I am a passionate photographer from Bangladesh. Mostly I do street photography and have special interest in spatial landscapes. I am a believer in the beauty that surrounds us. It's not always about going to exotic locations to find beauty. I look for that beauty in my own neighborhood believing in its simplicity it has to offer. AHSANUL HAQUE FAHIM I am a passionate photographer from Bangladesh. Mostly I do street photography and have special interest in spatial landscapes. I am a believer in the beauty that surrounds us. It's not always about going to exotic locations to find beauty. I look for that beauty in my own neighborhood believing in its simplicity it has to offer. LOCATION Dhaka, BANGLADESH CAMERA/S Nikon D7200 @FAHIM_DEOBSCURA FEATURES // Spatial Landscapes The Outskirts Grief of a Megacity Celebration of Life

Gianluca Mortarotti is a self-taught photographer based in London, UK. The roots of his interest in photography lie in his father's work, from developing films in the darkroom at a very young age to wedding photography works, which introduced him at first to the world of photography. After his architecture and building engineering studies, the photographer focused on life in cities by capturing candid moments and exploring urban contrasts and the oddity of human connections. ​With his work, he attempts to speak through images about contemporary social issues and comment on social reality without turning down the intriguing presentation of street scenes or the impressive appearance of images. His persona behind the camera brings out his life philosophy of looking for the exceptional in the ordinary and trying to make it visible through a fresh and unexpected approach, consistent and attractive aesthetic, and a narrative and metaphorical meaning of the images. ​In 2021 his work was selected among the winning images of the Life Framer competition (World Travelers category). He also self-published his first book “LSD – Lockdown Street Diary” in 2021, a collection of street photographs that showcases fragments of life before, during, and after the lockdown in London capturing the complexities of everyday life in this unprecedented time. GIANLUCA MORTAROTTI Gianluca Mortarotti is a self-taught photographer based in London, UK. The roots of his interest in photography lie in his father's work, from developing films in the darkroom at a very young age to wedding photography works, which introduced him at first to the world of photography. After his architecture and building engineering studies, the photographer focused on life in cities by capturing candid moments and exploring urban contrasts and the oddity of human connections. With his work, he attempts to speak through images about contemporary social issues and comment on social reality without turning down the intriguing presentation of street scenes or the impressive appearance of images. His persona behind the camera brings out his life philosophy of looking for the exceptional in the ordinary and trying to make it visible through a fresh and unexpected approach, consistent and attractive aesthetic, and a narrative and metaphorical meaning of the images. In 2021 his work was selected among the winning images of the Life Framer competition (World Travelers category). He also self-published his first book “LSD – Lockdown Street Diary” in 2021, a collection of street photographs that showcases fragments of life before, during, and after the lockdown in London capturing the complexities of everyday life in this unprecedented time. LOCATION London UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Fujifilm X-S10 WEBSITE https://www.inframeswetrust.com/ @INFRAMESWETRUST In Frames We Trust

Like a moth to the flame of London's bright, the beautiful and the extraordinary! TRIS Like a moth to the flame of London's bright, the beautiful and the extraordinary! LOCATION London UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Canon EOS 5D Mk IV @COLOURBRICKS FEATURES // Rebels For A Cause Colour Bricks

PHOTOS PUNCTUATING LIFE Photographs punctuate Suzanne Phoenix's life, giving her life a rhythm and focusing on topics to see more representation by a female gaze. PHOTOS PUNCTUATING LIFE August 14, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Suzanne Phoenix INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Suzanne Phoenix, a Melbourne-based photographer, has been using her camera to capture people and places through events, live music and performance, documenting street and daily life. Unconstrained by judgement, Suzanne's lens unlocks a world of beauty and wonder, allowing her to explore and grow in a creative way. Her unique style of photography is both captivating and thought-provoking, as she often focuses on topics which need more representation, pushing herself beyond her boundaries. It is this certain kind of magic which has earned her much recognition and respect in the photographic world. With her passion for photography pulsing through her veins, Suzanne punctuates her life with photographs that tell vivid stories and make an impact. Come along with us as we explore Suzanne's inspiring journey. An artist serves their community. - Amanda Palmer “When I worry about focusing too much on things that I am close to, love and am part of and think I should be working bigger, I remember the way I can best serve is in those very places.” IN CONVERSATION WITH SUZANNE PHOENIX THE PICTORIAL LIST: Suzanne, when did you start getting interested in photography? SUZANNE PHOENIX: Photography has been a love of my life. My family and my Nana showed great respect and importance of photographs. My Nana was terrible at it, always with a thumb over the lens, a shadow or missing the subject completely. I now adore and treasure her photos, they are completely surreal, you couldn’t make these photos if you tried. I have photographed since before I was 10 years of age, unfortunately it’s not one of those cool ‘my grandparents gave me their box brownie’ kind of stories. It was a red plastic Kmart job. I really only thought I could take it more seriously in about 2012. I am mostly self-trained; I learn best through doing. I have participated in a few photography and artist/photo books masterclasses with Stephen Dupont, and Kate Baker was my mentor for several years. I have done many and varied jobs and still do other work alongside my photography, like most artists I know. I have been a cherry picker, Feng Shui consultant, filing clerk to CEO, lots of work in community settings, neighbourhood houses and local government. TPL: Where has photography taken you? I heard you say in an interview that you were a shy person. How has photography helped you to overcome this barrier? SP: Photography has taken me everywhere! Well not everywhere, but a lot of places. From, taxidermy championships, jelly wrestling, ute musters, sex shops, protests, dirt drag races, death metal gigs to a drag queen festival in the desert. I will always be a shy person underneath. Putting myself out there is a skill I developed firstly by becoming confident in myself and through my working career. But photography has taken it to a whole new level. If I have a reason to be somewhere, I can be comfortable, and photography gives me that reason. TPL: Even though you don’t like to label yourself with a certain style of photography, where does your main passion lie...what excites you? SP: People and place I think excite me the most. People at both ends of the spectrum from just being themselves to being completely extreme. And moments, it’s all about the perfect, often unseen, moments. TPL: How do you choose your subjects and your projects? Where do you find your inspiration? SP: This relates to the previous question, the everyday and the extreme, and just things I love in life. Around the next corner, in a facial expression and human exchange. Projects are often about focusing on an area where I want to see more representation or an interpretation by a female gaze. TPL: Who are your favourite artists or photographers? Who has mostly influenced your style? SP: Rennie Ellis, Diane Arbus, Patrick Pound, Nan Goldin, Agent Cleave, Amy Taylor, Jack Picone, David Wadelton, Megan Lewis, Stephen Dupont, Betty Grumble and Cash Savage. All these artists have influenced my style in different ways. Some influenced (and continue to influence) my approach, to know when to be brave, step forward and when to stay in the shadows and observe. Projects are often about focusing on an area where I want to see more representation or an interpretation by a female gaze. TPL: Victoria is unfortunately going through it's second wave of COVID-19, and some areas are faced with total lockdown whilst other areas statewide are on level 3 or 4 restrictions...regarding your Project ISOLATION PORTRAITS, what are your feelings and the general feeling of your community second time around? SP: In the second stage of the project the community felt very different. Restrictions were still in place until the end of May, and then relaxed a little in June, but we were still in isolation and encouraged to stay home. Some people were returning to the workplace and transitioning from home schooling. People seemed to be going back to the usual busyness of their pre-COVID-19 lives. There was less willingness and ability to participate in this series. Many people also appeared tired, frustrated and worn down. I plan to commence stage 3 shortly and I imagine the feeling will be different again. I am continuing with this series partly because it is a rare opportunity to document but also because it keeps me photographing. I lost all of my photography business when COVID hit. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? SP: I’m really not sure. I probably didn’t have a style at the beginning. I try to not box myself into having just one style and keep challenging myself to learn different ways of shooting and creating diverse work. TPL: Do you think equipment is important for achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone else just starting out? SP: My only real comment on equipment is that I like to use a camera and lens that is small and quiet. This enables me to create imagery without people thinking I am serious; they barely notice me. And if I have engaged with them, they are not intimidated by the equipment and rarely put up a facade. It is helpful for me to have the right equipment for particular settings like music festival, but I usually just carry one camera and lens and create what I can with what I have. To someone wanting to start out in my genre of photography, I’d just say get out there and shoot. Read books, look at the photos of the greats and the emerging and go to exhibitions. But most importantly, just shoot. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? SP: My art helps me to navigate the world, it’s joys and its challenges. My main goal is that photography stays that way for me. To be making work I am proud of. Making a living. Not compromising my ethics. Experiencing life. Making a difference. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on? SP: I am working on ‘Isolation Portraits – Stage 3’ while we are in stage 3 restrictions. Alongside this I have commenced a long-term series of nudes. 2021 sees the 10th year of my International Women's Day series and I have a few big plans for this. All new portraits will have a focus entirely on BIPOC ( Black, Indigenous, People of Colour ). Other aspects of the series are yet to be announced but it will include a self-publication and look back at the past 9 years. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)... SP: Think about photography.” Suzanne Phoenix's photography creates an opportunity for us to view the world through her unique artist's lens. Her work often pushes boundaries and opens up conversations about topics that are often overlooked. By combining her passion for photography with her desire to represent and challenge the status quo, Suzanne has created artwork that speaks for itself. Use the links below to see more of Suzanne's inspiring work and learn more about the artist and her message. VIEW SUZANNE'S PORTFOLIO Read ISOLATION PORTRAITS by Suzanne Suzanne's website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. 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.

