration of the last hundred years, a relatively short time. Before then it was mostly small farming communities and Victorian seaside towns. But after the Second World War and the devastation of London’s East End, the Labour government created a series of “new towns” across the country and Essex was the birthplace of two such towns: Harlow in North Essex and Basildon in the south. These new towns offered hope and fresh starts to a bruised and beleaguered generation of Eastenders. Massive council estates sprung up, the largest in Europe being one in Dagenham, and many Londoners flocked to Essex to join friends and relatives who had already settled here. Both sets of my grandparents originated from East London, as are my wife’s, and this is the same for the large majority of my friends too. So, to understand the nature of the people of Essex, we must first start with their forebears, the Eastenders. Just as Essex has a stereotype, so too have the people of East London. Ask any one from around the world what a cockney or an Eastender is like and a list of attributes common to this Londoner will be reeled off: speakers of Cockney rhyming slang; consumers of jellied eels and pie and mash; images of The Artful Dodger , Dickens’s famous pickpocket from Oliver Twist , or the Kray twins (gangsters of 50s and 60s London) spring to mind. But just as the Essex stereotype is narrow and reductive, so too is this one. It’s important to remember what happened to the East End of London during the Second World War; German planes bombed the area relentlessly during The Blitz of 1940. Thousands of homes were bombed out and lives lost. Parents had to evacuate their children to the countryside to live with unknown families. My nan was one of those children, who with her two sisters, was sent to Norfolk and spent the war living with a farmer and his wife. The phrase “ Keep Calm and Carry On ” can be said to embody the attitude of the nation as a whole, but it seems particularly pertinent to the East End. I believe that going through such hardship and embracing the ‘war-time spirit’ solidified in them those attributes of resilience, determination and kind heartedness and highlighted the importance of family and fun, even in the face of adversity. When broken down, what really is the idea of a ‘ wartime spirit ’? It’s a commitment to carry on no matter what; a conscious stance of thinking positively when times are hard; to move on and to move forward. So, who are the people of Essex now? Essex has a population of about 1.9 million. It borders Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, London and Kent. During the census a few years back Castle point in South Essex had the highest percentage in England of people identifying their ethnicity as ‘White British.’ Essex also has a very high percentage of over 65s, much higher than the national average. Much of the densely populated towns are on the coast where many older people go to retire; seaside towns like Southend on Sea and Clacton on Sea being a mix of young families and older residents. Leigh on Sea was recently voted the best place to live in England, with large 1930s family homes close to a classic British high Street and an old fishing village. Many Essex residents are tradesman or office workers who commute up to the city daily via the motorways or railway. And as for that perception of the people of Essex as being less academic; the University of Essex ranked 25th out of 130 in the most recent University League Table. Regardless of where you are in Essex, there are some common strains that seem cemented in the Essex persona like the letters in a stick of rock: the people of Essex have a friendly, warm nature - if workmen enter their home they will immediately be offered cups of tea, and at the end of the job a tip or drink will be given as a thank you; “Get yourself a beer,” they might say. Essex people love a bargain, with a glut of Pound Shops punctuating most high streets and Sunday mornings frequently being spent rifling through the goods at local car boot sales. The people of Essex are fun loving, neighbourly, sometimes eccentric, cheeky, money driven and confident. They can also drink far too much, burn in the sun far too easily, love a bit of gossip, are occasionally rowdy and sometimes vain. They love their fish and chips and English breakfasts, shop at Lakeside Shopping Centre and in the evenings many flock to Southend amusements or Peter Pans , a theme park by the pier that’s been called Adventure Island for over 20 years, but everyone still calls Peter Pan’s Playground . The V-festival is a yearly event where some of the biggest names in the music business come to play and for thousands across Essex this a must-see event of the summer. Another place that every Essex resident is familiar with is Southend Pier, the longest pleasure pier in the world at 1.34 miles long. Built in 1830, this pier is very much part of Essex’s heritage, in fact to quote Sir John Betjeman (the English Poet and broadcaster), “The pier is Southend, Southend is the Pier.’ © Danny Jackson © Danny Jackson © Danny Jackson © Danny Jackson © Danny Jackson © Danny Jackson © Danny Jackson © Danny Jackson © Danny Jackson © Danny Jackson © Danny Jackson © Danny Jackson © Danny Jackson So, in conclusion, when describing this collection of people…my people… it is clear that the people of Essex have a quirkiness to them, an eccentricity, a cheekiness. They have their own language - a mix of slang and colloquialisms - and they have certain habits that counts them apart from other people, much of this coming from their cockney ancestors. Their warmth and friendliness, family orientated attitude and gritty determinism have resulted in a can-do attitude and work hardy strength that comes from generations of tradesmen, dockworkers and factory workers. As a people they are strong, loyal and neighbourly. This is all a far cry from the crass Essex Lad or the promiscuous and unintelligent Essex Girls , in fact quite the opposite. Maybe in time the idea of who the people of Essex actually are will change and develop and we will finally be allowed to transgress these reductive and disparaging stereotypes, however whatever happens I’m happy to be one of them and I’m proud to be able to photograph them and document the county I love. view Danny's portfolio Read an interview with Danny >>> 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 >>> 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. 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NastPlas is an international creative duo based in Madrid, Spain and formed in 2006 by illustrator Fran R. Learte and creative director Natalia Molinos. Their work combines an impressive range of digital elements and abstract patterns which they create in order to elaborate pieces of art with a deeply aesthetic feeling. NASTPLAS NastPlas is an international creative duo based in Madrid, Spain and formed in 2006 by illustrator Fran R. Learte and creative director Natalia Molinos. Their work combines an impressive range of digital elements and abstract patterns which they create in order to elaborate pieces of art with a deeply aesthetic feeling. LOCATION Madrid SPAIN CAMERA/S Canon, Polaroid WEBSITE https://www.nastplas.com/ @NASTPLAS_SNAPSHOT @NASTPLAS FEATURES // Conceptual Reality

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

INTERVIEW SPECIAL LIGHT October 14, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Assia Starke INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Assia Starke was born in Russia, but has lived in Austria half of her life. She has been fascinated in photography since childhood, having grown up watching her father develop photos in an improvised darkroom at home. She renewed her interest in photography when she became a mother and now finds inspiration in everything around her. In her photos she tries to include lines, patterns and emotions, and she always reminds herself that you have to let your inner self decide what makes a good picture. Assia shared some of her travel photos from Morocco and other places with us. We asked her to tell us more about what drives her passion. “Nature, the world around me gives me inspiration. I can get touched to tears by a beautiful sunrise or sunset but also be fascinated by the green glossy wings of a bug or the pattern of a maple leaf in the back-light.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ASSIA STARKE THE PICTORIAL LIST: Assia please tell us about yourself. When did you start getting interested in photography? ASSIA STARKE: I was born in Moscow and grew up there, went to school and to the University. My first job as a tourist guide took me through the country and a little bit through the world. I guess, this is where and when my passion for travelling started, although the way I do it, the perception is very different now. I did not take many pictures on the way then but it is still interesting to compare the pictures I bring now from my journeys to those early ones. My encounter with photography started many many years ago as I was allowed to watch my father print black and white photos in our bathroom – the only room without windows in our small apartment in Moscow (where I was born and grew up). My father was a hobby photographer. He was very much interested in nature but most of the pictures I know were family photos. Photography can be a very time consuming hobby, so I guess he sacrificed some of the time he would have liked to work on it for the family - to spend more time with my brother and me...but he passed his photography passion on to us - it became my brother's hobby as well. I was so much fascinated by this magical moment when the image was slowly emerging on the white paper that I wanted to try it myself. And so I took my first pictures with the fully manual Praktica film camera with a Carl Zeiss 50mm f 2.0 lens – which I am still using with an adaptor on the digital cameras now...the so called imperfection of this lens (measured by today’s standards) is its magic – again compared to the technically more advanced but too sober “modern” lenses. I also printed my pictures myself – even with dodging and burning here and there – but