Based in the Ruhr Area in Germany, I am working as a teacher at a primary school. In my free time I love to draw or to take pictures with my Leica. I have an enormous passion for fine arts since I was little. In my presented series I want to show the beauty of the often underestimated region, I am living in. The Ruhr Area has a huge industrial tradition. I edit all my pictures in black and white, because I'd like to reduce my objects to their essentials. Furthermore I have the opportunity to focus on contrasts, shapes, textures by working like this. SARAH LUHSE Based in the Ruhr Area in Germany, I am working as a teacher at a primary school. In my free time I love to draw or to take pictures with my Leica. I have an enormous passion for fine arts since I was little. In my presented series I want to show the beauty of the often underestimated region, I am living in. The Ruhr Area has a huge industrial tradition. I edit all my pictures in black and white, because I'd like to reduce my objects to their essentials. Furthermore I have the opportunity to focus on contrasts, shapes, textures by working like this. LOCATION Ruhr Area GERMANY CAMERA/S Leica Q2 FEATURES // Ruhr Perspectives

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. 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. September 21, 2025 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Jay Hsu INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE This interview offers an opportunity to explore the quiet power of diptychs through the work of Taiwanese photographer and educator Jay Hsu. Known for his poetic and contemplative approach to photography, Jay has developed a distinctive voice that reveals itself in the thoughtful pairing of images. His diptychs do not simply mirror or contrast, they create a dialogue. The elements within each frame take on life and meaning, working together to form a complex narrative. Beyond the surface, deeper themes of ideology, emotion, and memory emerge, enriching the story told by the images. Through careful pairing and subtle connections in shape, tone, and feeling, he creates visual relationships that reveal themselves slowly and invite thoughtful reflection. Jay’s journey into photography began as a deeply personal exploration, a way to find calm and meaning amid life’s challenges. “Photography was a medium for my own inner exploration,” he writes, “a pause, a lifesaving deep breath.” But after the birth of his daughter and a deepening of his Christian faith, his creative path shifted. “The very essence of my photography moved from self-exploration to a connection with people. This connection is one of goodness and light, even in a world that can feel broken and disappointing.” Over time, this philosophy expanded beyond image making into a broader mission rooted in education and community. As project leader of Shining Hope, a photography-based learning program for children in rural Taiwan, Jay now helps young people “see with intention and express their experiences with honesty and care.” His work as a mentor is deeply linked to his personal creative vision, and he lives, in his own words, “to publish, explore, and educate, to provide freedom and bring influence to children in rural and underprivileged communities.” At the heart of his work lies the diptych, a visual form Jay calls “the perfect medium to illustrate relationships.” What once began as a symbolic pairing of objects has become a more intuitive and graceful language. “I later discovered a new, delightful, and clever way to create by subtly linking and extending lines, shapes, and colors. This method allows for a seamless flow, mirroring the journey of life, from chaos to peace, from poverty to abundance, from darkness to light.” In this conversation, Jay Hsu shares how this way of seeing became central to his practice, how diptychs allow him to explore emotional and visual continuity, and how photography continues to shape his understanding of beauty, resilience, and hope. His story is quiet and clear, and grounded in the belief that “even when things fall apart, we can still maintain goodness, hold onto our childlike innocence, and embrace a bright and hopeful future.” “At present, my works are almost always drawn from past photographs, reconnected in new ways. Of course, each moment of shooting carries its own emotions. But when two photos, each with its own mood, are placed together, a new flow of emotions emerges — something shaped by time and continuity — becoming the emotion of the present moment.” IN CONVERSATION WITH JAY HSU TPL: Your journey into photography began as a personal exploration as a kind of pause or life-saving deep breath, as you’ve described it. Can you share more about that time in your life? What were you seeking, and what did the act of making images begin to offer you that words or other forms of expression could not? JAYE: I became a Christian in 2006. Before that, in my twenties, I was in a stage of exploring my interests, ambitions, self-growth, and self-worth. At that time, I was sentimental, quiet, melancholic, yet also full of pride. With the money I earned from part-time jobs, I bought my first digital camera, a Canon IXUS100, and took pictures everywhere—inside my room, on the streets, in the mountains, and by the sea. I think there were many complicated thoughts within me then. Besides writing, I discovered that photographs, like short poems, could carry many thoughts and emotions, even states of being that words could not fully describe. Photography became an open space, a refuge, a temporary deep breath. It might not have solved my problems, but it allowed me to store away my restlessness, melancholy, and turmoil for a while, giving my life some breathing room so I could move forward to the next stage. TPL: You’ve moved across many genres, including documentary, street, wedding, landscape, and conceptual photography. How did those varied experiences inform the way you now see, compose, and tell stories? Were there moments when those different practices overlapped or challenged each other in unexpected ways? JAY: I’m someone who enjoys being different and who also enjoys learning. When I first started photography, I studied all kinds of techniques and tried various styles. Later, when I felt stuck in terms of form, I began to explore the essence and meaning of photography itself. Now, at 48, I’m grateful for every stage of learning. None of it was wasted — they all became nourishment for my life. Technical skills and equipment are secondary. What mattered most was how learning across genres and theories taught me to observe and reflect on life, and to express it through my preferred creative approach. Sometimes documentary overlapped with wedding photography, conceptual photography intertwined with street shots, or the essence of photography merged with sequencing images, or diptychs combined with minimalist negative space. These practices reflect my love of being different and my belief that life is a continuous, exciting journey forward. TPL: At some point, your personal exploration shifted into something more focused on community, especially after becoming a father and a Christian. How did that transformation take shape, and in what ways has it deepened your sense of purpose as a photographer? JAY: I believe my Christian faith was the main reason for this transformation. Throughout life, people keep asking: Who am I? What am I pursuing? Why am I alive? Where will I go after death? These questions about the self-found their answers in my faith. Becoming a husband and father also naturally shifted my focus from myself to caring for my wife, daughter, and others. Once my heart was filled with God’s love, I naturally wanted to give and contribute, hoping to make the world a little brighter and kinder. Even if my influence is small, light is made of countless small sparks gathered together. To be one of those sparks already feels wonderful. TPL: Diptychs have become a defining element of your visual language. You’ve spoken about their ability to express relationships, not just between images but between ideas, emotions, and spiritual concepts. What makes this format so powerful for you, and how do you know when two images belong together? In short: it’s fun! I enjoy playful forms of creation. I first learned about diptychs when I took further photography courses, and I thought: Oh, photography can also be presented this way. Since I’ve always loved duplication, re-creation, and collage, this format of pairing two images to express an idea suited me perfectly. I truly admire photographers who can capture multiple visual elements and relationships in a single frame — the dialogue between objects or symbols. But I knew I didn’t always have the time to wait for a “decisive moment,” nor the instinctive “photographic eye” for it. So instead, I leaned into my own strengths and preferred ways of expression. There’s no need to be like everyone else — I can still communicate what I want in my own way. As for knowing when two images belong together, it depends on my life experience, my present state of being, and the worldview I want to convey. Often, I’ll first pick one image that moves me deeply in that moment, then close my eyes and imagine which other photo could best express the idea I want to convey. Finally, I’ll look for connections in lines, shapes, or colors from my existing archive. Sometimes inspiration strikes unexpectedly — in the shower or while driving — because I already know my own photo collection well. (That said, I often revise my diptychs. The next day, I might find another image that pairs even better, and I’ll replace it.) TPL: You mention that you moved from illustrating symbols and object relationships to linking elements like lines, shapes, and colors with transitions that feel playful and intuitive. Can you take us into that shift in your visual thinking? How did you begin seeing these connections, and how do they inform your sequencing? JAY: Simply put, I wanted my work to be more accessible — to be seen and understood by a wider audience. Academic art can often feel difficult for the general public to grasp without training in visual language or photography theory. My motivation wasn’t fame or personal gain, but rather to use my work to convey goodness and spark resonance — to let people know that even in the darkest times, they can still shine. But for that message to be heard, the work must first be seen — it must catch people’s eyes in the flood of images on social media. To create that visual pause, the work needed to stand out in a unique way. By coincidence, I encountered the works of photographer Joakim Moller, and they left me with a sense of ‘visual lingering’ (a form of persistence of vision that lingers in one’s perception). I was struck by how masterfully he could join two photographs together, creating a profound aesthetic shock for the eye while also carrying layers of meaning. That encounter inspired me to try it myself, and in doing so I discovered a genuine interest and passion, with the work also receiving considerable resonance from viewers. This formal shift didn’t change my sequencing process too much. The core concept of the work still comes first. What changed is that finding two images that link well is more challenging than presenting a single photo—but at the same time, it’s much more fun. TPL: Your work carries a strong emotional undercurrent that holds both light and melancholy. How do belief, memory, and emotional resonance shape the narratives you build within a pair of images? Do you seek out particular moods when shooting, or do they emerge during the editing process? JAY: When it comes to belief, memory, and emotional resonance, to be honest, I can’t precisely explain how they interact, connect, and build a story — after all, these things have already been internalized within my heart and soul. But I am grateful for the moments of melancholy and pain, because they refined my life and now contrast or echo with the light I experience today. It’s precisely because of those experiences that my work has depth and carries stories. At present, my works are almost always drawn from past photographs, reconnected in new ways. Of course, each moment of shooting carries its own emotions. But when two photos, each with its own mood, are placed together, a new flow of emotions emerges — something shaped by time and continuity — becoming the emotion of the present moment. Even if my influence is small, light is made of countless small sparks gathered together. To be one of those sparks already feels wonderful. TPL: You’ve described your images as a movement from chaos to peace, from darkness to light. That is both a visual and philosophical journey. How do you hold space for both beauty and brokenness in your work, and what does it mean to you to create within that tension? JAY: Acceptance. I think it’s about accepting the beautiful parts of myself, but also the broken ones. Through creating, it becomes not only a reflection on my own life but also a way of sharing my life perspective and philosophy with others — perhaps with those who are also going through brokenness, or those who are stepping into beautiful seasons of life. Pain can be overcome, and the nourishment pain gives will eventually nurture love and light. Even if the light is small, it can still drive away darkness and make the darkness tremble. TPL: Your diptychs invite viewers to slow down and observe carefully. There is a quiet clarity in your compositions, but also a sense of layers waiting to be uncovered. How do you balance visual simplicity with conceptual depth? What does it mean to you for a photo to speak beyond what is seen? JAY: Practice — continuous practice — and looking at many good photographs. Just like writing, everything begins with imitation. Then, as