GOTHAM MEMORIES: NEW YORK CITY (1969-2022) Wandering the streets with his cameras, urban observer Jeff Rothstein has been photographing New York City since the dawn of the 1970s. GOTHAM MEMORIES: NEW YORK CITY (1969-2022) January 6, 2023 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Jeff Rothstein INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link As the sun rises over the rooftops of New York City, Jeff Rothstein wakes up to start his day as an urban observer. With his cameras in hand, Jeff embarks on his journey to capture the streets of his beloved city, just as he has done for five decades. His passion for photography dates back to the dawn of the 1970s, when he first roamed the streets of Brooklyn as a native of the city. A stroll down any given street transports us back in time, as each frame of Jeff's photos is carefully composed for the viewer to feel a part of his story. We witness life as it was through his viewfinder, from the mundane commutes to the liveliness of city life. His photos have become a treasure trove of nostalgia and a reminder of what this great city has been through over the years. Over the years, Jeff’s photos have appeared in a variety of publications, including Black & White magazine, SHOTS, Street Photographers Notebook special monograph edition, London Evening Standard, Daily Mail, Mojo, YES. Yoko Ono exhibition catalog, URBAN Unveils the City And Its Secrets Vol. 7, and Fillmore East: The Venue That Changed Rock Music Forever. Recent exhibitions include New York Public Library Mulberry St. branch, September-October 2022 (solo), Filter Space, Chicago, September-October 2022 (group), Black Box Gallery Online Annex, Portland, Or., September 2022 (group), ImageNation Paris at Galerie Joseph Le Palais, May 2022 (group), Porec Museum, Croatia, August–September 2021 (solo); H.P.F. Christopher, New York City, July 2017 (solo); and Winter, Analog Forever magazine, December 2019 (online group). His project Gotham Memories: New York City Images of the 1970s and 1980s won the Urban Photo Awards 2021 exhibition prize at the Poreč Museum (Croatia). Images from his book were picked as vintage award winners in Black & White magazine’s contests in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Jeff’s photobook, Today’s Special: New York City Images 1969-2006, was published by Coral Press Arts in June 2017, and is in the collections of many university and institutional libraries. Jeff Rothstein has been able to capture New York City with such beauty and vibrancy that it’s hard to believe he’s been doing this for over fifty years. His commitment to documenting his city’s history is unparalleled and makes us appreciate the ever-changing yet timeless beauty of this stunning metropolis. Follow Jeff as he continues to wander around New York, and take a peek into its past and present through his lens. “They are already memories once I press the shutter. These memories are at once mine and ours. Mine because they are what I have witnessed and captured with my camera. But they will be shared by all of us who know or have known the city intimately or casually or even remotely and vicariously. The photos are a record of history through a local eye. Many are evocative of the time and place of bygone eras, imbued with a timeless quality. The images in this portfolio span the years 1969 through 2022.” IN CONVERSATION WITH JEFF ROTHSTEIN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Welcome to The List Jeff, please tell us about yourself. What would you say first drew you to photography? JEFF ROTHSTEIN: I was born and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and lived there for many years. I’ve been living in Manhattan since 1988. I now devote all my time to photography. I used to attend lots of baseball games and thought it would be fun if I bought a camera to take to the ballpark. So my getting into photography was really a means to an end. TPL: How would you describe your photography, and what would you say you are always trying to achieve artistically? JR: My genre is street photography. I try to have the viewer feel like they’re right there with me as part of the theater of the street. TPL: Could you tell us what living in New York City has inspired in your work? What special qualities unique to the ‘Gotham City’ influence both your street and documentary photography and the way you portray your community? JR: Being a street photographer, I feel fortunate to live here. The city’s not as gritty as it was when I photographed years ago, but there always seems to be subject matter just around the next corner. I think people can sense the fast and crazy pace of life here when they look at some of my images. TPL: For the people who are not familiar with NYC, describe the atmosphere around you when you are photographing on the streets of NYC…the sensory perceptions that hypnotize and seduce you that constantly brings you back again and again. JR: When I’m shooting the streets of New York City I feel that I’m on the ultimate stage, with life’s everyday dramas and comedies always being played out. I seem to be drawn to the chaos that surrounds me. TPL: Did you ever think back then that you could be capturing an iconic era when you were photographing on the streets of NYC? In the future looking back at now, what do you think will be iconic about this era? JR: You know, when I was out photographing back in the day, I didn’t really think about iconic or historical eras. I was just recording life as it was happening. It’s only when I had the perspective of passing time that I realized I was recording a city that no longer exists. I think the same answer applies to photographing this era. TPL: What is the most rewarding part of being a photographer for you? What are some challenges that you have faced? JR: The most rewarding part for me is when people appreciate my images, whether through exhibits, books or online articles. Most of the challenges have been self imposed. I took a long time to finally decide to do my first photobook, though people whose opinions I respect were telling me to do one for quite a while. Finally having the book published was the best thing that happened to my career. When I’m shooting the streets of New York City I feel that I’m on the ultimate stage, with life’s everyday dramas and comedies always being played out. TPL: Is it impossible for you not to be constantly on the lookout for a moment to be captured? JR: Ha! Good question. I have to admit I’m always constantly scanning the streets looking for subject matter. TPL: How do you manage a work/photography balance? JR: I’m retired from previous jobs so photography is a full time pursuit for me. TPL: Do you have any favorite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? JR: Robert Frank, William Klein, Garry Winogrand, Saul Leiter. Plus a few great street photographers that unfortunately some people aren’t as aware of. These include Sylvia Plachy, Frank Horvat, Louis Stettner, Louis Faurer, Frank Paulin. Also the early NYC photos of Alfred Stieglitz and the NYC Ashcan School of early 20th century artists. TPL: What was the first camera you ever held in your hand, brought to eye, and released a shutter on? What is the camera you use now and your preferred focal length? Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Is there anything on your wishlist? JR: When I was a kid, it was my family’s Kodak instamatics. My first proper camera was a Kowa SETR slr, which I bought in 1969. For many years, I just shot with film cameras (Nikkormat FTN, Nikon F2A, Nikon F3HP, Nikon FM2, Olympus XA, Olympus Stylus, Rollei AFM). I still use the F3HP, FM2A, XA and AFM. My preferred focal length is 35mm, but I also like 28mm. Years ago, I also shot with 50mm and 105mm quite a bit. A few years ago, a friend gave me a small, inexpensive digital point and shoot (one of the Canon powershots.) I’ve been using that for all my digital images so no, I really don’t believe equipment is that big a deal. It’s the photographer’s vision that really matters. That being said, I really should upgrade to a better digital camera (have my eye on a couple of Fujifilm cameras). TPL: Are there any special projects that you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? What are some of your photography goals? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? JR: I edited and sequenced my next book and now I’m trying to find a publisher. It’ll cover the same time span as my first book (1969-2006 New York City) but will have twice as many images. My goals are to produce more books and to continue to exhibit my work. Hopefully in five years I’ll still be photographing the streets of the city. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… JR: Go to art exhibits (my wife is an art historian), eat good food, watch film noirs, read, listen to music (60s and 70s rock and folk, jazz, classical, blues). Jeff Rothstein's journey as an urban observer is a testament to the lasting power of photography and how it can serve to capture a moment in time. His dedication to capturing the beauty of his beloved city has afforded us a glimpse into its past, and provides us with a valuable window into its future. Through his work, we are called to go forth and appreciate the beauty of our cities, and how they are living works of art. We should take a page from his book and strive to capture the life of our cities in all its vibrancy and energy. We are challenged to be the observer and document our urban stories for generations to come. VIEW JEFF'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

BLACK AND WHITE WITH A THREAD OF RED Valeria Cunha is fascinated by the street, using it as inspiration to find structure amidst the confusion. Her photography creates intriguing connections and relationships through dynamic compositions that convey emotion. BLACK AND WHITE WITH A THREAD OF RED January 26, 2024 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Valeria Cunha INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Valeria Cunha is a vibrant Portuguese photographer that embarked on her adventures in visual storytelling in 2019. Valeria was born on a small Island in the Azores, fueling her wild spirit and igniting her curiosity for the unknown. She was a child with an infinity of imagination. The isolation growing up on the island gave her a true sense of independence, she became a quiet observer of life around her. Valeria has the ability to travel between the world of imagination and reality, between London and Lisbon, between an island and somewhere else in the world. Her images provoke this sense of play, while taunting you to play along. The street captivates Valeria, inspiring her to find order in the chaos, while focusing our attention on details that express emotion. Her photography makes interesting relationships and connections through dynamic compositions. This surreal and conceptual approach brings a bit of mystery to her image, allowing the viewer to participate and draw their own conclusions. Valeria embraces colour as well as black and white, finding purpose and meaning in their applications. “Photography is a different dimension of me, my vessel of expression and creativity, how I feel the moments, the world, life. I like to tell stories, convey emotions, to capture singularity. Hopefully my images are strong enough to unlock feelings, to make the viewer question and dream.” Valeria’s brilliant photography that we share today is a dark and mysterious series exploring black and white photography and the genre of Film Noir. She explores how the French merged urban realism with working class romance, shadowed