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My journey into the arts began with music. With a Level II Academic Diploma in Cello, I spent a decade performing as an orchestra professor and chamber musician, immersing myself in the world of sound, rhythm, and harmony. But creativity is fluid, and over time, my artistic expression found a new voice. For years, I worked in Visual Communication, always drawn to painting and the visual arts. Photography entered my life unexpectedly, a gift that sparked an unforeseen transformation. From the moment I picked up my first camera, I realized that I wasn’t interested in documenting the world as it is, but rather in reimagining it. Photography became my language — a way to translate emotions, memories, and perceptions into images that blur the line between reality and illusion. I began with documentary reportage, capturing moments of truth and human experience. But as my artistic voice evolved, so did my approach. My images now live in a space where layers of meaning intertwine, where elements dissolve and reconstruct themselves, creating fragmented realities that reflect my inner vision. This journey has led me to international recognition, with Honorable Mentions in competitions such as the Monochrome Photography Awards, ND Awards, Monovisions Photography Awards, Chromatic Awards, Tokyo International Foto Awards, IPA International Photography Awards, BIFA, and Trieste Photo Days. My work has been published in books and online magazines, further solidifying my place in the photographic world. LUISA MONTAGNA My journey into the arts began with music. With a Level II Academic Diploma in Cello, I spent a decade performing as an orchestra professor and chamber musician, immersing myself in the world of sound, rhythm, and harmony. But creativity is fluid, and over time, my artistic expression found a new voice. For years, I worked in Visual Communication, always drawn to painting and the visual arts. Photography entered my life unexpectedly, a gift that sparked an unforeseen transformation. From the moment I picked up my first camera, I realized that I wasn’t interested in documenting the world as it is, but rather in reimagining it. Photography became my language — a way to translate emotions, memories, and perceptions into images that blur the line between reality and illusion. I began with documentary reportage, capturing moments of truth and human experience. But as my artistic voice evolved, so did my approach. My images now live in a space where layers of meaning intertwine, where elements dissolve and reconstruct themselves, creating fragmented realities that reflect my inner vision. This journey has led me to international recognition, with Honorable Mentions in competitions such as the Monochrome Photography Awards, ND Awards, Monovisions Photography Awards, Chromatic Awards, Tokyo International Foto Awards, IPA International Photography Awards, BIFA, and Trieste Photo Days. My work has been published in books and online magazines, further solidifying my place in the photographic world. LOCATION Parma ITALY CAMERA/S Olympus E-M5 Mark II WEBSITE https://www.luisamontagna.com/ @LUISAMONTAGNAPHOTO FEATURES // That's How It Is

I am an Israeli based photographer and an electrical engineer by profession. Following a health crisis, I found myself seeking treatment in India and went through a life-changing journey. After returning home healthy I decided to realise my dream and learn photography. I am fascinated by the world of photography ever since, and I am especially keen about people photography of any kind, whether it is portraiture, street photography or culture photography – anything reflecting the humanity that we all share. For me, the act of photography has a meditative quality, feeling unified with the world around me at the present moment. SHARON EILON I am an Israeli based photographer and an electrical engineer by profession. Following a health crisis, I found myself seeking treatment in India and went through a life-changing journey. After returning home healthy I decided to realise my dream and learn photography. I am fascinated by the world of photography ever since, and I am especially keen about people photography of any kind, whether it is portraiture, street photography or culture photography – anything reflecting the humanity that we all share. For me, the act of photography has a meditative quality, feeling unified with the world around me at the present moment. LOCATION Tel Aviv ISRAEL CAMERA/S Sony Alpha 7iii WEBSITE https://1x.com/SharonEilon @SHARON.EILON.PHOTOGRAPHY @SHARON.EILON.1 FEATURES // Pursuing the Dream In the Spirit of History House of Mirrors

I am a journalist and I love photography, which allows me to freeze the world...to freeze the passing time. I love natural landscapes and cityscapes, the poetry of walkers and rainy days, the graphic design of shadows on sunny days. Adept in deep blacks and pure whites, I always try to preserve the shadows of my images. DAMIEN GORET I am a journalist and I love photography, which allows me to freeze the world...to freeze the passing time. I love natural landscapes and cityscapes, the poetry of walkers and rainy days, the graphic design of shadows on sunny days. Adept in deep blacks and pure whites, I always try to preserve the shadows of my images. LOCATION Brest FRANCE CAMERA/S Ricoh GRII, Nikon D7200, Olympus EM10 II @DAMGO29 FEATURES // Street Poetry