you add your own life experiences and philosophy, those once-imitated words or images gradually take on your own style and creativity. Balancing visual simplicity with conceptual depth is something I only came to understand after studying courses in visual language, photographic art, and the essence of photography. It’s about learning how to arrange, how to suggest meaning through metaphor. Of course, creating diptychs as collages — finding visual balance and playfulness — is not so difficult. But deciding which two photos to choose, and what meaning emerges when they are paired — that is where the real subtlety and significance lie. When I succeed in making a work that speaks beyond what is seen, it means my life has depth, and I am ready to share with others a message of beauty that is mine yet also belongs to them. TPL: Your role as project leader for SHINING HOPE marks a significant shift in your career, from personal creator to educator and mentor. What inspired you to formalize this work, and how has your approach to teaching photography evolved since your early days volunteering for Children Eye? JAY: It’s a long story, but to put it simply — the answer is calling. This sense of calling comes from my Christian faith, and it arose after I truly came to know myself and understand my self-worth. It grew alongside my daughter’s growth. The photos I took of her touched many people’s hearts, and I realized for the first time that photographs can have real impact. Later, I traveled with World Vision Taiwan to Uganda and documented children in the slums. That experience deepened my conviction that children’s education and companionship are crucial — because children are the foundation and hope of the future. So, I made a decisive choice to resign from my church job, move my family to the countryside (to be closer to rural communities), and take on the photography program that was about to be discontinued, stepping into the role of project leader. Transitioning from volunteer to leader meant my teaching became more careful and thorough. I wanted to use photography education not only to teach skills, but also to accompany children, build their confidence, cultivate good character, and help them know and take pride in their hometowns. At that time, Taiwan had very few photography education programs for children, let alone well-developed curricula. So, I referenced international teaching resources (such as Aperture), local art education plans, and children’s picture books that told stories through images. I also pursued further studies in photography and art. After many revisions, I developed the curriculum we have today. It is collaborative and interdisciplinary, designed together with schoolteachers, and integrates art, language, social studies, and science — a holistic, theme-based approach. TPL: You have said that your mission is to provide freedom and bring influence to children in rural communities through visual storytelling. What kind of transformation do you witness in students as they begin to tell their own stories with a camera? Can you share a moment or student that particularly moved you? JAY: Although it looks like we’re teaching photography, in truth it’s more like life education — and so there are countless stories. One that left a deep impression was a girl I’ll call Xiao-Fan. When she was in sixth grade, she confided to a teacher that she had suicidal thoughts. But after learning photography, she shared with her teacher that whenever she felt down, she would pick up her camera and photograph the sky. Watching the constantly changing blue sky lifted her mood. Even after our program at her school ended, she kept photographing the sky. By ninth grade, she held her first solo exhibition at Share & Cultural & Creative Café. Among her works, her favorite piece was called Soft and Fluffy, featuring clouds that looked like cotton candy. In her artist statement, she wrote: “I think everyone needs something soft and fluffy — maybe a stuffed toy, a pillow, or a cat — because soft things can heal the wounds of every person’s heart.” TPL: You have compared your creative process to the feeling of enjoying a child’s drawing, embracing playful, intuitive, and full of surprise. How do you maintain that sense of openness in your own work, especially while also teaching structure and technique to others? JAY: My ability to maintain a sense of playfulness, intuition, and surprise in photography really comes from working in education — leading rural children in photography and creating alongside them. To be precise, it’s more about recovering a childlike way of observing and creating. I’m also very grateful to my own photography teachers, who introduced me to ideas like “there are no standard answers” and “open-ended conclusions.” These ideas fit perfectly into the way I now teach children. While I try to guide them with freedom and playfulness, in truth, they are my teachers. The surprises and inspiration I get from their works are far greater than what I give them. TPL: As you continue to grow both as an artist and an educator, what are the new questions or directions that excite you? Are there creative risks you hope to take, or new communities you want to engage through your work in the years ahead? JAY: I think I want to become more of an educator than an artist. But because the photography education I do is closely tied to art, I must also keep learning and growing in photography myself. In the coming years, aside from exploring new creative methods, I hope to organize a Photography Education Exhibition in Taiwan. This would bring together teams, organizations, and artists working in photography education across the country. Through a large-scale exhibition, people passionate about photography education could learn from each other, and perhaps even create a shared general photography curriculum for Taiwanese children. All of this effort is for the future of Taiwan—to develop more complete, diverse, forward-looking, and large-scale educational approaches. I feel both excited and eager for that day to come. Jay Hsu’s photography tells stories that feel both intimate and universal. Through his quiet, relational approach and his thoughtful use of diptychs, he reveals how light, shape, and color can echo the journeys we live. Even in the most ordinary moments, there is space for beauty, meaning, and hope. His commitment to visual storytelling is matched only by his dedication to education. In turning his focus to children and communities on the margins, he has found a deeper purpose — using the camera not just as a creative tool, but as a means of nurturing identity, voice, and wonder in the next generation. Jay’s work has been recognized both in Taiwan and internationally. His photographs have appeared in group exhibitions such as the GR Taiwan IGS Joint Photography Exhibition and ONFOTO Photography Exhibitions, and have earned honors from the International Photography Awards, the International Color Awards, and competitions hosted by Photoblog.hk and Silicon Power. His early talent as a writer was also honored with literary awards from the Ministry of Education and the Hualien Literary Awards. But beyond accolades and exhibitions, what stands out most is the gentle strength of his vision — a commitment to holding onto light, even when the world feels uncertain. His story, and the work that grows from it, is a quiet call to see the goodness that endures and to pass it on. To explore more of Jay Hsu’s photography and experience the diversity of his visual storytelling, follow the links below. See more, learn more, and find your own spark of inspiration in the worlds he so thoughtfully creates. VIEW JAY'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 have spent an unhealthy amount of time practicing the craft of advertising in Dubai and have worked with some of the finest photographers on ad campaigns. I now bring that rich experience to my own photography. Whilst working on an ad campaign, I discovered that the average household in rich countries has over 300,000 items. Working with companies (big and small), the global advertising industry has ramped up growth and demand for products that is costing the earth nearly $3 trillion in environmental, social and human health damage. To offset my own advertising and environmental footprint, I now champion only ethical brands and use my art to raise awareness for sustainability and minimalism. I am currently working on a long term photography project. IXI NIJHAWAN I have spent an unhealthy amount of time practicing the craft of advertising in Dubai and have worked with some of the finest photographers on ad campaigns. I now bring that rich experience to my own photography. Whilst working on an ad campaign, I discovered that the average household in rich countries has over 300,000 items. Working with companies (big and small), the global advertising industry has ramped up growth and demand for products that is costing the earth nearly $3 trillion in environmental, social and human health damage. To offset my own advertising and environmental footprint, I now champion only ethical brands and use my art to raise awareness for sustainability and minimalism. I am currently working on a long term photography project. LOCATION Dubai UAE CAMERA/S Fujifilm X-T3 @SHOTBYIXI FEATURES // Minimalist Impressionism

URBAN PEACE Eric Renard is a Los Angeles based photographer whose urban places often reflect an eerie sense of peace and quiet. URBAN PEACE July 15, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Eric Renard INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Los Angeles based photographer, Eric Renard, has an enviable knack for capturing beauty and peace in the most unlikely of places. His work brings to life the cinematic drama in the shadows of cityscapes and the tranquil wilderness of rural landscapes. Growing up between the bustle of New York City and the serenity of Maine, Eric was exposed to a unique dichotomy of urban and rural living. This duality can be seen throughout his work, from the gritty streets of San Francisco to the sun-soaked highways of Los Angeles. With each high-contrast image, he reveals a distinct sense of peace and solitude rarely featuring more than one or two people. His study under Siegfried Halus at Tufts University further honed his skills, allowing him to capture this elusive beauty with each click of his shutter. Eric Renard's works are as captivating as they are mysterious; ultimately, they take us on a visual journey through the same places he once called home. “I was first exposed to photography by a summer camp counsellor in Maine, named Nick. I don’t recall a lot about him except that he always had a camera in his hand and he was pale and British. Ten years later in college, I studied under a wonderful professor and photographer named Siegfried Halus, who got me passionate about black and white and the Southwest. I was lucky enough to visit with him a few years ago in Santa Fe before he passed away.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ERIC RENARD THE PICTORIAL LIST: Eric, where do you find your inspiration to photograph? ERIC RENARD: Anywhere I can find it. It’s a wonderful thing when something inspires you. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? ER: Yes, it's evolving every time I pick up a camera. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists that you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? ER: Ansel Adams, Georgia O’Keeffe, Edward Weston and Siegfried Halus. I would have loved to have been at the Yosemite campfire discussions with Adams, O’Keeffe and the Rockefellers. TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? ER: I love to shoot in both urban and rural places. New York, Venice and the Southwest of America have always been favorites. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? ER: Yes and no. Knowing how to get the most out of your equipment is more important that what you use but you need have to have the right lens for the right situation. I’ve seen phenomenal photos with all kinds of cameras whether digital, film, SLR or phone. My advice to someone just starting out, go take pictures. Henri Cartier-Bresson said it best, “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.” You aren't going to get to 10,000 unless you keep shooting. Patience and curiosity too...go find the extraordinary in the ordinary. Always keep your eyes moving. I don’t see the world completely in black and white. Sometimes I do. - Benicio Del Toro TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? ER: Yes. I have been a graphic designer/creative director for advertising for over twenty five years. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? ER: I had an exhibition here in Los Angeles for Abandoned Spaces & Urban Places last year. I am always adding photographs to that series. We just got back from Venice and Florence in March (the day everything closed down for Covid-19), which is where most of the these images came from. We just returned from a road trip of the Southwestern States, but I have not gone through those images yet. Keep your eyes open for them! TPL: “If I wasn't photographing what would I (like to) be doing?... ER: When I am not being a photographer, I am a father, a husband, a creative director or playing softball.” Eric Renard's photography take us on a visual journey, connecting us to a beauty hidden in the everyday. He has the ability to transport the viewer to a place of serenity, striking a balance between the urban and natural worlds, conveying emotion and story in every image. To truly appreciate Eric's work and to keep up to date with his latest please use the links below. VIEW ERIC'S PORTFOLIO Eric's website >>> Instagram >>> Facebook >>> 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.