with politics, producing some of cinema’s most mysterious fatal fantasies. “I was also inspired by the film noir concept, providing and adding a narrative of an intricate plot, a feel of suspense, that something is about to happen, of mysterious and forbidden lovers encounters, with an underlying classic moody darkness. Working this way gives me a purpose and definitely supports the creative process. There are also days that I just go out and try to capture singularity.” IN CONVERSATION WITH VALERIA CUNHA THE PICTORIAL LIST: Hello Valeria, we are excited about your interview and are looking forward to learning more about you and your inspiring work. Please tell us what draws you to photography? What inspires you about street photography? Valeria: Photography was the means within the art world that I found to express myself outside of my professional life. Most of the time I say I’m a photographer by chance, due to the circumstances of moving to a different country and finding a hobby that would be complementary to the exploration of a new city…but, if I’m honest it was on the back of my mind for several years and I just kept delaying it. I was clearly very visual from a very young age, painting, photography, art in general, and cinema grabbed my attention, aside from the fact that I was also an ardent reader. As a book lover I used to write short stories, but for me the materialisation into an image was missing, photography was the ideal choice to create visual stories, in which the absence of words was irrelevant. Places and people always fascinated me, as a keen observer with a natural curiosity and sensitivity, feeling and documenting a city, a particular moment, capturing the lifestyle, the socioeconomics, was almost irresistible. Street photography was the natural choice when I moved to London. It allowed me to build bridges between my vision and the community, to comprehend the social richness and diversity of London. It was the beginning of a long dialogue between my inner self and the place I was settling in. I fell in love with London, its daily rich intricate stories, the thrill of capturing the tear in the continuum that allows to freeze the singularity. Stereophotography is an exchange between the artist and the places you are at the moment, you capture what the people, the stories, the social context gives you, and then you process it and transform it within who you are, your vision and artistic style. Photography became my happy place, my meditation, it makes me feel alive, vibrant, allows me to connect with where and the people I encounter. TPL: Explain for our readers, your approach to photography, your critical and creative thought process that helps you create your dynamic body of work. Valeria: When I started this journey, I made sure I would learn the rules of composition, study the master's and big references not only in the photography world, but also in art in general, always with the thought that to break the rules, first you have to learn them. I also made the decision that as this would be my way of expression, I didn’t want to follow trends and or limited myself. You see, I don’t believe art can be chained to narrow rules, trends and boxes. Creativity is a wild animal that needs freedom to grow and be unique, and if you are always worried if the capture you are taking falls into what someone decided is a special gender, you are just executing something defined by others. For me experimenting is key and what keeps my passion burning, which means I will always use different methods, without worrying of having a particular style that would be instantly recognisable. I want photography to be a place where I convey how I feel the streets, the cities, the moments, the people. Stereophotography is an interchangeable experience between the artist and the moments you capture and the subjects, so when I do it I bring all that I have, including the mood and emotions of the day, even if they are dark. On the other hand, I like to work on projects or series, it can be a story I create and try to capture images alongside the line of thought, usually it develops and changes along the process. Sometimes I choose a place like the Paris noir series. Initially was to be named as ‘Une nuit à Paris’ but then the concept got a bit broader. I made the decision that these series would be in B&W, with a classic and temporal feel, inspired by Brassai and film noir concepts. something outside my comfort zone. These series portray the way I feel and see Paris, as a once vibrant hub of brilliant minds and artists that would get together to discuss ideas, and new ways of making art. I like the mysterious side of Paris, of places that you go back in time, and its classic look. Working this way gives me a purpose and definitely supports the creative process. There are also days that I just go out and try to capture singularity. TPL: Colour can take one on a journey, what does red mean to you in your work? You saturate the viewer bringing them into the moment. Valeria: My primary body of work is colour. The choice of colour is always part of the composition, setting the mood, the atmosphere, a complement to the story, strengthening and providing depth to the narrative. Red is one of my favorite colours, I’m naturally drawn to strong and saturating hues. Red for me conveys strong emotions and builds character. It's indisputably powerful, it’s full of passion, it’s provocative, full of love, embodies strength, sensuality, but also seeds anger, war, conflict, blood. It’s the opposite of neutral, sweetness, indifference. When I see in red, I’m sculpting the way the viewer reads the image. I'm inviting the viewer to immerse themselves into the deepness of sensations and emotions that red unlocks. Red is to be wrapped up in the emotional whirl and in charge of the capture to reflect the intensity in the moment. I'm also being provocative by driving an emotional response. Red helps to strengthen the subject, empowering the dynamics of the scene. One day I made a mini poll asking my followers if red unlocked positive or negative feelings, interesting enough the answers were 50% 50%. Images in which red is used are most of the times very compelling. TPL: Besides a demanding day job, you curate a number of brilliant hubs and offer your expertise across multiple platforms. Tell us about this work and what you feel it brings to your own photography. How do you find balance? Is balance important to you? Valeria: True, I have my career and professional life, that can be both demanding and absorbent. Photography is the balance, the complement, my other side, a different Valeria. Balance is key to create, you need to find the time and space to let your mind dwell and imagine. I find balance by organizing my time, thinking and planning in advance, otherwise it would be very challenging. Being a curator started with a recommendation from a dear follower to a hub. I was hesitant at first, because to accept it, I had to do a good job and I knew I had to commit and stretch myself to find and promote good work/artists. As a curator I have to do a lot of research, so I'm exposed to an immense variety of styles, and images. I find it fascinating and inspiring to see so many great artists and what they are producing, in a way I learn, because I study the techniques they use, the methodology, angles, etc. It widens my horizons and makes me humble simultaneously. Additionally, it is very inspiring to find so much variety and different approaches to art. TPL: Can you describe the creative process involved with the capturing of your photographs? Where do you find your inspiration? Valeria: I’m a sponge, I absorb a lot, and everything inspires me, music, books, cinema, people, other artists and photographers. I make sure I bring my emotional state to the work, if it’s darker that’s what I will capture, if it’s brighter it will be reflected in the stories. People’s lives inspire me, what’s behind an expression, a subtle gesture, a look, them in a specific place. When I go out, I’m part of the streets, I immerse myself in it, I open up to the energy around me. Some days I’m more sensitive and aware of weird dynamics and momentums, others I create the context and scenario and wait for the right moment to happen. As I said previously, I don’t follow a rigid method, I believe being flexible and adjusting to the circumstances is key to producing work. Sometimes I decide to learn a new technique, for example, double exposure and I go out just to shoot in that mode. I like to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone. Most of the time I shoot solo, photography for me is an intimate and personal experience that requires focus, stillness to observe, energy to be sharp and quick. It doesn’t mean I don’t join groups or go out with a fellow photographer that I get along with, usually someone that inspires me. Additionally, I learned to love night photography, darkness and night changes the scenario completely, it’s when all the wildness comes out, where you find the most compelling moments. London is the perfect city to shoot at night, it is so rich and vibrant, everything can happen. TPL: You support a lot of women and their photography, why is this so important to you? If you could achieve one thing for women in photography, what would that be? Valeria: This subject is always very controversial and prone to argumentative discussions, in the sense that in our day's inequality is inexistent, which I’m not totally convinced is reflective of reality and how we experience it. Although I’m very inclusive and don’t believe in segregation or specific spaces for genders, I understand why some women hubs were created. As a woman naturally I’m more sensitive to our struggles, and there are some. Street was initially very male dominated, so we had to find our space, our uniqueness within this gender. Fortunately, we now see a lot of women doing street photography, showing the world through their lens with all their creativity. I believe women brought a different approach and ‘eye’ to the street, where the human subject has a special predominance alongside layering and complexity. However, who is behind the camera, man or woman is irrelevant, there is no specific style for women or men, and there shouldn’t be expectations for a more feminine or masculine look associated with gender. For me the mark or goal would be to achieve a state where this conversation was no longer needed and overall experiences and feelings of inequality were a mere drop in the ocean. I’m a sponge, I absorb a lot, and everything inspires me, music, books, cinema, people, other artists and photographers. TPL: What do you want your photographs to inspire in other people? What is their “takeaway”? What is your takeaway? Valeria: This is a difficult one, because when I shoot I’m not thinking necessarily about the impact or how it’s going to be perceived by others. I would like people to dream, compelling them to make their day a better one. I want to compel people to feel grasping the sole and essence of the moment, fully observing the scene and the city. I wish to make their mind wonder, unlocking emotions so they can fully experience that moment. TPL: Do you find you rely on the serendipitous moment, finding the excitement in not knowing? Or do you have a formula that you can count on that helps your visual storytelling? Valeria: I don’t have a rigid formula, maybe I have a preferred one that unlocks more my creative processes. I feel it develops in a more meaningful and deeper way, having a significant purpose and a link between scenes and subjects. However, I