Kevin To is a street and documentary photographer who is currently based in Dahab, Egypt. Influenced by the photojournalists and humanists of the past, his aim is to create images that are reminiscent of the golden days of street and photojournalism but with modern subject matter. His images mainly focus on the relationship between certain groups of people and their immediate environments, how they interact with the physical world and the invisible social and political forces currently at play. KEVIN TO Kevin To is a street and documentary photographer who is currently based in Dahab, Egypt. Influenced by the photojournalists and humanists of the past, his aim is to create images that are reminiscent of the golden days of street and photojournalism but with modern subject matter. His images mainly focus on the relationship between certain groups of people and their immediate environments, how they interact with the physical world and the invisible social and political forces currently at play. LOCATION South Sinai EGYPT CAMERA/S Ricoh GR WEBSITE http://www.kevinqtophoto.com @KEVINQ.T FEATURES // Growing up Assala The Human Experience

BARE ESSENTIALS Shira Gold created a series of composite still lifes interrogating the patterns of human behavior and consumerism through Covid-19 in Canada. BARE ESSENTIALS April 22, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Shira Gold INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE As the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded, the world experienced a collective sense of insecurity and uncertainty. With changes to our everyday lives felt all around us, Vancouver based photographer Shira Gold was driven to examine the psychological and economic effects the pandemic had on consumerism and our behavior. Through her project BARE ESSENTIALS, Shira captures the essence of these fleeting moments, exploring how our relationship with mundane objects has shifted during times of crisis and uncertainty. With a focus on still life and landscapes as metaphors for themes common to us all, Shira’s photographs provide visual respite and a means to focus on intention and simplicity. By deconstructing and digesting the experiences that shaped us during this time, BARE ESSENTIALS shows us how we have adapted in order to survive, as well as holds up a mirror to reflect on the effects that our behaviors have on our environment. In this article for The Pictorial List, Shira takes us back to the beginning of the pandemic to discuss her project and how it has helped her to explore art's intersection with mental health and well-being. “In this series, I created conceptual portraits of utilizing these banal commonplace items made valuable through the threat of scarcity — manipulating their form to visually convey their meteoric metamorphosis into often elusive objects of desire. As they seemingly drift through the frame suspended in light - their beauty is ephemeral, undermined by the realization of their functionality, effect on daily life and the environment. The images take on a spectral and slightly ironic quality, calling attention to the dependence on single use goods, supply chain and the newly emerging consumer hierarchy exposed during the early days of the pandemic. These are the ‘bare essentials’ of our private lives.” IN CONVERSATION WITH SHIRA GOLD THE PICTORIAL LIST: Shira please tell us about yourself? SHIRA GOLD: I was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, a city surrounded by temperate rainforests, the Pacific Ocean, and incredible mountains. The city is a convergence of multiple cultures, tourism, outdoor adventure and a ton of film-making. Although I have lived in short fits and spurts elsewhere, Vancouver is my home. It’s where I work and live… a constant source of inspiration. TPL: What draws you to photography and art? How did your journey into photography begin? SG: My mother was an administrator at Arts Umbrella a visual and performing arts school for young people and had a great many creatives as friends, so I was raised around art and artists. I attended Arts Umbrella several days a week and explored a variety of art forms. When I was 11, I began taking darkroom photography. After just a few weeks I knew that photography was a way to articulate my internal voice and sensed it would become a vital part of shaping my world. In a word the experience was magical. To have found such a profound form of self-expression at that age felt like the greatest gift imaginable. It can be a bumpy road to growing up and having a camera to use as armour, and also as a means to engage with others, was incredibly important for an introverted extrovert like myself. When I had my camera with me, I felt fearless. In looking back at those early years experimenting with the camera and in post, it’s interesting to see that my aesthetic was already being formed. There were nods to minimalism and negative space, experimentation printing on mixed media, and compositions that involved multiple exposures both in camera in in the darkroom. Today, I am realizing my childhood dream and have a studio on Granville Island (one of the jewels of Vancouver) right across from the front door of Arts Umbrella, the school that introduced me to my future. I share the space with one of the most motivated and positive artists I know, abstract painter Amy Stewart @amystewart…full circle…full heart. TPL: Introduce your series BARE ESSENTIALS to us. How and why did this first manifest for you? What is the full story behind the project? What was the inspiration? SG: The initial months of the pandemic, when we were told to live and work within the confines of our homes, was a period where I took inventory of my life. I used the time to reflect on my priorities as a person and consider the importance of contributing good to the world. When I make art, I most often utilize narratives from my life as a catalyst. “Bare Essentials” was born from reflection on my fears of Covid personally and its impact on the community and the environment. I was incredibly moved by how the often-invisible essential workers faced the risks each day to maintain the supply chains and keep producing to keep food on our shelves in the midst of such chaos. I learned in these moments the importance of recognizing everyone for what they contribute to society. In the spring of 2020, after multiple unsuccessful hunts for ever-elusive essential goods, I humbly turned to online ordering of toilet paper, disposable masks and hand sanitizer. The oversized box arrived with much anticipation. Opening with delight, the relief was short-lived as reality hit – each item carefully wrapped in bubble-wrap, an almost comedic and devastating visual commentary of early pandemic times. I kept the packaging as a reminder of my contribution to the environmental impact of the pandemic and how I succumbed to the culture of fear driven consumption. Reflecting back on these moments informed and shaped the body of work BARE ESSENTIALS. The collection of composite still life imagery in BARE ESSENTIALS interrogates patterns of human behavior and consumerism as they were affected by Covid-19 in North America. Prior to the world being upended by the pandemic, everyday products such as toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, masks and other disposable goods were generally assumed to be in endless supply with little awareness of the complex systems that deliver them to retail. As the world shut down, these basic items suddenly became scarce, panic purchasing ensued causing goods to fly off the shelves often into the homes of those hoarding against imminent disaster. This abrupt shift in purchasing habits laid bare several uncomfortable truths about our culture of consumption while shining a light on the vital work of vulnerable workers tasked with creating manufacturing and distributing items for our basic comfort. In this series, I created conceptual portraits of utilizing these banal commonplace items made valuable through the threat of scarcity — manipulating their form to visually convey their meteoric metamorphosis into often elusive objects of desire. As they seemingly drift through the frame suspended in light - their beauty is ephemeral, undermined by the realization of their functionality, effect on daily life and the environment. The images take on a spectral and slightly ironic quality, calling attention to the dependence on single use goods, supply chain and the newly emerging consumer hierarchy exposed during the early days of the pandemic. These are the ‘bare essentials’ of our private lives. 'Covert' © Shira Gold 'Pulp Dreams' © Shira Gold 'Elusive Pursuit' © Shira Gold 'Undone' © Shira Gold 'Ephemeral Findings' © Shira Gold 'Wavelength' © Shira Gold 'Keepsakes' © Shira Gold 'It's Complicated' © Shira Gold 'Hide' © Shira Gold TPL: Talk to us about your method of working and experimentation before the final image. Did you know exactly what you wanted from the beginning? How long did each image take to create? SG: I have always worked a bit like a ‘mad scientist’, experimenting with new materials and new methods. How I go about realizing the final concept is often a messy and playful experience, which is a juxtaposition from post where everything is very precise and particular. My approach to creating work has never been linear, however the materials I ultimately use to convey the messaging in my series are always clear. I couldn’t guess how long each piece takes but there is generally a lot of revision. I most often work on multiple pieces at a time as I find it helps me not over work individual images and it tend to help me with eye fatigue. I will say that for as much as my art is rooted in minimalism, my work is deceptively time consuming. TPL: Does your project "Bare Essentials" differ from your previous work? Is this type of visual storytelling something you would like to pursue again in future projects? What do you think is your next chapter in your exploration with future projects? SG: BARE ESSENTIALS is a natural progression from my previous series THE FINE ART OF LETTING GO where I used mostly simple materials and found objects - combining them to tell a story. I think each series I have made relies heavily on visual metaphors and most often involves composite images. In “Bare Essentials” I evolved to incorporated scanography (utilizing flatbed scanners) along with traditional photography and light boxes as alternative light sources in my compositions. The materials I used were toilet paper, disposable masks, hand sanitizer, facial tissue, paper towel and plexiglass. I think my art will always be tied to my personal observations and experiences, and the stories flow naturally. I have just recently completed a new series entitled “By a Thread” which also incorporates photography