PICTORIAL STORY MUD A documentary project exploring the struggle of an 800 year old lake against the impacts of global warming, revealing its continued relevance and urgent story in today’s changing climate. April 12, 2024 PICTORIAL STORY photography DEDIPYA BASAK story DEDIPYA BASAK introduction MELANIE MEGGS SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Dedipya Basak stands at the intersection of academia and artistry, wielding his camera as a tool for societal transformation. Hailing from Kolkata, his educational journey through Ramakrishna Mission and Jadavpur University laid the groundwork for a career marked by both scholarly rigor and creative vision. Since 2015, he has been the recipient of various research grants from the Ministry of India, allowing him to focus on fields as diverse as Happiness Economics, Human Culture, and Gender Economics over a span of seven years. Dedipya’s research has garnered acclaim in academic circles, illuminating crucial facets of human society, through publications in numerous esteemed journals. The seeds of Dedipya’s photographic passion were sown in childhood, nurtured by the thoughtful gift of a camera from his father, himself a photographer. Though his father’s physical presence may have faded, his legacy endures within Dedipya, driving him to capture the essence of the human experience through his lens. Unlike his father, Dedipya’s early forays into photography were exploratory, lacking a clear direction or purpose. Yet, over time, his camera became a tool for social commentary, a means of amplifying the voices of the marginalized and downtrodden, in alignment with the teachings of Ramakrishna Mission. Dedipya was a student of Ramakrishna Mission for twelve years. “I mainly focus on showing one particular theme with different points of view. It helps me to build up the story firmly and remind my viewers constantly of the central objective of the project. A constant change in point of view makes my images versatile and the sequence becomes engaging for my viewers,” Dedipya reflects on his photographic approach. Central to Dedipya’s approach is his ability to adopt varied perspectives, each frame telling a nuanced story of the human condition. Dedipya navigates communities characterized by reticence and delicacy, often situated in regions marked by extreme climate conditions and remote from urban centers. In such contexts, his network of contacts becomes indispensable, serving as gateways into these communities. These connections act as vital catalysts for his projects, facilitating group interviews, assisting in securing accommodations when needed, and offering support in myriad other ways. Dedipya acknowledges that without the invaluable assistance of these contacts, his ability to produce impactful bodies of work would be severely constrained. In 2021, Dedipya resolved to embark on a professional journey in photography, aiming to integrate his research into visual storytelling at the International Center of Photography in New York. There, amidst a cohort of talented artists and mentors, he delved into the intricacies of street photography, visual storytelling, and documentary practice. His dedication and talent were duly recognized in 2024 when he was honored with the ICP Directorial Fellowship. Throughout his studies, Dedipya honed his expertise in subversion, human culture, photographic editing, and the art of visual storytelling, shaping him into a multifaceted and impactful photographer. When asked about his educational experience in the United States and the valuable lessons learned, Dedipya shared, “The United States is the country of braves. If you have clarity regarding your work, then they will welcome you with heartiness. At ICP, we have some of the faculty members who are the best in their respective practices. They have differences in their opinions, photographic style, and many other ideas. But all of them are good humans. Their down-to-earth nature is the most valuable teaching for me. I strongly believe that apart from my publications in different countries, adapting their humanitarian view in my life is my greatest success.” It is this blend of technical skill and compassionate storytelling that defines Dedipya’s work. In 2022, while at ICP, Dedipya successfully concluded his inaugural documentary project titled Sidewalk . This project delved into the intricate life of Kolkata’s pavements, offering a captivating visual exploration. The compelling imagery garnered widespread recognition, finding its way into various international publications. During the same year, Dedipya embarked on a new documentary venture titled MUD . This project delves into the narrative of an ancient lake, aged 800 years, facing demise as a consequence of escalating global warming. Dedipya is passionate about sharing this impactful story, emphasizing its relevance and urgency in today's world with The Pictorial List’s audience. MUD encapsulates a visual journey documenting the lives of 70,000 impoverished fishermen residing around Lake Bhandardara, an 800-year-old lake in West Bengal, India. Tragically, this historic body of water is facing imminent demise as a result of severe global warming. From the 12th century until the conclusion of the British Raj in India, Lake Bhandardara played a pivotal role as a prominent trade route connecting with Southeast Asia. Moreover, it stood out as one of the few natural habitats for riverine pearls, thereby bolstering India's treasury with valuable foreign currency. Linked to the renowned Padma River, this lake teemed with natural plankton, establishing it as a prime feeding and breeding ground for numerous marine species. Consequently, local fisheries cooperatives reaped substantial daily earnings, amounting to approximately INR 15,000 even a quarter-century ago. Over the past twenty-five years, however, the situation has undergone a dramatic shift. Unprecedented climate changes have led to the alteration of Padma's course, disrupting the lifeline of the lake. As a result, the waterbed is dwindling, weeds are proliferating throughout the lake, and marine life is diminishing steadily. Consequently, the inhabitants of the surrounding twenty-one villages find themselves in dire straits. MUD is an ongoing extended documentary investigation of that glorious past, collapsing present, and dubious future. This poignant reality struck a chord with me deeply. Even today, when I close my eyes, the most repeated sentence by every villager resonates in my ear - “The lake is dying. Can you help us?” To commence the project, I conducted thorough research. During this process, I discovered an environmentalist from Kolkata who had previously conducted primary research on the lake. After multiple meetings with him, forging a connection that led me to individuals still residing in various villages surrounding the lake. Building a robust network with the locals, I pinpointed the existing research gap within the project and began my investigative work. Spanning over 50 kilometers in length, the lake remains largely unexplored, with only a few sections untouched by human influence. Despite my efforts, I have yet to complete visits to the entire expanse of the lake. Through my numerous visits to the lake, I've diligently collected information from the local fishermen. They reminisce about the bygone era as the ‘golden period’ of Lake Bhandardara. Regrettably, the current situation paints a starkly contrasting picture. The waterbed is desiccating due to rampant global warming, while weeds proliferate unchecked. With groundwater resources dwindling, local farmers resort to utilizing the residual lake water for jute farming, leading to a rapid deterioration in water quality with each passing year. My photographs capture the daily struggles of the villagers residing around Lake Bhandardara. Through these images, viewers can discern the residents’ efforts to adapt to the current state of the lake. Despite the challenges posed by its deteriorating condition, they resiliently seek opportunities to address their everyday problems, finding solace in prayer amidst their trials. The central issue of my project serves as a recurring motif throughout my photographs — the impending demise of the lake. Interspersed among these images are ‘no lake’ shots, providing a momentary pause or temporary divergence from my central theme. Upon resuming, I skillfully compose stylistically varied images of the lake, each offering a unique perspective on its plight. © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak © Dedipya Basak Documenting the lives and challenges of marginalized communities, Dedipya Basak captures their essence through his photographic essays. Surprisingly, each return home yields a plethora of positive insights. In this project, Dedipya’s primary revelation was centered on ‘their hope.’ Despite the lake’s dire state, they continue to fish, fueled by a steadfast belief that conditions will ameliorate, and future generations will experience the prosperous era of Lake Bhandardara, reminiscent of three decades ago. Being deeply connected with one’s documentary work can evoke a myriad of emotions. Dedipya’s journey epitomizes this profound connection, where academic inquiry converges with artistic expression to illuminate pressing societal issues. As he navigates the complexities of his projects, Dedipya shares insights into his approach to maintaining boundaries and cultivating a balanced, mindful, and safe work ethic. “For me, it is like meditation. I am involved in the entire process, but I am not attached to it. Though the theme of the project is always very sensitive from a humanitarian point of view, yet I keep myself consciously distant from that event – I become like a cinema screen where one can play any kind of movie, but it doesn't affect the screen. That is how I set my boundaries and create a balanced, aware and safe work ethic for me.” As Dedipya Basak’s voyage unfolds, his photographs stand as poignant evidence of the resilience and hope inherent in the human spirit. With a mindful and balanced approach, he traverses the emotional terrain of his documentary work, providing viewers with profound insights into our collective human experience. view Dedipya's portfolio Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns. OAXACA In Oaxaca, Tommaso Stefanori captures Día de los Muertos, exploring the convergence of life and death, human connections, and enduring cultural rituals through evocative photographs of tradition and emotion. BEHIND THE PLANTS Wayan Barre documents Cancer Alley residents facing pollution and economic challenges, shedding light on their resilience and the impacts of environmental injustice. THE RED POPPY AND THE SUN By blending archival and contemporary images, Mei Seva creates a visual story that captures the ongoing struggles and moments of triumph for those impacted by displacement and circumstance. FIRE AND FORGE Alexandros Zilos delves deep into the harsh reality of sulfur mining, while also capturing the allure of the blue fire phenomenon created by sulfur deposits in the crater. IN-VISIBLE PAIN Through black and white self-portraiture, Isabelle Coordes brings to light the stark reality of living with chronic pain — a reality often dismissed by a world that requires physical evidence to believe in one’s suffering. CELEBRATION OF LIFE Ahsanul Haque Fahim's photography captures Holi in Bangladesh, celebrating life with vibrant colors and reflecting human emotions, diversity, and interconnectedness in Dhaka's streets. KOALA COUNTRY Sean Paris invites viewers on a transformative journey, challenging our perceptions and fostering a new appreciation for rural Australia through mesmerizing infrared photography. MOMMIE Arlene Gottfried’s poignant exploration of motherhood in “Mommie” is not just a collection of photographs but a profound tribute to the enduring bonds of family and the universal experiences of love, loss, and resilience.