can also be very freestyle grabbing perfect moments as they happen. In both methods there’s always the unknown factor and improvisation, that’s what the streets bring, the unexpected and a less controlled environment. TPL: What other photographers or artists have influenced you, and how? What impact have they made in the way you approach and create your work in photography, or curation, or both? Valeria: I particularly like surrealism across the different artistic genres, whether it’s film, literature, painting and photography. The notion of different realms and realities happening in parallel, not matching real life, unlocks my senses and transports me to completely new dimensions, sometimes even in an uncomfortable way. In terms of photographers, I’ve been buying a considerable number of books and love going to exhibitions whenever I can. I adore the classics, they were pioneers and created the genre, always a great reference to have and they are the usual suspects – Henri Cartier Bresson, Brassai, Vivian Maier, Helen Levitt, Saul Leiter, Alex Webb, on the other hand I like fashion related photographers as well. TPL: What are some of the challenges you have faced as a woman photographer? Were you able to overcome them? What did you learn from them? What advice can you share with other women photographers out there? Valeria: Every journey has ups and downs, challenging moments of self-doubt and if it makes sense to continue, of feeling stuck and breaking through a creative blockage. Sometimes, the hecticness of life does not allow you to focus on your hobbies and passions. In these situations, I give myself time, I take some breaks, focusing on different things to take the pressure off. Photographing at night as a woman can be an interesting experience, sometimes I feel unsafe and that something unpleasant can happen. You just have to be smart about it, find a way of not getting into trouble, keep your senses sharp, choose wisely where to go, deal with the situations in a clever way. Not sure if my personal experience differs a lot from men, I can say I’ve experienced unsolicited and unconstructive feedback and bad behavior. In these situations, I just remove my energy and move on. I also have my boundaries and there’s a clear line that is drawn. I don’t let difficulties, setbacks or obstacles that could demote me and stop me from doing what I like. TPL: What would you like to focus our attention on in the coming months? Are there any short or long term goals or projects we can look forward to? Valeria: I have a couple of projects in view, still in the embryonic phase of defining and designing the idea to advance and start working on it. I’m not ready to reveal the details quite yet because it is too early in its development. These projects will require time, networking and some partnerships that I wasn’t able to progress last year. There's already some clear thought and options on the table, but it will depend on my availability and motivation. I plan to travel more next year to develop traveling and documentary photography. TPL: When you’re not working, curating, and not capturing the world before you through a lens, what would we find Valeria doing? Valeria: You will find Valeria traveling, on gigs, attending performances in the theatre, Opera, Contemporary dance, and always the cinema. I enjoy socialising with my family and friends, enjoying what life has to give. Follow her portfolio link to experience Valeria’s Red Thread in full. See for yourself and find what emotions her images stir up in you. What side of the polls will you be on? Will you be filled with love and passion, or perhaps see anger or rage. “I love red, I love strong colours, I love intensity, life is too short to be neutral, we only live once. Red is opening yourself to the good and the bad, exposing you to all what life has to give you. Do you remember when you loved without fear? Do you remember when you ventured and experienced the world without fear? Red is the opposite of numbness.” The Pictorial List is grateful for the in-depth interview Valeria has shared with us. She offers great insight and gives wonderful advice, while allowing the freedom to find your own way. Support Valeria by following her across all her platforms on Instagram. We look forward to watching her newest project she has on the horizon be realized and come into view for all of us to see and experience. VIEW VALERIA'S PORTFOLIO Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

I was born in Vercelli a little city in the northern part of Italy where I still live today. The first approach with a camera was seven years ago. At first I was fascinated by night photography and starry skies, that was until I discovered street photography. I have travelled in the last seven years and I have taken so many street shots in many cities that in my opinion are perfect for this photography genre, like New York City, Los Angeles, London but also Milan and Genova in my beloved Italy. In this series I have enjoyed reworking shots that initially didn't convince me or that I thought was 'wrong'. I have been superimposing and working them until I have reached the result I wanted, trying to create my own style and give a personality to these shots. I like photography to communicate something, to evoke a sensation already experienced. I try to select only the photos that according to and can convey something to the viewer, it works a bit like music, to tell a story or a state of mind. LELE BISSOLI I was born in Vercelli a little city in the northern part of Italy where I still live today. The first approach with a camera was seven years ago. At first I was fascinated by night photography and starry skies, that was until I discovered street photography. I have travelled in the last seven years and I have taken so many street shots in many cities that in my opinion are perfect for this photography genre, like New York City, Los Angeles, London but also Milan and Genova in my beloved Italy. In this series I have enjoyed reworking shots that initially didn't convince me or that I thought was 'wrong'. I have been superimposing and working them until I have reached the result I wanted, trying to create my own style and give a personality to these shots. I like photography to communicate something, to evoke a sensation already experienced. I try to select only the photos that according to and can convey something to the viewer, it works a bit like music, to tell a story or a state of mind. LOCATION Vercelli ITALY CAMERA/S Fujifilm XT2 , Canon Eos 70D WEBSITE https://lelebissoli.portfoliobox.net/ @LELE_BISSOLI FEATURES // Reverberation

SIJIFREDO The streets of Chile was Jano Sandoval's school, and photography was a logical consequence to express his memories. SIJIFREDO November 24, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Jano Sandoval INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link For those of us that walk the streets of Santiago de Chile, Jano Sandoval is a familiar face. As a child, he found his living history in the streets of his home city - and so, photography became the means through which he expressed his memories, observations and experiences. But Jano is more than just a photographer; he is a storyteller at heart. His books have always been a source of inspiration for his visual creations, and his latest project, SIJIFREDO, is no exception. Consisting of 32 photographs, SIJIFREDO is a story of remembrance; it is Jano’s tribute to his father who left for his journey of exact time and towards his most desired place. Through its vivid colours and subtle nuances, the series explores the human desire to stay one more day with a beloved one who has gone. In this interview with Jano Sandoval, we delve deeper into the world of SIJIFREDO. From the significance of its name to the power of his father’s words, Jano offers an intimate look into his creative process and the stories he has to tell. Join us as we discover an artist whose work speaks louder than words. “SIJIFREDO is a work of visual storytelling that rescues one of the most striking aspects of my Father (the title of the work carries his second name), which was to build parallels between episodes of his history with what he saw in a current moment of his life. The image narrated is transformed in the impulse and rest, to visualize that the dreamed futures always had a resemblance to the moment in which they were generated (as imaginary), they are slow transformations that rise safe with respect to the logical human evolution, but at 'geological speeds.' This visual journey, through its color atmospheres, explores the human desire to have the possibility of staying one more day with that loved one who has died, but who has left a deep mark in terms of values and spirituality, without selfishness and without any emotional debt at the time of his departure.” IN CONVERSATION WITH JANO SANDOVAL THE PICTORIAL LIST: Jano please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? JANO SANDOVAL: First of all, a big greeting to the readers of The Pictorial List. I was born in 1976 in the neighborhood of La Cisterna (Santiago de Chile) and I currently reside in the city of Quilpué (Valparaíso province of Chile). I am a street photographer, self-taught and 100% dedicated to photography since 2011, with several exhibitions and publications for galleries or photography magazines in South America, Europe and Oceania. My interest was not born precisely from photography, it was a long road that emerges from my taste for reading since I was a child and walking the streets of my various neighborhoods where I grew up. On the other hand, my father, who was born in 1916, was a great storyteller, which he placed in historical context, with a personal appreciation and with a final message as a sort of moral, given the various social processes that he had to live and perceive in Chile and the world. It was all these characteristics that allowed me to define that there was a need to communicate, not only what I had received from books or from my father, but also from my own history, which continued to be built from observation and the different cities I inhabited. Although I had already been interested in learning about the history of great photographers and their photographs, it was not until 2007 that I "started photography", after reading the letter that the Chilean photographer Sergio Larraín wrote to his nephew, as an invitation to take pictures and that was the generator for the first time I took a camera and began to travel around the city of Valparaíso, Chile. For me that letter, which was written by Larraín in 1982, was a kind of manifesto and a light for what I would begin to build. A long road, by the way. (I invite you to look for this letter on the internet and read it!) TPL: Tell us the full story behind your series SIJIFREDO. What is it about? When did the project and how the idea for it begin? Is it an ongoing series? What do you want the viewer to experience when they look at this series? JS: The series SIJIFREDO is titled after my father's middle name and is a parallelism of a series of stories that I remembered and wrote down after his death in 2008. The series deals with one of the aspects that I most like to investigate, which is the use of memory and the use of spaces defined by the author in order to visually execute his own challenges. The project arose in 2020, taking several photographs of my period of life in the city of Groningen (Netherlands) in which I lived for almost two years between 2016-2018 and whose images not only correspond to that city, but also to the various European cities