and scanography, and I am gradually developing a series about neurodiversity…a body of work I have been cultivating for the last few years. My art is alert to the discomfort we all face in our daily lives and I want to turn pain and angst on its side to discover the beauty that accompanies our struggles. TPL: Do you have any favorite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? SG: Yukari Chikura’s work is profoundly moving, quiet, and powerful. She created a book entitled “Zaido” based on her documentation of the 1300 year old Japanese ritual by the same name. Yukari lost her father (something I can relate to as I lost my Mother at 26) and he came to her in a dream urging her to go to the village where he had lived a long time ago. The work documents her pilgrimage. I love the work of Ingrid Weyland. Her art focuses on the fragility of the environment in such a beautiful poignant way through creative landscapes. I love how she reimagines traditional landscape photography and find her art to be very thought provoking. My favorite painter is Gordon A. Smith. He is a Canadian modernist painter who lived to 99 years old and made a massive impact on the arts community in Canada. He was very much inspired by British Columbia landscapes and would incorporate collage in some of his series. Gordon A. Smith gave back to the community in many ways, through his creations and through his Marion & Gordon Smith Foundation which supports arts education. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to photograph with for a day...who would you choose? SG: Photography is a solitary practice for me. Though I adore so many photographers work, I choose to make imagery on my own. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? How much post-processing do you do? SG: I consider myself an emotive photographer and lean less on the actual equipment and more on synchronizing my eye and camera with my heart and mind, and then see the subject and concept expressed through composition and digital collage in post. I have a very lean camera bag - I shoot with a D800 and often use Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII together with my 55mm and 85mm prime lenses. 'Musings' © Shira Gold 'Current Fixations' © Shira Gold 'Torn Sheets' © Shira Gold 'Catch & Release' © Shira Gold 'Four Squares' © Shira Gold 'With or With You' © Shira Gold 'Two Ply' © Shira Gold TPL: Do you have a favourite art inspired quote or saying that resonates with you? SG: “You start blocking out things, and that's a really important part of taking a picture is the ability to isolate what you're - what you're concentrating on.” - Sally Mann Sally Mann was the first photographer I really connected with, and I could go on and on about how formative her work was. Her imagery really captivated me. My mom shared an article about her series “Immediate Family.” And I was transfixed. She has so many wonderful quotes! I love this one because it expresses exactly how I feel. Blocking out the noise is a huge part of my practice. When I am photographing everything around me, the busyness of my mind disappears, and I often am told there is a strong sense of stillness in my photos. For me that’s a great compliment as it means that my practice translates through in my imagery. TPL: Is there any advice that you would give yourself if you started photography all over again? SG: Find your community earlier. I always had the idea that to be an “artist” one needed to be a certain way. As I got older and found my people (I joined a female artist collective Thrive Artist Network and began working with an incredible art consultant Pennylane Shen @dazed.and.confusious) I really came to understand that artists are everyone in their own way. I think I spent too much time concerning myself with the concept of belonging. Feeling like an outsider didn’t hinder me from creating but it did prevent me from showing my work to a greater audience. Today there are so many opportunities to connect virtually, and for shy people such as myself it can feel a little easier to meet people online. Seek out those wonderful resources and find your people…Once you do…It might just change your life like it did mine. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… SG: Be with family. I love the small moments, walking in the woods, collecting sea glass with my kids, making meals together. These times are central to who I am. Hanging out with my family and being a part of the everyday is a precious gift. I also adore live music and cannot wait to take in a concert again! PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

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. BUY THE BOOK INSTAGRAM PRESTEL PUBLISHING read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