Share your visual journeys, ignite the imagination, inspire our photographic audience with the passion you have found through your photography. Let’s expose new ideas and create new ways of seeing, together at The Pictorial List. BE PUBLISHED © Jean Ross Join The Pictorial List — a foundation of possibilities for contemporary photography — where artists connect through publishing and conversation. Our mission is to build a living framework for artists to be seen, read, supported, and remembered, expanding visibility and opening pathways for opportunity through thoughtful presentation and community. © Mariette Aernoudts 2026 PHOTOGRAPHER FEATURES We are accepting submissions for upcoming Photographer Features on The Pictorial List for 2026. This call is open internationally to visual artists who work with photography across all approaches and stages of practice. get started © Meryl Meisler 2026 PICTORIAL STORIES Pictorial Stories brings photographs together to form narrative. For 2026, we are opening space for projects that move beyond the single image and ask to be read as much as they are seen. get started Thank you to Nicola Cappellari for his kind donation of his beautiful book - MAREA DO YOU HAVE A BOOK? Send your book to the Pictorial Foundation Art Space at 105a Ann Street, Newburgh, NY 12550, and become part of our growing creative community. Each donated book becomes a permanent part of the Pictorial Library—an evolving resource dedicated to inspiring artists locally and building a living archive of visual and written expression. Donated books are not for sale, and no payment is provided. Pictorial Foundation reserves the right, at its discretion, to withhold from display or promotion any book that does not align with our values and mission. Contributing artists will receive a small feature and acknowledgement on our websites and Instagram stories. There is also an option to sell books through our Art Space, with a 30% commission per sale, or no commission for Foundations Friends . For further information, please contact - foundation@thepictorialist.org On a weekly basis, we present a selection of curated Photographer Spotlights in our gallery on Instagram. If you would like to be considered simply follow us @thepictorial.list and @pictorialfoundation and tag us so we know you would like to be featured.

MOMENTS FROM THE STREET From his moments out on the street, Jonas Welten wants to capture the essence of the anonymous person, searching for that unspoken truth. MOMENTS FROM THE STREET June 1, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Jonas Welten INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE From the moment he picked up a camera, Jonas Welten has been captivated by the art of street photography. With an eye for beauty and inspired by the human soul, he strives to capture the essence of the anonymous person, seeking to uncover a deeper, unspoken truth. As an educator, part-time student of psychotherapy, and autodidact photographer, Jonas is determined to pay homage to the masters who have come before him while expanding the boundaries of this incredible art form. Growing up with artistic parents, photography has been a passion of his for as long as he can remember. Now, after three years of honing his craft, Jonas is ready to share the unique vision of the world he has discovered through his lens. “I make these photos primarily for myself. It brings me joy and I feel honored if someone likes them, but that isn't my main focus. I am driven by the possibilities of taking photographs, the surprise of discovering - or stumbling over - new unexpected situations.” IN CONVERSATION WITH JONAS WELTEN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Jonas please tell us about yourself. What draws you to photography and art? How did your journey into photography begin? JONAS WELTEN: I was born and raised in Salzburg, Austria (Mozart was born here!😉) I still live in Salzburg, with my beautiful girlfriend. I studied educational science and am currently working in an elementary school as kind of a social worker. I also study Psychotherapy, and if everything works out I will be working as a counsellor in a few years. My parents, and especially my mother was and still is a great art enthusiast, with the focus on visual arts and classical music. My father, who has been retired for quite some time now, was a filmmaker. I’m very much a movie buff, from rather mainstream movies to abstract art house films and the classics. I used to make photographs when I was in my teens/early twenties, I also took part in a photo workshop, but I didn’t really get deep into photography until about 3 years ago, and the technical side of taking photos never interested me, I’m not good at it, and, for my type of photography I find it not that important. Maybe I’m just a little bit lazy, and trying to find an excuse, for not learning the tech stuff 😁. Anyway, I then got an old DSLR from a friend and experimented, inspired by some artists on Instagram, mostly street photography stuff. That’s how my journey into photography began. And I’m still very enthusiastic about the art. TPL: How have the streets and culture you capture influence your photography? JW: I was - and still am - a big rap and hip hop fan, mostly mid 90s USA stuff. As you may know rap originated from the streets, and I mostly like the rough, gritty stuff. Also, the other genres never really do it for me, for example portrait, wild life, landscape or wedding photography. I started with my cell phone, and especially loved two things about that - I always carry it with me, so I'm ready to shoot always; and, important for street photography, it's subtle and people don't really recognise being photographed, thus you can get candid, “real life ” shots, where nothing is staged. A lot of unexpected situations and scenarios come up. Before you go out, you never know what's going to happen. I learned to appreciate the spontaneous, - as Cartier-Bresson said, the “decisive moment”. Like, for example in my photograph of the man carrying a porcelain mannequin head through the streets, and his matter of seconds of recognising the scene to taking the shot. He was walking by a jewellery store, with headless mannequins in the shop window. It is these juxtapositions that fire my passion for street photography. TPL: Talk to us about your project “Moments from the Street” that you have submitted? Where did the inspiration come from? What do you want the viewer to experience and take away with them? JW: A lot of inspiration came from famous street photographers which I have discovered and researched on the web. Masters of the genre like Cartier-Bresson, Winograd, John Free, Diane Arbus, Vivian Maier or Robert Frank and an absolute genius who I adore, Fan Ho. Also, I always get inspiration from the movies. When I first saw “Some Like It Hot” by the Austrian(!) Director Billy Wilder, it blew me away. It was the beginning of a wonderful, life long love (or should say friendship) quote from Casablanca. Later I discovered Directors like Gaspar Noe, Lars van Trier, Tarantino, the Austrian filmmaker Ulrich Seidl, and others who are close to the circle of street photography and rap. I find they have a very authentic, rough, but also visually interesting and experimental drive in cinematography in their work. So over the course of a year after I “seriously” began with photography, I also started to appreciate more abstract, or stylised, sometimes staged, cinematic photography. My photos range from rough, black and white street, to rather clean, experimental cinematic shots, where I sometimes love to go crazy in post production with popping colours or even collages. Fun fact- as a young adult, I wanted to go to Film School in Vienna, but, for one or the other reason I didn't follow through and became a social worker and educator instead. A profession I too love. TPL: What do you want the viewer to experience? JW: Kind of a difficult question, I make these photos primarily for myself. It brings me joy and I feel honored if someone likes them, but that isn't my main focus. I am driven by the possibilities of taking photographs, the surprise of discovering - or stumbling over - new unexpected situations. But I would be lying if I want to make good shots that may make viewers think, or ones who just look good from an aesthetic viewpoint. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists and photographers? JW: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Garry Winogrand, Ansel Adams, John Free...to mention some of the classic street photographers. From the new generation I very much like artists who make cinematic stuff like Oliver Takac, David Sark, Cody Klintworth, i.Dauyu, Sammy Soju, and my Austrian photography buddy Mark Daniel Prohaska. Sorry to anyone I forgot to mention, there are too many great photographers out there. Fun fact - as a young adult, I wanted to go to Film School in Vienna, but, for one or the other reason I didn't follow through and became a social worker and educator instead. A profession I too love. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to shoot alongside for a day...who would you choose? And why? JW: Oliver Takac. His cinematic style, his use of light and shadow, and colour is amazing. TPL: When you are out photographing - how much of it is instinctual versus planned? JW: 99% instinct. 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? JW: Not really. I also shoot a lot with my iPhone, alongside my (old) Nikon D3000. As post-processing goes, it varies. I use Photoshop, but also mobile apps like Snapseed. For my street shots I usually don’t do a lot of post-processing, more for my abstract/cinematic shots; sometimes I go nuts, but usually I lay my focus on composition and a subject that catches my eye. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? JW: I would love to have some photographs exhibited, and of course I’d like to sell some stuff. But most of all I’d like to make a lot more pictures, that I consider as cool shots, shots I’m content about. I won’t quit my day job, the perfect situation would be being part time therapist/part time photography artist. But I won’t stop shooting if that doesn’t work out. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? JW: No, as I don’t really plan my photography. But everybody reading this is very welcome to check out my Instagram. I’m also really happy about feedback. Of course I sell prints of all my photos, and am ambitious to connect with other photographers, to chat and maybe collaborate on projects. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)... JW: Spend time with my girlfriend, my friends and family, watch movies, read books, and focus on my education.” Thank you for the opportunity. I’m honored to be published on your magazine. Much love! The world is an endlessly fascinating place, and Jonas Welten's photography captures the beauty, mystery, and humanity of the everyday. Through his lens, he has found a remarkable way to document personal stories of strangers, and to find and express the truth beyond what is seen on the surface. His eye for beauty and understanding of the human soul makes him a remarkable photographer. We invite you to explore more of Jonas' work to further appreciate the art of street photography. VIEW JONAS' 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.