that I had the opportunity to know (from Belfast to St. Petersburg). In this way, the territories that were part of my journeys are situated as a way of declaring that borders are quite diffuse and that they are also nothing more than an imaginary, just as our memory does. But there is also a support that allowed me to let the images rest in time and later have a new meaning to honour my father. The collection includes 32 images, giving importance to the number 32 as the age I was when he died and that it is visually told in color, as the chosen technique, navigating through a day that contains in itself, a journey of sensations, memories, empathy and history. This is how this series was closed in terms of number of works, which tells the story of "one more day" with that person who has left a series of lessons from the ethical and spiritual, where death rises as a poetic fact and allows that soul to continue accompanying us and accompanying us as an intimate fact. It is a finished work. I invite the observer to challenge himself to work periodically on memory, the desire to be able to breathe thinking about those who formed him as a human being and that death is a milestone of resistance to the various challenges that life proposes to each person, such as the dangerous concept of "oblivion". TPL: What does street photography mean to you? Describe your style. Where or how do you find inspiration? Are projects important in your street photography? JS: For me, street photography has a very relevant visual and emotional meaning, from those who have given hours of their lives to build houses, roads, squares, etc., to the citizens in urban and rural areas, who give life and create a link with human history. It was growing up in those streets, playing, walking and enjoying, that I found diverse emotions of people: those who want to walk alone, contemplating or thinking only, those who use it as a means of work and daily struggle, those who enjoy creating music or dance, for example. My photography style is a result of everything lived and observed, where I use the techniques of b&w and color as an interpretation of the feeling of a series, all closely linked to a small fraction of the absolute diversity that is observed there, where geometry, abstraction, closeness and remoteness of the subjects are part of the emotions of the human being passerby when facing the street (and what is on the side of the road as well). The photographic inspiration, for me, has two relevant aspects: one is to take my camera and leave home very conscious of feeling calm and well photographing, very aligned with my soul and very lucid to be able to connect with a very therapeutic exercise that allows me to express myself as freely as possible. On the other hand, the photographs that are taken, I review them when I get home many times, but all of them are always at rest, I leave them stored until a new review in time revives them, resignifies them and somehow "have a discourse between them" that tends to cohere. For both ways of looking for inspiration, is that the projects in street photography are relevant for me, because for my way of working it will always be necessary to tell a story, which identifies my discourse with the image as a whole. From that edge, is where I give my respect to the observer, so that he can interpret, criticize and discover that "someone" who is telling a fraction of reality. This is how I have built my four official photographic series, including SIJIFREDO, committed to my essence and admiring/respecting so many good photographers with whom the different ways of perceiving reality in the street, allows me to create a puzzle called "history". TPL: What have been some of your favourite memories or moments in your photography journey? What have you personally gained from your experiences? JS: Undoubtedly one of the most important was my first photograph in Groningen, the first one I took with all the relaxation, importance and connection with the city, looking for images of vanishing points built by groves, a grandfather entered the scene with his granddaughter, she was jumping happily and her grandfather admired and cared for her. Both were lost in the vanishing point of the scene, it was about 5 minutes that lasted this visual surprise. Other favorite moments were visiting Belfast, which from the political and historical point of view always seduced me from a very young age, and being there I could feel a responsibility to photograph, from the respect and my restlessness for the street. In general, life in Groningen and travels in Europe in general are a key period in my photographic development, since I lived it as an ordinary citizen. I must add what I learned from the Pictorial movement, born in Groningen, in the early 1920s called De Ploeg, very relevant for my general knowledge of the arts. Others equally relevant are my walks through the Pasaje Bavestrello in the city of Valparaíso, Chile, in the exact place where Sergio Larraín took one of the most iconic images of his career, so I can sit down to reflect and absorb good energy to photograph. The same happens to me when I visit the Población La Victoria in Santiago de Chile, where I find what I call the "Chile", which with all its social vulnerabilities, has a value of human commitment, always worth mentioning. Finally, all the photographic journey that I have made in my life has meant gaining lucidity and coherence, of course the compositional techniques are relevant and improve over time, but the experiences have been vital to recognize myself as a photographer and to be able to deliver through visual messages included in the storytelling. To feel myself as a human being, very awake to the events that happen around me, many of them daily, others historical. TPL: When you are out shooting - how much of it is instinctual versus planned? JS: For the most part it is instinct that plays a leading role. What I do plan are the places to walk, but the scenes are presented where people are participants, almost in the totality of the images, either with their presence or absence. There are opportunities where the street scenery allows me to wait several minutes in search of an image and shoot as many times as necessary until I feel satisfied. Then I continue on my way. TPL: What are some tips or advice you would give yourself if you started street photography all over again? JS: I think the most relevant would be to take away the shame of taking pictures of everything that the road offers, that the daily exercise allows me to flow with greater relaxation so I can reflect more deeply on what I am rescuing. The other advice I would give myself would be to keep the passion for photography, to keep feeling that inner "fire" to be happy with my camera. I invite the observer to challenge himself to work periodically on memory, the desire to be able to breathe thinking about those who formed him as a human being and that death is a milestone of resistance to the various challenges that life proposes to each person. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? JS: I have two who are my references, one is the Mexican photographer Graciela Iturbide, who through her photography has taught me the diversity of the places in which she works the image and that ethnographic legacy that she resolves through her visual proposals. Another one is the one I have mentioned a couple of times in this interview. He is Sergio Larraín, from whom I rescue both the letter he wrote in 1982 to his nephew and the scenes constructed through his lens, which to my way of interpreting it, is a constant struggle to rescue the purest of the human being, even denying his own privileges, to achieve a spiritual level in his photography. 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? JS: Well, I use a Canon EOS 700D camera and my favorite lens is a 50mm f1.8. I have been working with this equipment for the last few years. I hope soon to change equipment and lenses as a periodic renewal, however, I am in love with this machine at the moment. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? JS: I would very much like to continue creating photographic series committed to my feelings as a passerby, as an observer of the whole and investigating the aspects that the environment and society invite and thus be able to take these series to galleries or photobooks. I would like to see myself in five years, enjoying being able to access invitations from friends in Moscow and Berlin for the development of street photography projects, although the feeling of tranquility is to persist in taking new knowledge from new photographers or others that I have not yet managed to meet, and have the opportunity to deliver all my experience to people who are starting their way down this wonderful path and passion. Long live photography! TPL: Are there any other special projects you are currently working on or thinking about that you would like to let everyone know about? JS: In the coming months I will present my fourth authorial photographic work, called "Oxide", which is a photographic essay with experimental digital photography technique, which will unite another passion that has accompanied me in life, which is music. Its presentation format will be an installation in public places and the music for this work is being constructed and composed with the Chilean composer and singer-songwriter Javier Barría. This work postulates, from street photography, how we citizens constantly and daily fight for our memories, which ultimately build a historical memory as a society and that the main struggle is not to make oblivion a mechanism of self-destruction or oxidation. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… JS: Read a book by José Saramago, playing with my cats, watching photography or science documentaries, getting together with friends and riding my bike...sleeping on some weekend afternoons, a wonderful pleasure!" The streets of Chile were Jano's school and photography was a logical consequence to express his memories. We take this opportunity to thank Jano for sharing his personal project with us. Please connect with Jano to see more of his work. VIEW JANO'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

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