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. QUEER HAPPENED HERE 100 Years of NYC’s Landmark LGBTQ+ Places April 30, 2025 INTERVIEW BOOK Marc Zinaman PHOTOGRAPHY various photographers INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE ‘Queer Happened Here’ by Marc Zinaman is a captivating exploration of New York City’s rich and diverse LGBTQ+ history, highlighting the significance of various LGBTQ+ spaces throughout the city over the past century. Marc’s extensive research reveals places where these communities found the freedom to live authentically and express their true identities. Marc takes readers on a journey through the city's most iconic queer spaces, as well as some hidden gems and lesser-celebrated spots, from the early 20th century to the present day. He creates a brilliant narrative supported by photography reliving memorable moments of legendary nightclubs, bars, and cultural hubs, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community that has shaped the city's cultural and social landscape. In this interview, we discuss the inspiration behind the book, the challenges involved in researching and documenting these important but often overlooked or hidden histories, and the importance of preserving these stories for future generations. It is crucial to understand why these spaces are more than just physical locations; they are the heartbeats of a community that has faced immense adversity and yet thrived through creativity, solidarity, and resistance. In today’s social and political climate, it is more important than ever to acknowledge both the past and the present in order to move forward toward a better future. ‘Queer Happened Here’ sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. By taking notice of these spaces, we honor the legacy of those who fought for visibility and rights, while recognizing the ongoing struggle for equality and acceptance. Marc’s comprehensive study, combined with his passionate storytelling, provide a vital record of the places where history was made, love and identity were celebrated, and the LGBTQ+ community found refuge and joy. The forward in ‘Queer Happened Here’, was written by Peppermint, an actress, musician, and public speaker based in New York City, who made history in 2018 by becoming the first openly transgender woman to play a leading role in a Broadway musical. As an artist, actress, and drag entertainer, who has lived and worked in New York City since the early 2000s, her foreword emphasizes how these spaces successfully created an inclusive community and environment for queer and gender diverse people to make authentic connections. She emphasizes the importance of books like this one in preserving the stories of the LGBTQ+ community, which have often been obscured or erased. Peppermint shares personal anecdotes from her early days immersed in the city's nightlife, reflecting on the evolution of queer spaces and the resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. Her insights set the stage for Marc’s deeper exploration of New York’s rich queer and gender diverse history. The collection of images in this book offers an authentic visual journey through New York City’s LGBTQ+ history, capturing the true spirit of various eras and iconic moments. These images, sourced from a wide array of archives, personal collections, and historical records, provide an authentic glimpse into LGBTQ+ culture that has thrived in the city. From candid snapshots of legendary nightlife venues to poignant portraits of influential figures, the photographs complement the narrative by bringing to life the stories with firsthand experiences of these diverse communities. Each image stands as a tribute to the tenacity, creativity, and spirit of those who have shaped — and continue to shape — New York’s queer and gender diverse landscape. Join us as Marc uncovers the hidden gems and pivotal moments that have shaped New York City’s LGBTQ+ heritage and learn why preserving the history of these spaces and remembering their stories is crucial for understanding our past and inspiring future generations. header image: ‘House of Xtravaganza voguing (Luis, Dany, Jose, David Ian)’, 1989. © Chantal Regnault image below: ‘Tramp Stamp’, 2013. © Jonathan Saldana image below middle: ‘Couple Roger Pegram and Frank Bushong in Central Park’, 1951. © Robert Young Collection “...a comment on language. The vocabulary used by and against the LGBTQ+ community has constantly shifted over time and continues to do so today. We’ve been called, and have called ourselves, all sorts of names: inverts, homophiles, homosexuals, pansies, butches, faggots, trannies, dykes, friends of Dorothy, and so much more. Some of these have been empowering, others have been belittling, and several have managed to swing both ways. Many of these terms will appear throughout this book in their historical contexts, but for the most part, “LGBTQ+” and “queer” will be used as umbrella terms to refer to the broad spectrum of people whose sexual and gender expressions were anything but normative during their time. “LGBTQ+” and “queer” are thus not historically accurate, but intentionally used here for ease, inclusivity, and consistency.” IN CONVERSATION WITH MARC ZINAMAN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Marc, please tell our readers about yourself and how this project evolved. What inspired you to start documenting the history of LGBTQ+ spaces in New York City? Marc: Sure! I’m a queer writer/historian and native New Yorker and this project began several years ago after I watched two back-to-back Studio 54 documentaries. I already knew lots about Studio 54, but what caught my attention in both films were brief mentions of and glances at several other out-of-this-world looking nightspots that I'd either never heard of or knew very little about. These were places from 50 years ago like GG’s Barnum Room, which had transgender trapeze artists flying above its dancefloor, or Crisco Disco, which had a giant Crisco can for its DJ booth that people danced around. I eagerly wanted to learn more about these spaces but was also bothered by the fact that I hadn’t known about them despite living in the city my whole life. This curiosity made me want to dig deeper, and a daily ritual soon formed. Every morning, I’d research two or three places, trying to track down addresses, years of operation, old photos, and whatever scraps of history I could find. I then started pinning these spots to a simple Google Map I’d made, just to document them for myself. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I suddenly had all this extra time and before long, I realized I’d mapped nearly 1,000 locations. Initially, the map was just for my eyes, but when I started talking about some of these spots with other queer folks my age, I realized how many of these places none of them had heard of. That led me to create the Queer Happened Here social media account — as a way to start sharing with friends the images and histories I’d already uncovered, but also as a way to hopefully connect with others who might be holding on to their own photos, memories, and stories from these venues. As the account gained traction, it became clear there was a real hunger for this kind of storytelling. While the social media platform offered a new way to document, celebrate, and preserve these spaces and moments — it also eventually inspired the creation of this book, as an alternative and more lasting extension of that archival work. TPL: What was your process of selecting which venues and events to include in the book? It must have been difficult to narrow it down, do you have plans for the ones you could not include? Marc: Yes, it was an extremely difficult process to narrow down and so many factors ultimately shaped both the inclusion and exclusion of spaces in the book. For starters, a book has physical limits — a word count, page count, etc. and so one difficult decision made early on was to only cover Manhattan. But even within the island of Manhattan there have been thousands of queer spaces, far more than I could fit in one volume. Meanwhile, the other four boroughs have also each held their own unique and important queer spaces and deserve books of their own — perhaps down the road! My dad is originally from Queens; I’ve lived in Brooklyn for over a decade — so these “other boroughs” hold incredible importance to me. That said, while books have their physical constraints, the internet does not. And so, with the ‘Queer Happened Here’ Instagram I document queer spaces across all five boroughs as well as those that existed before 1920 and after 2020, which are the bookend years of the book. Beyond that, some spaces made it into the book simply because I was personally obsessed with them; others were beloved spots mentioned again and again by LGBTQ+ elders I interviewed. And then there were the icons — places like Stonewall and Studio 54 — that, despite being widely covered, simply couldn’t be left out. Just as important to note, though, were the challenges that led to exclusions. As a visual, coffee-table-style book, compelling imagery was essential — and that was often a major hurdle. Many queer spaces, especially in earlier eras, were deliberately undocumented to protect people’s privacy and safety. That made it hard to include them. I initially struggled to find any photos of 12 West, for example, but after hearing how deeply it resonated with so many, I knew I had to find a way to feature it and dug deeper. On the other hand, there was an important early hangout for trans women of color that I wanted to include but couldn’t be due to a lack of available images. That omission was particularly painful. Overall, though, my primary guiding principle was to try and capture a wide variety of queer spaces that catered to different subsets of the community. Some of the places in the book were wonderfully quirky and short-lived while others have been around for over a century. I think that mix, placing the iconic and widely known alongside the obscure or ephemeral, paints a truer portrait of New York City itself: where a raggedy bodega can sit right next to a glossy high-end boutique. It’s a city defined by constant motion, where countless types of spaces coexist, overlap, and evolve. And this book certainly isn’t meant to be definitive, nor am I absolutely declaring that these were the best or most important or most influential. I know every reader will have their own thoughts about what was left out or what should’ve been included — and that’s exactly as it should be — in no way do I think there is a right or wrong answer. TPL: What research did you do to find the photographers and images that illustrate your story, supporting your written narrative with the unforgettable visual? How did you choose them? Can you tell us about how these photographers' visual narrative has helped to create a broader message, helping to break down barriers while inviting awareness and acceptance for more inclusive communities? Marc: Researching images and photographers for this book was just as important as the writing itself and was perhaps the more challenging process of the two. I had already been doing some of this image sourcing work for the Instagram account, and so I ultimately approached it like an archival project — digging through institutional, community and personal archives, scouring through club flyers, zines, and old LGBTQ+ publications, and reaching out to photographers whose work I had been familiar with or already loved and who I knew had helped contribute to how LGBTQ+ life had been visually documented in New York City through the decades. It was definitely a journey that also took me to some unexpected places — other Instagram accounts, of course, but also niche Facebook groups devoted to specific nightclubs from 50 years ago, for example. Many of the photographers included — like Leonard Fink, Meryl Meisler, Ande Whyland, Efrain Gonzalez and Tina Paul are LGBTQ+ themselves and were very much in-and-a-part of the scenes they were capturing. Photographers like Linda Simpson, who as a legendary New York drag performer chronicled the downtown drag scene with an insider’s intimacy — bring a perspective that goes beyond just voyeurism or aesthetics. When I could, I tried to prioritize these photographers who were embedded in the communities they captured, because they weren’t just documenting a scene from the outside, they were living it themselves. And I think that can come through in their photos. So, I hope each visual adds depth to the written narrative by grounding it in real lives, real stories, and real moments that shaped queer life in New York. These images also challenge stereotypes by showing LGBTQ+ people in moments of celebration, power, and love during eras like the 1950s when it was extremely difficult to be publicly queer. I think they invite readers — especially those who may not share those identities — to look closer, and with empathy. In that way, the photographs aren’t just illustrations, they are reminders and records that LGBTQ+ folk are people too with a significant historical past and an existence that’s ever-present. And hopefully that all contributes to creating a more inclusive and accepting future. 'Sophia Lamar, Amanda Lepore, and Richie Rich', circa 1990s. © Linda Simpson 'RuPaul, Billy Beyond, Larry Tee, Hapi Phace, and Hattie Hathaway (front) at the Pyramid', circa 1980s. © Ande Whyland 'Funmakers Ball participants Eddie Mcclennon, Bobbie Laney and Toni Evans', 1954. © Johnson Publishing Company Archive, courtesy J. Paul Getty Trust and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture 'Crisco Dancers', 1979. © Bill Bernstein (Last Dance Archives) TPL: What were some of the images that allowed you to return to these spaces, transcending time, evoking a personal connection? Tell us about some of the photographer’s you have collaborated with and what you feel their contribution has been to the LGBTQ+ communities. Marc: Some of the images that immediately transported me — not just visually, but emotionally — back into spaces that no longer exist were ones from venues that I was fortunate enough to once go to at some point. I think of the Pyramid Club, for example, which is now closed but which by the time I started frequenting it had become pretty much a straight and kind of tacky venue. Still, I got to experience and enjoy its physical space several times, and the photos by Linda Simpson and Ande Whyland of its colorful, gender-bending denizens from the ‘80s and ‘90s help take me back to that space’s prime and an era of raw, experimental and defiant creative energy. Other photos show patrons from different decades at venues that are near-and-dear to me, like Splash and Cubbyhole — which were two of my earliest and most formative LGBTQ+ bars. Then there are just incredible photos of clubs like Danceteria, Palladium, and The Saint — venues I never got to visit — but which capture the incredible aesthetics of the venues themselves as well as the uniquely personal styles of their patrons. These images make me want to build a time machine just so I can go back and be transported to their dancefloors for one night of ecstasy. I’ve already mentioned a few of the book’s notable photographers, but some others who come to mind and who are absolutely worth mentioning include Chantal Regnault, who has an incredible and extremely important body of work documenting the city’s Ballroom community throughout the 1980s and ‘90s as well as many of its pivotal venues like Tracks and Sound Factory Bar. Then there’s Mariette Pathy Allen, who for many decades tirelessly photographed the transgender, genderfluid, and intersex communities and captured them at often forgotten venues like Edelweiss. Then there are legends like Diana Davies, whose photo graces the cover of the book, and who was a pioneering chronicler of the feminist and gay liberation movements throughout the 1960s and ‘70s. There are so many more I could name, but across the board I think each of these people made significant contributions to the LGBTQ+ community simply by capturing and preserving its history. At some point in their lives, each of these folks made significant and potentially-career-damaging choices to start going out to venues or events that were often on the outskirts or looked down upon and to photograph what many others at the time didn’t want to know about or see. And so, without those daring moves and the incredible resulting bodies of work that came from them, the LGBTQ+ community today wouldn’t have such a wonderful and robust archive of visual materials that we can look back upon, learn from, and in which we can hopefully see ourselves. TPL: What was the most surprising discovery you made while researching for this book? What are some of the lesser-known facts that emerged from your research? Can you share a particularly memorable story or anecdote from one of the venues featured in the book? Marc: One of the most surprising discoveries to make—and what was partially the impetus for the book/project — was realizing just how much queer history is hiding in plain sight. I grew up in Manhattan, and so as a closeted, scared queer kid with no knowledge of LGBTQ+ history I walked past a beautiful but otherwise unassuming building on the Upper West Side every single day to get to school. Then when I was in my 20s I learned for the first time that this exact building