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. 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. August 24, 2025 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Suvam Saha INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Suvam Saha’s path to photography began unexpectedly. An electronics engineer with an MBA in finance and marketing, Suvam spent years working in multinational companies before deciding to step away, dedicating himself to helping his father and continuing the family’s garments materials business. Art, however, has been present from the beginning. As a hyper realistic portrait artist, he had trained himself to see detail with precision — the fall of light on skin, the shifting tones of shadow, the subtle textures of a surface. When Suvam picked up a basic DSLR in 2017 to photograph products for his business, those same instincts shaped how he looked through the viewfinder. Soon, the streets of Howrah and Kolkata became his extended workspace, their energy and unpredictability igniting a lasting commitment to street photography. The photographs are not staged. They are anchored in real encounters that emerge in the flow of daily life. Suvam’s photographs move between quiet observation and dynamic activity: riverbank rituals, railway stations in thick fog, children playing in open fields, moments of performance and celebration. Across these settings, his focus remains on preserving what will not happen again in the same way. The influences he cites — Alex Webb’s layered compositions, Elliott Erwitt’s timing, Martin Parr’s documentary irony — all point to a practice concerned with both structure and spontaneity. Suvam often works with bold color and complex framing, but always in service of the scene. His process is less about arranging reality than about recognizing when reality arranges itself. Recognition has come from both national and international platforms: finalist in street photography festivals such as Urban Photo Award, Fujifilm Moment Award, Paris Street Photo Award, and features in Eyeshot Magazine, Asian Photography Magazine, and Vogue Italia. Yet for Suvam, the value lies in the act itself. Photography, he says, is “oxygen” — a way to reset his mind, reconnect with the world, and find calm in the midst of pressure. Now exploring long-form series and documentary work, Suvam is turning his attention to sustained narratives that explore the social, political, and cultural conditions of the place. His approach remains consistent: to work with patience, to move with curiosity, and to see the street not as a backdrop, but as an active subject in the stories he tells. “I want to focus on stories that reveal the undercurrents shaping our times. How economic shifts affect families, how climate change is altering livelihoods, how identity and tradition evolve in an interconnected world. I’m especially drawn to the intersections where personal narratives meet larger political realities. Culturally, I want to explore both the fragility and the reinvention of heritage, from street festivals to fading crafts. My goal is to create work that not only documents but also sparks dialogue, helping people see the shared humanity behind statistics and headlines.” IN CONVERSATION WITH SUVAM SAHA TPL: You describe yourself as “first an artist, then a photographer.” How does that identity shape the way you approach the street compared to someone who came to photography first? How do you think the act of drawing prepared your eye for the kind of detail and patience street photography demands? SUVAM: Drawing sharpens our eye to build an image rather than just find one, and it gives us the patience to wait until all the visual elements click into place — which is exactly what street photography, at its best, demands. As a hyper realistic sketcher, I have to observe each and every detail of a picture-like skin, pore, hair, wrinkles of a subject. Sometimes it will take 20-24 hours or more than that to complete a sketch. So, it is a process by which a habit has been developed to observe every detail of circumstances when I'm going to click a shot. And talking about a composition, it's automatically generated in my brain no matter how many subjects there are. TPL: Running a full-time business while maintaining a committed photography practice is no small feat. How do you structure your life, so both thrive? SUVAM: Balancing the two isn’t about splitting my life into compartments — it’s about letting them flow into each other. The business side gives structure, a steady rhythm to my days. Photography brings breath, curiosity, and a sense of wonder that keeps me from getting lost in spreadsheets and schedules. I carve out time for photography the way you might water a plant — regularly, intentionally, even if it’s just a small sip. Some days it’s a dawn walk with my camera; other days it’s noticing light falling across my desk in the middle of work. Over time, I’ve found that my photography feeds my business with a fresh perspective, and my business gives my photography the stability to grow. It’s less a balancing act and more a conversation between two parts of myself. TPL: You’ve said photography is “oxygen” for you. Can you describe a time when picking up the camera completely changed the way you felt or saw a situation? SUVAM: There was a week when everything in the business felt like it was falling apart — an order delayed, a client unhappy. One afternoon, instead of trying to “push through,” I grabbed my camera and just walked. I ended up in a small alley where the late afternoon light was pouring through dust in the air, turning everything gold. I started shooting — near a bank of rivers, a stray cat watching me from a window. Ten minutes in, my breathing slowed, my shoulders dropped. I wasn’t thinking about deadlines anymore, just light, texture, and the quiet rhythm of the street. When I got home and looked at the images, the problems were still there, but they didn’t feel so big. Photography had shifted my perspective — from being stuck in the noise to noticing the beauty still humming in the background. That day reminded me why I call it oxygen. TPL: You often speak about preserving “unstaged events.” How do you train yourself to anticipate a moment without interfering with its authenticity? How do you decide when to approach and engage, and when to remain completely invisible? SUVAM: For me, it starts with patience and trust — patience to wait for a scene to unfold naturally, and trust that something worth capturing will happen if I’m attentive enough. I train myself by spending a lot of time simply observing, without even raising the camera. That way, I start to understand rhythms: how people move, how light shifts, how small gestures build into a moment. When I sense something is about to happen, I decide whether to engage or stay invisible based on the nature of the scene. If my presence might alter it, I keep my distance and shoot discreetly. If engagement will add to the connection — say, in a portrait or a shared smile — I step forward. The key is respect. I’m not there to “take” an image, I’m there to witness it. The best photographs, for me, are the ones where the subject forgets I’m even there, and the moment breathes on its own. TPL: In a city like Kolkata, where life moves quickly, how do you decide whether to wait for a scene to develop or move on in search of the next? SUVAM: It’s a constant negotiation between patience and restlessness. If the light, background, and energy of a place feel promising, I’ll stay — even if nothing’s happening yet — because I’ve learned the street can change in seconds. Sometimes the best photographs come from waiting for the scene to find me. But Kolkata has a rhythm that pulls you forward. If I sense the scene has settled — the light shifting away, the flow of people thinning, or the mood flattening — I move on without regret. The city is generous; there’s always another corner, another intersection of chance and beauty. Over time, I develop a gut sense for it, almost like listening to music. You know when the beat is building toward something, and when it’s fading out. I want my photographs to feel like a single frame from a film you’re desperate to see the rest of. TPL: Your influences span from Alex Webb’s layered color work to Martin Parr’s social documentary and Elliott Erwitt’s humour. Which of these photographers’ lessons have stayed with you most when you are actually out photographing? SUVAM: I can't say about particular shots but one thing I have noticed is that if i observe their photos their one thing is common and that is handling many subjects in a single frame carefully so that no one is overlapping with each other. The subject is balanced with the background as well as light and shadows also. Raghu Rai and Raghuveer Singh sir are my most favourite photographers who have shown how to capture the raw essence of Indian culture. TPL: Your upbringing involved books, painting, and films from many languages. How do those influences find their way into your photographs today? Can you share an example of a movie or series that has directly shaped how you approached a street scene? SUVAM: Growing up surrounded by books, painting, and multilingual films plants three distinct seeds in a street photographer’s mind: Reading trains us to think in arcs and subplots. On the street, this means we see not just a single moment but how a gesture or glance might suggest a larger, unseen story. Paintings sharpen our sense of palette, texture, and composition. You notice when the street offers you a “Vermeer” moment with side light and a warm interior glow, or a “Hopper” mood in the isolation of a lone figure at a café. Films teach timing, how a beat of stillness before an action can make it land harder. They also show how framing and movement guided emotion. Recently I have been so much influenced by the series called Picky Blinder which tells the story of Tomas Shelby. Each and every frame of the series is so inspiring to take your camera and go outside to click shots. TPL: Have you ever captured a moment that you later chose not to publish? What guided that decision? SUVAM: Some of my captured pictures I have not shared on any platform but particularly there is no reason behind that. Maybe I will share them in a different series which tells a strong story. TPL: You’ve said photography made you more comfortable talking to strangers. Can you recall a conversation sparked by your camera that stayed with you? SUVAM: One afternoon in Burrabazar, I was photographing the way afternoon light fell through the narrow lanes, cutting across stacks of fabric. An elderly shopkeeper noticed me hovering outside and called out, “If you only take the light, you will miss the stories.” He invited me in for tea, and what began as a polite chat turned into a two-hour conversation about how his father had started the shop before Partition, how trade routes shifted, and how the neighborhood’s rhythms changed over decades. I barely took a photograph in that time — just one frame of his hand resting on a ledger — but that image means more to me than most because it carries his voice, his history, and the reminder that the camera is not just a way to collect pictures, but a reason to be invited into someone’s world. TPL: You’ve shifted toward long-form documentary work. How does working on a series over time change the way you see individual frames? SUVAM: When we move into long-form documentary work, an individual frame stops being the story and becomes part of the story. In a single-shot mindset, we’re looking for an image that contains everything — the mood, the narrative, the visual punch — all in one. In a series, our relationship with each frame changes: Each image adds a facet: one gives context, another emotion, another tension. I start shooting with gaps in mind, knowing the series will be stronger when those gaps are filled. The power often emerges in the sequence, how one image sets up the next, how repetition or contrast builds meaning over time. Instead of chasing the peak moment every time, we can sit with the subject or location, letting relationships and patterns emerge. For me, working on a series makes me more forgiving and more curious. I can allow a frame to breathe, knowing it has companions that will help it speak. TPL: When someone looks at your work years from now, what do you hope they will understand about the time and place you lived in? SUVAM: I hope they’ll understand that the time I lived in was messy, layered, and alive with contradictions — that Kolkata, and the world beyond it, was constantly shifting between the old and the new, the personal and the collective. I want them to feel the texture of our streets: the way light caught on peeling posters, the quiet negotiations between strangers in crowded spaces, the humor that bloomed even in hardship. If my photographs survive, I want them to be read as a kind of emotional archaeology. Like proof that even in an age of speed and distraction, there were still people who stopped long enough to notice. Speaking with Suvam Saha, it becomes clear that photography is not a sideline to his life, but central to his artistic identity. Photography is a space where his instincts meet the unpredictability of the world outside his door. Each frame is a conversation between patience and impulse, structure and chance. And whether the story unfolds in a single image or across a series, Suvam's purpose remains the same: to hold onto the unrepeatable, if only for a moment longer. VIEW SUVAM'S PORTFOLIO Flickr >>> 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.

