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SYNESTHESIA Pan is a New York City documentary and street photographer who photographs the sights, smells and sounds of the city that he calls home. SYNESTHESIA August 27, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Pan INTERVIEW Bill Lacey Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Pan is a street photographer living in the Bronx. We leave it to Pan to describe what photography is to him. “Photography is the jazz or the sounds of the blues, the city streets, the neon signs, a thousand and one taxi cabs, all those hats and coats, a myriad of beards and legs and eyebrows and hair and hands, the beaches, tiny apartments and stairwells, parties until five a.m., costumes on Halloween and any day of the year, the cockroaches and fireflies, the actors, singers, musicians, and photographers, the blind and the seeing and the blind who saw more than him, and all the countless grays and colours too.” IN CONVERSATION WITH PAN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Pan, please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? PAN: I am a photographer living in the Bronx; well, to be transparent, in Marble Hill, which is technically Manhattan, but culturally part of the Bronx. My path into being a photographer might be a little different than most. I was introduced to the medium through a class in this special high school artist program. I was mostly painting then, and photography didn’t interest me much. I was kind of bored, but then, this man from Kodak came and showed us this weird tool, a digital camera. This was the early 1990’s, and digital cameras were not really available then; they cost upwards of $20,000. Kodak made this machine with a sensor that attached to a Nikon camera, and the Kodak person let us high school kids experiment with this fantastically expensive camera in the garden behind the photo lab. I remember taking that test camera and photographing all these flowers; then downloading them slowly onto a computer, and printing them on a dot matrix printer, really big. That was really a shift in my perception. I used photography off and on as a tool to do something else artistically from that point. In the 2000’s, I was using very low-resolution video images as photographs, sent a camera into the upper atmosphere, stuff like that. But all this was photography to do something else. Then, maybe about ten years ago, I was working with the photographer Sean Hemmerle, on a video installation using his photographs. He was very proficient technically with photography, but more importantly, he was passionate about the medium, and knew its history and possibilities. I saw I didn’t really understand photography that well. So, I decided to really learn the art, learn its history, go back to basics, learn it as a photographer, on its own terms, not as a painter or experimental artist. I read books, learnt exposure, went to every photography exhibition in New York around, bought a film camera, built a darkroom, taught myself all over again, from scratch. And… it kind of took over my life. I guess what interested me was photography’s ability to observe the outside world, with its own slant. Now, I can’t even think of myself except as a photographer anymore. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? And do you have a favourite place to shoot? PAN: John Szarkowski talked of photography as mirrors versus windows, looking inside the photographer’s mind or outside at the world. I am a window photographer. So, I spend time photographing on streets, in the subway, in parks, beaches, anyplace in New York my feet will carry me. I am not interested much in myself, but very curious about other people. When I took on this project on COVID-19, it was natural then to use walking the streets as my method to think through this. I was seeing other photographers take self-portraits, and I saw lots of pictures taken in Times Square, empty of people. Those didn’t resonate with me. I wanted to see how the people around me were, so I put on my shoes, went out and walked the Bronx. This was the first time though I photographed specifically in my own neighborhood. I remember going to a lecture by the photographer Mark Power given at the Bronx Documentary Center, and he talked about how photographers tend to go far away to take pictures, but there is something to be learned in photographing one’s own town or borough or neighborhood. He brought these photographs he had made that morning in the Bronx, and I thought, why am I not doing that?” *Editor's Note: Read Pan's story RESILIENT BRONX via the link below. TPL: In general, what do you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? PAN: It depends on the project. With the pictures I’ve been making in the Bronx, my hope is that they express the worry about losing one’s job, fear of getting sick, lonesomeness from isolation, sense of looking out for one another, being “New York tough”, all those things I see in people when I walk around and take pictures. I really had to change my approach and my compositions to fit that idea. I consciously was working to simplifying compositions, to give them weight and gravity equal to these times. So that the trouble we are living through, was felt in the image. It’s the first time I tried to make lines vertical and horizontal, for example. I think this is interesting, trying to make my style suit the images in a project. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? PAN: Well, lots, but to choose one, Walker Evans. I looked at a lot of his work while making these recent images. Garry Winogrand said Evans wasn’t in his photographs, they were just photographs, pure photographs. That is an incredible achievement; to make a picture that isn’t about the photographer, it's just the image in itself. They’re so deceptively simple. A house, a sign, a man on his porch, some painted letters. But the power in his images, it’s a real inspiration. 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? PAN: So, for the Bronx project, I used an iPhone. Besides the obvious, its small and the images are instantly available, a phone was important here because I needed to make sure people understood I wasn’t an outsider. In the Bronx, a camera is not a common sight. Having my film camera would have set me at a considerable distance, presented me as an outsider. Sometimes it’s okay to be an outsider, but this time, when I was taking a picture of someone, I wanted them to know I’m from the Bronx, and the phone helped with that. Also, its limitations, the slower speed of the sensor and its operation, helped me plan more simple, direct compositions, which in turn had that sense of weight I think is important. TPL: Do you have a favourite quote,lyric or saying that especially resonates with you? And why? PAN: Garry Winogrand said he “photographed to see how something looks as a photograph”. I might have gotten the quote a little wrong, but his sentiment was a photograph is its own frame, it is divorced from the world a little even when it is a picture of the world. Look at it as a photograph. As lines, light, shadow, forms. That is advice I think about everyday. It makes for better composition when I am looking at a scene through the viewfinder, because if a photograph isn’t a good composition, as a photograph, as uniquely a photograph, and not an illustration, then it doesn’t work. I spend time photographing on streets, in the subway, in parks, beaches, anyplace in New York my feet will carry me. I am not interested much in myself, but very curious about other people. TPL: Do you have a favourite place to shoot in? PAN: I guess I should be clever and say the Bronx! But I will like traveling with my camera someday. TPL: When you go out on the streets, do you have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? PAN: With this recent work, I had a concept of "COVID-19” in mind, which normally I would not have when photographing. That guided every time I pressed the shutter. Honestly one of the great things about this project personally has been deliberately stepping outside of my typical ways, because the project demands that. The project forced me to do things differently. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? PAN: I simply hope to be making better photographs in five years, keep my curiosity, keep working. It would be interesting if my photography was completely different in five years though. That would be a fun story. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? PAN: Covid-19 isn’t over, and the ways it has changed the Bronx are not over. So, my main priority is sticking to this story, deepening it, and getting it out there. I am currently working on making a series of portraits, using large format film, for this, to ground the work on people. Because this is a story about people in the end. Ultimately, I would love this work to be shown right here in the Bronx, so my neighborhood can think about it, reflect, consider where to go and what these past months mean. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… Walk. Thoreau wrote, “I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least—and it is commonly more than that—sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.” PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

PICTORIAL STORY WIDOWS' HOLI In Vrindavan, where tradition once silenced celebration, widows now dance in clouds of color. Abhay Patel captures this powerful shift during Holi — an emotional reclaiming of joy, dignity, and visibility. July 7, 2023 PICTORIAL STORY photography ABHAY PATEL story ABHAY PATEL introduction MELANIE MEGGS SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link As the vibrant Holi festival descended upon the ancient city of Vrindavan, it brought with it a unique celebration – the Widow’s Holi. Street and documentary photographer, Abhay Patel, had the opportunity to capture this special moment with his camera and bring to life the emotions and colors of this joyous occasion. While most of us look forward to Holi to indulge in the fun of exuberant colors and good vibes, these widows come to Vrindavan to forget their grief and experience the much needed solace. Abhay’s photographs beautifully tell the story of this unique festival which is an extraordinary mix of sorrow and joy. Join us on this journey as we explore the lives of these strong women and how they find the courage to celebrate. When I first started planning my trip to Mathura for Holi, I was excited at the prospect of experiencing widow's Holi for the first time. I had heard about this unique celebration from many of my friends who had already visited the holy city of Vrindavan and had seen first-hand the variety of Holis celebrated there. As I prepared for the trip, I was filled with