of course those were only childish first attempts. I then studied, moved to another country with a new job, married – and only when my daughter was born, I picked up the camera again. TPL: What was it like, growing up in Russia, and when did you move to Vienna? AS: I personally think that I had a very happy childhood. I had loving parents who took good care of me and supported me in my development. I was very fond of reading and could read for many hours non-stop. Children had access to a lot of 'culture' - museums, theatres were cheap, libraries free...there were many activities - sports, music shows, drawing and painting classes - that were free as well, and many teachers were real enthusiasts (as they did not got paid much...). I do not think that many children of my generation got the impression that they were suppressed in any way and were not living in a free society...These are things that you start thinking about and understand when you get older. I came to Vienna with a job for a joint venture (I started working for them in Moscow) - planned for a year. It has been more than 20 years now. TPL: Did you have any exposure to photography, as in art in books or exhibitions, back then in Russia? AS: I do not think so, not photography. I often went to the Pushkin Museum in Moscow and to the Hermitage when travelling to St. Petersburg, and we also had big albums with paintings from those museums - and I loved to go through them (well, with childish awe) - and then I discovered the Impressionists... so these are my 2 big 'loves' - the light of the old masters and the colours and style of the impressionists. As I cannot paint, it comes out through photography, I guess. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? AS: Nature, the world around me gives me inspiration. I can get touched to tears by a beautiful sunrise or sunset but also be fascinated by the green glossy wings of a bug or the pattern of a maple leaf in the back-light. TPL: Is there anything you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? AS: My first digital camera made me want to make better pictures – I started reading and watching, joined a couple of online communities – this educated me a lot, of course… at first I learned what I liked and did not like, then I learned the rules – and then I found out that what makes good pictures is letting your inner self make them (knowing the rules at the back of your head still – this helps a lot, of course). The ultimate and crucial thing is light of course, and I always try to include lines, patterns and emotions (when photographing people which does not happen very often, I must admit). Being able to combine photography with my second passion – travelling makes me happy. Being able to combine photography with my second passion – travelling makes me happy. TPL: Do you prefer to photograph alone or with friends? AS: I prefer to photograph alone so that I can take my time but even with people around I get so much carried away that I tend not to notice them. TPL: Who or what would you say has has mostly inspired your style? AS: I do not think I am advanced enough to say that I have found my own style already…my interests are too widely spread. And I must say that I am fascinated and most impressed by other people’s good photos in genres that I cannot or do not do myself – I am so much attracted by black and white photography (with very high contrast) – and I myself mostly do colour, by street photography – and I myself mostly do travel and landscape, by artistic still life – and my still life shots are more about geometry - shapes, lines and patterns… I love impressionism – I think, it is a way of thinking and can come out in different ways. TPL: How does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? AS: My mostly used gear are zooms – 24-70mm and 70-200mm – but sometimes my soul calls for dreamy bokeh – so my father’s 50mm Carl Zeiss and my other favorite Canon 50mm f1.2 come out to warm my heart. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? AS: What are my goals? I hope not to get stuck and bored by my own photography. I will keep trying out new things and I also hope to be able to show the beauty of nature and love that is in the air and share it with other people – my way of trying to make this world at least a little bit better through it… Life and photography are so diverse and there is place for everyone, any style, any opinion. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… AS: My 9 to 5 job can be very time consuming. I started learning Spanish as we were planning to go to Latin America next year...but now - who knows. I enjoy reading (not much lately, I must admit) and cinema, hiking and Nordic walking are my other hobbies." We take the opportunity to thank Assia for sharing her travel and landscape photography with us. Special light inspires us in all of them. Follow her travels by connecting with Assia on Instagram. VIEW ASSIA'S PORTFOLIO Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> 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. 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I draw inspiration from the stunning natural landscapes and diverse wildlife found in the Yarra Valley. My dedication to encapsulating the essence of this remarkable region through photography has earned recognition in numerous international and national publications. While my expertise primarily lies in landscape photography, I also specialize in professional portraits and various other genres and styles. SEAN PARIS I draw inspiration from the stunning natural landscapes and diverse wildlife found in the Yarra Valley. My dedication to encapsulating the essence of this remarkable region through photography has earned recognition in numerous international and national publications. While my expertise primarily lies in landscape photography, I also specialize in professional portraits and various other genres and styles. LOCATION Healesville AUSTRALIA CAMERA/S Full Spectrum Converted Nikon D800 (Infrared), Nikon D850 WEBSITE https://www.seanparisphotographer.com/ @SEAN.PARIS FEATURES // Koala Country

INTERVIEW SOCIOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE March 11, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Neslihan Uslu INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Photography has the ability to capture and communicate stories in a way that no other medium can. For Neslihan Uslu, a Turkish-born photographer living in Antwerp, Belgium, photography is a way of life. Combining her studies in sociology and photography, her artistic practice is about uncovering the everyday stories of our lives. To her, the nuances of everyday life are the most powerful and beautiful stories that can be told. Neslihan's passion for documentary photography began three years ago when she moved to Antwerp. In her desire to learn more about this new city, she saw photography as the best way to do this. Every week she would focus on a different topic, seeking out the hidden stories that were hidden away in the streets of Antwerp. Her images are a reflection of her passion for looking at both the ordinary and extraordinary through a photographer’s eye. She looks for emotional moments and captures them in an honest and cinematic style, creating a visual dialogue of the beauty of everyday life. Neslihan Uslu's work is a powerful blend of fine art and photojournalism. It is a tribute to her dedication to capturing the subtle stories of our lives and the emotion that lies within them. Her work gives us a glimpse into hidden moments that many of us would never have the opportunity to witness. Through her lens, we can experience the intimate beauty of the everyday and appreciate the unique stories of our lives. “In my opinion, sociology is bold, but photography is even bolder. What I want to express with my photos is to convey events, social problems, situations, sometimes everyday life and routines as much as possible, to show real lives and feelings. I also want to do this by keeping the story plain and simple, without trying to transform or reproduce reality. Photography is already reproducing its reality through the eye of the photographer.” IN CONVERSATION WITH NESLIHAN USLU THE PICTORIAL LIST: Neslihan please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? NESLIHAN USLU: I was born and raised in Istanbul. I have been living in Antwerp for about 3 years. I've been the photographer of the family since I was young. But it was more about taking snapshots and recording everything. I started photography training in AFSAD (Ankara Photography Artists Association) the year I decided to study Sociology at the university in 2000. I feel like I’m still at home while developing photos in the dark room. During my 4-year university education, photography training and projects continued simultaneously. During this period, I also had the opportunity to participate in group exhibitions. My focus on documentary photography was continued with my thesis. This was the breaking point for me. While I was writing my thesis on "Othering and Labeling in Modern Era: Romani people living in Turkey”, I met many people, took many pictures and I had the opportunity to learn a lot about photography. That's why Josef Koudelka's Gypsies project is always very special to me. TPL: Tell us more about the series of images from Chinatown that you have shared with us. Could you elaborate a bit on your thoughts on the concept and how you manifested your ideas into a documentary project? NU: Actually, this short study is one of the first steps of my work on the “cultural importance of festivals and their perception in different cultures” that I want to do in the long run. Festivals are an impressive way to celebrate culture and traditions. At the same time, we come together with our loved ones and share happiness. It is important for cultural solidarity. In addition to this, it can evoke different emotions in different cultures. What I wanted to show was the difference and similarity of the emotions it aroused in people from different cultures through the Chinese New Year celebration. To put it better, it was the cultural perception of this celebration. Before the