READERS Mildred Alpern proves it is never too late to learn photography. At 89 years of age, Mildred continues to expand her photographic horizons. READERS October 26, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Mildred Alpern INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Mildred Alpern grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. After a long career as a high school Advanced Placement European History teacher she is currently most interested in writing, editorial work, and photography. She found her passion in photography when the artist Christos set up the saffron "Gates" in Central Park in 2005. Starting with a four pixel Point and Shoot digital camera, she progressed to interchangeable lenses when Olympus introduced the mirrorless E-M5 in 2012. At the time she was in her early eighties, which goes to prove that it is never the wrong time for a new passion. Mildred scoured Central Park and Riverside Park for subject matter, while taking a class here and there to learn new techniques. She has had a number of her photos selected for curated exhibitions nationally and internationally, and she has had photo essays published in her local online newspaper, The West Side Rag. Mildred shares her photo series READERS, which stems from her fascination with the reader as a solitary and silent figure who is transported into a private world through the mental process of deciphering elaborate markings on a physical surface. Now aged 89, Mildred continues to expand her photographic horizons. “I was born and grew up in Boston, graduating from Girls’ Latin School and Boston University in 1953. I then moved to New York and worked as an economic researcher before marrying my Brooklyn-born husband. With two small children in tow, I earned a Masters in Teaching Social Studies at Columbia University’s Teachers College and began a thirty-five year teaching and writing career, with a prominent role in the development of the Advanced Placement European History curriculum and test. I now live in New York City and in Copake, New York, alternating between the two places. A four pixel Canon Elph Powershot was a 2004 Christmas gift from my son. It started me to take pictures.” IN CONVERSATION WITH MILDRED ALPERN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Mildred, you said you found a passion in photography when the Christo set up the saffron "Gates" in Central Park in 2005. Tell us more about that exhibition. What was it that was so inspiring about it and made you want to get more into photography? MILDRED ALPERN: Living on the Upper West Side, I trekked the few blocks to Central Park, where Christo and Jeanne-Claude were installing "The Gates" exhibit. The view of massive saffron fabric blowing in the breeze was magical under blue skies and during February gloomy snow days. Having retired, I had time to make the rounds each morning in different areas of the park. The landscape reminded me of Brueghel’s winter scenes with figures in varying activities. TPL: You told us that you are a former high school and college history teacher. Did you ever use photography as a teaching aid? Has your educational background influenced in some way the kinds of pictures you take? MA: In my European history classes, I had integrated fine art as a reflection of the time period in which the artist lived. Influenced by John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, I attempted to show how art of the past had influenced contemporary sensibilities in Western standards of beauty and gender roles. An atypical view of woman’s strength and power was Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith in her rendition of slaying Holofernes. How different was her interpretation from those of Botticelli, Caravaggio, and Klimt, among others. TPL: Do you have a favourite quote or saying that especially resonates with you? MA: In this time of Covid-19, my favorite expression, “everything turns on a dime,” is particularly apt. From one minute to the next, the unanticipated and unexpected may occur. Defenses are fragile, yet I like to think that we soldier on with good purpose. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? And do you have a favourite place to shoot? In general, what do you want to express through your photography? MA: I enjoy experimentation and the serendipitous, photographing the same scene with different lenses and focal lengths. I want to make pictures that I can bring home from my “shopping expedition” and download in my computer. Then comes the thrill of seeing them emerge full screen, to be processed and shared on occasion. In urban New York, people, buildings, and city streets capture my attention along with Central Park and Riverside Park happenings. In rural Copake, the changing seasons evoke the photographs of Eliot Porter, my favorite natural world photographer whose intimate nature scenes inspire me. But I am also inspired by the photographs and artistic dedication of Paul Kessel, Russ Rowland, and Susan Rosenberg Jones, contemporary friends on social media. I also have an interest in infrared photography, inspired by Nevada Wier . There is no end. Passions are driving forces that make life meaningful and never boring. I find pleasure in taking pictures and in looking at mine and others’. I hope that my images contain the unintended detail for Roland Barthes’ punctum effect (Camera Lucida), engaging the viewer to pause and reflect - the brim of a hat, a tattoo, a wicker chair... TPL: The project you shared with us is about readers. How did you come up with the idea for it? MA: The project stems from my fascination with the reader as a solitary and silent figure who is transported into a private world through the mental process of deciphering elaborate markings on a physical surface. Readers assumes varied poses in their temporary state of inactivity and equilibrium. We cannot know the thoughts of readers engaged in their activity. Even their poses do not give them away. Nor do the varied settings in which they pursue reading. It is best neither to disturb nor startle a reader, but to respect the private bubble in which they reside. I enjoy experimentation and the serendipitous, photographing the same scene with different lenses and focal lengths. 