anticipation, eager to see this special festival of colors for myself. When I arrived in Vrindavan, I was immediately struck by the atmosphere of the city. The streets were filled with hundreds of children and women from all parts of India. It was a unique sight to see these widows participating in the festivities of Holi and dancing and singing in the streets with one another. Seeing these women, who had endured unimaginable loss and hardship, enjoying themselves and celebrating life made me realise how powerful their spirit was. I was also deeply moved by the celebration of Widow’s Holi. The joyous gathering of women from all walks of life was a reminder that even in times of loss, we can still find joy and strength in each other. The vibrant colors of Holi were an outward expression of the inner strength of these widows, who in spite of their struggles still found beauty and joy in life. Witnessing this celebration gave me a newfound appreciation for the resilience and strength of women. © Abhay Patel © Abhay Patel © Abhay Patel © Abhay Patel © Abhay Patel © Abhay Patel © Abhay Patel © Abhay Patel © Abhay Patel © Abhay Patel © Abhay Patel Let us take inspiration from these brave women and use it to colour our world with love, peace and hope. Let us remember the power of a woman's empathy, kindness and strength, which is unlike any other. To all the women out there – no matter the difficulties you face, you are enough. Don't let anyone try to take away your power or your voice – be strong and courageous! view Abhay'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 >>> THE LIFE WITHIN THE MOUNTAIN Ten years after first seeing Larung Gar, Jing Wei returns to a changed mountain, finding continuity in faith, memory and the lives held within it. PROSCENIUM GHOSTS Said Manseur honors these young actors, their courage, and the unseen work they give to keep theatre alive against the odds. REGINA: BOARDING SCHOOL LIFE AND DREAMS A boarding school room becomes the frame for Cleopatra Joint’s portrait of ambition, instability, and a young woman’s search for freedom. LIFE ALONG THE RIVER Along the Hooghly, Shubhodeep Roy photographs Kolkata through faith, labour and memory, revealing a city shaped by water, inheritance and shared life. A HOME OF MEMORIES AND THE PRESENT Davide Santangelo returns to his family home by moonlight, tracing how absence, memory, and love continue to live within place, objects, and atmosphere after loss. THE PULL OF THE EARTH This is more than a record of rural Bengal. It looks at the bond between Sayan Biswas and the place that shaped him, even after distance has changed that relationship. ARE THOSE WINDS Along Istanbul’s northern edge, Ci Demi photographs the last water buffalo herders as they keep working, remembering, and staying put while the city closes in. COLORS OF HÜZÜN Through fragments and gestures, Pedro Vidal traces Istanbul as shared melancholy lingers in everyday life, the city unfolding slowly and refusing to settle into a single, definitive understanding. OUT OF PLAY An exploration of abandoned interiors in which Marco Lugli examines how objects, light, and space carry memory beyond human presence, establishing absence as a condition of material continuity rather than loss. REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 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.

DISCOVERING AN ANALOG WORLD Karen Miki Rohee only started getting really serious about photography when she discovered the world of film photography. DISCOVERING AN ANALOG WORLD July 1, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Karen Miki Rohee INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE For those who have a passion for photography, a unique story can often be told through the lens. Karen Miki Rohee is a French photographer who only began her journey in late 2017, when Karen acquired her first film camera. Her photographs are an expression of her emotions and her talent for capturing the perfect moment, with contrast, leading lines, and isolated subjects being her signature style. Join us on a journey as we uncover the story behind Karen's captivating black and white imagery and experience her love for film. Carpe diem. “This quote not only reflects my philosophy of life but also my photographic journey by capturing spontaneous moments.” IN CONVERSATION WITH KAREN MIKI ROHEE THE PICTORIAL LIST: Karen, when did you start getting interested in photography? KAREN MIKI ROHEE: My first influence was my father, he was always taking pictures ever since I was a kid. I remember finding some 35mm and 110mm film canisters here and there , something that always made me very curious. In 2014, I invested heavily in photography, when I got my first DSLR, a Canon 500D and its kit lens. After a while, as I was getting more serious about photography, I upgraded to a Canon 7D. Unfortunately, after some time I unconsciously started to put aside my camera, as I was also busy finishing my Master degree. It was a very frustrating period for me, as my love for photography still remained intact. Until one day I found the work of photographers such as Sebastiao Salgado, Vivian Vivian Maier, Fan Ho, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, and Saul Leiter. That is how I got very curious about all the possibilities available in the film photography world. So in 2017, I acquired my first film camera: a Canon AE1 with a 50mm f1.8. It has now been 3 years since I fell in love with the analog world, to the point that I'm almost exclusively shooting film. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? KMR: It is normal to have days when you feel less inspired than others. When traveling or discovering a new environment it's easy to find inspiration, but when you have a walk in your neighborhood for instance it can be more difficult to find something that can catches your attention. However, I strongly believe it's a very good way to exercise your eyes and work on your perception, no matter where you are. You just need to try to see the world differently. But in order to work on my creativity, I look at other photographers' work. TPL: You previously mentioned your admiration for Sebastiao Salgado, Vivian Maier, Fan Ho, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, and Saul Leiter, who re-ignited your passion for photography. Who has mostly influenced your style? KMR: All of them have their own approach of photography that is very interesting to analyze. Personally I have a special attraction for the body of work of Vivian Maier with her candid images and self-portraits. Fan Ho and his wonderful aestheticism of an image. And lastly Saul Leiter and his color work, where everything just works together. TPL: Has your style of photography changed since you first started? KMR: I honestly don't know how to define my own style of photographing at the moment. But yes, now I try to capture the beauty of a scene, I guess it's also the reason why I'm only shooting film now. Indeed I enjoy the before and after process of taking pictures! Buying a specific film, loading it in your camera, taking images not knowing what they look like, developing them and discovering your images on a negative before scanning them! Film photography is a whole world with endless possibilities! The film: colour, B&W, Slide, Film soup. Format : 35mm, 120mm, 127mm. The size of your negative : 24x36, 6x6, 6x4,5 , 6x7, 6x9. Type of the camera : SLR, rangefinder, TLR, point and shoot, etc.. So yes my style of shooting definitely changed! TPL: Where is your favourite place(s) to shoot? KMR: Everywhere! Buying a specific film, loading it in your camera, taking images not knowing what they look like, developing them and discovering your images on a negative before scanning them...Film photography is a whole world with endless possibilities! TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a 'good' photographer? What are your tips or advice for someone in your genre? KMR: Our society works with trends, and photography is not spared. I am just going to list some characteristics that I personally believe are important to have (or try to have) if you are taking photography seriously: patience, tenacity, creativity, auto-criticism, but very importantly, just stick to being yourself! There are no bad images when you actually have an image! Bad images are the ones that you don't take. That's why "carpe diem" is my philosophy! Take a picture of what you personally like, be selfish in that sense. Don't take an image for the only reason that it is trendy. I take images for me because that specific scene touched me. It doesn't matter if it's a street photograph, a portrait, a landscape, etc. What I believe is most important, is to share your emotions, a story, a feeling. But also, as photography can be very subjective, it's important to receive constructive criticism and feedback! Everything is about equilibrium. Just enjoy your journey with your work...that's what matters! TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone who may be thinking of getting started in photography? KMR: I think that first of all it is essential to think about how far you are willing to go with photography before investing time and money in choosing your equipment. Then it's very important to find which camera you are comfortable taking pictures with. Personally, when I had to choose my first digital camera, I have always felt comfortable with Canon. Not only with the design but also just how it felt in my hands. Photography is a journey where you will have to face different types of situation like feeling less motivated but you want to force yourself to go out and take images or simply taking photographs under restrictive conditions (low light, moving subject etc...). If you are not feeling comfortable with your material, it will make the whole journey even more difficult. What I always say to someone who starts photography is to invest into an intermediate camera and not an expensive one at first as with time you will figure out your personal likes and needs. And if you start with digital but get less inspired you can do what I did! Try film photography! TPL: Have you ever been involved in the arts before photography? KMR: I'm a very curious and creative person, so I have always loved drawing, painting, music, and I even did some magic! TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? KMR: I'm currently thinking about two projects that I would like to achieve. A series of photographs, portraits more specifically, and opening my own film camera store in the coming years hopefully! TPL: "If I wasn't photographing what would I be doing?... KMR: Discovering the world!" PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