WHAT STRIKES A CHORD Jose Marco Lull enjoys photographing what at that moment for him strikes a chord wanting the viewer to feel some sort of emotion. WHAT STRIKES A CHORD October 21, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Jose Marco Lull INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link With a camera in hand, Jose Marco Lull has been on a journey of visual exploration for more than three decades. Since the early days of taking photographs of friends and family and capturing the beauty of his travels, he has developed a keen eye for detail and spontaneity. After a break from photography, Lull has returned to his passion with an enthusiasm for street photography, immersing himself into the bustling hustle of big city streets and uncovering the unique stories and characters that lie beneath its surface. Now based in Valencia, Spain, Lull is a self-taught photographer whose work is focused on capturing the spirit of the people and places he visits, one frame at a time. “The human element. I try to include it in almost all my photographs. Photography for me is life, and the human element makes it even more alive.” IN CONVERSATION WITH JOSE MARCO LULL TPL: Jose please tell us more about yourself. When did you start getting in to photography? JML: I am a 57-year-old self-taught amateur photographer living in Valencia. Until the age of 40 I was working in photo labs and doing some reportages on my own. Now I work as a civil servant in the Valencian Government Administration. I bought my first camera at age 20, a second-hand Nikon F2 that I still have and since then I have been taking photos, mostly travel photography, nature and some underwater photography as well. The switch to digital photography was a bit traumatic for me and I did not take photos for several years. Later in 2016 I bought a Fuji X series and started doing street photography, something that I had always liked but never done until then. Now it is almost the only genre that I practice. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? JML: There is nothing in particular that is my source of inspiration. I see a lot of photography, the internet, books, exhibitions...I guess it is a mixture of all those impressions that remain in my head. TPL: Is there anything you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? JML: I don't want to express anything in particular with my photography. I think that a good photo is the one that causes an impact, a strong emotional reaction in the viewer, be it laughter, grief, guilt, astonishment...if I succeed, I am satisfied. TPL: Do you prefer to shoot alone or with friends? JML: I prefer to go out to take photos alone, you are more focused on what you do. Photography is like a form of meditation for me. You go out into the street and your mind stops thinking, you are only attentive to what is happening around you and you try to capture the moment where everything comes together. Although sometimes it is good to have someone with you, sometimes you go unnoticed if you are in company. TPL: Who are your favourite artists and photographers? JML: I have been inspired by many authors but especially the "classics", Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand, Elliott Erwitt (I love Erwitt) Robert Frank, Vivian Maier, Jill Freedman...the great documentary maker Sebastiao Salgado...an endless list! Spaniards like Ramón Masat, Pérez-Siquier, García Rodero, Koldo Chamorro...And photographers that I have discovered on Instagram such as Vineet Vohra, Cedric Roux, Eric Kogan, Nina Kling, Ximena Echague, Felicia Olivares... Be yourself, everyone else is already taken. - Oscar Wilde TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? JML: Although "everything can be photographed" and inspiration can arise anywhere, my favourite place is the streets of big cities. I like that mix of diverse people and the great amount of stimuli that you have around you in a big city. TPL: How does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? What would you say to someone wanting to start out in your genre of photography? JML: I use Fuji X series cameras. I like them because of the lightness and quality of their lenses. I also like its vintage style. My favourite focal length (in full frame equivalent) is 50 mm. It allows me to be further away from the scene and not disturb the moment, I prefer to go unnoticed, but I also use the 28 mm when I need it. I would advise someone starting out in street photography to always carry a camera with them, a small one with a fixed lens (I try to always carry my X100T with me), and to look at a lot of photography, painting, cinema, etc., and not to try to copy anyone, being yourself. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? JML: I don't have any projects in mind. I am not much of a planner. I go out and photograph what at that moment "strikes a chord". Maybe later I can put together several photographs and form something that works as a whole. But I am not saying that in the future I will not (have a project). TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? JML: My goal as an artist is to feel good about myself doing what I do and try to make others enjoy it. I do not try to transmit or tell anything with my photographs, I simply show the beauty of the everyday, of ordinary people, of those moments or instants that go unnoticed in the eyes of most people and that photography has the power to freeze in time and thus is able to show. In five years I hope to be taking better photos than now, and publishing a book would be nice, but I think that will take more than five years. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… JML: I usually train Aikido, an international martial art to keep the mind relaxed and the body active." With a passion for street photography, Jose Marco Lull captures the unique human element of big city streets. If you are interested in getting to know Jose and his work better, connect with him through the links below. VIEW JOSE'S PORTFOLIO Jose's instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

My photography journey started close to 20 years ago, when a colleague of mine saw some of my amateur pictures and said that they are better than the product photography that was made for them by professionals, which was very flattering to hear. Next thing I knew - I was doing all photography for our company. This then escalated to me being invited to freelance as a magazine photographer, which was a very steep learning curve, as I was getting all kinds of assignments and had to learn to think very fast on my feet and adapt to all kinds of environments and situations. Many photography experiences later, from wedding to advertising - this never became a full time job. I found that doing commercial photography that has specific client demands and timelines is rarely compatible with one's creative expression, for which I loved photography in the first place. And then if you have to do it all the time - it's very easy to burn out. That's why I scaled it back to just personal projects using the film camera, so that I can just enjoy it for myself... But somehow this exact thing has resonated with so many people, way beyond any of my commercial work. ANDREW ROVENKO My photography journey started close to 20 years ago, when a colleague of mine saw some of my amateur pictures and said that they are better than the product photography that was made for them by professionals, which was very flattering to hear. Next thing I knew - I was doing all photography for our company. This then escalated to me being invited to freelance as a magazine photographer, which was a very steep learning curve, as I was getting all kinds of assignments and had to learn to think very fast on my feet and adapt to all kinds of environments and situations. Many photography experiences later, from wedding to advertising - this never became a full time job. I found that doing commercial photography that has specific client demands and timelines is rarely compatible with one's creative expression, for which I loved photography in the first place. And then if you have to do it all the time - it's very easy to burn out. That's why I scaled it back to just personal projects using the film camera, so that I can just enjoy it for myself... But somehow this exact thing has resonated with so many people, way beyond any of my commercial work. LOCATION Melbourne AUSTRALIA CAMERA/S Mamiya RZ-67 (for Rocketgirl Chronicles) WEBSITE http://www.rovenko.com @ROVENKO FEATURES // Rocketgirl Chronicles View of the World

DAILY Italian visual artist Giorgio Gerardi wanted to represent everyday objects and decontextualise them, giving them their own assumed identity. DAILY April 1, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Giorgio Gerardi INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Life can be a little like autopilot at times. We get so used to the same objects being around us that it almost becomes background noise. There's no denying that it can be easy to feel like we're missing out on the little details that make life special. Italian visual artist Giorgio Gerardi was determined to change this. He wanted to take notice of the banality in his surroundings and to bring it into focus. What he ended up creating is something truly remarkable. Giorgio was born in Mestre, not far from Venice, and eventually moved with his family to Favaro Veneto. A lover of art, he set out on a personal journey using a camera as his guide. With a fascination for clouds, leaves, earth, sand, and everyday objects, Giorgio began his project 'Daily'. Through this project he wanted to decontextualise these everyday objects and give them an individual identity and a new creative life. Weaving together shapes and colours in an unexpected way, Giorgio has created something visually stunning - something that will transport you away from the autopilot of daily life and into a world of creativity and beauty. Keep reading to find out more about Giorgio's journey and the fascinating results of his 'Daily' project. “Every day we repeatedly use objects that we constantly have under our eyes. How many times do we open the refrigerator? How many times do we take the water bottle? On a daily basis, we are always surrounded by the same things; we are so used to their presence that we no longer notice them, we no longer see them; even if our eyes rest on them, we do not notice them and it is as if we do not see them.” IN CONVERSATION WITH GIORGIO GERARDI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Giorgio please tell us about yourself. GIORGIO GERARDI: I was born in Mestre in 1953, few kilometers away from Venice, and I lived there for many years, until I recently moved to Favaro Veneto with my whole family. When I was younger, I tried to enter the professional world of photography, which has always been one of my biggest passions, but the journey would have been too long and I wanted to be independent straight away and have a family. I have worked most of my life in the credit sector, and I had to limit the amount of time for cultivating my interests, given that my spare time was mostly dedicated to my wife and raising my kids. A couple of years ago I retired and I am now finally able to fully devote myself to what I did when I was 20/27 years old, taking back the old projects of mine. TPL: How did you get involved in photography? What is it that is so special to you? GG: When I was a child, I received a camera as a present, which to me at the beginning represented a way to close reality within a frame. Around the age of twenty I started my own research; I was struck by the avant-garde of the 19th and first half of the 20th century, and by the research of photographers such as Man Ray, László Moholy-Nagy, Ugo Mulas, Franco Fontana, Luigi Ghirri. Moreover, I was interested in the artistic currents of Minimalism and Conceptualism. All of these experiences interested me mostly because they focused on the analysis of the photographic medium, its language and on the search for new forms of expression, new compared to the tradition. As typical in the spirit of the avant-garde, they were much closer to a discourse relative to the analysis of the visual instrument rather than to the staging of reality, to its representation, as the history of photography had instead accustomed us. It is not for nothing that Man Ray was part of Dadaism and Surrealism, and László Moholy-Nagy of the Bauhaus. TPL: What is the story behind your project DAILY? What inspired it and when did it begin? What do you want the viewer to experience and take away with them? GG: The project was created precisely to stage everyday objects; I photographed ordinary items, an unmade bed, the inside of a refrigerator, a dishwasher, trying to highlight certain details by extracting them from their context, to make them almost take on a life of their own, their own identity. I drew heavily from the Hyperrealist current, born after Pop Art in the second half of the past century, and in which detail assumes great importance. But I was also influenced by the concept of "ready made", where an object of common use is isolated from its context to be perceived as a work of art, in Duchamp's style. I wanted and I want the viewer who looks at these images to be able to “see” the represented subject, to perceive it in a different way than how he experiences it every day. I hope I have succeeded, at least in part. TPL: Can you explain your post-processing work to get to your final image. When do you know you have finished an image? GG: In the DAILY project, the important thing for me was trying to obtain images that were as neutral and aseptic as possible, which would highlight the details of the photographed subjects. In working these series, I pushed the contrast to the maximum by playing on curves and colors. I finish my work when I feel satisfied with what I have done, when the image has shapes and colors that satisfy me and in these series I was interested in highlighting details of everyday objects, as well as trying to treat them with a technique that came as close as possible to the style of Hyperrealism. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? GG: In regards to photography, I believe that in a previous answer I already gave a broad idea of the artists who interests me, and these are Man Ray, László Moholy-Nagy, Ugo Mulas, Franco Fontana, and Luigi Ghirri. But the beauty of art of course is not limited to what we see, but it also extends to what we can hear and listen to. I do love music and I would say that among my favorite musicians there are Philip Glass and Terry Riley. I may even add that their music influenced my artistic formation; repetition is a constant in their works, repetition alternating with continuous and slight diversities, which make repetition itself mutate, change, while remaining "repetition". I wanted and I want the viewer who looks at these images to be able to “see” the represented subject, to perceive it in a different way than how he experiences it every day. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to shoot alongside for a day...who would you choose? And why? GG: I would spend a day with the Italian photographer Franco Fontana, to talk and not to take pictures, so that he could tell me about his experience and how he lived the photographic medium and the images he managed to take. I've always liked the way he portrays the landscape, which is both classic and abstract and minimal at the same time. I think that his images, taken from the Seventies, marked an important step in the history of photography. 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? GG: I don't use any particular equipment; I have a Canon Eos 550D with a focal length of 18-55 mm, with which I take 90% of the images, and I also use my Xiaomi Mi T9 mobile phone. The main part of my work is focused in post-production, and therefore in the use of digital graphics programs, especially Photoshop and Gimp. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? GG: My main goal is to make my work known to an ever-growing audience, and slowly I manage to get published more and more often in magazines and on web pages. I hope to be able to continue on this path for other five years from now and even more. I also hope to be able to reach the world of galleries and interior designing, so that I could hang some of my images in private and public spaces. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? GG: Lately I've been working on the 'Details' project; one of the first series was 'Fireplace'. In these last series it is hard to even recognise the original subject, as the detail takes a life of its own. What interests me is not a mere representation of the real object; I want the result to be a set of shapes and colors that I like. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)... GG: I like to take long walks, I like to read, especially art history books; I also love listening to music as you might have guessed from a previous answer of mine. Giorgio uses his camera for his own personal research. 'Daily' is an inspiring example of how creativity can help us to escape the autopilot of daily life and unlock a world of beauty. To view more of Giorgio's photography use the links below. VIEW GIORGIO'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

Monika K. Adler is a photographer and avant-garde filmmaker based in London, United Kingdom, known for her challenging and provocative photography and experimental films. Born in Poland, she graduated from The European Academy of Photography in Warsaw, Poland and the Wojciech Gerson’s National School of Fine Arts. After that she moved to Paris, France (2004), where she photographed the life of the city and its artistic Bohemia. Her first solo show: ’Monika K. Adler - La photographie moderne’ took place in the Galerie La Tour at the Rue Saint Honore in Paris, in January 2005. Between 2005-2012 Monika led a vagabond lifestyle and travelled 180 places in Europe and New York to create a photography project ’Travel no End’. Comprising 200 prints, this is a poetic documentary journal of contemplating daily life in its deepest form. She first gained attention with the transgressive photography series and art-film Chernobyl of Love (2012), filmed in Ukraine, near the ruins of the 1986 nuclear accident. From 2012 Monika lives and works in London, United Kingdom. She focuses on black and white conceptual and fine art photography, addressing cultural constructions of memory, history and trauma, identity, consumerism, and sexuality. She creates video art and films as well. Her upcoming feature film, Sick Bacchus, tells a story of pathological consumption amongst London’s wealthy elite. In 2018 she was nominated to a Hundred Heroines - The Royal Photographic Society’s Award in the United Kingdom. As one of two-hundred of the best female photographers in the UK, the project 209 Women selected Adler to photograph one of the female members of UK parliament. The exhibition showed at the Palace of Westminster, London and Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, 2018-19. Her work is held in the Houses of Parliament’s permanent collection. Her works have been shown in over 150 exhibitions, video art and film festivals internationally. These have included: Gwangju Biennale, KR; Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, UK; House of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Lagos Photo Festival 20: Home Museum; Photo London, Somerset House, London, UK. Rankin 2020 #Self – Sky Arts; Saint Germain Photo Festival, Paris, France: UK; Auckland Photo Festival, New Zealand; Gislaveds Konsthall, Sweden; The State Museum of Gulag, Moscow; West Den Haag, The Hague, Netherlands; CICA Museum, Czong Institute of Contemporary Art, KR; Museum of Image and Sound, Florianopolis, Brazil; Edinburgh International Festival; BBC 100 Women, London, etc. Monika K. Adler’s films and image-based works have been the subject of several academic studies and published in many magazines and publications including: The Eye of Photography, GUP Magazine, Vogue Italia, Art & Commerce + Vogue Italia, Photographer Russia, Beta development in photography, So anyway Magazine, Dodho Magazine, Private Photo Review, Harper Bazaar UK, Guardian, The Times, Leica Photography Internationale, The Ambivalent Body: On The Short Films Of Monika K. Adler, 2013, The Martyrdom of the Angel’s Body: The Female Artist as Naked Signifier, 2014, 209 Women – Photography Book, 2019, Rankin’s 2020 – Photography Book 2020, Review Of Monika K. Adler’s Photographic Work: A Psychological Perspective, 2013. MONIKA K ADLER Monika K. Adler is a photographer and avant-garde filmmaker based in London, United Kingdom, known for her challenging and provocative photography and experimental films. Born in Poland, she graduated from The European Academy of Photography in Warsaw, Poland and the Wojciech Gerson’s National School of Fine Arts. After that she moved to Paris, France (2004), where she photographed the life of the city and its artistic Bohemia. Her first solo show: ’Monika K. Adler - La photographie moderne’ took place in the Galerie La Tour at the Rue Saint Honore in Paris, in January 2005. Between 2005-2012 Monika led a vagabond lifestyle and travelled 180 places in Europe and New York to create a photography project ’Travel no End’. Comprising 200 prints, this is a poetic documentary journal of contemplating daily life in its deepest form. She first gained attention with the transgressive photography series and art-film Chernobyl of Love (2012), filmed in Ukraine, near the ruins of the 1986 nuclear accident. From 2012 Monika lives and works in London, United Kingdom. She focuses on black and white conceptual and fine art photography, addressing cultural constructions of memory, history and trauma, identity, consumerism, and sexuality. She creates video art and films as well. Her upcoming feature film, Sick Bacchus, tells a story of pathological consumption amongst London’s wealthy elite. In 2018 she was nominated to a Hundred Heroines - The Royal Photographic Society’s Award in the United Kingdom. As one of two-hundred of the best female photographers in the UK, the project 209 Women selected Adler to photograph one of the female members of UK parliament. The exhibition showed at the Palace of Westminster, London and Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, 2018-19. Her work is held in the Houses of Parliament’s permanent collection. Her works have been shown in over 150 exhibitions, video art and film festivals internationally. These have included: Gwangju Biennale, KR; Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool, UK; House of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Lagos Photo Festival 20: Home Museum; Photo London, Somerset House, London, UK. Rankin 2020 #Self – Sky Arts; Saint Germain Photo Festival, Paris, France: UK; Auckland Photo Festival, New Zealand; Gislaveds Konsthall, Sweden; The State Museum of Gulag, Moscow; West Den Haag, The Hague, Netherlands; CICA Museum, Czong Institute of Contemporary Art, KR; Museum of Image and Sound, Florianopolis, Brazil; Edinburgh International Festival; BBC 100 Women, London, etc. Monika K. Adler’s films and image-based works have been the subject of several academic studies and published in many magazines and publications including: The Eye of Photography, GUP Magazine, Vogue Italia, Art & Commerce + Vogue Italia, Photographer Russia, Beta development in photography, So anyway Magazine, Dodho Magazine, Private Photo Review, Harper Bazaar UK, Guardian, The Times, Leica Photography Internationale, The Ambivalent Body: On The Short Films Of Monika K. Adler, 2013, The Martyrdom of the Angel’s Body: The Female Artist as Naked Signifier, 2014, 209 Women – Photography Book, 2019, Rankin’s 2020 – Photography Book 2020, Review Of Monika K. Adler’s Photographic Work: A Psychological Perspective, 2013. LOCATION London UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S IPhone 7+ WEBSITE https://www.monikakadler.com/ @MONIKAKADLER FEATURES // Nostalgia