DAYTIME ST. PAULI St. Pauli is incredibly multifaceted and is especially known for its nightlife. In this project, Mirko Karsch documents it's daytime life. DAYTIME ST. PAULI September 30, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Mirko Karsch INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE St. Pauli is incredibly multifaceted and is especially known for its nightlife. You can find here an immense number of bars, pubs, restaurants and clubs. But St. Pauli is also known for its red light district and there are problems with violent disputes from time to time. The district is also interesting because it is located directly on one of the largest seaports in the world, and this fact still characterises what St. Pauli is today. But what does it look like during the day when the night owls have disappeared? Are the pubs empty then? Who lives in St.Pauli? What does the true soul of the district look like? Sometimes life in St. Pauli seems like a cycle to me: In the evening the tourists come, at night the Hamburg nighthawks, and when the trash is pushed aside in the morning, the neighborhood belongs to its residents again until the next evening. Since the 90s, I have been on the streets of St. Pauli again and again. Deviating from the usual customs, I liked to stay here even during the day. Looking back, I'm not sure it was wise to spend so much time in pinball arcades, but this place has an inexplicable attraction for me. Endless possibilities - even during the day. The people I meet during the day, young and old, have an alternative lifestyle, others seem to have none at all. There are pubs and bars that never seemed to close. Some play hard techno sound, others shanties. In the Summer there are open-air festivals and art projects. There is a huge event area here where folk fairs take place and a large soccer stadium for a professional team is located right next door. And above all this watches a bunker from the Second World War. But this is also where normal life takes place. Children are taken to school, postmen deliver the mail, suppliers deliver to pubs and the laundry is washed in laundromats. St. Pauli is also home to two churches, who care about the well-being of the people of St. Pauli. St. Joseph-Kirche is located in one of the noisiest and wildest streets of the district, which represents a bizarre contrast. The other church, St. Pauli Kirche, is located between the entertainment district and the port. The park-like property is open to all residents. They like to use it - even just to play a game of ball and enjoy a cold beer. How much change is healthy? Of course, gentrification has not stopped at St. Pauli and many cherished things have disappeared. In order to understand this, you have to know that historically St. Pauli was a part of the city where mainly the working class and low-income groups settled. This is still noticeable today, but due to the aforementioned displacement through gentrification, fewer and fewer of the resident population can afford to live in St. Pauli. But the changes on st. Pauli also show themselves in other ways. The local beer "Astra" is no longer brewed here and the commercial sprees seem to be scaling ever new heights, especially in the evenings. On the other hand, people were already grumbling about the new entertainment formats in the 90s. Change is part of the big city. Not only in Hamburg. And the fact that a district is developing is not necessarily negative. An example of this is the public park 'Park Fiction', where young people especially like to spend their free time. Here is played a lot of basketball or it is the lawn just enjoy the view of the harbour. What has remained are many beautiful things, such as the harbor panorama, which I will probably never get tired of. St. Pauli is still the place that attracts many young people. New things are constantly being created. The district never seems to sleep. It is a lot of fun to stroll through St. Pauli during the day. Everything is unstressed and the observations are quite different than at night. “Since the 90s, I have been on the streets of St. Pauli again and again. Deviating from the usual customs, I liked to stay here even during the day. Looking back, I'm not sure it was wise to spend so much time in pinball arcades, but this place has an inexplicable attraction for me.” IN CONVERSATION WITH MIRKO KARSCH From the point of view of Berlin photographer Mirko Karsch, street photography is a contribution to the debate on the documentation of contemporary forms of life in the psychological, ecological and architectural sense. The urban city is both a stage and an object of social conflict, and ultimately a result of social processes. We had the pleasure of interviewing Mirko for The Pictorial List, observing and seeing the potential in whatever has been put in front of him. Lucky enough to photograph regionally and worldwide Mirko shares with you his journey and inspiration. TPL: Mirko please tell us about yourself. How does where you are from influence your work? MK: I originally come from Hamburg and grew up there sheltered. That was quickly too narrow for me and was the reason why I looked for things that deviated from what I found at home. Later I moved to Frankfurt and Madrid. Since a few years ago I live in Berlin. So I've been around a lot in Europe. The interest in new and different things, is of course also reflected in the photography. I like to try out new things. TPL: What drew you to photography? What was that moment that you decided to pick up a camera? Talk to us about your photographic experience in New York in the 1990s and how that mapped your photographic journey to who you are today. MK: I got my first camera as a confirmation gift. I think a camera was a kind of status symbol back then, like a cell phone is today. I took my first serious photos in New York without giving it much thought. I simply photographed what I liked in automatic mode. That was film photography, of course, and it wasn't until much later in Hamburg that I realized that I liked both the pictures and the style incredibly well. And so I began to consciously pursue street photography. TPL: How and why did this project first manifest for you? What was the inspiration? MK: I have known St. Pauli since the 90s and have always been attracted to the district. Even then I was often on the road during the day in St. Pauli and was fascinated by the people who live and work there and the many opportunities they have. I don't think many people understand that St. Pauli is of course also a completely normal place where children go to school, people buy bread and the churches invite people to prayer on Sundays. In addition, I was naturally interested in the contrasts with the "night shift". Actually, St. Pauli exists twice. It wasn't until much later that I came up with the idea of documenting everything photographically. TPL: Talk to us about your method of working and experimentation during the project. What was a daily itinerary for you? Is the project ongoing? MK: I know St. Pauli very well, but I did research beforehand and looked for spots that I found relevant and interesting. Otherwise, I was the typical flaneur, wandering the streets looking for suitable locations. I plan to keep this project going for a while, as I am sure that St. Pauli has much more to offer. There is no final date. TPL: Finally, what do you want people to take away from this project? What do you want them to be asking themselves or to think about? MK: I would like to encourage people to observe things a little more intensively and to look behind the scenes. It is also incredibly important to talk to the local people. So doors open and you get a feeling for the people and their way of thinking and living. I plan to keep this project going for a while, as I am sure that St. Pauli has much more to offer. There is no final date. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? MK: I consider Harvey Stein to be an excellent photographer. I find his long-term series, which span up to 50 years, very inspiring. Ian Howorth is in my eyes an excellent exponent of the cinematic photography genre. Finally, I appreciate Alec Soth for his great documentary work. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to shoot alongside for a day...who would you choose? And why? MK: I would love to spend a day with Alec Soth. He has published excellent photography books in the last few years and I really appreciate his photographic style. I am sure I can learn a lot from him. TPL: What is it that you love most about street photography? MK: Street photography is diverse and has more to offer than the decisive moment. It has a documentary character about it and shows everyday life. Street photos preserve the present for future generations. In that sense, street photos have a lot in common with wine: they get better and better over the years. 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? Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What is on your wishlist? MK: My first camera was the Yashica AF 200 and I'm glad I still have it and use it from time to time. It's amazing how much image quality is in such old cameras. Nowadays I mainly use the Nikon D7500 as an all-round camera and the Lumix LX100 II for street photography. The Nikon allows me to use all angles thanks to the F-mount. In addition, the image resolutions are excellent even at night. With the Lumix, I can go where I would stand out or be disturbed with the big Nikon. Since I'm completely satisfied, I'm not planning a new purchase at the moment. TPL: What are some of your goals as a photographer? What direction do you think you will take your photography? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? MK: I have noticed that I am moving more and more away from pure street photography towards documentary photography. This fits very well with my next project: A documentary about the Berlin skateboard scene. Maybe there will be an exhibition in 5 years (or sooner). TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… MK: Spend time with the kids. And skateboarding of course!” Thank you Mirko for the inspiration to look at our own home city and the importance to document today for tomorrow. To see more of Mirko's photography please look at his portfolio and visit his website. VIEW MIRKO'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.