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? MA: The subjects of my photography are far and wide ranging. Armed with a couple of micro four-thirds Olympus cameras, Em5 and Em5 Mark II, and a variety of lenses, prime and zoom, which I alternate, for the fun of it, I set out by foot and in car, driven by my husband, to record whatever I fancy. TPL: You did not grow up in an Internet-based age. How do you feel about the various social media photo platforms that have made sharing photography with a large audience so easy? What advantages and disadvantages do you see in this? MA: I was teaching in the late 80’s when Apple computers became available and justified the effort to tackle the new learning curve. The ease of writing and editing was a great benefit in my work. As for the plethora of social media platforms, I find being selective, limiting my exposure to a narrow few prevents all day consumption of web sites. “Nothing in excess.” TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? MA: The only involvement that I have had in the artistic community was briefly through my daughter, Merry Alpern, whose Dirty Windows book and photograph series gained wide recognition in the 1990s. Dark room photography, her area, did not interest me. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? MA: In “Rural Byways,” a project I am currently working on in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, I hope to discover how a turn in a country road can disclose an unexpected sight in a mostly remote landscape. In five years, I hope to be still around. At 89, one cannot be sure, even though I may feel fine today. It would be nice to have a gallery showing in a Covid free world just for the fun of it. TPL: How does being a mature woman help or hinder your street photography? MA: Certainly being a mature woman has advantages. I am non-threatening and I know that. I try to be unobtrusive, but if I want a portrait shot, I ask permission, approaching in a friendly way, and respect a person’s wish not to be photographed, which is seldom. I also email willing subjects their photos if they wish. In the readers’ series, all photographs were taken without the knowledge of the subjects. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… MA: I like to read classic and contemporary novels and be with my family, also photographing them. PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

A CREATIVE PERSPECTIVE Fine art photographer Ingrid Clauwaert is a light searcher, impulsive and passionate, always looking for a creative perspective. A CREATIVE PERSPECTIVE March 10, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Ingrid Clauwaert INTERVIEW Bill Lacey Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Introducing Ingrid Clauwaert, a Belgian photographer with an exceptional talent for capturing mood in her work. Ingrid fully embraces each moment while exploring with her camera. With a keen sense of light, she is fueled by her unwavering passion and spontaneity, constantly seeking out new and groundbreaking viewpoints. Ingrid's unwavering dedication to her crafts are a testament to the power of pursuing one's passions. Her rich musical background includes violin, solfège, and harmony studies at the prestigious Bruges Conservatory, as well as a degree in psychology from the University of Gent. Ingrid has made her mark in a variety of musical genres, from classical orchestras to jazz, rock, and house bands. She currently resides in The Netherlands and serves as a public relations manager for an international company. Ingrid discovered her passion for photography at a young age, using an analog Minolta camera and learning the art of black-and-white photo printing in a traditional dark room. Though her music career temporarily took center stage, she recently reignited her passion for photography. Starting with her phone and quickly moving onto a digital camera, she now captures the essence of black-and-white street photography with renewed fervor. With an unwavering passion for photography, she specialises in capturing the essence of a single person through her masterful use of lighting, lines, graphics, and shadows, creating a sense of depth that is truly breathtaking. Her curiosity leads her to explore train stations, stairs, and bridges, uncovering the beauty hidden within them. But what truly sets her apart is her ability to take moody cinematic shots in foggy scenes, adding an extra layer of intrigue to every photo she captures. Every picture Ingrid takes tells a compelling story, leaving you mesmerized and yearning for more. The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. - W.B Yeats “I love to wander around when there is fog. I get up early, sometimes around 5am or 6am to achieve the best mood.” IN CONVERSATION WITH INGRID CLAUWAERT THE PICTORIAL LIST: Hello Ingrid, where do you find your inspiration? INGRID CLAUWAERT: I buy photography books, view accounts of fantastic photographers in different styles on Instagram so I can always be triggered to try something new. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? IC: Certainly, and it is still evolving! I started off with nature photography and now I focus mainly to fine art, always in search for that one human element framed into the light. Still I love different styles. And as I am still learning I try out other styles when I see an inspiring photo. TPL: Where is your favourite place(s) to photograph? IC: Most of the time I search for places where I can shoot stairs or train stations as I have a fascination for them. One of my favourite cities is Lisbon but I really love London too. So much to discover yet. And I love to walk around randomly and click whatever I feel in that moment. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us? IC: Harry Callahan, Fan Ho, Mark Fearnley, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Trent Parke, Mo Barzegar, and Sean Tucker. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? IC: I started with an iPhone 6, after 5 months I bought a Panasonic Lumix GX80 with a 14-42mm lens, which I am very happy with. Maybe in the future I will buy another lens as I will continue to evolve. I would say to someone just starting: it is not the gear that makes the photographer, it is the passion and eye you need the most. So much to discover yet. I love to walk around randomly and click whatever I feel in that moment. TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a better photographer? IC: Try things out, get inspired, be passionate, don’t give up and go out and feel the moment! TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? IC: I am working on my own website, want to organize a little expo and will soon propose my art for sale. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… IC: Be composing, singing, painting, cooking difficult dishes or baking the most complicated cakes and reading books. I really need to be creative and challenged.” PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

I am a 30 year old music teacher, cook, street and documentary photographer from Valparaiso, Chile. Currently living in Istanbul, Turkey. Since finishing my music degree, I have started to travel throughout the world in order to gather as many experiences as possible. I have been on the go for more than four years and have lived and worked in countries such as Morocco, Sweden, and France among others. I approach photography with curiosity about life and my love of light. Travelling I learned to embrace light and shadow. I feel deeply the influence it has had on my way to seeing and approaching the world. In this series, Pamukkale, which means "cotton castle", is one of those highlights you cannot miss. For a day, those days were masks and restrictions were long forgotten. Covid-19, for me and those present there that day, Corona was merely a fragment of a bad dream. EDUARDO ORTIZ I am a 30 year old music teacher, cook, street and documentary photographer from Valparaiso, Chile. Currently living in Istanbul, Turkey. Since finishing my music degree, I have started to travel throughout the world in order to gather as many experiences as possible. I have been on the go for more than four years and have lived and worked in countries such as Morocco, Sweden, and France among others. I approach photography with curiosity about life and my love of light. Travelling I learned to embrace light and shadow. I feel deeply the influence it has had on my way to seeing and approaching the world. In this series, Pamukkale, which means "cotton castle", is one of those highlights you cannot miss. For a day, those days were masks and restrictions were long forgotten. Covid-19, for me and those present there that day, Corona was merely a fragment of a bad dream. LOCATION Valparaiso CHILE CAMERA/S Fujifilm x-pro 2 WEBSITE https://eortizdelacruz.com/ @EORTIZPHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES // A Curiosity of Life

Born in the city of Baku in Azerbaijan, I still live in Baku, but travel often to other countries. I mostly take black and white photos and try to reflect the emotions of people on the street. I like photography so much, because I believe photography can give us energy, feelings, and inspiration in life. Within the hue of the nature and city, I always find myself calm. Most of the time I try my best to capture it in my camera. I love traveling around my city to see it's interesting creations. Wherever I travel, it is not only the place; it is also the people that make my journey memorable That is what my rules of work is all about - people and nature - reflecting my own vision as evidence of reality. My notions of what is worth looking is arranging elements and making compositions. FIDAN NAZIMQIZI Born in the city of Baku in Azerbaijan, I still live in Baku, but travel often to other countries. I mostly take black and white photos and try to reflect the emotions of people on the street. I like photography so much, because I believe photography can give us energy, feelings, and inspiration in life. Within the hue of the nature and city, I always find myself calm. Most of the time I try my best to capture it in my camera. I love traveling around my city to see it's interesting creations. Wherever I travel, it is not only the place; it is also the people that make my journey memorable That is what my rules of work is all about - people and nature - reflecting my own vision as evidence of reality. My notions of what is worth looking is arranging elements and making compositions. LOCATION Baku AZERBAIJAN CAMERA/S 3100D Nikon, Yashica 35GSN, Canon 85N, Fujifilm JZ100 @FIDAN__NAZIMQIZI FEATURES // Life in Qriz Warrior Women of Azerbaijan