celebrations, I went to Chinatown many times and observed. That gave me the information about the photos I will be taking: where I should stand, from what point of view I will see. I don’t think I can easily tell a story that I don’t have an idea about, whether it is a documentary or a photojournalism. TPL: Sometimes you combine your Sociology into your Photography. What do you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? NU: In my opinion, sociology is bold, but photography is even bolder. What I want to express with my photos is to convey events, social problems, situations, sometimes everyday life and routines as much as possible, to show real lives and feelings. I also want to do this by keeping the story plain and simple, without trying to transform or reproduce reality. Photography is already reproducing its reality through the eye of the photographer. When I think of myself as a viewer, the photographs that awaken a feeling in me, make me ask myself questions and think critically feed me. I want them to inspire similar feelings in those who look at my photos as well. I believe that the more we present to the world, the greater steps we take for change and development. That's why Lewis Wickes Hine, the photographer and sociologist who documents child labor, is one of my idols. Hine's images of working children helped change the nation's labor laws. Through his photography, Lewis Hine made a difference in the lives of American workers and, most importantly, American children. I'm trying to include the connection between the sense of place and people in my photographs. I think this allows me to tell my photo stories more powerfully. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration to photograph? NU: I find my inspiration in history. Everything that has witnessed history means a lot to me. Maybe that's why I love to chat with old people and listen to them, to go around antique markets and second-hand bookstores. TPL: Do you have a favourite place to photograph? NU: Everywhere that I can find documentary photos and stories. To be honest, I think the events and the connections you establish make the difference, not places. Nevertheless, the historical streets in İstanbul that start from Istiklal Street and end in Galata Tower are always a journey to my heart and my childhood. I also like to go to the old passages and shoot in low light conditions there. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? NU: There are many photographers and artists. Master photographers always inspire me, teach me to see and narrate. Dorothea Lange, Vivian Maier, Bieke Depoorter, Semiha Es, Ansel Adams, Sebastião Salgado, Alec Soth, Ara Güler, İzzet Keribar, Martin Parr, Josef Koudelka, Emin Özmen, Alex Webb…Their works play a big role in making me who I am. Cinema and my favorite directors also make me look at photography differently. I learn how to use tones, whether in monochrome or in color, and how to take dramatic photographs through cinema. I think it is necessary to keep the intense and fertile relationship between cinema and photography in order to do a good job in photography. Jean-Luc Godard expressed "Photography is truth. And cinema is truth 24 frames a second." I absolutely agree with this. At the same time, the magical world of cinema contributes to my imagination in every way. Vittorio De Sica, Lars Von Trier, Ken Loach, Nuri Bilge Ceylan have a special place in my heart. And all of my photographer friends who live in different places of the world. We also have a photography group called Antwerp Photo Collective in Antwerp and I am inspired by all of them. I find it historically and sociologically important to convey culture from generation to generation. Being able to explain a cultural structure that I know makes me feel both excited and responsible. We're losing so many memories and I want to keep them alive. TPL: Do you have a favourite quote, lyric or saying that especially resonates with you? NU: In an interview, Ken Loach says, “You have to find a story you have to tell. It should be a story that you must tell, not a story which might have been a good one when you tell.” I'm trying to do this with my camera. It takes me into photography, pushes me to research and learn. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? NU: I currently have equipment that I love very much. I use Fujifilm X-T3. I want to have a medium format camera in the long run. I take most of my photos with 35mm f/1.4 lens and 50mm f/1.8 lens. However, sometimes I need different equipment and lenses, depending on the style of the photo I want to shoot. 35mm prime lens is always my favorite. It is a wide angle lens and it helps me have a more accurate perspective. It's enough to capture powerful images. I also have zoom lenses but I rarely use them. I like my camera being small and quiet but I always have to carry a spare battery. I do my analog shots with Nikon F80 and Leica Z2X, even though less often. I'm a fan of cinestill film. TPL: When you go out photographing, do you have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? NU: I often let the images come to me when I go out shooting. Maybe I will encounter something new that I do not know or I will see something I am familiar with, from a different perspective. I keep a sort of photo diary. Sometimes I just give myself homework about a specific theme. I am trying to create a photo series about the theme. For example, from the people who are reading at the café to the street lamps, from the women dressed in green to the bins, from the joy of victory to the someone who seems unhappy, there can be a variety of subjects and emotions. Also, even when I have a concept in my mind and shoot about that, the results I see are different from what I plan. Sometimes this makes me happier, sometimes it causes me to throw everything away and rework the same concept. It helps me to realize long and extensive projects. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? NU: I want to reach more people with my photos. I'm building my website (www.neslihanuslu.com ) and it will be accessible in February. I would like to publish my project that I am working on and dedicate it to my parents. I would like to present my 2nd draft project to a publishing house in Belgium and work on it in collaboration. I have a long way to go, and I love this feeling. Some things will change along the way and this will influence my approach to photography. TPL: You mentioned that you are currently working on a documentary project 'Crimean Tatar Villages.' Could you tell us about it. NU: I find it historically and sociologically important to convey culture from generation to generation. Being able to explain a cultural structure that I know makes me feel both excited and responsible. We're losing so many memories and I want to keep them alive. I am a Crimean Tatar from my father's side. My grandfather settled by migration to Turkey after a difficult period. My father was born and grew up in Eskipolatlı, a typical Tatar village in Ankara. Crimean Tatar is spoken among themselves. This group has a unique culture and lifestyle. This is what I was born in. I listened to the stories and witnessed this culture. I will especially focus on the food culture and domestic life. I will do photo shoots and interviews in Eskipolatlı village in order to maintain the cultural heritage and introduce this culture to future generations. Due to Covid-19, I couldn’t travel to Turkey and I couldn’t make the shots that I had planned last spring. For the moment I continue to do interviews. If everything goes well, I aim to complete my project within a year. Unfortunately, while I was writing my thesis, I could not reach the references that I wanted and I think I know the difficulty and the meaning of this. For this reason, I want it to be a small contribution for those who are interested in the subject. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… NU: Watch movies, spend time with my family and friends, cycle, do handicrafts and travel. Neslihan Uslu's photography is a powerful medium for capturing and communicating the stories of our lives that often go unnoticed. Her commitment to uncovering the hidden and unique moments of everyday life is an inspiring reminder of the beauty that lies within us. We can all learn something from Neslihan's dedication to photography and her passion for telling the stories of our lives. VIEW NESLIHAN'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices. DAYDREAM IN MEMORIES OF YOUTH Stephanie Duprie Routh's new book and exhibition serves as a layered visual diary that examines sensuality, through retrospection while examining the complexities of aging. LIMINAL SPACES Through her art, Anna Tut aims to bring attention to the complexities of femininity, challenging societal norms and highlighting the often, unseen emotional landscapes women navigate daily. DO YOU SEE MY SILENT TEARS DRYING UP THE STREETS? Justine Georget's photography explores the melancholy and detachment of urban life, capturing the silent struggles and emotional depth of city dwellers through her thoughtful street compositions. LA EDITION Step into the world of John Kayacan, where Los Angeles comes alive in cinematic frames—vibrant streets, hidden corners, and untold stories unfold in every shot, revealing the soul of the city. THROUGH MY FIRST LENS Discover the vibrant world of Madrid’s El Rastro through Carmen Solana Cires' lens. Her project captures the market's rich history, cultural diversity, and the essence of human connection. FRAGMENTS OF MEMORY Dasha Darvaj Umrigar's third-semester photo story captures the melancholic transformation of a once vibrant home, now reduced to mere whispers of solitude and loss. THE ART OF ANALOGUE In a digital era, Paul Cooklin's devotion to analogue photography elevates his work to timeless artistry, where light and chemistry intertwine, creating mesmerising, evocative images that honour the craft's rich heritage. CONNECTED DICHOTOMIES Tatyana Mazok's photography transcends art, weaving life's threads into evocative diptychs that reveal interconnected narratives, challenging us to see the beauty and complexity in our shared experiences.