I work at the intersection of analogue photography, performance, and self-portraiture. Using double exposure and RA-4 color printing, I create layered images where body, memory, and environment converge. Each negative is a starting point for reinvention, transformed through gestures, distortions, and chance. My practice, shaped by feminist politics and personal history, seeks to reveal what is often hidden — trauma, silence, shame, menstrual cycles — turning them into spaces of resistance and reflection. Through this process, I aim not to represent but to uncover, inviting viewers to reconsider what it means to see, to remember, and to return to themselves. LAETITIA HEISLER I work at the intersection of analogue photography, performance, and self-portraiture. Using double exposure and RA-4 color printing, I create layered images where body, memory, and environment converge. Each negative is a starting point for reinvention, transformed through gestures, distortions, and chance. My practice, shaped by feminist politics and personal history, seeks to reveal what is often hidden — trauma, silence, shame, menstrual cycles — turning them into spaces of resistance and reflection. Through this process, I aim not to represent but to uncover, inviting viewers to reconsider what it means to see, to remember, and to return to themselves. LOCATION Berlin GERMANY CAMERA/S Pentax 67, Pentax ME Super, Nikon FM10, Olympus OM1, Canon AE1 WEBSITE https://laetitiaheisler.com/ @LAETITIAHEISLER FEATURES // What Remains, What Emerges

AN ARRHYTHMIC SUCCESSION OF INTERRUPTED PAUSES Poet of photography, Lorenzo Vitali takes us on a walk through his images evoking a sense of surrealism and historical interest. AN ARRHYTHMIC SUCCESSION OF INTERRUPTED PAUSES July 8, 2022 PROJECT SPOTLIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY Lorenzo Vitali INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Matching silence with rationality, color with too long shadows, contradicting the laws of perspective by going beyond reality. Waking up in a remote village in the middle of a flat plain. Asking oneself if in that place people's lives flow as elsewhere on earth or if here time follows a measure unknown to us: a dilated measure, irregularly divided into unequal fractions that never repeat themselves. An arrhythmic succession of interrupted pauses. Walking along streets that indicate temporary paths waiting for non-existent goals, changing and deceptive lights in search of something that has been in us for an ancient time. Classic shapes are transformed into masses of calm colors, which stretch, low and immovable, along a false horizon that dies moment by moment. “The Rationalist Architecture movement originated in various international contexts (Bauhaus, Le Corbusier), also developed in Italy. The town of Tresigallo is a particular realization of this and it has constituted for me an open-air set in which to express a personal interpretation of the concepts, which were the basis of the artistic movements of that period.” IN CONVERSATION WITH LORENZO VITALI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Lorenzo please introduce your project AN ARRHYTHMIC SUCCESSION OF INTERRUPTED PAUSES to us. How and why did this first manifest for you? What is the full story behind the project? What was the inspiration? LORENZO VITALI: For some time I have been interested not only in photography, but, in general, in all the visual arts, in particular in painting. Architecture attracts me too a lot and it is a genre that is often present in my photography. In Giorgio De Chirico's metaphysical painting, various elements that are highly stimulating for me are combined, in which the overcoming of reality takes place in contexts where architecture is very present. In particular, the Rationalist Architecture movement, which, in the 1920s and 1930s, originated in various international contexts (Bauhaus, Le Corbusier), also developed in Italy. There are therefore several examples of this artistic movement. The town of Tresigallo (Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna) is a particular realization of this and it has constituted for me an open-air set in which to express a personal interpretation of the concepts, which were the basis of the artistic movements of that period. 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? LV: I was very clear before I started photographing what kind of images I wanted to collect. Otherwise it would have been impossible to realise this work in which I knew I had to work a lot even in post-production. I needed “clean” images in order to then proceed to a further highlighting of the main elements, subtracting secondary elements. Processing times have been quite variable, but it has always taken many hours and sometimes a few days for each image. TPL: How does your project "An arrhythmic succession of interrupted pauses" 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. LV: Architecture is not the only photographic genre in which I have created works of a certain commitment. Lately, for example, I have dealt in depth with the beauty of the female body, intended as a memory, and my work on this subject, which has had a good success, has recently been published also on The Pictorial List. However, I have never neglected to deal with architectural photography and this work is in my intentions a starting point for a new trend precisely in the field of architectural photography. The short text that accompanies it is an expression of what "walking" among these images evoked in me. TPL: Finally, what do you want people to take away from this project? What do you want them to be asking themselves? LV: I hope that this work will induce in the observer a reflection on the themes of metaphysics in people who have a propensity to seek the overcoming of reality in art and that it can at the same time be interesting for those with a historical interest in the evolution of modern architecture. The short text that accompanies it is an expression of what "walking" among these images evoked in me. Lorenzo Vitali is a Milanese doctor and poet of photography. Creative and experimental, always attentive to new artistic proposals in his environment, Lorenzo develops the aesthetic sense of his works by combining classic elements and innovation. He pays particular attention to shapes and materiality. He frames his work by him in a conceptual discourse with a marked tendency towards formal research. Lorenzo has had numerous exhibitions and publications in Italian and foreign trade magazines, as well as collaborations with online magazines. In the editorial field, he has published several photographic books both in the field of reportage and on specific topic. Thank you Lorenzo for the opportunity to walk among your images in the Italian town of Tresigallo, evoking a sense of surrealism and historical interest. Please use the links below to see more of Lorenzo's photography including an interview. VIEW LORENZO'S PORTFOLIO Read an interview with Lorenzo >>> 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.