had previously housed the Continental Baths, one of the most lavish and legendary gay bathhouses of all time. Maybe knowing that tidbit of history even ten years earlier would have helped me realize that there were, in fact, gay people who had come before me, that there were gay people all around me, and that a whole lotta gay people had already sauntered up and down this very street upon which I was raised. So, discoveries like these suddenly make the NYC feel like a kind of palimpsest, with generations of LGBTQ+ life layered into its architecture. On a similar note, another discovery that really struck me was how certain addresses in Manhattan weren’t just home to one queer space but have actually been witness to multiple (and often very different) venues across different eras. The book highlights Lucky Cheng’s, for example, which was a groundbreaking restaurant where all the servers were Asian trans women drag queens who also performed there. Before that opened in the ‘90s, though, that building had been home to the Club Baths, the first openly gay-owned bathhouse, and then housed an Ancient Rome-themed restaurant that was a hip hangout for lesbians. So, nuggets like that, which feel like they could only happen in New York. And even if it was purely coincidental, I think there’s something particularly beautiful about this — like these places were being passed down, repurposed, and reimagined by each new LGBTQ+ generation. Even when the names changed or the buildings were renovated, the queer energy lingered. I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten to hear so many unforgettable stories from the LGBTQ+ elders I interviewed for the book. One that really sticks with me came from Michael Mitchell, an artist who did erotic figure drawings at the LURE — one of New York’s most iconic leather bars in the 1990s. Because he was working inside the space, sketching what he saw, I think he was able to develop this sharp observational eye that maybe most clubgoers don’t — or can’t — tap into in the same way. In any case, he vividly recounted this story of once watching a very-in-love gay couple on the LURE’s stage performing a whipping scene. The top (the whipper) was decked out in classic leather gear, but the bottom, for reasons unknown, was dressed head-to-toe as Mickey Mouse: giant mouse ears, four-fingered gloves, little red shorts with big buttons — the whole thing. And every time he was whipped, instead of crying out in pain, he’d squeal “Oh boy!” in a pitch-perfect Mickey Mouse voice. So, for whatever reason, I just can't get that image out of my head. It’s surreal, hilarious, and oddly tender—a blend that feels deeply New York to me. Where else would something that absurd and intimate unfold on a club stage and somehow just work? TPL: How do you think the evolution of Queer and LGBTQ+ spaces in NYC reflects broader social and cultural changes? Marc: The evolution of queer spaces in New York City definitely maps closely onto broader social, cultural, and political changes — sometimes mirroring them, and sometimes resisting them outright. In each chapter of the book, I begin by setting the scene for the decade, discussing some of the broader political, cultural and social goings-on in the city, the country, and the world, whose effects I think can then be observed in the types of spaces that emerged or thrived during that era. In the early 20th century, for example, queer spaces were often underground by necessity, shaped by criminalization and surveillance, and so you’re then constantly encountering spaces like the Howdy Club, Club 82, and Stonewall where the mafia is calling the shots. But even then, you can see queer creativity and community thriving in those margins. As legal and social attitudes begin to shift—especially post-Stonewall—then you start to see more visibly queer bars, and things like LGBTQ+ bookstores and community centers emerge, reflecting both a growing sense of safety and a new refusal to stay hidden. Then in the ’80s and ’90s, during the height of the AIDS crisis, many of these queer spaces that were meant to just be pleasure domes often became sites of care and organizing — places where people gathered not just to party but to grieve, fundraise, organize, and fight back. And today, while there’s more mainstream visibility, cultural acceptance, and legal protection than ever before, we’re seeing how the pressures of gentrification, rising rents, digital communication and corporate co-optation continue to threaten the survival of grassroots or independent queer spaces. So, at every stage, in some way or another, these spaces have reflected the conditions that queer people were living under — and what was possible to have, what was dangerous to try, and what was necessary no matter what. The story of queer space in NYC is really a story of marginalized people continuously carving out room for themselves and creating, defending, and reimagining what community gathering looks like. TPL: What challenges did you face in gathering information and verifying the history of these venues? What advice would you give to readers who are interested in starting a project that involves researching and exploring historical context? Marc: One of the biggest challenges in gathering information about these venues was the lack of formal documentation regarding their history. So many queer spaces — especially nightlife venues — existed off the grid by necessity and were thus typically not covered in mainstream media or preserved in official archives. That meant that sometimes verifying exact dates of operation, correct addresses, or even the actual names of spaces could be really difficult. For example, finding the exact year that the Pyramid opened required cross-referencing different sources — official records when available, but also interviews, ephemera, and even individuals’ memories. And then there were discrepancies regarding its official name. Over the years it's been called the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge, the Pyramid Bar, the Pyramid Club, and sometimes simply just the Pyramid — so which is correct, and which do you settle on? I think my recent experience working on another book called ‘Getting In: NYC Club Flyers from the Gay 1990s’ by David Kennerley helped me realize just how important flyers can be for archival work. For one, they often include a date and address, which becomes extremely handy when it comes to pinpointing the exact location and years of operation of clubs or bars. Flyers also often document key players in the scene, listing DJs, drag performers and party promoters, which can then serve as a checklist of important people who shaped these spaces and who might have stories to tell about them. So, for anyone interested in starting a similar project, I’d say to embrace the detective work. Be willing to think outside the box for possible sources, follow unconventional leads, talk to lots of people and have them connect you with even more people, and take seriously the kinds of records that aren’t always treated as “authoritative.” And for a project like this one, I think communal memory is really important and powerful. Photos and hard facts are useful, of course, but what really brought these nightclubs and bars to life for me were the stories — hearing multiple people light up as they recalled their nights there, the songs they danced to, the outfits they crafted, and the joy they felt. TPL: How has the influence of technological advancements, such as social media and dating apps, impacted Queer and LGBTQ+ nightlife and community spaces? Marc: Technology has definitely reshaped queer nightlife and community spaces, both for better and for worse. The rise of social media and dating apps (and the online websites and chat rooms that came before them) have definitely made it easier for LGBTQ+ people to connect, find another, and feel less alone, especially in regions where in-person queer spaces might be limited or even nonexistent. At the same time, they’ve also been credited as significantly igniting a shift away from the importance of in-person gathering spaces — which as the book demonstrates — were historically some of the only spots that LGBTQ+ folks could feel comfortable finding community. Then there’s also the experience of physically being in a queer space today — everyone can whip their phones out and snap a pic, so that’s good because it means these spaces today are most definitely being documented for the future. On the flipside, when so much socializing has moved online it can lead to the loss of some of the serendipity, connection, and sense of shared culture that comes from being physically present in a room full of other queer people. It’s that classic scenario now of being alone at a gay bar, surrounded by other lonely gay people, but everyone’s too shy to approach one another and instead are on their phones trying to connect with someone in the digital sphere. Still, queer people have always adapted to whatever tools of communication and connection were available and in vogue — whether it was cruising IRL, sifting through classified ads, using listservs, or DMing on Instagram. The question now is how do we keep that sense of real-life community alive while navigating increasingly digital lives. But I do also think we’re starting to see a growing sense of exhaustion with social media and apps, and a renewed nostalgia for simply being together in physical spaces. There’s a rekindled desire to reconnect offline — and time will tell where that leads. TPL: How did the AIDS crisis of the 1980s affect the Queer and LGBTQ+ nightlife scene in New York City? Marc: The AIDS crisis of the 1980s had a devastating impact on queer nightlife in New York City on so many levels, and the aftereffects can still very much be felt today. AIDS robbed the community of a generation of artists, performers, DJs, lovers, and friends — many of whom had been the lifeblood of these spaces. I often think about what the world, and the artistic landscape in particular, might look like today if people like Keith Haring, Larry Levan and Robert Mapplethorpe got to keep living and creating well into their primes. The staggering loss of life in such a short span of time directly contributed to the closure of so many iconic venues like The Saint and Club 57 and we'll never know how these spaces might have continued to shape queer culture had they been able to survive. Then there were the regulations enacted during the AIDS crisis that led to the immediate closure of nearly all of the bathhouses and sex clubs in NYC — many of which remain on the books today and continue to shape and restrict the city’s landscape and how queer intimacy can exist within it. For the bars and clubs that did continue to survive, many of them quickly became both sites of mourning as well as celebration; you could feel the absence of those who were no longer there, even as the music kept playing. But the fact that the music kept playing is also important. Despite the devastation that AIDS wrought, queer nightlife didn’t disappear — it just transformed. Many venues also became de facto organizing spaces, places where people could fundraise, share information, and support one another. Benefit parties, memorial events, and drag performances became political acts. So, the nightclub wasn’t just about hedonism and escape anymore — it became an even more vital forum for connection, community, and protest. 'Performers in front of Lucky Cheng’s', circa 1990s/2000s. © Daisy Ang Collection 'Working the runway ramp at Westgay', 2013. © Cyle Suesz 'Sementha Alexander in a luchador mask at Nowhere', 2018. © Daniel Albanese 'Marc Zinaman'. © Gregor Hochmuth. TPL: What do you hope readers will take away from your book? What did you take away from this project? Marc: I hope readers walk away with a deeper understanding of how rich, layered, and resilient queer history is — especially in a place like New York. I hope people learn about queer spaces they’d never heard of or get transported back to spots they once loved and to memories they’d forgotten about. I hope that people can also relate to these stories and picture themselves in these spaces which they maybe never got to visit. And I hope it reminds people that LGBTQ+ humans have always been here and that we’ve always been seeking and creating spaces in order to be with one another and feel a sense of belonging. For me personally, the biggest takeaway was the importance of connecting with LGBTQ+ elders — listening to their stories, honoring their experiences, and making sure their histories are documented. So many of these spaces and moments would be lost without their memories. I hadn’t really had the opportunity to do that before ‘Queer Happened Here’, and during this project I realized that my generation is one of the first to grow up with a visible, surviving generation of out-and-proud queer people who came before us. So having access to those voices quickly started to feel like both a gift and a responsibility and reminded me how much we owe to those who came before and paved the way and how much we can and still need to learn from them. TPL: How do you see the future of LGBTQ+ spaces in New York City evolving in the next decade? Marc: Oh, that’s always hard to predict, and these past couple years have certainly felt especially unpredictable. Our country on the whole has begun to experience a new wave of anti-LGBTQ+ backlash, and while that feels less directly impactful in a place like New York City, it may still have notable consequences. That said, I think the book reveals patterns in history that can be helpful to look back on and learn from. Earlier attacks on queer existence like the Lavender Scare were terrifying, but queer spaces and lives persisted, and the community came back stronger. So, documenting this history isn’t just about recording the past—it’s also about providing a reminder that we’ve survived before, and we’ll continue to do so. One trend that I hope will continue to gain traction is the blurring of lines and divisions within the LGBTQ+ community and the burgeoning of spaces that feel extremely inclusive across race, gender, class, and accessibility. So just the presence of more grassroots, BIPOC-led, and trans-centered spaces has been much needed. This past year, for example, the city got not one but two new LGBTQ-owned and operated queer bookshops, including one named The Nonbinarian Bookstore. So that feels really new and exciting and important, and I hope more spaces like that will appear. Real estate — rising rents, property taxes, insurance costs, etc. — has also always been a key player to threatening queer spaces in NYC, dictating what they look like and where they are located. Over time, as the book reveals, we’ve witnessed queer creatives and venues get pushed out of the West Village, East Village, and Chelsea, leading to a shift toward Brooklyn and Queens. And even those spaces are now moving further out, so it will be interesting to see what neighborhoods become the next cool queer enclaves. Maspeth? Gravesend? Only time can tell. TPL: What are future projects you would like to explore? What is on the horizon for Marc Zinaman? Marc: I’m definitely still interested in continuing to explore the intersections of queer history, memory, and place — especially in ways that bring untold or overlooked stories to the surface. As mentioned, there’s still so much of New York I wanted to highlight, including the other boroughs, so I certainly plan to keep running Queer Happened Here online and perhaps more books will come out of it. At the same time, I would also like to maybe shift focus on other cities or regions that haven’t gotten as much attention as New York. I recently worked for several months with a queer archive that’s documenting and preserving the stories from the Deep South — Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, etc. — and so that was really fascinating and feels particularly urgent right now. And no matter what, I definitely want to keep talking to and working with LGBTQ+ elders, because those stories are still so profoundly important and need to be documented. As for what’s on the horizon — I have a few ideas brewing, but I’m staying open. If this project taught me anything, it’s that history often shows up when you least expect it. So, I’m trying to stay curious and follow the stories wherever they lead. ‘Queer Happened Here’, written by Marc Zinaman and published by Prestel Publishing, is an exceptional and beautifully crafted book. It offers a comprehensive exploration of the rich history and cultural significance of LGBTQ+ spaces in New York City. From the early queer landscapes of the 1920s to the diverse venues of the 2010s, the book traces the evolution of the LGBTQ+ community. Through detailed accounts, personal stories, and historical events, it takes readers on an exciting journey through NYC landmarks and LGBTQ+ spaces. The book serves as a testament to the ongoing struggle for equality and the importance of preserving these spaces as integral parts of the city's heritage. As we look to the future, it reminds us that queer history is still unfolding, and the fight for acceptance and visibility remains as crucial as ever. It’s a valuable addition to any library. BUY THE BOOK Instagram >>> Prestel Publishing >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. 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.