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

PICTORIAL STORY IN-VISIBLE PAIN Isabelle Coordes makes the unseen seen — through black and white self-portraits, she reveals the quiet weight of chronic pain in a world that demands proof to believe. August 2, 2024 PICTORIAL STORY photography ISABELLE COORDES story MELANIE MEGGS SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link In this profound and evocative series In-Visible Pain , Isabelle Coordes delves deep into the enigmatic world of chronic pain, presenting a raw, unfiltered narrative through her art. This work is not just a collection of images; it is a visceral exploration of the silent, often misunderstood struggle that millions living with chronic pain endure daily. Isabelle, a self-taught amateur photographer from Münster, Germany, uses her keen eye and intimate understanding of human experience to make the invisible visible. Through black and white self-portraiture, Isabelle brings to light the stark reality of living with chronic pain — a reality often dismissed by a world that requires physical evidence to believe in one’s suffering. Her photography transcends mere visual art; it is a compelling dialogue between the seen and the unseen, the spoken and the unspoken. In her images, we witness the haunting presence of pain, not as a mere symptom, but as a profound aspect of the human condition. In this project, Isabelle offers insights into her visual diary. Documenting her chronic pain over the course of several months was a transformative experience for Isabelle. In using her camera as a catalyst, she was able to shed light on the parts of herself that had never been visible before, revealing layers of stored trauma and grief. “When you become your own observer through the eye of the camera, you are gaining a new perspective on yourself. You may see yourself in a new light. You may even develop more compassion for yourself. And this can be a cathartic experience.” Isabelle's background as a Speech-Language Therapist and her extensive studies in Human Medicine, Psychology, Communication Sciences, and Linguistics enrich her photographic narrative. Her systemic approach to understanding humans within their social networks is evident in her compassionate portrayal of isolation and resilience. These themes resonate deeply in her work, reflecting her belief that no one is an island and highlighting the interconnectedness of our experiences. In In-Visible Pain , Isabelle’s camera acts as a mirror, revealing her inner struggles and encouraging viewers to join her on a personal journey. Her ability to capture the profound significance of her solitary existence and the intricate nuance of her pain demonstrates her deep empathy and keen observational skills. Each image serves as a testament to Isabelle as a visual storyteller, evoking deep contemplation and inviting diverse interpretations. “You cannot objectify chronic pain. It is invisible. No brain scan proves it; no blood test shows it. There is no evidence for the hell you are going through. It’s all in your head. And it is mighty real.” These words resonate deeply for many who suffer from chronic pain — a condition that defies conventional medical diagnostics and is often met with skepticism. Chronic pain is an enigma, a relentless tormentor that leaves no physical marks, no tangible evidence for others to see. It is a silent struggle, often dismissed as imagined or exaggerated. Yet, for those who endure it daily, its reality is undeniable. For Isabelle, chronic pain has been a relentless companion since childhood. “I have been suffering from chronic pain since I was a little girl. The fact that nobody found any explanation for it made it clear to me that I had to endure it. It became a given to me which I learned to ignore as much as I could.” This adaptation became a survival mechanism for Isabelle, an ingrained response to a world that didn't understand. Ignoring the pain became second nature, a necessary means to navigate life. However, chronic pain is not a consistent companion; it ebbs and flows, arriving unexpectedly and wreaking havoc on your daily life. Isabelle recounts years spent seeking every possible remedy, from medications to holistic approaches, all in the hope of finding a permanent solution. Yet, each attempt provided only temporary relief. “The pain always returned, more forceful, more frightening.” The burden of chronic pain rarely comes alone, turning life into a battle on multiple fronts. Despite these challenges, Isabelle remained determined to meet responsibilities and live up to personal expectations. Distraction became a coping mechanism, a way to push through the darkness. “Sometimes, the pain brought friends along, also known as Depression and Anxiety. It was getting more and more difficult to ignore it. Still, I kept myself busy with fulfilling my duties and meeting up with the standards I had set for my life.” But there comes a breaking point, a moment when the body and mind can no longer endure the constant strain. “Until I realized that my body was no longer willing to obey. Until I realized that medication no longer brought relief. Until I realized that I had to make room for the stuff I had been pushing down for so long.” This profound realization marked a turning point in her journey. This confrontation with reality took a profound and creative turn. Isabelle turned to self-portraiture, using the camera as a tool for introspection and revelation. “One step on the way for me was to make the invisible visible. In portraying myself throughout this process, I came face-to-face with my truth. I took off the mask and explored what was beneath it.” Through her lens, Isabelle uncovered layers of denial and avoidance, recognizing the vicious cycle of suffering. The camera became a mirror, reflecting hidden struggles that words could not capture. “My camera became the only witness when there were no words left. For the first time in my life, I saw how I kept myself stuck in a vicious cycle. I began to understand that the pain is nothing to be pushed against, nothing to be ignored, but instead: a messenger that deserves to be heard.” Embracing this perspective marked the beginning of a journey towards understanding and healing. By documenting the pain through self-portraiture, Isabelle has brought the unseen into focus, confronting the profound and personal truth of chronic pain. This powerful visual narrative not only offers a cathartic release but also invites viewers to witness and acknowledge the dismissed reality of chronic pain. In this body of work, we witness an artist bravely confronting her tormentor, turning her pain into a powerful visual and emotional narrative. The self-portraits uncover the hidden reality of chronic pain, inviting the viewer to witness and acknowledge its often denied existence. This work stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of art in the face of profound personal struggle. © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes © Isabelle Coordes Isabelle Coordes’ work is a beacon of hope and understanding. Born from a lifetime of enduring chronic pain, Isabelle’s work challenges the societal norms that demand physical evidence for validation. Her camera became a tool for introspection and revelation, unveiling the hidden layers of trauma and resilience that define her journey. “One step on the way for me was to make the invisible visible,” she reflects, capturing the essence of her artistic mission. Her dedication to portraying the diverse facets of life, coupled with her passion for connection, underscores the transformative power of art. As a member of Progressive Street and an ambassador for the 24hourproject , she champions the belief that together, we can be the change we want to see in the world. Ultimately, Isabelle invites us all to contemplate our perceptions of pain, empathy, and the transformative potential of visual storytelling. Her dedication to shedding light on the often-overlooked realities of chronic pain is deeply appreciated by The Pictorial List . We commend her unwavering spirit and commitment, which serve as a potent force for cultivating empathy and igniting profound social change through the medium of art. view Isabelle Coordes' portfolio Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns. OAXACA In Oaxaca, Tommaso Stefanori captures Día de los Muertos, exploring the convergence of life and death, human connections, and enduring cultural rituals through evocative photographs of tradition and emotion. BEHIND THE PLANTS Wayan Barre documents Cancer Alley residents facing pollution and economic challenges, shedding light on their resilience and the impacts of environmental injustice. THE RED POPPY AND THE SUN By blending archival and contemporary images, Mei Seva creates a visual story that captures the ongoing struggles and moments of triumph for those impacted by displacement and circumstance. FIRE AND FORGE Alexandros Zilos delves deep into the harsh reality of sulfur mining, while also capturing the allure of the blue fire phenomenon created by sulfur deposits in the crater. IN-VISIBLE PAIN Through black and white self-portraiture, Isabelle