SINGAPORE SCENES Xiangyi's minimalistic photography conveys a sense of mystery, illustrating how tiny we are in comparison to the universe. SINGAPORE SCENES June 22, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Chen Xiangyi INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link As the world continues to rapidly evolve and transform, it's hard to keep up with all the changes happening around us. But one Singaporean street photographer, Chen Xiangyi, has made it his mission to document these changes and immortalize them in his minimalist photographs. Self-taught and inspired by the ever-evolving nature of street photography, Xiangyi has developed a unique style that captures the beauty of his environment and the people within it. His works often feature mysterious scenes where the human subject may not be the main focus, but they still contribute to the composition nonetheless. It's an intriguing style that speaks to the smallness of mankind in comparison to the vast universe around us. In this article we will explore Xiangyi's fascinating photography, as well as his motivations and aspirations as an artist. “Sometimes taking a step back, we see that the universe is so much bigger and we are only mere specks in it.” IN CONVERSATION WITH CHEN XIANGYI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Xiangyi, when did you start getting interested in photography? CHEN XIANGYI: I started around twelve years of age. I received a point and shoot as a gift. I started taking casual photos of friends and family. During vacations, I also took photos of the scenery and macro shots of food and flowers. I think I got myself hooked, buying books and going online to watch video tutorials about camera settings and shooting techniques. Later on, I joined Instagram and saw many different beautiful pictures. This sparked my interest further as I tried imitating their styles. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? CX: I started getting my inspiration initially from YouTube street photography tutorials. Later, as I created my Instagram page, I followed many Instagram accounts that showcased works of other street photographers. The scenes that are on the street, backgrounds and different lighting inspire me and gives me the inspiration to make the photos. TPL: Who are your favourite artists/photographers? CX: I think Evan Ranft and Sean Tucker are the first few YouTube photographers who influenced my style, I have learnt a lot from their tutorials and really got motivated by them. Eric Kim, Eduardo Pavez Goye and King Jvpes's POV videos of them doing street photography has also inspired me to get out there and shoot more. Street photographers and feature pages on Instagram also has influenced my work providing inspiration as well as a different perspective to look at light, subjects and the scene. TPL: Has your style of shooting changed since you first started? CX: When I started, it was more of a casual shooting anything and everything. I dabbled with studio a bit but after graduating high school, I did not have access to a studio anymore. I guess street photography called out to me, as Singapore is a tiny city that is always bustling with life. The streets are always changing and always have interesting characters. There are always stories unfolding waiting for me to uncover. TPL: Where is your favourite place to shoot? CX: I don't really have a favourite place. I enjoy shooting different places. In Singapore, my favourite few places include Chinatown and Central business district. These are places always teeming with live and always full of energy. However, I also enjoy the occasional walk around the neighborhood with my camera. Although quieter, it provides a new environment that keeps things interesting. Recently, on my overseas trips, I found just walking in an unfamiliar place can be inspiring as everything looks intriguing. The scenes that are on the street, backgrounds and different lighting inspire me and gives me the inspiration to make the photos. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? CX: I agree strongly with the quote "the best camera is the one on you". Equipment in this day and age shouldn't be what is stopping you from creating images. Even phones are able to make stunning images. I also believe that it’s the vision of the creator of the picture that makes it unique and amazing and not the gear. I guess just go and get your gear out and just go shoot! Don't be afraid even if you don't get many keepers, just keep on shooting! TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a better photographer? What’s your tips or advice for someone in your genre? CX: I would think someone who is attentive to details or just observant in general. There are always a lot happening on the streets and it is up to us to spot the interesting story that is unfolding. I guess just shoot first chimp later. If you think something is interesting or aesthetically pleasing, just snap a photo of it first! TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? CX: I was in the school's orchestra but that's about it. I can’t really draw or paint, so I guess not much involvement. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? CX: I have just started doing photography seriously as a hobby. I would hope to be able to make something out of it some day! I currently have an Instagram page which I try to post regularly. I also put up some of my work on lens2print. Maybe in the future a website or maybe a zine or two! TPL: “If I wasn't photographing what would I be doing?... CX: I really don’t know. I got hooked on photography and had been doing it for 10 years already. I really can't imagine anything else getting me hooked for that long!” It serves as a reminder of how tiny we are in comparison to the universe through Xiangyi's minimalist photography. Please follow his journey on Instagram. VIEW XIANGYI'S PORTFOLIO Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

HUMANS IN MOTION Shawn Byron Danker is a Singapore based photographer who focuses primarily on physical manifestations of humans in motion in urban settings. HUMANS IN MOTION September 11, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Shawn Byron Danker INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Shawn Byron Danker is a Singapore based photographer who has been shooting professionally since 2006. To Shawn the cityscape is a physical manifestation of the very human tension between what is and what ought to be, and also the moral tension between what merely appears to be and what is unspoken. This constant double tension infuses Shawn’s photography, which both celebrates and rehabilitates the contemporary spaces and humans in their urban habitat. Shawn challenges himself to create and recreate this double vision in each new series he embarks upon, to help audiences become aware of the natural, the undiscussed, the undisputed, the implicit – and to ultimately reflect and question them. Shawn´s pictures have been showcased in publications in Bangladesh, France, Japan, the Philippines, and Singapore. Shawn has also held two exhibitions in Singapore. “I was born and raised in Singapore. I got into photography as a kid because I always wanted to create beautiful work that would make people stop to look at the story in front of them. My bread and butter is photojournalism so I use the storytelling skills I developed there in every other genre of photography I work in.” IN CONVERSATION WITH SHAWN BYRON DANKER THE PICTORIAL LIST: You have shared your photo project SHALL WE DANCE with us. What gave you the idea of photographing street dancers and turning it into a long-term project? SHAWN BYRON DANKER: I was in the middle of finishing up my second exhibition in Singapore when I started thinking about what would be the subject for my next show. I decided that I wanted to do something fun since my previous two shows were about dour and serious subject matter. I have always loved watching the human form and enjoyed dance as a spectator, but I felt I lacked the skills to properly photograph dance. After my second show ended, I felt I was now ready to take on the challenge so I decided I was going to use every trick I had ever learned to put my own spin on photographing dance. I wanted to mesh genres to hopefully create something new...I set out to show the world that dance and dance photography is more than just ballet. What you are now seeing with this body of work, is the fruit of that resolve. The plan is to eventually take this body of work and turn it into a traveling exhibit and coffee table book. TPL: In your street dance photographs, you pay a lot of attention to the setting. How do you pick a location, what criteria do you employ? SBD: The art direction’s mandate for this series is that the location should matter within the composition. The setting helps set the mood and reveal character. The negative space around the dancer should enhance their presence and impart a richer meaning into the frame. I also tell my dancers that they are not dancing in a vacuum; they should be using their bodies to tell a story of how the scene makes them feel. I use a lot of film theory when I look for locations and plan my shoots. I look for anything that helps build an engaging mise-en-scene, so that can range from the quality of light and shadow, the colors, but most importantly the shapes and forms that the structures impart to the scene. Working on this series has taught me to look at a location in front of me and see it as it could be. From there I start to figure out how I would compose the shot. Do I go for a composition using juxtaposition and or do I want to convey a sense of scale and perspective? It all depends on how all these factors come together while I look at what is in front of me and figure out if I can somehow add some visual tension into the shot. Sometimes it can take me years to finally figure out how to best use a location for maximum visual impact. TPL: You have told us that contextualizing your photos matters to you. Does it make a difference what type of dance genre you are shooting? For example, if you are shooting ballet, do you try to select different locations from when you are shooting street? SBD: Many people will argue otherwise but I see the series as a form of street photography because I apply a lot of street sensibilities into the composition. That is why context matters in my composition. Context helps to make a shot more engaging. The more engaging a shot is, the longer your eye will linger upon it to drink it all in and make for a richer viewing experience. For ballet, I look for locations that juxtapose the environment against the ballet dancer’s etherealness; soft versus hard. When I am looking to create something with an emphasis on pronounced statuesque shapes (think Rodin’s thinker) I bring in a contemporary dancer. I tell my jazz dancers that I want them to seduce and invite their audiences into their parlour like how a femme fatale would in film noir. For pole dance I tell the dancers to tone down the overt raunchiness and play up their physicality. Pole dance audiences tend to focus on the dancer’s sexiness and not how amazingly fit they really are. I want to break the negative stereotype associated with the genre. The photos you see may not show it, but some dance genres are a lot more difficult to shoot than you think. This Melbourne break-dance crew had plenty of energy to bounce off one another so I decided to use that to my advantage. I had some of them dance while their other crew mates were egging them on from behind the window, pretending to be spectators. Dancers from left to right: Michael Fox (@bboyflyinfoxy.rhf), Emmy Li (@ramenloverli), Andrew Mcintosh (@anndramcin) and Fauntine Lariba (@bgirlfontz) Josh Glavin (@joshglavin) tap dancing at an artificial waterfall in Tokyo. Scottish Dancer Natalie Smith (@nattts_dance) dancing Fosse style in a parking lot in Tokyo. Break dancer Syafiq Junior (@stylejoinsrhythm) leaning into Robot Love a mural by artist Sonny Liew in Singapore. Jazz dancer Angeline Chin (@angelineychin) on a stairway to heaven