UNPLANNED MOMENTS Learning mostly from his mentors, Delhi based photographer Ashish Patel gets his inspiration from the Indian people in their everyday life. UNPLANNED MOMENTS November 9, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Ashish Patel INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Ashish Patel is a Delhi based street and documentary photography who only started photographing about a year and a half ago. His main focus is to show the candidness of a scene and make it look extraordinary. Learning mostly from his mentors he gets his inspiration from the Indian people going about their everyday lives. “I was born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. I live in New Delhi, India. Photography has always been a part of my journey. Although its meaning kept changing in my life. During school, it was the capturing memories phase. I used to click pictures of my friends and also self-portraits to keep with me as a memory.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ASHISH PATEL THE PICTORIAL LIST: Ashish please tell us, when did you become interested in photography? ASHISH PATEL: Things changed when I moved to Delhi from Kanpur for my engineering studies. It was the event capturing phase. During a college event, I borrowed a camera from a friend and covered it through the lens. It was the first time I clicked something with a DSLR, and to my surprise, the results were quite good (I had clicked those pictures on auto-mode). I didn't know anything about how a camera works. So I entered the learning phase, I went searching on YouTube on how the manual mode works and what the settings are. I spent hours practising and improving my skills. I kept clicking basic photographs of sunsets and flowers, everything that I came across, and through that process, I’ve learned a few things on how a camera functions. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? What do you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photography? AP: I think I learn from people every day. I learn from my mentors and I get inspiration from so many people. To me one of the basic characteristics of street photography is candidness. I feel that as a street photographer it is my duty to show the candid street. Photography has taught me many things and the most important one is patience. I have been an impatient person my whole life but now, I can wait for a perfect shot for hours. I can stand at a position for several minutes to capture that perfect moment. It feels like a responsibility and I like that. Being a street photographer, I find my own voice in my photos. In street photography I look out for some unusual things and then create some illusion. In street photography what you hide is equally important as what you reveal. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us? AP: Mr. Raghu Rai and Mr. Vineet Vohra Being a street photographer, I find my own voice in my photos. 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? AP: Absolutely yes, being a street photographer, I feel that your presence of mind matters more than the camera equipment. I use a Nikon D5600 and prefer to shoot 18-55mm. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? AP: Photographs are the universal language of our era. Everyone has hundreds, maybe thousands in their pocket. Weightless, they turn the scale when the argument is: What happened here? Images don’t age or warp. A great photographer’s strings never go out of tune but as a participant in the formal artistic world of museums and galleries? No, only as a visitor. I want to work as a photographer for Magnum Photos after 5 years. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… AP: Listen to music, travel, hang out with friends." PORTFOLIO INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

Jimmy Spaceman (Jimmy Mcbroom) is a social documentary photographer from the United Kingdom. His projects have included capturing powerful images of Palestinians crossing Israeli Checkpoints in the Westbank and documenting life in Mumbai's Dharavi Slum India. His images have been used in the political Theatre play ”My Jerusalem” by Avital Raz, for the Sheffield Palestine Solidarity campaign and he has recently been featured on Broad Magazines Instagram page weekly special and a main feature on The Dummy's Tales blog magazine. A daily street photographer documenting life and trying to make social change via Photography, Jimmy Spaceman is a brave and honest addition to the world of photojournalism. JIMMY MCBROOM Jimmy Spaceman (Jimmy Mcbroom) is a social documentary photographer from the United Kingdom. His projects have included capturing powerful images of Palestinians crossing Israeli Checkpoints in the Westbank and documenting life in Mumbai's Dharavi Slum India. His images have been used in the political Theatre play ”My Jerusalem” by Avital Raz, for the Sheffield Palestine Solidarity campaign and he has recently been featured on Broad Magazines Instagram page weekly special and a main feature on The Dummy's Tales blog magazine. A daily street photographer documenting life and trying to make social change via Photography, Jimmy Spaceman is a brave and honest addition to the world of photojournalism. LOCATION Sheffield UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Canon 70D WEBSITE https://www.jimmyspaceman.com/ @JIMMY_SPACEMAN FEATURES // Dharavi Stories to Remember