Coordes brings to light the stark reality of living with chronic pain — a reality often dismissed by a world that requires physical evidence to believe in one’s suffering. CELEBRATION OF LIFE Ahsanul Haque Fahim's photography captures Holi in Bangladesh, celebrating life with vibrant colors and reflecting human emotions, diversity, and interconnectedness in Dhaka's streets. KOALA COUNTRY Sean Paris invites viewers on a transformative journey, challenging our perceptions and fostering a new appreciation for rural Australia through mesmerizing infrared photography. MOMMIE Arlene Gottfried’s poignant exploration of motherhood in “Mommie” is not just a collection of photographs but a profound tribute to the enduring bonds of family and the universal experiences of love, loss, and resilience. BIFRÖST Amidst the breathtaking scenery of Norway, Romain Coudrier discovered the allure of rare light and subtle shades, immortalizing each moment in striking black and white with every click of his camera shutter. MUD Dedipya Basak's documentary project explores the struggle of an 800 year old lake against the impacts of global warming, revealing its continued relevance and urgent story in today’s changing climate. A WORLD WITHIN REACH In his Cuba project, Pedro Vidal celebrates human resilience and warmth through captivating imagery, revealing photography's profound ability to encapsulate emotions and memories. UNVEILING VULNERABILITY In a world where masculinity is often synonymous with stoicism and strength, Francesca Tiboni challenges us to reevaluate our perceptions of masculinity, inviting us to embrace the complexity of the male emotional experience.

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

INTERVIEW A VOYAGE OF DISCOVERY March 16, 2025 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Fanja Hubers INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link In the subtle interplay of light and shadow, Fanja Hubers’s approach to photography unfolds from a foundation of personal experience, introspection, and the act of observation. Inspired by her father’s use of the camera, Fanja’s journey began in 1982 with her first camera, a Konica Pop, a camera that became an extension of her daily life. Since then, she has maintained an unwavering commitment to carrying a camera wherever she goes, capturing the moments that connect her inner world with the external environment. Her work is not only a documentation of what she sees but a continuous exploration of how personal history, memory, and emotion intersect with visual storytelling. In A Voyage of Discovery, Fanja shifts her focus inward, using photography to explore a time of vulnerability and a deep, personal reimagining of her creative process. This project serves as a meditation on identity, questioning what it means to be both a photographer and a human being. Influenced by Indian photographer Raghubir Singh’s belief that photography reflects both the inner and outer worlds, Fanja seeks to bridge these dimensions through her images. The result is a body of work that does not merely record the visible but seeks to reveal the unseen — emotional states, fleeting thoughts, and the deeper layers of human experience. Beyond this project, Fanja’s broader portfolio includes Empty Faces, One Moment in Time, People as They Are, Rediscover the First Moment of Seeing, and The Simple Beauty of Nature. Each series represents an extension of her visual inquiry, whether through candid street scenes, studies of human presence, or explorations of momentary ephemeral beauty. Her approach remains consistent in its attention to atmosphere and the emotions embedded within the act of seeing. Her work has gained recognition in international exhibitions, including the Women Street Photographers Annual Exhibition in New York (2024), the Rome Art Expo (2023), and Photography in the Visual Culture in Palermo (2023). She has also been published in Quadro Magazine, Mina Art Magazine, and other photography journals, further establishing her presence in contemporary photographic conversation and visual culture. This interview examines the foundations of Fanja’s artistic development, her evolving relationship with photography, and the ways in which her images serve as both documentation and personal reflection. Through this conversation, we explore how she constructs meaning through visual language, how her experiences shape her perspective, and what continues to drive her pursuit of capturing life through her camera. “I started capturing and recording events, especially on weekends and summers on our boat. Over time, I learned more about the technical aspects and bought my first DSLR camera during my student years. I increasingly photographed street scenes, everyday life, and funny moments. In recent years, I have come to see photography more as an art form to express emotions.” IN CONVERSATION WITH FANJA HUBERS THE PICTORIAL LIST: Your father’s influence played a role in your early interest in photography. Are there any specific lessons or philosophies he passed down that you still carry in your work today? FANJA: Besides the fact that he also used to shoot in black and white and had a certain calmness in his compositions, it was mainly the technical aspect that stood out. When I passed my final exams, he took me to Paris. Because of his fear of heights, he didn’t dare go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. On the first floor, he explained how his camera (a DSLR) worked, and I was allowed to go to the top alone to take photos. From that moment on, I wanted a camera that I could set entirely manually. TPL: How has growing up in Utrecht, the Netherlands, shaped your visual perspective and artistic approach? FANJA: Utrecht is a beautiful city full of life. But in other cities, I felt more anonymous, and I sought that out more often—until recent years. After visiting many other cities, I have come to appreciate Utrecht even more. TPL: You emphasize carrying a camera with you at all times — is there ever a moment where you feel capturing an image would interfere with truly experiencing it? FANJA: I noticed that during my first trip to India. I had to be careful not to experience the entire journey through my viewfinder. That’s when I decided to occasionally put my camera away so I could fully experience the trip. And I know you always have to pay attention to that. TPL: Your project ‘A Voyage of Discovery’ is deeply personal, exploring vulnerability and self-reinvention. What inspired this particular shift inward, and how did the creative process evolve throughout the project? FANJA: In recent years, I have been struggling with feelings of sadness, and photography has become an important outlet. I wanted to express this in a creative way because I was increasingly discovering that photography is not just a way to document life but also an art form to express emotions. I was (and still am) quite insecure about this, but with the feedback of an inspiring photographer, I gradually gained the confidence to share more of my work. Since I started photographing with more emotion, I have also gained recognition for my work. TPL: Do you see your photography as an act of storytelling, or is it more about capturing fleeting emotions and moments in time? FANJA: Both. Photography has become more of an art form and a passion. But I must not forget to capture memories, such as my son growing up. For me, the essence of photography is still about capturing moments so that later, you can relive memories when looking back. In recent years, I have been struggling with feelings of sadness, and photography has become an important outlet. TPL: Your work captures the subtleties of human presence. Do you feel that photography has changed the way you see people in everyday life? FANJA: People don’t change, but how you see them might. This is also strongly dependent on how I feel that day. TPL: Raghubir Singh’s philosophy on photography bridging inner and outer worlds is a key inspiration for you. What other artists inspire you and your photography and why? FANJA: Valerie Jardin — I really love the romance in her photos. Elliot Erwitt—for his humorous images. But also, Anton Corbijn, when it comes to capturing emotions. TPL: How does seeing your photography in print — whether in exhibitions, magazines, or books — change your relationship with the images compared to viewing them digitally? And what are your thoughts on the role of printed media in an increasingly digital world? FANJA: I think both are important. Digitally sharing is a good way to eventually end up in an exhibition or a book. And that is ultimately more valuable than the fleeting nature of the online world. But social media also allows me to meet others from around the world, from whom I can learn and gain inspiration. TPL: As you look to the future, how do you see your photography evolving? Are there particular themes, techniques, or approaches you are eager to explore? What are your aspirations for your photography, and where do you hope to see yourself creatively in the next 3–5 years? FANJA: I would like to further develop the series ‘A Voyage of Discovery,’ and ultimately, it is a dream of mine to have a solo exhibition in my own country, so that friends and family can visit it as well. I hope I can continue like this and that I will retain my passion for photography. TPL: What would we find in your camera bag? Is there anything on your WishList? FANJA: I have no camera bag, just one camera, the Fuji x100vi, around my neck. For a backup camera, family shoots and video I have a Fuji S10 with some interchangeable lenses. But for 99% I use the Fuji X100vi. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… FANJA: ...Enjoy life with family and friends, my work as an educator, and play the piano.” Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic expression. A Voyage of Discovery marks a turning point in her work, shifting from observation to introspection and transforming photography into a tool for self-reflection. Her images capture more than moments; they reveal emotions, memories, and personal narratives. With a clear vision for the future, she remains committed to developing her art, sharing her perspective, and pursuing new opportunities for engagement. As she moves forward, her work continues to evolve, shaped by experience, curiosity, and an unwavering dedication to storytelling through photography. VIEW FANJA'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices. DAYDREAM IN MEMORIES OF YOUTH Stephanie Duprie Routh's new book and exhibition serves as a layered visual diary that examines sensuality, through retrospection while examining the complexities of aging. LIMINAL SPACES Through her art, Anna Tut aims to bring attention to the complexities of femininity, challenging societal norms and highlighting the often, unseen emotional landscapes women navigate daily. DO YOU SEE MY SILENT TEARS DRYING UP THE STREETS? Justine Georget's photography explores the melancholy and detachment of urban life, capturing the silent struggles and emotional depth of city dwellers through her thoughtful street compositions. LA EDITION Step into the world of John Kayacan, where Los Angeles comes alive in cinematic frames—vibrant streets, hidden corners, and untold stories unfold in every shot, revealing the soul of the city. THROUGH MY FIRST LENS Discover the vibrant world of Madrid’s El Rastro through Carmen Solana Cires' lens. Her project captures the market's rich history, cultural diversity, and the essence of human connection. FRAGMENTS OF MEMORY Dasha Darvaj Umrigar's third-semester photo story captures the melancholic transformation of a once vibrant home, now reduced to mere whispers of solitude and loss. THE ART OF ANALOGUE In a digital era, Paul Cooklin's devotion to analogue photography elevates his work to timeless artistry, where light and chemistry intertwine, creating mesmerising, evocative images that honour the craft's rich heritage. CONNECTED DICHOTOMIES Tatyana Mazok's photography transcends art, weaving life's threads into evocative diptychs that reveal interconnected narratives, challenging us to see the beauty and complexity in our shared experiences.

INTERVIEW MINIMALIST IMPRESSIONISM October 15, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Ixi Nijhawan INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link As a photographer, Ixi Nijhawan’s work has always been a reflection of the world around him. After spending time in the advertising industry, he was struck by the shocking impact it was having on the environment, and the vast quantity of items being consumed. As a result, Ixi has shifted his focus to ethical and sustainable photography, using his art to raise awareness and promote minimalism. Through years of practice and experience, Ixi has developed an eye for capturing the beauty of the everyday, often creating abstract scenes full of vivid colours and shapes. He has a unique ability to isolate elements from their surroundings, creating minimalist yet powerful images that draw attention to their subject. By using his craft to advocate for environmentalism and sustainability, Ixi is creating a movement that goes beyond the artwork itself. Through his art, he is encouraging viewers to become mindful of the impact their consumption has on the environment, while promoting a lifestyle of mindful minimalism. Whilst working on an ad campaign, Ixi discovered that the average household in rich countries have over 300,000 items. Working with companies (big and small), the global advertising industry has ramped up growth and demand for products that is costing the earth nearly $3 trillion in environmental, social and human health damage. Ixi's journey as an ethical photographer is truly inspirational. His story shows us all that with creativity and passion comes great responsibility, and that through art we can create real change in our world. “I’m very fortunate to say that photography found me. And not the other way round. In many ways, it unshackled me and let me experiment. And the more I photographed, the more I gravitated towards certain aesthetics and causes that inadvertently helped shape the ‘why’ of my photography. Which is why, you’ll find certain recurring themes in my images - minimalism and abstract impressionism.” IN CONVERSATION WITH IXI NIJHAWAN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Ixi please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? What does photography mean to you? IXI NIJHAWAN: I was born in Chandigarh, which is north of India, but have little recollection of the place really as the family moved to New Delhi soon after. A few years later we shifted to Mumbai, when it was still called Bombay. That is the city where I studied and grew up and discovered the world of advertising. It wasn’t much later that I moved to Dubai and have been here since the early noughties, working in some of the finest advertising agencies in the region. Photography was always part of my professional life, working closely with different photographers on advertising campaigns. But I only looked at it more seriously late last year when I quit my job and decided to take some time off of advertising. It was during this time that I wanted to explore art that didn’t involve putting a logo on it. TPL: Where or how do you find your inspiration? IXI: From the photography greats. I can spend hours pouring over their work. The craft, the details, the angles, the stories. I also enjoy scrolling through my Insta feed. So much talent out there. It’s great to see people putting so much love into photography. TPL: Talk to us about your experience in how global advertising has impacted the environment. What would you like to see change and how can we all help to make a difference? How has this changed your own perception to how you photograph now? IXI: Thank you for asking me that question. It’s obviously a very broad one and also quite personal. To begin with, it’s not just the global advertising industry. It’s a massive cog, sure, but it’s the whole machine we should be looking at - from the manufacturers to the advertising agencies to the big tech. They have so much data on us that they know what triggers to press and how to sell to us. We’re turning our homes into warehouses. And it’s not like there’s a pool of unlimited resources. The limits of consumption have grown more and more visible. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, for instance. If ever there was evidence of us trashing our planet, it’s right there. Floating. Three times the size of France. And it’s not even part of the conversation any more. It would be naive to think that profit driven companies will actually want to put limits on growth. So to answer your question, yes, we can all do something. And we should. It’s not sustainable at the moment. Justin Rosenstein, the former engineer at Facebook, summed it up quite accurately, “We live in a world in which a tree is worth more, financially, dead than alive. A world in which a whale is worth more dead than alive.” Which is why I’ve adopted minimalism and advocate it through my photography. Whether it’s for you or not, that’s an individual choice. But let’s make it part of the conversation at the very least. TPL: Describe your series “Minimalist”. How did the concept come about? What do you want the viewer to take away from these images? IXI: So this series, in a way, is the meeting point of many things that I cherish - aesthetics, values, philosophies. And it came to me when I was trying to experiment with the broader concept of minimalism in my own life - stripping away everything unnecessary and keeping just the essential. Slowly, it crept into my photography without announcing itself. If the images can evoke a sense of quiet reassurance and become a gateway to minimalism, it would be a personal triumph. TPL: Describe your series “Abstract Impressionism”. How did the concept come about? What do you want the viewer to take away from these images? IXI: This series is the desire to capture life in motion. How I experience the streets. Never still. People, a perpetual blur. Abstractions caught in light and shadow. And this helps me look at scenes a bit more theatrically. Everyone playing out a certain emotion or feeling in the arena of life. Ordinarily I might not remember these people once they have passed me by, but when I look at these images, I know exactly who they are and how they helped define that moment. A reminder of sorts, if you ever needed one, that our canvases can only be enriched by strangers. TPL: What are some tips or advice you would give yourself if you started photography all over again? IXI: It took me a while to understand what focal lengths are important for my photography. So, if anything, I would fast track that knowledge probably. Instinct helps me identify all the creative possibilities. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us? IXI: Susan Burnstine, Michael Kenna, Sally Mann, Daido Moriyama, Vivian Maier, Sebastiao Salgado, Ken Van Sickle, and Barbara Kruger. And then there is Edward Hopper - his paintings are such an inspiration. TPL: When you are out shooting - how much of it is instinctual versus planned? IXI: When I’m working on my minimalist series, it’s a combination of both really. Instinct helps me identify all the creative possibilities, and if it’s not happening in a certain way on a certain day, then I plan to make it happen the next day or the next week. As for the abstract series, it’s mostly instinctual. Even with an identical technical process, the results can vary quite a bit. And I think that’s part of its charm as well. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have any preferred lens/focal length? IXI: Of course the equipment helps. There are certain features in the camera that make a difference to how I shoot. I’m currently shooting with a Fujifilm X-T3, but want to give Ricoh GR III a go as well. I prefer shooting wide, so 16mm or 23mm or anywhere in between (on a cropped sensor) are my preferred choices. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you see yourself in five years? IXI: I have visions of certain images I’d like to make in the future. And it will require planning as they are quite ambitious in their scope and visual detail. Beyond that, I’d like to explore more travel and landscape photography. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? IXI: I’m currently working on a project commissioned by a zine for the abstract impressionist series. TPL: "When I’m not out photographing, I (like to)... IXI: Remind myself that I should be out photographing and stop being a lazy ass." Ixi Nijhawan’s work is a reminder of the importance of sustainability and minimalism. His art is a celebration of the beauty of the everyday, and a testament to the power of photography to capture and convey meaningful messages. His work is a reminder of our responsibility to protect the environment, and an encouragement to appreciate the simple things in life. We take the opportunity to thank Ixi for sharing his insightful words and photography with us. VIEW IXI'S PORTFOLIO Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices. DAYDREAM IN MEMORIES OF YOUTH Stephanie Duprie Routh's new book and exhibition serves as a layered visual diary that examines sensuality, through retrospection while examining the complexities of aging. LIMINAL SPACES Through her art, Anna Tut aims to bring attention to the complexities of femininity, challenging societal norms and highlighting the often, unseen emotional landscapes women navigate daily. DO YOU SEE MY SILENT TEARS DRYING UP THE STREETS? Justine Georget's photography explores the melancholy and detachment of urban life, capturing the silent struggles and emotional depth of city dwellers through her thoughtful street compositions. LA EDITION Step into the world of John Kayacan, where Los Angeles comes alive in cinematic frames—vibrant streets, hidden corners, and untold stories unfold in every shot, revealing the soul of the city. THROUGH MY FIRST LENS Discover the vibrant world of Madrid’s El Rastro through Carmen Solana Cires' lens. Her project captures the market's rich history, cultural diversity, and the essence of human connection. FRAGMENTS OF MEMORY Dasha Darvaj Umrigar's third-semester photo story captures the melancholic transformation of a once vibrant home, now reduced to mere whispers of solitude and loss. THE ART OF ANALOGUE In a digital era, Paul Cooklin's devotion to analogue photography elevates his work to timeless artistry, where light and chemistry intertwine, creating mesmerising, evocative images that honour the craft's rich heritage. CONNECTED DICHOTOMIES Tatyana Mazok's photography transcends art, weaving life's threads into evocative diptychs that reveal interconnected narratives, challenging us to see the beauty and complexity in our shared experiences.

INTERVIEW LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA December 7, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Alex Frayne INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link With a 8mm camera in hand, Alex Frayne has been capturing the beauty and resilience of South Australia's landscapes for over 20 years. He has documented his travels through short films, a feature film and still photography, earning much acclaim for his Adelaide Noir and Theatre of Life series and books. Now, Alex is embarking on a new journey to document the timeless and daunting beauty of his home state in his upcoming book, 'Landscapes of South Australia'. Through his honest and artistic approach, Frayne hopes to capture the rugged beauty and strength of the landscapes, as well as the marginal farming opportunities and a kind of rusted beauty that speaks of resilience and the triumph of human spirit. In this interview for The Pictorial List, Alex takes us on a journey to explore South Australia's vast and stunning terrain, giving us an insight into what it can mean to capture such beauty through his powerful images and narrative. “The idea for a series dedicated to landscapes has its genesis in my early career in filmmaking. One of the assets of South Australia is the plethora of wide open landscapes of incredible diversity we have here. I had always intended to shoot the landscapes either as part of a film or as part of a photographic series. Having a rural upbringing also played a part; I saw the world around me and wanted to depict that world in a way that was artistic.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ALEX FRAYNE THE PICTORIAL LIST: Alex, please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? ALEX FRAYNE: I think from the age of ten, I have had cameras around me. My mother bought me an 8mm movie camera in the early 90's and from there I moved into 35mm while studying filmmaking at Flinders University. Indeed my pedigree in film-making looms large in my photographic work, despite photography being my primary 'form'. Though born in the United Kingdom, (my Australian parents were studying there in the 70's) I have lived the majority of my life in South Australia and currently reside there. TPL: Tell us more about your project LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. What was your motivation to make it a book? AF: The idea for a series dedicated to landscapes has its genesis in my early career in filmmaking. One of the assets of South Australia is the plethora of wide open landscapes of incredible diversity we have here. I had always intended to shoot the landscapes either as part of a film or as part of a photographic series. Having a rural upbringing also played a part; I saw the world around me and wanted to depict that world in a way that was artistic. To achieve that, I needed to suffuse the work in honesty and integrity. It meant that I needed to eschew all the notions and stereotypes that existed about landscape photography and South Australia. I needed to create a 'tabula rasa' so that the work could not be linked to pre-conceived notions of South Australia, or movies, or tourism or tropes that float about in my visual memory. This process of "erasure" is key to starting a new project, I feel. The new book LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA is a large, hardcover 216 page art tome which will be in shops for Christmas. I've been working on it this year with the designer Nick Phillips. Wakefield Press are publishing it, they've been very patient and loyal across this and my previous two books, 'Adelaide Noir' and 'Theatre of Life'. Michael Bollen is the boss at Wakefield Press, he works tirelessly at the helm. TPL: Your photographs tell a story and they have this special quality of light and richness of colour...all the quality of cinematography. Is storytelling actually a big part of your photography? AF: Yes colour and light and composition. These are the tools I use. Composition, specifically comes from my cinema heritage, as in the French phrase "mise-en-scene" which means "the arrangement within the frame" or the spatial geometry that exists within a frame. In terms of storytelling, yes, there is an element of that in photography, but I think it's not front-of-mind for me when shooting. For me, more important are notions of mood, tone, dreams, sadness, joy and revelation. People may ascribe a story to a photo, but that's their business. It will inevitably be different to my notion of the story. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? And do you have a favourite place to photograph? AF: I love to photograph ghost towns or rust-belt places. I think Woomera and Tarcoola top the list here, because of the decay that is imbedded in the beautiful and remote areas where they are located. The juxtaposition of these 20th Century places set against the wilderness that eventually saw their demise is fascinating, photographically speaking. These places were all part of various "industries." Woomera was once a Space-Race outpost with cutting-edge technology and a rocket range. It was the place for the Anglo Australian cold-war rocket testing site. Tarcoola was a gold-rush town on the Trans-Continental Railway Line. Tarcoola is actually a proper ghost town - nobody lives there, as in NOBODY. It's difficult to reach, but rewarding, photographically because you are seeing how things are, how things were, and you're enveloped by an outback landscape that has existed forever. To the south, you're in the Gawler Ranges, on Barngala land, inhabited for 60,000 years, with trees like this one, standing there against time and space. TPL: Describe your style? Do you mainly focus on landscapes although I love your series "The Overseers of Street" where you shoot street portraiture. As a photographer sometimes you can get pigeonholed into a certain genre...what are your thoughts on this. What are some elements you always try to include in your photographs? AF: I think my style is free-flowing and improvised, a bit like jazz...It's unrestrained and unencumbered and low-tech. I shoot only analogue formats, my camera gear is probably worth less than 2 grand...but of course there are expenses in film stock and processing (but I develop my own black and whites.) I shoot 120 film and 35mm. So I create my own 'music' through my art, I really don't think too hard about genres and such...if my heart desires to shoot a street portrait series, I'll go and do it. My second book was a portrait book, 'Theatre of Life'. What I don't do is ask permission from anybody to do what I do. I don't sit around wondering what friends and colleagues or powers-that-be might think. That's not jazz, that's art by committee. Elements I include in my work are whatever elements are required to yield an emotional response; and that response is more important that format, sharpness, camera brand or film emulsion. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? AF: My favourite artists are the ones you've probably never heard of. The grass roots artists. The community artists, the rural artists, the art teachers in public schools, the amateurs and the older artists who've had to work in a factory their whole life and who have kept doing their hobby art. These people often they write to me asking if they can paint an image of mine to improve their technique. As far as major artists of influence I'd include Steinbeck, Miles Davis, the guitarist Allan Holdsworth and the noir-fiction writer James Ellroy. Frayne's eerily still urban landscapes have been likened in their classical framing and pervasive sense of strangeness in the familiar, to the work of Stanley Kubrick and Jeffrey Smart. - Simon Caterson, The Australian TPL: Do you have a favourite quote or saying that especially resonates with you? AF: Being a jazz nut I can't help but quote the great Miles Davis, who once wrote: "The real music is the silence and all the notes are only framing this silence." I think this applies to photography. It relates to using space, negative space and keeping the frame uncluttered. TPL: What motivates you to take photographs? Do you ever have any struggles in photography? AF: It's the same struggle that confronts most artists and that is the struggle of perpetually having to create new work that gives voice to the ideas that are always percolating away underneath the surface. The motivator can be variety of things. It can be artistic, commercial or in the best case, both. The motivator can also be boredom. If that is the case, taking photos is a sure-fire remedy. TPL: Describe what you love or hate about the camera you use? Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? AF: I only shoot film, though have used digital for some night work. I shoot with three cameras: a Yashica 6x6 124g medium format camera; a 6x9 Fuji camera also in medium format; and I shoot a Nikon FE 35mm camera for everything else. I love all these cameras in different ways, they're all film cameras, and if handled properly yield images that produce sparkling, element images that digital can never reach. Film has an emotional undercurrent in the image, it just looks better to me. For monochrome I usually shoot Kodak Tri-x, and I develop at home in a HC110 developer. My favorite lens is the 4 element Tessar 80mm lens in my Yashica. Film can also have challenges. In a story that I've told many times, I once took my rangefinder Fuji 6x9 camera up to the Riverland. I shot what I considered to be my some of my best work. Unfortunately, I'd forgotten to take the lens cap off - a mistake that can easily happen with rangefinder systems. A day later the lab called to tell me the developed slide film had "no density." That's a mistake you only make once. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? AF: Yes I've been around art since forever. I had great teachers all through school and Uni, and I am surrounded by great people in Adelaide in all the allied arts. Adelaide is the arts capital of Australia - my old Latin teacher would say..."quod erat demonstrandum," Adelaide is the Athens of the South. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Are there any special future projects that you would like to let everyone know about? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? AF: I think a goal is to continue being curious about the world! Without that, there is no anchor. I'd like to continue collaborating with other artists as I do from time to time and to continue working on my aesthetics. I think the notion of aesthetics is really wound up in how you view the world, which is really about how you understand your own place in the universe. This could take five years or fifty! Apart from the immediate project and book LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, I am also working on a project with theatre director Catherine Fitzgerald, it's called called DRY, and it recently received major Commission Funding. It's a play, and features some of my images as projections. It's slated to tour in October 2021...definitely worth a look, Catherine's a top notch director. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… AF: I'm usually on a sand-belt golf course somewhere! I play golf off a handicap of 8...and if you think photography is a tough caper, try playing golf...it's an impossible sport." In Alex's new book, he has shown us a side of Australia that is often overlooked and forgotten. His photos take us on an intimate journey through the beauty and honesty of the South Australian landscape. His photography speaks of resilience and the triumph of the human spirit. We are inspired by his work and encouraged to reflect on the beauty of his home state and the importance of preserving it for future generations. To join in the celebration of this work, we invite you to buy his book or tour Alex's website and Instagram and see the beautiful honesty of Australia for yourself. VIEW ALEX'S PORTFOLIO Buy LANDSCAPES OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices. DAYDREAM IN MEMORIES OF YOUTH Stephanie Duprie Routh's new book and exhibition serves as a layered visual diary that examines sensuality, through retrospection while examining the complexities of aging. LIMINAL SPACES Through her art, Anna Tut aims to bring attention to the complexities of femininity, challenging societal norms and highlighting the often, unseen emotional landscapes women navigate daily. DO YOU SEE MY SILENT TEARS DRYING UP THE STREETS? Justine Georget's photography explores the melancholy and detachment of urban life, capturing the silent struggles and emotional depth of city dwellers through her thoughtful street compositions. LA EDITION Step into the world of John Kayacan, where Los Angeles comes alive in cinematic frames—vibrant streets, hidden corners, and untold stories unfold in every shot, revealing the soul of the city. THROUGH MY FIRST LENS Discover the vibrant world of Madrid’s El Rastro through Carmen Solana Cires' lens. Her project captures the market's rich history, cultural diversity, and the essence of human connection. FRAGMENTS OF MEMORY Dasha Darvaj Umrigar's third-semester photo story captures the melancholic transformation of a once vibrant home, now reduced to mere whispers of solitude and loss. THE ART OF ANALOGUE In a digital era, Paul Cooklin's devotion to analogue photography elevates his work to timeless artistry, where light and chemistry intertwine, creating mesmerising, evocative images that honour the craft's rich heritage. CONNECTED DICHOTOMIES Tatyana Mazok's photography transcends art, weaving life's threads into evocative diptychs that reveal interconnected narratives, challenging us to see the beauty and complexity in our shared experiences.