PICTORIAL STORY DOMESTIC WASTELAND Domestic Wasteland is Vin Sharma’s raw and honest visual diary, documenting her family’s life during the global pandemic. Through intimate moments and everyday scenes, she captures the tension and transformation of a household navigating uncertainty. February 25, 2020 PICTORIAL STORY photography VIN SHARMA-TIMON story KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link The urban spaces of New York City changed significantly during the Global Pandemic. Sidewalks once filled with pedestrians not afraid to knock elbows with a friendly smile, became vacant solitary spaces where distance was mandated and the masked smile became the New Normal . As spaces once open for public use began to close, more restrictions were imposed, and city dwellers had to adapt to these changes. Everyone deals with change in different ways, some finding it more challenging than others. For Vin Sharma Timon, one particular day marks the beginning of her photographic documentary Domestic Wasteland . An authentic portrait of a family and their personal journey. It is a visual diary of the minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, they shared, and how that strains the best of relationships. Vin depicts with complete candor the emotions and feelings her family confronted and had to learn to manage in new and difficult times of uncertainty. I asked Vin to paint a picture of what it was like at home prior to the restrictions and confinement of the Pandemic. What was the New Normal ? What was a day in the life of the Sharma-Timon family like on any given day before the pandemic. “I often wonder what the norm was before the pandemic. Or if there is such a thing. Sometimes we feel like your typical Brooklyn family. We have a pet; we walk everywhere we need to go. We are a mixed-race family, and we encourage our children to be open. Normally, we stop to chat with our neighbors and are thankful for the local bodega. We have books in every room; we have a quaint stoop for outdoor people watching. We dance in our kitchen and manage to share our evening meals together.” Vin may have had trouble describing Normal , but she easily depicted what was normal and what was not! Sometimes this is the best way to understand change. “I know what the norm was not. Before the pandemic, it was not dreading getting out of bed every morning. It was not crying late at night with an empty bottle of wine (or two) in a bathroom with the lights turned off. It was not binge-watching reality shows on a Monday evening, ordering cases of evaporated milk and toilet paper. The norm was not wiping down groceries (I did this) and ordering 50lb bags of flour because suddenly, I became a bread maker. In the last 23 months, I have baked bread twice and refuse to discuss sourdough starters. Though I still dance in my kitchen with my children.” Vin found one change in their living patterns and daily routines and customs to be perhaps the most profound. Once real connections were made with physicality, playing, hugging, touching. These connections are now made virtually, where an image on a screen replaces the hug, and is the hand you hold. For Vin, “The norm before the pandemic was not being separated from extended family members, unable to visit them, unable to grieve with them. Suddenly, our local friends and our neighbors became a lifeline.” Vin remembers this day, “March 16th, 2020, was the day I began documenting life at home with my family. NYC schools officially closed their doors due to the global pandemic and our lives were hurled into an abyss of madness. Lockdown, shelter in place, quarantine, remote learning - these became commonplace concepts in an ocean of uncertainty.” These new daily living adjustments are not small and insignificant but require much patience and diligence to practice. A family must find the resources to help establish new processes and routines. Combine this with different personalities and the dynamics of relationships between family members, it can create an atmosphere of frustration, and agitation leading to discontent. Vin shares with us her genuine experience and thoughts during this time. “Sometimes, I don't like my family. Mostly I love them, even admire them. We are a group of four who have become so intertwined in a very complex way during the last 33 months. What has happened during this time? Need I ask? The pandemic paved the way for puppies, plants, kitchen gadgets and a complete loss of self. I have become so wrapped up in the lives of my family, that I no longer understand where I fit in. I observe, I record. Yet I am not in the frame. My perceptions are there, stamped on every single moment, but the visual sense of 'me' is absent, except in the way I perceive the people closest to me.” Vin’s story investigates feeling lost and alone even when surrounded by people. Like a super colony, it is hard to move or think independently. For every action, a reaction. Like a pebble cast in water, the ripples spread far and wide, affecting far more than the spot it dropped. Loneliness can be experienced in many different ways as Vin describes the beginning of her day. “Waking up, placing our feet on the ground and beginning the walk that leads us to the day is no longer a mundane routine. It is a feat of greatness, an act of courage. Anything more than that is a bonus.” Vin shares her honest opinion, thoughts that are not always nice, but unavoidable when confronted with the intricacies and complexities of ‘Shelter in place’. “It cannot be normal to live with the same humans every minute of every day, every week, every month, every year. With little relief. I am so tired. We are all so tired. Yet, within the uncertainty, there is a deep appreciation for life and for contemplation.” Another huge adjustment Vin and her family had to make was remote learning, new home schoolers. Confronted with a new set of challenges, their home became their new schoolhouse. “Our entire apartment functioned as a school room. Literally, Brooklyn apartments do not always offer families the generosity of indoor space. I have seen our bathroom floor serve as a reading space, wiped the kitchen table down after a science experiment, seen my 12-year-old check in for attendance from the comfort of his bed. I’ve watched my 9-year-old, lying face down on the floor with an open laptop, her camera off while eating lollipops for breakfast. Welcome to pandemic schooling.” Roles in the family changed, one day Vin was a mother, the next day she was a teacher. Her children were just siblings, playing and quarreling like siblings often do, until the school day began and then they became classmates. This brought new complexities and challenges for her two young children. Vin tells us what it was like for her, and her children transitioning between roles. “Becoming a teacher and managing remote learning was a disaster. ‘Shitshow’ is the word that comes to mind. The constant questions of ‘when can we meet for a zoom call’? became tedious. Sure, anytime is a good time because every time is a bad time. No certainty of schedule, no idea about how many apps would be required in order to read a single day’s homework, no clue as to how to connect with peers. No one hated remote learning more than parents and guardians who stayed at home with their little people, all day, every day. As classmates, my children were either embracing each other or screaming at the top of their lungs. We did our best to give them space and a chance to take a break when they needed to. Who knows what the long-term effects of remote school are.” In the middle of the chaos, there is the rock, the sound of reason. When everything is going wrong, there is always one person that stands in front of the fan, catching all the debris. This was her husband’s role. For Vin and her family, he was the person they relied on to keep the peace, to mend any fences, and to be the voice of reason in a time that seemed to have none. “My husband’s role was honestly much the same as it always was - a source of support, a foundation. He really does insist that he carried on much the same way as before the pandemic. Interestingly enough, I agree with him. The only major change was that we somehow reconnected. We had begun to rely on our own separate schedules before the pandemic, busy with our own activities - him with his work and, oftentimes, me with the children. The pandemic offered a change to that, as well as presenting us with a challenge. For the first time since our first child was born, we were thrust together in close quarters. It has been a simple connection that we somehow lost along the way.” Life changed for Vin and her family, but these changes brought some unexpected connections. The table has become an important place for the family during the pandemic. Vin and her family now share their table embracing the importance of this simple but intimate gesture, of sharing food, nourishment, and family conversations. Vin talks about the ‘value of silence and reflection’. I asked Vin how this applies to their time together during confinement. What did Vin and her family learn, what was their takeaway as a family? “Before the pandemic, we were always busy. There was always something to do, somewhere to go, someone to talk to. Now, that value of silence and reflection has become meaningful, not to mention essential. Particularly when it’s applied to our sense of wellbeing. What was once taken for granted is now sought after - moments of quiet, time to sit and read a book or pick up a real newspaper, time to enjoy nothing but being present. Taking the time to accept the value of being alone at times. In terms of how this all applies to our time together as a family, it’s allowed us to trust each other. It’s given us time to allow for individual space, to respect personal boundaries and to help each other without having to speak. An embrace, a kiss on the cheek, a squeeze of the hand - I have learned how wonderful and heartfelt these gestures can be and how much more important they are now.” What is the reflection that helps them move forward? “We move forward as we have been the last two years - one day at a time. Doing our best not to rush, not to worry. Which of course, is nearly impossible when you are living through a pandemic. Most of all, I am confident in accepting that we need each other. I need the people I love. My family needs me. We are connected and that connection extends to friends who I miss terribly. I miss the kisses on soft cheeks; I miss the warmth of my friend’s arms and the sound of their laughter in my ears. We move forward with the promise that new kisses, new embraces and newfound laughter will be waiting for us. As the story continues to unfold, I find myself holding on to a tremendous love of life and all that we hold dear. What was once mundane is now a point of interest. What we took for granted is now in the spotlight. This is an unraveling of our collective domestic wasteland.” © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma Life continues, and so will the Sharma-Timon’s stories. The obstacles along the way will be hurdled and they all will cross the finish line one day. For the Sharma-Timon family, it is the journey that will create the landscapes of their future and make the connections that will last a lifetime. view Vin's portfolio Read an interview with Vin >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. 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NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions. VANISHING VENICE Lorenzo Vitali’s portrayal of Venice is an almost surreal experience — where time dissolves, and the viewer is left with the sensation of stepping into a dreamscape. CLAY AND ASHES Abdulla Shinose CK explores the challenges faced by Kumhar Gram's potters, balancing tradition and adaptation in the face of modern pressures. ISLAND Enzo Crispino’s photographic series, “Nêsos,” invites viewers into an introspective journey that mirrors the artist’s rediscovery of his voice in photography after a prolonged period of creative estrangement. BEYOND THE BRICKS Amid Bangladesh’s dynamic urban growth, Anwar Ehtesham’s photography takes us beyond statistics and headlines, revealing the hidden lives of the laborers working tirelessly in the nation’s brick kilns. OAXACA In Oaxaca, Tommaso Stefanori captures Día de los Muertos, exploring the convergence of life and death, human connections, and enduring cultural rituals through evocative photographs of tradition and emotion. BEHIND THE PLANTS Wayan Barre documents Cancer Alley residents facing pollution and economic challenges, shedding light on their resilience and the impacts of environmental injustice. THE RED POPPY AND THE SUN By blending archival and contemporary images, Mei Seva creates a visual story that captures the ongoing struggles and moments of triumph for those impacted by displacement and circumstance. FIRE AND FORGE Alexandros Zilos delves deep into the harsh reality of sulfur mining, while also capturing the allure of the blue fire phenomenon created by sulfur deposits in the crater. IN-VISIBLE PAIN Through black and white self-portraiture, Isabelle Coordes brings to light the stark reality of living with chronic pain — a reality often dismissed by a world that requires physical evidence to believe in one’s suffering. CELEBRATION OF LIFE Ahsanul Haque Fahim's photography captures Holi in Bangladesh, celebrating life with vibrant colors and reflecting human emotions, diversity, and interconnectedness in Dhaka's streets. KOALA COUNTRY Sean Paris invites viewers on a transformative journey, challenging our perceptions and fostering a new appreciation for rural Australia through mesmerizing infrared photography. MOMMIE Arlene Gottfried’s poignant exploration of motherhood in “Mommie” is not just a collection of photographs but a profound tribute to the enduring bonds of family and the universal experiences of love, loss, and resilience.