TRANSTEMPORAL Russell Cobb is an incredible photographer and storyteller who offers viewers a chance to step into the past and explore the nuances of culture and history. TRANSTEMPORAL September 13, 2023 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Russell Cobb INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE There is something captivating about a person who can weave together art and history in a way that captures the essence of the past. Russell Cobb is one such artist whose photography offers a unique perspective on history and culture. Through his lens, viewers can enter into a world of time travelers, actors, and re-enactors - a world of nostalgia and romance. Russell studied photography and illustration at Central Saint Martin's School of Art in London and in Switzerland, having an early interest in how the two disciplines could feed into each other. After graduating, he received many industry awards, including 5 Best of British Gold Awards and D&AD’s, with The Independent newspaper voting him one of Britain's top ten Illustrators in 2003. He has also served as the Chairman of the Association of Illustrators UK for four years. In his early formative years, Russell was inspired by a quote from Berenice Abbott about the French photographer Eugène Atget: "To Atget the visible world became the stage; man, himself and the effects of man the great drama." This quote reflects Russell's approach to photography which focuses on portraiture and storytelling. And, at the core of his work is his imagination, painting and drawing skills. He aims to capture people's eccentricities and obsessions, as well as their world of escapism. To achieve this, he often works on location with an assistant and lighting at hand, with the goal of capturing cinematic moments frozen in time. Russell has worked on several long-term projects, including a seven year photo essay on WW2 re-enactment. Russell camped with the re-enactment groups and took part in battles as a war press photographer. His passion for storytelling and painting brought the images to life, blurring the line between reality and imagination as both the photographer and subject act out moments from history or films. This body of work culminated in an exhibition of 100 large-scale prints in 2017 called Axis and Allies. In 2017, the Duke of Richmond saw Russell’s work and asked him to embark on a project documenting the people attending Goodwood Revival, one of the world’s largest vintage motoring events. As an event that celebrates historic dress, it became the perfect hunting ground for Russell’s work. Russell Cobb is an incredible photographer and storyteller who offers viewers a chance to step into the past and explore the nuances of culture and history. Join us as we explore what he has uncovered as we spend time immersed in the worlds of today's re-enactors, and how these stories come to life through his lens. “My work is always a collaboration and a creative exchange of ideas. I’ve come to realize there’s always been a notion of play and imagination that comes from childhood. It's an immersive experience, somewhat an escapism from the real world.” IN CONVERSATION WITH RUSSELL COBB THE PICTORIAL LIST: Hello Russell, thank you for the opportunity to discover more insight into your process of creating the visual stories that captivate the viewer while transporting them to a different era, or time and place in history. Welcome to the Pictorial List. Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, and where are you based now? What were some significant choices you made along the way to land on home base? RC: I was born in Letchworth Garden City in the United Kingdom. At school I was the child that was top of the class in art and always knew creativity was a path for me. I ended up at Central Saint Martin's School of Art in London with a master's degree. In my formative years I spent pockets of time studying and living in Luzern, Switzerland and, also worked in church restoration in Italy. Drawing and painting eventually became my main focus. My illustration work won many awards, amongst others 5 Best of British Gold. In 2007, I was named by the Independent Newspaper as one of the top 10 illustrators working in the United Kingdom. However, the pull to photography was always calling me and, in 2008 I started the transition by working on my first long term project. After living in London for 15 years I moved to the south of England near Midhurst in the South Downs. I’ve guest lectured at many educational establishments throughout Europe and currently I am an Associate Lecturer at Solent University. TPL: Tell us more about your beginning as an illustrator and the skills you honed working in this industry. How has it contributed to the way you see through the lens? What first drew you to photography, explain the importance of photography in helping develop your narrative in your visual stories? RC: At art school the departments overlapped, we were always taught that a brush, a pen and a camera were just tools for relaying one's personal vision. Imagination and ideas have always been my key driver. Working as an illustrator you are always in a world lost in your imagination, observing, brainstorming, developing ideas and drawing in a sketchbook. I use these skills in photography, always planning, drawing and thinking about what I’m going to do. A lifetime of drawing and painting has assisted my understanding of light and composition, they are elements that come naturally to me. TPL: After you have your conceptual vision, how do you translate your ideas into photography? Talk us through how you create the narrative, what journey are you taking us on? RC: As a child I immediately realized the camera was a tool for capturing memories. In later years its the immediacy that’s always drawn me to photography, a split second, a moment of magic when all the pieces fall together in the viewfinder. I always refer to painting and illustration as ’slow cooking’, it was something that frustrated me as things only take shape over a number of days or weeks. My photography postproduction stage stems back to the darkroom and is mainly a matter of dodge and burn, to me the process is so similar to drawing. One of the biggest compliments I get is when someone tells me the photograph looks like a painting. TPL: How have you grown as an artist, visually and intellectually? RC: After some years I started to become more of a storyteller and became fascinated by the people I photographed and their stories. In the beginning with the WW2 re-enactors body of work I only saw uniforms and guns. Then it slowly grew into a more potent conceptual theme therefore I’ve learnt to dig a bit deeper. In this example it became a body of work about a generation who had grown up on a diet of nostalgic war films, WW2 comics and toys. A world of popular culture that played on notions of nostalgia and heroism. TPL: Where would you say your curiosity for people comes from? Does your curiosity for people come from a historical context, or do you still find models that contribute to the work, creating unique personas in the characters you portray? RC: I’m not too sure where my curiosity comes from, but I know I’ve always been a person who’s had that artistic trait of being on the outside looking in. If I’m at a football match, I often find myself forgetting about the game and start observing the crowd. I always remember Cartier Bresson training his camera on the crowd during the Queen's coronation. My curiosity simply starts from just walking into a setting and observing the people portraying a historical context in front of me. The first time I was at a WW2 re-enactment I remember the shock of feeling I was suddenly in a war film or perhaps the real moment of history. So quite often the location and the characters are somewhat ready to perform. Quite often my only problem is getting people to step out of their historical character. TPL: History plays an intricate part in your photography. Share with us the process of discovery, the research you do that sets the stage for your stories to unfold. Has history always been an inspiration? Do you get lost in the story before you create the visual? RC: I’ve worked on location at historical re-enactment events for over a decade, so much is done behind the scenes. When I first arrive at an event, I first scout the area for location backdrops, and I also look for the great faces. I’m like a big bird circling above, then next step is a conversation and a meet and greet. I’ve also spent many a night making lists and notes and ideas in a tent under torch light. After that there’s no planning, I work the moment keeping the door open to unexpected ideas and scenarios. Over planning is dangerous, I like to leave lots of room for the planned and unexpected. A passion for history has always been a huge inspiration in my work. So, I guess I’m taking people on a time travel journey, asking them to look at this unusual world of re-creation taking place. TPL: Talk to us about your method and experimentation before the final images in your project. Did you know how you wanted the project to look? How long does each image usually take to create? RC: A lot of re-enactors refer to re-enactment as Living History, so the method and game is to turn the location into somewhat of an accurate historical scene and capture an historical moment frozen in time. Historical films are an ever-present influence, hence the reference to creating cinematic moments. Over the years I’ve used the technique of shooting low, wide and close. In doing this I'm editing out all the distractions, crowds and objects of modernity such as ice cream and burger vans. Photographing Roman soldiers eating hot dogs has always been suggested, but I feel it undermines their trust and it's not the joint journey we are on. I always have to work very fast; I work digitally but I often say, “in old money I’m going to shoot two rolls of film. It's so strange there’s always just one photo in every 36 shots that hit the sweet spot. Editing and postproduction is the slowest part of my process. TPL: We all face challenges and obstacles we could not have foreseen, what are some of yours, and how did you overcome them? What advice would you share? RC: I’m very good at the imagination art side of things but awful on the technical side. Off camera lighting was my biggest challenge, so it was just years of practice and a lot of trial and error. My advice here would be to understand and learn your kit inside and out. Otherwise, it completely distracts from the engagement with models and taking pictures. I use Leicas now, I enjoy their paired down simplicity. I also use a one light set up, keeping things simple. I just don’t have time for complicated setups. Access and gaining people's trust is always a challenge. I think being prepared to play the long game has been a real positive. Lots of my photographs are the result of getting to know people really well and forging friendships over a number of years. Being obsessive and loving what you do is something I always talk to students about. Immersing yourself into the subject is a good thing too. For my WW2 project I wasn’t comfortable wearing a WW2 German uniform, but it opened so many doors and brought me a lot of respect. Learn and understand your strengths and weaknesses. War photography was my early obsession, but I learnt it's not in my makeup, so I found another safer way via re-enactment, somehow, I did it. I’m not comfortable as a street photographer, the hunting smash and grab element. I guess I’ll admit to having the sensitive artist gene who avoids avoid confrontation. TPL: Do you have any favorite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? If you could work alongside someone, who would you like to rub elbows with, learn from? RC: I find myself looking at a lot of fashion photography a lot. Photographer Jack Davison caught my eye. I just like his fusion of commercial, fashion, surrealism, playfulness and art. I love the work of Brian Duffy, if I could go back in time, I’d spend a week with him. He was always re-inventing himself and at the height of his career he put down his camera and never took another picture. I did a similar thing for quite a while, when I put down my paint brushes and picked up a camera. Perhaps a day with Alex Webb if it was in a place saturated with colour. TPL: Your diligence for the accuracy of every detail takes many hours, how do you balance photography, work and life? RC: Work and life all seem to blend into one. I’m happy that creativity is an immersive lifestyle thing. After university I worked on a building site, I just saw this as lost creative time. I never switch off, my sons know that moment when on holiday or when I stop the car, I get that look in my eye and happily vanish for an hour. TPL: Are there any special projects that you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? What are some of your photography goals? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? RC: I think my current project for Goodwood Revival is ever present in my thoughts now, its spun off the WW2 project. Slowly it grew into a broader concept that ‘there’s an actor in everyone’. Its documenting people from all walks of life who love to dress up and transform themselves into an alternate persona. Again, there’s notions of escapism and British eccentricity. My goal is always to challenge myself and find myself in an unexpected place. Over the years I’ve caught myself over the years asking myself how did I get here? Such as on the battlefield in a German armored vehicle, sitting around a campfire with Viking warriors. So perhaps more of the unexpected, I’m always hoping to get that unusual invitation. More fashion is a goal, and something that involves travel too. TPL: If you could explore another area of photography or art, what would that be? Why, what is it that you would be inspired to learn? RC: As mentioned, I've always been in love with fashion photography, another guise of transformation and dressing up. I think some of the most exciting work has been there. Somehow, I’ve subconsciously been photographing re-enactors with a fashion inspired twist into the mix. Perhaps working on film sets would be a natural fit. Through Russell Cobb’s photography, we are able to gain a unique perspective on both history and culture as he blurs the line between reality and imagination. His passion for storytelling and painting shine through in his work, allowing viewers to step into the past and explore what he has uncovered. We hope you will join us as we continue to explore Russell’s photography and invite you to make your own journey and discover his enchanting world. To see more of Russell’s work, visit his website and Instagram gallery today. VIEW RUSSELL'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. 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.