in Melbourne. Jazz dancer Kelly jams outside an Izakaya in Toranomon Tokyo. Wrecking Ball: Finding a pole dancer like Yoshimi Higo (@hkanon1112) who is both proficient and confident enough to take on the challenge of dancing outside the dance studio is a massive challenge in itself. Popping is a difficult genre to shoot because it's difficult to show the muscles popping while the dancer is moving so Shawn opts to focus on the dancers´ shapes instead. Popper Ryosuke Inagaki (ryosuke_1974) is juxtaposed here against the oldest part of Tokyo, Kanda City. TPL: Which dance genre do you think is the hardest to photograph then? SBD: It depends. To be frank, Dane Shitagi made a very pertinent point when he said that dance is best consumed in video form. This is because dance is a continuous sequence of movements. What I am doing as a dance photographer is akin to what sketch artists do when they draw gesture: capturing a movement to express emotion and motion. I love watching ballet but it can be a pain to shoot because of how perfectionist ballet dancers can be. Contemporary can be very challenging to audiences who have no dance training because they lack the dance vocabulary that would allow them to understand what they are looking at. But genre wise I would say the hardest ones to shoot are popping and pole dance. Popping is naturally stiff looking and you are confronted with this conundrum: how do you show your subjects popping their muscles while they keep their shirts on? I solved this little problem by directing the dancer to give me shapes and lines that identifies the genre to the viewer. Pole dance is hard because of two things: The logistics involved and the competency of the dancer. I do not use those portable poles that pole dancers sometimes use because I want the pole dancer to use what is within the natural urban environment. When I shoot pole dance, the first thing that I have to do is find a street sign that is situated in an interesting location. Then I have to find a pole dancer who is confident enough to be able to dance using a street sign instead of what they are used to in the dance studio. Finally after meeting these two conditions, I have to hope and pray that the conditions on the ground are favorable when we finally head there to shoot. That is why my very first pole dance themed shot took me five years to create. Popping is naturally stiff looking and you are confronted with this conundrum: how do you show your subjects popping their muscles while they keep their shirts on? I solved this problem by directing the dancer to give me shapes and lines that identifies the genre to the viewer. TPL: Do you in a way “choreograph” the dances you shoot? Meaning, do you tell the dancers what to do, or do you let them do their thing and just shoot? SBD: When I started on this series, I used to come into the shoots with a preconceived move that I wanted the dancer to do for the shot. I slowly began to realize as I gained more experience, that the best shots I ever got was when I let the dancer freestyle their moves. Doing this really let them improvise and inject their own personality into their movements instead of being boxed in by a specific expectation. I keep a large store of researched imagery on hand to show the dancers if they need some ideas, but I tell them to always put their own spin on their inspiration and make the shot/move theirs. For the most part I intentionally keep the art direction vague. I tell the dancers that they are free to do what feels right to them as long as I see shapes, lines or extensions. From there we make whatever adjustments are needed to improve the shot. The biggest breakthrough I have had was the realization that dance is not just about movement. Dance is also about what Jay Maisel and sketch artists would call gesture. The more engaging a shot is, the longer your eye will linger upon it to drink it all in and make for a richer viewing experience. TPL: In many of your photos there are dancers performing incredible leaps and twirls, and there are passers by seemingly unconcerned with what is happening. How does that happen? Do people not stop to ask what is going on, or at least to watch the action? SBD: Well they look unaware because they are usually on their way to wherever their life is taking them. Occasionally some of them stop to watch or ask what is going on. There has been a few times where we get an audience while we work who either applaud or smile at us while remarking “beautiful”, but that mostly happens when the passers by actually stop to pay attention to what is going on. TPL: Other than in dance, where do you find your inspiration? What else do you like to photograph? SBD: I find a lot of inspiration from video games, comics and movies. Some of my composition ideas come from movies by Denis Villeneuve, Wes Anderson or Akira Kurosawa. I also get a lot of ideas for my battle style dance photos from the Ryu Ga Gotoku (Like a Dragon or Yakuza) series. The cinematics in that game series contain some amazing dynamic cinematography. I love photographing street when I get the chance. It helps to hone my eye while helping me to relax. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? SBD: I adore Platon and Moriyama. Little Shao has been a constant source of inspiration for dance related photography. He is constantly trying new things with dance and street instead of repeating the same thing over and over. With regard to who has influenced my style the most. It is a combination of people. Akira Kurosawa’s movies taught me how to add a sense of kinetics into a shot by incorporating motion with stillness within my compositions. Film Noir, like the Maltese Falcon, gave me my love of using light and shadow for drama in my compositions. But my college friend, Dena, taught me the most important lesson I ever had to learn as a photographer: “Even if the shot is not technically perfect, you should find a way to make it work for you anyway.” It’s a philosophy that I have held close to my heart ever since she said it to me. She is the reason why I am not a technical photographer. I look for emotion and I shoot by feel. That is why my style tends to be very emotive. Is ballet dancer Catherine Donato (@catdonato) real or simply a part of the graffiti on Hosier Lane in Melbourne? Urban Dancer Alley Kerr (@alleykerr) takes a leap of faith while riding the subway in Tokyo. Breakdancer Takeo Okamoto (bboykamo1130) plays a trickster on a subway platform in Tokyo. This guy was outside Shibuya station posing for the cameras and I knew I just had to get a shot of him because he actually made his costume light up! In the end I asked him for 2 shots. Parkour Athlete Hikari Izumi (@hhhhi02) in Tokyo shows us how women can do anything that boys can. Daniel Sonic Rojas (@danielsonicrojas) works some parkour in Singapore. "Teardrop": Contemporary dancer Darnell Williams (@darnyyy_) is statuesque in the halls of the Harumi Futo in Tokyo. Aussie dancer Jess Page (@jesslbepage) decided to have some fun with this space in Tokyo. What camera/s do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? My workhorse is my Canon 1DX and the 24-70mm f2.8 lens. It is fast and it lets me break down the dancers' movements frame by frame to find the best moments. The zoom length also gives me a lot of freedom and allows me to work quickly without having to waste time trying to figure out whether a wide angle or telephoto lens would work better. For situations that require stealth and discretion, I switch to my Fuji X100F. It is silent and is the perfect walk around camera because its compact size does not intimidate people on the street at all. TPL: Are there any special projects, other than the long-term documentary on street dance, that you are currently working on? SBD: I have a few. The other book that I am working on simultaneously with SHALL WE DANCE is THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. It is a body of work where I am shooting revelers on the street during Shibuya Halloween. Halloween in Shibuya is like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but with costumes. I thought it would be fun to showcase the Japanese take on Halloween. I am also shooting PARKOUR as a spin off from SHALL WE DANCE; I take what I am doing with dance but apply it to parkour instead. Another project that I am working on has me photographing the architecture of public housing buildings. And I have a portrait series called WAR PAINT where I photograph headshots of wrestlers as they emote: a sight that wrestling fans never get to see up close. One day if I ever get the chance, I would love to do something with cosplay. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I like to… SBD: Either look at other street photographers to research locations I would like to shoot dancers with or chill out and play some video games. Or eat. Because I have a weakness for food.” Shawn Byron Danker's photography is a powerful and thought-provoking creative exploration of the human condition in the modern city. His work reveals a meaningful dialogue between what is and what ought to be, and encourages us to reflect on that which is unspoken. To learn more about Shawn's work and how it can challenge us to look beyond the conventional, press on the links below. VIEW SHAWN'S PORTFOLIO Read SHALL WE DANCE by Shawn Shawn's website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

I am a visual storyteller and media expert based in between Greece and Germany. Since 2006, I have worked independently and with organisations in over 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the MENA region, and Central America. I specialise in documentary photography and film production with a focus on social and environmental topics. My portfolio features partnerships with institutions such as the European Commission ECHO, agencies such Euronews as well as leading organizations like WWF and Medecins Sans Frontieres. My projects have received recognition at international awards, festivals, and exhibitions. In 2016, I co-founded the production house Mind The Bump where I work as a documentary director and producer. In 2018, I joined BULB Photos/Balkan Collective as an International Fellow Honoris Causa. In 2021, I founded @WomenPhotoGR the first online community in Greece dedicated to promoting equal participation of female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ individuals in photography. VICKY MARKOLEFA I am a visual storyteller and media expert based in between Greece and Germany. Since 2006, I have worked independently and with organisations in over 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the MENA region, and Central America. I specialise in documentary photography and film production with a focus on social and environmental topics. My portfolio features partnerships with institutions such as the European Commission ECHO, agencies such Euronews as well as leading organizations like WWF and Medecins Sans Frontieres. My projects have received recognition at international awards, festivals, and exhibitions. In 2016, I co-founded the production house Mind The Bump where I work as a documentary director and producer. In 2018, I joined BULB Photos/Balkan Collective as an International Fellow Honoris Causa. In 2021, I founded @WomenPhotoGR the first online community in Greece dedicated to promoting equal participation of female, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ individuals in photography. LOCATION Athens GREECE CAMERA/S Fujifilm XT-3, XT-4, XH-1, DJI OSMO, DJI PHANTOM 4 PRO WEBSITE http://www.vickymarkolefa.net @VICKYMARKOLEFA FEATURES // Life In Between