QUARANTINE IN QUEENS Neil Kramer tells stories with his photos, writing, and films. Simultaneously humorous and compassionate, his lockdown diary has gone viral. QUARANTINE IN QUEENS August 30, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Neil Kramer INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Gomez Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Neil Kramer tells stories - with his photos, writing, and films. Humorous and compassionate at the same time, he tackles themes taken directly from human life - including his own. When he found himself locked into a small apartment in Queens, New York, with his mother and ex-wife during the still ongoing Covid-19 pandemic he ended up making the best of the situation: he turned it into a quirky and humorous photo project. His posts of portraits showing the family in often strange situations went viral on social media platforms and have been widely featured on television and in newspapers, and won many awards. We are honoured that Neil agreed to an interview for The Pictorial List, in which he talks to our editor Karin Svadlenak Gomez, about his project QUARANTINE IN QUEENS and how he and his family have been dealing with the pandemic. “During the early days of the pandemic, it became impossible to do street photography, so it seemed natural to start taking photos of our lives inside the apartment. At the time, Queens, NY was the epicenter of the pandemic in America, and it was scary. Taking the photos became a collaborative way of using art as self-therapy, much in the same way that others started baking bread or knitting sweaters. And because I had some experience in comedy writing in California, I tended to gravitate towards the humor of the situation, at least at first.” IN CONVERSATION WITH NEIL KRAMER THE PICTORIAL LIST: Neil please tell us about yourself. When and how did you become interested in photography? NEIL KRAMER: I’ve always loved photography, but I’ve had more of a career as a writer. I lived in Los Angeles for several years, writing and developing scripts for TV and movies. I also attended film school at USC where I studied film production. I began to fully immerse myself in still photography when I moved back to New York and got hooked on street photography. TPL: How did it happen that you ended up in quarantine with your ex-wife and mother? NK: It’s a complicated story, but let’s just say that I was living in my apartment while my mother was in Boca Raton, Florida, but she decided to come back after her lease expired. At the same time, my ex-wife had a plumbing disaster in Los Angeles and she had to move, so she asked if she could stay with me for a few weeks. And then the pandemic happened, and we all got stuck together. And we are still together in this rather tiny apartment with only one bathroom, trying to figure out our next step. TPL: What triggered the idea for this photo project? And what did your ex-wife and mother think when you presented them with this project idea? NK: During the early days of the pandemic, it became impossible to do street photography, so it seemed natural to start taking photos of our lives inside the apartment. At the time, Queens, NY was the epicenter of the pandemic in America, and it was scary. Taking the photos became a collaborative way of using art as self-therapy, much in the same way that others started baking bread or knitting sweaters. And because I had some experience in comedy writing in California, I tended to gravitate towards the humor of the situation, at least at first. My ex-wife and mother already knew that I always had wacky creative ideas, so they were comfortable in playing along. But as the project got more followers on Instagram and we got some media attention, such as in the Washington Post and the Today Show, it became a little more difficult in dealing with the attention. The series was never intended as a project. It just happened, without a plan. I never expected this pandemic to go on for over 500 days! Usually the daily post was based on a real life experience, which we would restage later in the day when we had more perspective and time. April 12, Quarantine in Queens, Day 31. A beautiful friend from Colorado finally mailed us toilet paper and we are celebrating and in tears. November 6, Quarantine in Queens, Day 233. Months ago, when the pandemic started, I gave my bed to Sophia, and I've been mostly sleeping on the old sofabed in the living room. The mattress sucks; it sags and creaks. During the last few weeks, I've been having bad dreams at night about the current President of the United States. Today, Sophia surprised me with a new sofa bed. It's a perfect day for it to arrive seeing how the election results are in. I hope to have fewer bad dreams now for two reasons - a better mattress and the end of a national nightmare. May 20, Quarantine in Queens, Day 70. One of the arguments for not wearing a mask outside is that it is a free country. To many, asking someone to be inconvenienced is an infringement of personal freedom. If someone is at risk to the virus, like seniors or those with medical issues, they should just stay home. ⁣That is easier said than done. After months ago home, it becomes an infringement of personal freedom for seniors and those with medical issues to be stuck at home. ⁣After our trip to the park last week my mother tasted the flavor of freedom, and she liked it. ⁣My mother's friend, Shirley, called. She used to be the same blouse size as my mother, but because of an illness, had lost a lot of weight. She had a bunch of brand new outfits from Bloomingdale's that she never wore that were now too large. Can she drive over and give them to my mother?⁣ At first, Sophia and I nixed the idea. My mother bristled at out helicoptering. We came up with a compromise. I would go downstairs and pick up the blouses from Shirley as she drove by in her car. ⁣When it was time for Shirley's arrival, I found myself on an important zoom conference call. Sophia was about to have a virtual conversation with a doctor at NYU. We were forced into the inevitable - my mother would have to go downstairs ALONE and pick up the blouses. It would be the first time she's left the house alone since March. ⁣"What's the big deal?" some of you might ask. My mother is active and independent, and can go outside by herself. She's not a child. But there are a lot of people out there who don't wear masks, even in our neighborhood with one of the highest Covid-19 infection and death rates in the world. ⁣We told my mother that if she goes out by herself, she has to wear a mask, gloves, and goggles to protect her eyes. ⁣"Why don't you just wrap me in the shower curtain?" my mother asked, sarcastically. June 13, Quarantine in Queens, Day 91. I've now spend three months alone with little outside contact other than these two women. You would think that this femininity would be rubbing off on me. Maybe it has. I mean, in many of my photos, I've been the one either undressed or wearing a dress. But in reality, over the last three months, I've never felt a stronger sense of masculinity and responsibility for these two people, probably the two most important women of my life - my mother and ex-wife. December 28, Quarantine in Queens, Day 286. My mother has always been more of a canned vegetables type of cook. She also makes a great tuna fish sandwich. Sophia is a gourmet cook and has been spoiling us for months with delicious exotic meals and freshly baked bread. My mother also found a new kitchen-related passion -- she has become obsessed with keeping the kitchen clean, even constantly checking the oven to see if anything was left behind. Maybe this pandemic turns everyone OCD. This has created some tension in the house lately between the two women. This kitchen is not big enough for both of them. Luckily, I know how to diffuse any situation. When our old fridge finally died last week, I ordered a new one, not realizing that I bought a model where the door handles were on the wrong side. So now, no one can open the fridge or the oven! Problem solved. November 26, Quarantine in Queens, Day 253. Thanksgiving, 2020. If there is one public event that I love in New York it’s the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. So, we were disappointed when we found out that this year was going to be a TV-only parade because of Covid-19. But then Sophia had an idea. We could buy some big animal balloons on Amazon and then parade around our living room, making our own special Thanksgiving Day event! We received the balloons from Amazon, and this morning, all we had to do was blow them up. We saw online that the Party Store would inflate balloons not bought in the store for a fee, but when we got there, we were told that the new policy was prohibiting them from touching any balloons not bought at the store, because of the pandemic. We called the dollar store, the florist, the stationery store, and the hookah store, but they all refused for the same reason. Our plans were falling apart. Who wants to do a parade with droopy balloons without any helium? Was this another casualty of the pandemic? This is when Sophia remembered the Halal supermarket where she bought "loosies," when no one else would sell us anything but a $20 full pack of cigarettes for a photo shoot we did recently. Would they also be able to blow up our balloons during this parade crisis of ours? Thank you, Halal Supermarket, for making our Thanksgiving Day a special one. You just made America great again! January 31, Quarantine in Queens, Day 320. Every day, my mother is doing physical therapy to heal her hurt shoulder, meaning she is the only one in this household doing any exercise. She's actually quite amazing. In two weeks, she gets her second vaccine. We have even nicknamed her "The Thunderbolt." It is also, according to some sources, the name of her top-secret space laser that she will soon launch to cause more wildfires in California. TPL: The images are quite humorous - does this reflect how the three of you took the entire situation? How much truth is there in these pictures? The humor in the photos was one of the most confusing aspects of the project. The humor is funny, of course, but it was frequently a coping mechanism to express our own anxieties, and even though some of the shots are over-the-top, they were pretty serious. I think the best humor comes from a real place. This is a question I get asked a lot, and the best way to answer it is to say “it is true to me.” I'm not a journalist, and the shots are staged in a theatrical manner, but they are all based on truth. My mother did walk in on me when I was in the bathtub, but the photo is a dramatization of the moment which is better composed and lit by speedlights. TPL: How did it feel for you to become part of the picture? As photographers we are usually behind the camera, most of us are a bit "camera-shy". (Of course there are exceptions, some photographers choose to make a lot of self-portraits.) NK: Over the last seventeen months, I have taken so many self-portraits, including ones where I am naked, and I have no idea where this side of me was before. I rarely took self-portraits before the pandemic. I don’t have much interest in myself visually. Probably the real reason for so many self-portraits is that it is hard to motivate your impatient family for so many months without them getting pissed at you, so I decided to take more self-portraits because I knew I was always available at 3am. TPL: Now that a degree of normalcy seems to have returned to life in New York City, do you have a different appreciation of life? What are some of the things you missed especially during lockdown? NK: It’s funny how things so quickly change. If you asked me these questions two weeks ago, I would have a different answer. Now all of a sudden, the Delta variant is here, and some countries are going back into lockdown. NYC has achieved some level of normalcy, and the greatest gift is seeing friends again. But it's summer now, and we can all meet outside. I’m worried about the fall and winter months, even if we are vaccinated. What we say, what we do, and what we think can all be different, even when confronted with the same situation, and I like to show the contrast between what I show and what I think. TPL: We read somewhere that you are a member of Photographers Under Confinement: Engaging Corona Around the World. What does this association do, and how many members does it have? NK: It’s a Facebook group consisting of hundreds of photographers from around the world, all sharing their pandemic photos on social media. The pandemic has almost become an artistic category nowadays, and there are competitions of Covid-19 related photos. For me, the group was more special - a way to see that this pandemic was truly international. That none of us was alone. This world is so small, and interconnected. It didn’t matter if you were in America, Africa, Asia, or wherever, you had a pandemic story. TPL: In general regarding your photography, where do you find your inspiration to create? NK: I feel that I am a storyteller. I always loved stories. Even reading stories as a child. And photography is a great way to tell stories. At the same time, I do feel that photography can be limited in what it can express. That’s why I usually include text with the photo, which I think are equally as important. I don’t feel that it is “cheating” but a way to tell a fuller picture of myself. What we say, what we do, and what we think can all be different, even when confronted with the same situation, and I like to show the contrast between what I show and what I think. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? NK: Photographers I love: Diane Arbus, Nan Goldin, and Richard Avedon. Currently, I am inspired by the humor of Martin Parr and the intimacy of Elinor Carucci. April 6, Quarantine in Queens, Day 385. "I feel like we're in limbo," said Sophia, as we watched Murder She Wrote with my mother. "We're all vaccinated, but there are still too many variants to travel anywhere. "That gives me an idea for a photo. How about we're all doing the limbo?" "The limbo?" "You know - the "How low can you go?" dance. Like a metaphor of our living situation after vaccination. We're in limbo. We're all dressed up and ready to go, but we're waiting for the rest of the world to get vaccinated. For the bar to go higher." "That doesn't work because when you do the limbo the bar goes lower, not higher." "What does it matter? It's just a metaphor. Being in limbo. Living between heaven and hell." "You know, I'm not sure anyone under 40 even knows what the limbo is." "Of course they do," I said, turning to my mother. "Mom, everyone knows the limbo, right? "Chubby Checker," replied my mother. "You see, Sophia? Everyone knows the limbo." "Everyone who watches Murder She Wrote knows the limbo." June 10, Quarantine in Queens, Day 451. OK, we made it through the first hurdle of meeting friends outside, but what happens when it is ninety degrees outside? It feels like a heatwave in NYC...in June. Climate change, anyone? Should my mother now meet friends inside a restaurant and take the mask off? It might be less healthy for her to sit outside in the heat. Some people can never get a break. March 20, Quarantine in Queens, Day 368. Ever since my mother received her vaccine, she has been acting like a woman released from prison, which in her case, means she can go to the supermarket again, something she was deprived of for over a year. But since there are still Covid variants out there, my mother cut a parole deal with Sophia that she can only go shopping as long as she is at the doors by 7AM when the store first opens. So now, every morning, I hear the clang clang clang of her decades old shopping wagon banging into the front door or the wall, while I'm trying to sleep. There are three supermarkets within walking distance of our apartment building, one of the reasons my parents chose to live here in the first place. Yesterday, my mother came home from Aron’s with a 5-pack of Passover matzoh. The Jewish holiday is in 2 weeks. "Aron’s is trying to get everyone back inside with these incredible deals. Five boxes of matzoh for $2.99!" "That's great," I said and fell back asleep, my ribs still hurting from when I fell off the unopened sofa bed two days earlier. Sophia had taken me to urgent care that day, but the line was so long for Covid tests, I decided to just skip the x-ray. This morning, my mother again banged the door and wheeled her wagon into the kitchen, having just shopped at Key Food. "You're not going to believe this," she said as she pulled out another huge 5-pack of matzoh from her steel chariot. "Key Food gives you a free 5-pack of matzoh if you spent $50! And tomorrow, I'm going to Food Universe for a buy one, get two free sale! "Why do we need so much matzoh?" I asked. We're still in a pandemic. No one is coming over for Passover." "You never know who might show up." Sophia stepped into the room, having been awoken by our conversation. We talk THAT loud in our home. "We do know who will be here for Passover," said Sophia. "Just the three of us. Unless the prophet Elijah shows up." "OK, I'll admit it. This has nothing to do with Passover. I just really missed going shopping." As they say in the Passover Haggadah, "Last year, we were slaves in Egypt. This year, we are slaves to Key Food." June 30, Quarantine in Queens, Day 471. Neil, to Sophia at 7AM in the morning at breakfast: "This has always been our biggest problem. We need to talk more about our inner emotions, to understand each other deeply, to express what's really in our hearts!" Sophia: "zzzz." Actually, Sophia has been having trouble sleeping at night, and I'm a little concerned. She's tried everything from listening to nature sounds to giving up Diet Coke. July 3, Quarantine in Queens, Day 474. I need to be strong. I need to be fit. I need to fight aging. I need to be successful. I need to be smart. I need to be good. I need to be sexual. I need to be respected. I need to admired. I need to be loved. Ok, I think one push-up is a good start for today. September 29, Quarantine in Queens, Day 195. I had a dream last night and I was wearing a mask - in the dream. And even though I was asleep, I was able to question myself, "Why am I wearing a mask in this dream? I don't need to wear one in my inner life, in my private thoughts, or especially, in my dreams? Is the pandemic now inside my head?" TPL: When you take pictures, do you usually have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? Please describe your process. What camera/s do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? NK: For this project, I usually start with something that happened to me personally that day, and the photo and text becomes a visual diary of that day. The image usually comes first, and then the text expands on it. I use a crop sensor Sony 6400. Nothing fancy. And because so many photos have been in my super-dark apartment, I've gotten much more skilled in using my inexpensive Godox speed lights. I've also started to tether my photos to my laptop because it allows me to be in my own photos. And because the interiors are so small, I've tended to use a Sigma 16mm wide angle lens for almost all of the interior shots, a lens I rarely used before. TPL: Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? Are there any special projects you are currently working on other than the quarantine project that you would like to let everyone know about? NK: Oh, boy. It has been such a weird year and a half. It is hard to know what I’m doing next month. I’ve had some offers from publishers to make Quarantine in Queens into a book, but since I’m still working on it, even after 500 days of posts, I’ve been procrastinating. I’ll also be showing some of my work at international festivals during the fall and winter. I’d like to move on to other projects, but this pandemic just won’t end, will it? TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… NK: Eat in restaurants, explore the city, go to museums, watch movies, go to the theater, travel. Almost everything that has been hard to do the last year and a half. Hopefully, we’ll all get vaccinated and we can move on to normal life again soon." Simultaneously humorous and compassionate, Neil's lockdown diary has gone viral. The Pictorial List thanks Neil for sharing with us his journey through the pandemic, and life in the moment, allowing himself to engage in his way of creative thinking. Go live in the moment with Neil and follow him on Instagram or visit his website. VIEW NEIL'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. 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.

I have always considered art as a therapy for my personal well-being and I believe that it’s become a fundamental part of my existence. Photography, as a symbolic and non-verbal language, same as all the other artistic disciplines in which I engage, allows me to create and visualise a bridge that connects my very hidden inner self with the real world. I am really into the faces that are not fully visible and it represents me, in particular. The contrast between visible and apparently visible generates some kind of interest in the observer. A feeling that opens the doors of imagination, disorienting the common sense that makes things already fully visible. NSIRIES I have always considered art as a therapy for my personal well-being and I believe that it’s become a fundamental part of my existence. Photography, as a symbolic and non-verbal language, same as all the other artistic disciplines in which I engage, allows me to create and visualise a bridge that connects my very hidden inner self with the real world. I am really into the faces that are not fully visible and it represents me, in particular. The contrast between visible and apparently visible generates some kind of interest in the observer. A feeling that opens the doors of imagination, disorienting the common sense that makes things already fully visible. LOCATION Bologna ITALY CAMERA/S Sony A7 WEBSITE https://nsiries.com/ @NSIRIES FEATURES // Not Fully Visible

I started helping in my mother's darkroom when I was 12 (1993), since than I tried a lot and always took it very seriously. Photographer, Acrobat, Juggler, Communication Scientist, Videographer/Director of Photography, Video Production Manager, Film Director, Father of two girls (3yrs and 3 months). I pay my rent with commercial video productions I do with my company Look-Zoom Film Production in Berlin. But I always look for new perspectives and angles. Since late nineties street photography is my hobby and source of inspiration for my works. Until today I am in love with super wide angle lenses and looking for human stuff on the streets. Besides that perspective thing I like to document injustice that I meet everywhere. JAN GESSLER I started helping in my mother's darkroom when I was 12 (1993), since than I tried a lot and always took it very seriously. Photographer, Acrobat, Juggler, Communication Scientist, Videographer/Director of Photography, Video Production Manager, Film Director, Father of two girls (3yrs and 3 months). I pay my rent with commercial video productions I do with my company Look-Zoom Film Production in Berlin. But I always look for new perspectives and angles. Since late nineties street photography is my hobby and source of inspiration for my works. Until today I am in love with super wide angle lenses and looking for human stuff on the streets. Besides that perspective thing I like to document injustice that I meet everywhere. LOCATION Berlin GERMANY CAMERA/S Canon 5DSR + Sigmar Art Lens WEBSITE https://jangessler.com/ @JAN_GESSLER @GESSLERJAN FEATURES // The Gessler Perspective

CITY DOUBLE LIFE Using the beauty of black and white, Martin Agius sees the people as actors, performing for him within the scene he wants. CITY DOUBLE LIFE November 3, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Martin Agius INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Martin Agius is a renowned photojournalist and street photographer with a remarkable career that has spanned decades. Born in Malta, Martin was exposed to the magic of photography at a young age. Starting his journey with the only medium available at the time – camera film – Martin soon found himself in the employ of the Armed Forces of Malta as their Official Photographer. After retiring from service, he made the transition to freelance photography and photojournalism for a leading newspaper. For the past ten years, Martin has dedicated himself to the creative art of street photography. His vivid images capture the geometries of his surroundings, from architectural aesthetics to the warmth and beauty of light and dark shadows. He views his subjects as actors within the scene, ‘performing’ for him in captivating ways that draw in the viewer. Martin’s works are renowned for their evocative power, making them must-see pieces of art. “I developed my way of street photography by using the geometries of the surroundings of the architecture with the harsh sunlight and beautiful dark shadows. Shooting very early in the morning or when the sun is going down, gives you long shadows and the nice golden light is magnificent.” IN CONVERSATION WITH MARTIN AGIUS THE PICTORIAL LIST: Martin please tell us about yourself. MARTIN AGIUS: I was born in Malta in 1966 and lived all my life so far on this tiny island. When I was 18 years old I joined the Armed Forces of Malta until I retired at the age of 44 years old. While I was still in the Army I did my first photography course back in 2008 I decided to take my photography to another level by enrolling for courses organised by the local photographic societies. In July 2009, soon after passing an accredited course in photography, I was appointed the official photographer for the Armed Forces of Malta. On retiring from the Armed Forces of Malta in 2010, I then began my career as a freelance photographer and as a photojournalist for a leading newspaper. In the same year, I was also asked to be the official photographer for ‘Gladiators Fight Night’ (a sports activity with local and foreign participants), a role I still have today. In 2012, I obtained an Associateship with the Malta Institute of the Professional Photography (MIPP) and subsequently abroad with the Societies’ Photographic Society in the United Kingdom (SWPP). The panel I presented for these qualifications where in the Fashion & Glamour genre. 2013 brought about a new experience for me when I was asked to judge a number of local and overseas competitions as well as qualification panels. I have been organising street photography workshops since 2015 and also lecture locally on Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. I have also notched several Gold, Silver and Bronze awards in the Societies Monthly Competition (SWPP) and was also awarded the Societies prestigious UK Press & News Photographer of the Year. In November 2016, I organised my first solo exhibition called ‘Malta Street Life’ and also have had my works exhibited in Egypt, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, and in 2020, Japan. Some of the photos which are either published in local and overseas foreign media or in national and international competitions. TPL: How much does street photography in particular play a role in your overall photography experience. What is it that you love about this genre? Where or how do you find inspiration? MA: Street photography has become part of my life where I cannot live without it. I am fortunate that I am a photojournalist which helps in being very observant, act fast to shoot and also I get many street photography opportunities while on journalistic jobs. I developed my way of street photography by using the geometries of the surroundings of the architecture with the harsh sunlight and beautiful dark shadows. Shooting very early in the morning or when the sun is going down, gives you long shadows and the nice golden light is magnificent. In my opinion, this golden light enriches my images, even though I convert my images into black and white. I also underexpose a bit so I have those shadows darker but still have detail in them. I started the project 'City Life' over eight years ago when I decided that it was time to do something with my images. The name ‘City Life’ came to my mind for this project. Since I was shooting street photography this was what I was doing, documenting a city life. This is an ongoing project, which has evolved into my solo exhibitions, talks and even tutoring. I go out and practice street photography very often, doing research and studying light in the streets. Going out shooting and returning with nothing good will still be a success as the shoot served as a training session for my mind and eyes. Failure was not actually going out to shoot. While going around in the streets, I love listening to the sounds around me especially when it is very early in the morning and the place is starting to get up to the new day. Watching the people passing by, how the light falls on their faces. Who is in a hurry, because he is late or who is going slow because he is not hundred percent awake. Sometimes a sound gets your attention and you might get a photo opportunity. TPL: Talk to us about your double exposure work. What was the idea behind the series. What is it that you want the viewer to take away from your work? MA: I have started street photography by shooting everything that catches my eye, then I moved on to Fine Art street photography especially playing with harsh light and dark shadows. Living in Malta we get harsh light nearly all year round so this helps a lot and I wanted to make the most of it. I am always thinking about how to improve and be creative. I always loved seeing other photographers double exposures (which were not street related) and I always said to myself I want to try these. Then one day the idea came to do double exposures with street photography images. It was last year when the Covid-19 Pandemic hit the world that I decided to give it a try. I did my first double exposure with one image from Malta and one image from London. It is already hard enough to combine these kind of images and doing them with one image from Malta and one image from London is much harder but I wanted to continue with my ‘City Life – From Malta to London’ projects, talks, tutoring, workshops etc. The first image was a real success which won me many awards, a lot of appreciations and it was also chosen as a front cover for a street photography magazine, which was a great honour. TPL: What are some tips or advice you would give yourself if you started photography all over again? MA: First and foremost is to invest in yourself first by doing courses and workshops. Learning by yourself is good but if you want to improve and advance in photography you need to learn from someone. Joining a photography club helps a lot as they can guide you better and also they offer talks, competitions, critique and courses and workshops. Don’t be shy to show your images and get constructive critique. When you decide which genre you would like to practice then you can see what is the best equipment you can buy to help you more in that kind of genre. Equipment is not everything, it needs to be you and your eyes first. A good note to beginners is, that having a passion is not enough to improve and succeed but you also need to be disciplined and commit yourself. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us? MA: I have a lot of favourite photographers who inspire me and also give me motivation. From the past, I admire Fan Ho, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Steve McCurry, Don McCullin, Saul Leiter and many more. Nowadays, I follow Umberto Verdoliva, Sean Tucker, Ando Fuchs, Kai Ziehl, Joshua K. Jackson and many others. TPL: When you are out shooting - how much of it is instinctual versus planned? MA: When I am out I am always looking for a clean nice background with harsh light and dark shadows for my Fine Art images but I also go around to find a character for my double exposures. So one can say that I practise both. I have learned to be the hunter and the fisherman while shooting street photography. Being a hunter was going around to find that candid shot or the right character passing by in the street. As a fisherman, it was finding a composition and background and wait for the right subject to pass. This requires a lot of patience, time and often the study of light and how it affects the areas I am shooting in. This included photographing scenes with harsh sunlight and deep shadows in a minimalistic way, using the drama of high contrast. When I see the scene that I like, I will top and study it, if I am lucky and the light is right I will wait for the right subject to pass, if not, when I get back home I go on the 'Photo Ephemeris' and calculate when it is the right time to go and shoot in that location. In fact, one location where I wanted to shoot in Valletta, Malta, it was only possible with help of the 'Photo Ephemeris' as when researching I found out that the light I wanted to shoot in, only lasts for about ten minutes and you have to also be lucky that the right subject passes in that narrow of time. While going around in the streets, I love listening to the sounds around me especially when it is very early in the morning and the place is starting to get up to the new day. TPL: Where do you like to go to photograph? MA: I visit London very often and I consider it my second home. I decided to do the project 'City Life' with a mixture of images taken in Malta (mainly in Valletta the Capital City) and London (being the Capital City of England). Malta is my home country and London, England my second home. Both places have an interesting mixture of old and new buildings and diverse cultures. Apart from street photography, I strive to document people and their way of life. In Malta it is very easy for me to shoot in harsh sunlight since we have the sun nearly all year round. In London, this is a bit difficult since the sun is not so common especially when I am visiting just for a week. This does not make me give up and I always try to find new stuff to shoot, like museums and the underground. In fact, I have included these in my project as you can also get great images with the geometries and the indoor lighting or a light coming in from a window or door. 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? And, describe your editing process to us. MA: Well, I always believed that equipment is not everything. I learned to work with what I have. Ok, some genres of photography require certain equipment but one has to be creative first as the equipment doesn’t do the job for you. My all time favourite lens was always the Canon 24-15mm f/4 as it is an all-rounder lens, which I use in most of my work. Recently I bought the Canon R6 mirrorless camera with the 24-105mm f/4 lens and I love it. I also just bought the 35mm f/1.8 lens to have less weight to carry. I shoot from two paces away to very wide. I always keep the editing part of the images very near to the journalistic rules which is the nature of my work. I only crop, level and straighten, adjust the white balance, dodge and burn. I edit in 16 Bit and save in 8 Bit. I convert the images into black and white as I want to give the viewers the feel of the past and present as well as reduce colour conflict. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? MA: As always, I want to keep improving and be more creative. I am doing well in tutoring and talks locally and want to improve it as well. I am also looking for opportunities abroad for Talks, Workshops etc. I already did a few and also judged photography competitions in the United Kingdom but I would like to do more. I have recently started a Blog on my website and want to improve this. I also wrote some articles which were published in street photography magazines and also had some interviews like this one and podcasts. All in all, I am doing well and I want to keep improving this. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? MA: One of my other projects which are getting popular as well is called Street Photography Texture. It is a very simple one, I just add a textured image layer to a Fine Art Street Photography image using Blend Modes in Photoshop and you end up with a totally different style of image. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… MA: When I am not photographing or editing images, I like to read a lot about photography, watch Photography Blogs on YouTube and now I have started writing articles for my Blog and magazines. I also do meditation and listen to motivational stuff or read. These keep me inspired and help me be more creative. One final note ‘Never Give Up’. Martin's unique photography style captures the beauty of black and white and truly brings the people within his scene to life. He has the ability to capture moments of emotion and beauty that could otherwise be forgotten. Visit Martin's website and follow him on Instagram today to explore his stunning photography and witness the beauty he captures with black and white. VIEW MARTIN'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. 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.

ORDINARY INTIMACY Photography for Claudia Orsetti is a way of knowing places and people and their stories, but also knowing herself. ORDINARY INTIMACY June 26, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Claudia Orsetti INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Italian Photographer Claudia Orsetti is an architect, but as long as she can remember has been photographing "things". She has lived in Switzerland, Tokyo, New York, and London, before moving to Amsterdam at the beginning of 2020. Photography for her is a way of knowing places and people and their stories, but also knowing herself. She is most interested in the "obvious things", the imprecise moments without expectations, the reality where you think there is nothing to see. She is attracted by contradictions and those often become the centre of her work. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. - Samuel Beckett “I remember I printed it and hung it over my desk, when I was doing my master diploma and somehow it stuck with me in everything else afterwards. I am someone who jumps into the high water and just does. Sometimes...a little bit too fast! But I would say that this attitude of not being afraid of doing something (therefore potentially failing at it) has been proven to bring very interesting and unexpected turns in my life!” IN CONVERSATION WITH CLAUDIA ORSETTI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Claudia, when did you start getting interested in photography? CLAUDIA ORSETTI: Honestly, I don’t know...I don’t remember. I think it must have been at the beginning of highschool, my parents got me a camera for me to play around, but back then it was not a priority. I guess when I was around 20 and I started travelling for real, that was the switch: seeing realities so different from mine pushed me to somehow find a way to express what I was seeing. Photography was my way of telling back the stories of people and places I encountered. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? CO: I find that a very difficult question and the most honest answer (probably also boring!) is that I find my inspiration everywhere. I am an eager observer and a good listener, and I think that is always the beginning of a story. So if by inspiration you mean how do I start any project, I would say that is it. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? CO: I am in love with the photos of Luigi Ghirri and Guido Guidi. That minimalism way before the instagram square, which was almost ermetic is super poetic for me, and allows the viewer to complete the image the way he wants. I find incredible the frame cutting of Alex Webb, the genuine and disarming honesty of Sebastiao Salgado and the irony of Tony Ray Jones. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? CO: Absolutely and necessarily. I’d like to think I constantly grow and evolve as a person, and that brings me to new perspectives and more banally new knowledge and technology. Therefore my focus on things shifts and so does the way I portray them. Also I believe that one develops a style through time; I think your own style is not just the same pinkish filter you add to your shots, it’s something deeper, an overarching theme or mood which at some point you’ll realize is your own. TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? CO: Iceland. I adore that place and I keep going back every other year. I just feel good there and I love driving so...it’s my perfect place. It’s surreal, primordial, moody, extreme, and it’s different every time. It is mainly about landscape obviously. I also love shooting on the streets, when travelling especially. Somehow my mind gets into a different dimension and I feel open and receptive to many more things, which consequently allows me to get closer to people and their stories. I am an eager observer and a good listener, and I think that is always the beginning of a story. TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a better photographer? What are your tips or advice for someone in your genre? CO: Be curious. Be open and generous, meaning be ready to open yourself up to others and listen, and let unexpected circumstances drive you on different paths that you haven’t considered. In that sense also be very resilient, be able to adapt and yet be stubborn in pursuing what you want. Allow a lot of time. Shooting is just a part of a photographic project, then you need time to reflect, to research, to think, to write perhaps, and most probably to shoot more. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? CO: This is the classic tricky question as I guess everyone will tell you that a good photographer is good regardless of the equipment. It’s the mind and the eye that makes the photographer. Nonetheless, the right equipment does allow you to reach the level of expression that you aspire to, so yes it is important, but, if we reverse it, an amazing camera doesn’t make you a good photographer! To someone starting out I would say experiment and explore a lot. Try different cameras, old, new, film, digital, colour, b&w, anything. But do go out a lot to take a lot of pictures. That is essential. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? CO: Well, I am actually an architect by training, so yes! Although architecture is an incredible mix of science, art, technology, business, sociology, and communication. But hey....so is photography. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on? CO: I’m currently working on a few things. One project is called IRAN IS PINK, and it is using the colour pink as a thread to talk about the women in Iran. Pink is a colour that has gone from being a symbol of fragile femininity to being punk and strong: it has become feminist. And the story starts on the Maharlu Lake, which is a salt lake (hence pink) south of Shiraz. The project is still evolving, not sure how, but will definitely become more rich than what it is now...at least I hope so! I’m also working on a self-published book called ORDINARY INTIMACY, which is a project born during the quarantine. Nothing to do with photos in the domestic environment...instead it is a collection of photos of ordinary things and moments without expectations, which I found by looking back into my archive. They were shots I didn’t remember, and lots of them I didn’t remember when or where I took them, but those things or moments were so ordinary, so easily identifiable, that you could project any similar memory into that. So that process became the project...which is also still in evolution! Last but not least a series called SUSPENDED, which is ongoing. TPL: “If I wasn't photographing what would I be doing? CO: As I said before, I am also an architect, so that is what I am actually doing together with photography! I’d like to be an event organizer, to be honest, which I do sometimes, but not professionally. Nonetheless I always say that if I had to choose something else completely, I would grow and sell plants and flowers. My house is a small jungle!” Photography is a way for Claudia to gain an understanding of places, people, and their stories, but it is also a way for her to gain an understanding of herself. Follow Claudia on her photography journey through the links below. VIEW CLAUDIA'S PORTFOLIO Read INFORMAL REALITIES by Claudia Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. 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.

PICTORIAL STORY ABYSSINIAN DIARIES With his camera in hand, Rpnunyez wanted to capture the real Ethiopia. In his own words, these are his tales of a futile journey. November 25, 2022 PICTORIAL STORY photography RPNUNYEZ story RPNUNYEZ SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link I wanted to check, camera in hand, if the real Ethiopia is as they describe it: an extraordinary, exciting, exotic country; mountains of exuberant vegetation and volcanic depressions where life is barely possible, glass-enclosed towers of extemporaneous luxury surrounded by oceans of humble tin dwellings, rock-hewn churches and legendary holy cities of Islam, orthodox rites with millennial traditions and tribal ceremonies that have barely varied since the Bronze Age. Nothing could be further from reality. Nothing exotic. Are their tribal dances essentially different from our popular festivals? No strange rituals. Are their scarifications stranger than our cosmetic surgeries? Are their celebrations based on fermented sorghum different from our large bottles? No extraordinarily good or excessively evil people. Have divine or human laws, lived here or there, prevented the human species from ceasing to be what it essentially is? Are their crooks, swindlers or abusers worse than ours for not wearing Armani? No incomprehensible tragedies, exiles or great migrations. Don't we already live among them without being aware? There, as here, what is extraordinary, what is exciting, is life itself, ordinary life, ordinary life even anodyne, that same life that wherever it appears - among gold or among filth - floods us with dreams and hopes, with laughter and tears, with irrepressible desires to love and be loved, with the memory of the past, with the hope in the future. Here, we, blinded by our persistent ethnocentrism, exacerbate their lack of freedom - polygamy, foreign religions, ancestral customs. Here, we are, as slaves of our mortgage contracts, slaves of our labor contracts, slaves of our exorbitant consumerism...are we, perhaps, freer than those we judge, perhaps rightly, as oppressed? Here, we, owners of almost everything except time, devour thousands and thousands of images from "other worlds", but we have a moral obligation to observe them, to go beyond their aesthetic dimension, to use them to understand who we really are. Perhaps we will discover that these "other worlds" are not such. This is the story of a useless trip: nothing I saw was essentially strange to me but, paraphrasing Celaya - "I keep hoping that photography is not just a cultural luxury consumed by neutrals who, washing their hands, disregard and evade." ABYSSINIAN DIARIES I // Ethiopia : A country between the past and the future Situated at an altitude of 2300m in the western border of the Great Rift Valley, with more than three million registered people, not taking into account an undetermined amount of them who survive in an administrative limbo. Addis Abeba is a city with enormous, sometimes cruel, contrasts. The raised tram, recently built by the Chinese, crosses the city similar to a giant dorsal spine which symbolises a great metaphor of the Ethiopia of the beginning of the 21st century: a tense pulse between past and future, between poverty and wealth, between patriotic affirmation and neocolonialist economy. A tram, perhaps, for hope. Substantial national and international businesses and next-generation enveloping crystal buildings, analogous to enormous distant islands, let themselves be seen to children, the youth and to the elderly who survive between the ordinary, mundane misery and the enigmatic presence of a new unreachable world. Like in any other metropolis, in no other city of Ethiopia can such a big number of disinherited people be found. There is almost no space for optimism in an ever-repeated story. Similar to an immense onion, adjacent layers and layers unconnected to each other; take over quite rapidly from streets full of luxurious jewelry to small settlements of modest homes of undulated plate. Amidst them, aging grand houses whose origin can be traced back to the brief Italian incursion, try to futilely maintain the colonial ambient mixed with misery and dignity. People of all kinds, prostitutes in shacks who offer themselves to passers-by next to their own children, thieves, pickpockets…And among all of them, in vast numbers, hundreds of white mannequins who, in spite of their static way of living, bear stoically, like a metaphor, the enormous contradictions of the world they have been placed in. To the north, around Lake Tana, millenary religious traditions coexist in perfect harmony. At the start of every day, the morning fog envelops the peninsula of Zége. Covered by thick vegetation where wild coffee beans are found in abundance; a natural habitat of a multitude of tropical species that is the location of one of the most impressive abbeys of the area: Ura Kidane Mehret. The religion, be it orthodox Christian or Muslim, is radically present in the public and private life of the Ethiopian people. Mosques, churches, orthodox priests, veiled Muslim women, kneeling people and muezzins of both religions are part of the urban and rural landscape. Mothers and grandmothers alike in their white tunics with their babies over their shoulders, or teenagers recite their pledges in the intimacy of some isolated nook. And hundreds of kilometres south of Addis… Sunset approaches in Arba, dozens of Chinese motorbikes, Indian tuk-tuks and lorries create an immense dust cloud which takes hold of the surroundings. It finally disappears when it confronts the interminable and dull routine of dozens of women and girl carriers who ascend from the River Kulfo to the highest place in Sikela; a journey close to twelve kilometres of length for which they get paid a miserable 50 birrs (approximately 2 euros). Their slow and steady pace, their almost horizontal trunk where they deposit their heavy load of wood, their arms exempt from any attempt of strength, their expression of painful resignation and their concentrated stare at the irregular floor beneath them so as to not fall, are images and emotions difficult to forget. When it seems that the only thing they can cope with is to perpetuate that monotone routine, they still have the strength to respond in an educated manner with a reverence and smile to the “selam” that I dedicate in a signal of respect and admiration. ABYSSINIAN DIARIES II // The Magic Mirror of Lalibela From hundreds of kilometres away and for days, weeks and even months, hundreds, thousands of pilgrims flock to Lalibela on the occasion of Genna, the Ethiopian Christmas. Lalibela, the African Jerusalem, is not only an extraordinary complex of monolithic churches, tunnels and secret passages; it is also an authentic journey to the beginning of our era. Piously welcomed by the locals with food and foot washing, the pilgrims accommodate themselves on the slopes of the mountain next to the set, unique in the world, of monolithic churches carved into red rock at 2450 metres of altitude. Hundreds of tunics, impeccably white, give an air of dignity to the environment and to those who accumulate so many days and fatigue on their cracked feet. Their humble and rural origin provides them with a genuine closeness and innocence, capable of breaking any language barrier and making it materially impossible to remain emotionally indifferent to them. They rarely allow themselves to be photographed individually because, for them, being photographed is an exceptional event full of hidden meanings. And that's precisely why this exceptionality provokes a subtle change of roles between the model and the photographer himself, who comes from a remote and unknown world for them. Their innocent gazes scrutinise us between fear and overconfidence; they disarm us of prejudices and return to us, like magic mirrors, those same questions that we want to ask them. ABYSSINIAN DIARIES III // The Banna of Key Afer and The Clan of Tifa Dabo They gradually get nearer the traditional meeting point. Today is market day in Key Afer, Red Land in Amharic. Starting at dawn, Harner, Banna, Tsmay and Ari carry, from tens of kilometers away, all types of products: fruits, vegetables, trinkets, wood and cattle, the essential richness of those ethnic groups. The market is a social act that promotes activity, it’s a place of exchanges, a meet-up point; so, it’s the ideal occasion to say farewell to friends and family who live at a distance of various days away. A few kilometres away, Wantó, who like the rest of the Banna, doesn't know her age, isolated in the savannah in a place with mythical resonances, Saba, lives peacefully with her husband, her numerous children, her sorghum plantation and her sling which she calls "rosso". Near them, Wado Gaya prepares an injection for his cattle, which is infected by the dangerous fly tsé tsé . Meanwhile, his wife Jinka Shello, helped by one of her six sons, prepares an infusion with coffee beans and a rudimentary campfire. The Banna relies on an economy of mere subsistence where the women, similar to the cattle, are a question of wealth for their family: each woman contributes her work and that of her children to the family. And on the opposite slope of the gentle hills of Yinya that shelter them, Tifa Dabo, head of a Banna clan, prepares himself for a special day: one of his teenage sons will have to celebrate his initiation ceremony, his passage to adulthood. Tifa is a rich man, his three wives Hailo, Faka and Barki, his 19 children, a considerable number of cattle, a ceremonial feather, a mirror, a pair of ragged pants, which he keeps as a real treasure, attest to this. From dawn, young bachelors gather around gourds filled with fermented sorghum; they laugh, joke and sharpen their "alphas" sheathed in rudimentary leather holsters decorated with multicolored beads. Meanwhile, one of Tifa's young daughters, decorated with face paintings, is looking for a young man with a bundle of wicker; she has the privilege of choosing the wicker with which she wants to be whipped and demonstrate with a leap forward, chest to chest, how willing she is to bear the hard burden that awaits her if she is finally accepted by her suitor. Her scars on her back, frequently bleeding, attest to her bravery and submission to tradition. Evening is falling in Yinya and millions of stars are already appearing on its hills. The increasingly distant echoes of the monotonous chants put an end to a ceremony repeated a thousand times for ages. Sunset in downtown Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2014. The elevated tramway, recently built by the Chinese, runs through the city like a huge spine, becoming, in the process, a great metaphor for Ethiopia at the beginning of the 21st century: a tense struggle between past and future, between poverty and wealth. © Rpnunyez Building under construction in local style in Merkato. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Merkato. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2014. To enter Merkato, the biggest market in the African continent and socioeconomic centre of the capital, is to make a trip to the Addis of the beginning of last century. To intern oneself in Merkato camera in hand requires, despite the renowned Ethiopian hospitality, a certain dose of cold-bloodedness if not recklessness; as you feel the pressure of the stares coming from all sides. © Rpnunyez Brothel house in Merkato. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2014. Group of women prostitutes with their children waiting for their clients at the door of their homes. © Rpnunyez Sugar cane seller Merkato. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez The Carrier. Downtown Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Shopping centre in Merkato. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Clothing shop in Merkato. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2014. Merkato is itself a world within the city. Flocks of goats competing with encroaching traffic of luxury 4WDs, endlessly unemployed people letting time pass in the mild euphoria of qat, porters of excessive volumes, executives in iridescent suits and miserable beggars whose lives are literally spent on the ground. And among all of them, everywhere, hundreds of white dummies who, even in their static way of life, stoically endure, like a great metaphor, the enormous contradictions of the world they have been placed in. © Rpnunyez Portrait of two women by the Grand Mosque of Bahar Dar, Ethiopia, 2016. I arrived in Bahir Dar, the Amhara heartland of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, days after visiting Lalibela, the African Jerusalem. By midday the heat was already unbearable and, seeking the shade of some gardens in the distance, I found myself under the huge minarets of the Great Mosque and, without interruption, I was surrounded by Ethiopian Muslims from all parts of the city making their way to the mosque for the usual prayers. I was again surprised, as I had been on previous occasions throughout the country, to realise how naturally Christians and Muslims live and relate to each other in Ethiopia. I took my time looking for the frame and waiting for someone to enter it. As luck would have it, these two girls dressed in impeccable chadors brought life to these two slender minarets illuminated by a blinding sun. © Rpnunyez Orthodox teenage girl praying alone. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2015. © Rpnunyez Ura Kidane Mihret Monastery. Zege peninsula, Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez Seminarian in a religious school Bahar Dar, Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez The great sacred tree “Warka” in Zege town, Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez Woman porter in Sikela Arba Minch. Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Bricklayer preparing traditional formwork for a new construction in Secha Arba Minch. Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Pilgrims staying in traditional stone houses in Lalibela. Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez Family of pilgrims during the Ethiopian Christmas. Lalibela Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez Shepherdess of Lalibela. Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez Young pilgrim arriving at the subway passages of Lalibela. Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez Pilgrims resting next to a monolithic church. Lalibela, Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez Subway labyrinths of Lalibela. Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez Orthodox altar boy during the Ethiopian Christmas "Genna". Lalibela, Ethiopia 2016. © Rpnunyez Bete Giorgis during Genna. Lalibela, Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez The Garden of Olives. Lalibela, Ethiopia, 2016. Dawn at San Giorgis. As the first light gradually hides the infinite number of stars in the unpolluted firmament, centuries-old olive trees are transformed into improvised retreats where lonely old men raise their psalms or into natural shelters where entire families prepare themselves for the final liturgy. © Rpnunyez A family of pilgrims resting next to a monolithic church in Lalibela. Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez Family of pilgrims in the subway labyrinths of Lalibela. Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez Family of pilgrims in Lalibela. Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez A family of pilgrims resting next to a monolithic church in Lalibela. Ethiopia, 2016. © Rpnunyez Key Afer Ethiopia. Market Day, 2014. Key Afer, red and dusty, is full of life on all four sides, even in the middle of the day, when the sun invites you to linger under the huge acacia trees. From dawn, from the nearby settlements, they slowly approach the traditional meeting point. Today is market day in Key Afer. The market is a social event that structures their life, it is a place of exchange, a meeting point, the ideal occasion to talk with acquaintances and relatives who live, perhaps, several days away. © Rpnunyez Jinka Shello protecting his sorghum plantation by shouting to the birds Saba. Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Wanto protecting his sorghum plantation with his sling. Saba, Ethiopia, 2014. Wantó, like the rest of the other Banna, doesn't know her age; isolated in the savannah in a place with mythical resonances, Saba, she lives peacefully with her husband, her numerous children, her sorghum plantation and her sling, which they call "rosso". © Rpnunyez Noon in the shadow of the Banna settlement in Yinya. Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Sunset on Saba Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Tifa Dabo is the leader of the clan and he is a rich man, his three wives Hailo, Faka and Barki, his 19 children, a considerable number of cattle, a ceremonial feather, a mirror, a pair of ragged pants, which he keeps as a real treasure, attest to this. © Rpnunyez The family pantry. Saba, Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Ceremonial paintings in Yinya, Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Young farmers Banna. Saba Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez From dawn, unmarried boys gather around gourds filled with fermented sorghum; they laugh, joke, dance and sharpen their knives "alpha" sheathed in rudimentary leather sheaths decorated with multicoloured beads. Young unmarried boys of the Tifa Dabo clan ready for a ceremonial dance. Yinya, Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Young marriageable girls welcome a potential suitor. Yinya Settlement. Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Young Banna girl in the apogee of a ceremonial dance. Yinya, Ethiopia 2014. © Rpnunyez Ceremonial paintings in Yinya, Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Banna teenager during his initiation rite in Yinya Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Ceremonial hairstyles in the Banna of Yinya, Ethiopia, 2014. © Rpnunyez Rpnunyez is a Spanish documentary photographer who does not photograph what he sees but what he says he is. He never thinks of his photographs as art objects or consumer items, and as he states, they have nothing to do with ephemerality either. Rpnunyez thinks of them as tools at the service of a simple idea so masterfully summarised by American photographer, Wayne Miller's words - “the universal truths of being human”. Rpnunyez firmly believes that, “the value of a photograph is shared, at least in equal parts, between the photographer and his models, who tolerate and accept his presence, who endure on many occasions his intrusion and insolence, and who in the end, are converted into paper and unaware of the passage of time, allow themselves to be observed, returning to us. like mirrors, some unknown part of ourselves.” In a certain sense, the photographer's job is none other than to compose stories where the central character and various visual clues weave a tapestry of sensations, of emotions, that give voice to that story. view Rpnunyez's portfolio Read an interview with Rpnunyez >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. 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