NEW YORK IMPROVISATIONS Bill Lacey creates his own candid compositions filled with heart and soul from spending a lifetime walking the streets of New York. NEW YORK IMPROVISATIONS March 20, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Bill Lacey INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Introducing Bill Lacey, a street photographer hailing from the vibrant city of New York. Through his lens, he captures the pulse of the bustling city, from its towering architecture to its diverse melting pot of people. With a lifetime of experience exploring the city on foot, Bill's approach to photography is akin to jazz improvisation, crafting candid and heartfelt compositions that truly showcase the soul of the city. Jazz stands for freedom. It's supposed to be the voice of freedom: Get out there and improvise, and take chances, and don't be a perfectionist - leave that to the classical musicians. - Dave Brubeck IN CONVERSATION WITH BILL LACEY THE PICTORIAL LIST: Thank you so much, Bill, for being a part of The Pictorial List. Can you tell us when you first became interested in photography? BILL LACEY: I was influenced at an early age by a relative who shot Kodachrome slides of my family. He also introduced me to jazz via Miles Davis records. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? BL: For photography I find a lot of inspiration on Instagram. Next would be YouTube. Third would be the general internet. I was never a big collector of books of photographers – just of photographic techniques. But I’m starting to acquire more books about photographers, such as Vivian Maier and most recently a wonderful book about Stanley Kubrick “Through A Different Lens”. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? BL: I’m self-taught at photography and was never formally exposed (no pun intended) to the many incredible photographers that have defined the medium. Of course, I was aware of Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Berenice Abbott, Ansel Adams and documentary photographers like Robert Capa and Dorothea Lange. But more recently I’ve been enjoying the work of Vivian Maier, Garry Winogrand, Jim Marshall and Joel Meyerowitz. And there are so many amazing photographers right now on Instagram who are all influencing my style. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? BL: Only in the last few years do I feel that I have finally found my style, both in terms of subject matter and technique. It’s been a life-long journey to get here. TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? BL: New York City, without question. By virtue of proximity. London second. I really haven’t been out of the US that often and there are so many places I’d love to shoot in. But cities are my comfort zone. In the film days, I used to say, “it’s the lens, stupid!” While I still believe that, I’ll have to add “it’s the sensor, stupid!”to my Lexicon. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? BL: Yes, absolutely. But not any particular camera, per se. Digital cameras in general made it so much easier for me to work with and experiment (I could never develop my own film). Mirrorless cameras specifically with their ability to let you see exactly what the sensor was seeing. And finally, improvements in high ISO sensor technology, which has permitted my style of shooting from the hip while moving quickly and often in low light. To someone just starting out, I would advise them to just get out and shoot as often as possible and NOT get caught up in the buzz about the latest whiz bang camera. The difference between someone who is a photographer and someone who wants to be a photographer is the former gets out and shoots and the latter has an excuse for not doing so. TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a good street photographer? What’s your tips or advice for someone in your genre? BL: Perseverance and determination are just as important as talent and gear. It’s very easy to be disappointed as an artist and question your legitimacy. Just remember that you’ll likely have more bad days than good. But when you have a good day, they are something special to hold on to. You just need to keep at it, relentlessly. For street photography, it’s so easy to become self-conscious and afraid that someone is going to catch you taking their picture in a public place, as if it is a moral and ethical crime (although in some places it seems now that it really is a crime if you lack permission). In those moments, turn your camera towards an object or the wonderful architecture we are surrounded by. Try different locations, different times of day, a different lens, shoot from below, shoot from above… TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? BL: I have spent a lifetime working professionally with sound and music in the music, film and television industries. Creating something has always been a part of my life. I studied jazz improvisation at an early age, and to me street photography and jazz are very connected stylistically and philosophically. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? BL: I’m finally set up to sell prints online. And I’m planning to release a book of street photography before the end of the year. Fingers crossed. TPL: “If I wasn't photographing what would I be doing?... BL: I’d probably be writing more music. And wishing I was photographing... PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

LET THE SUN SHINE Elizabeth Paoletti is mesmerized by colour, beautiful light and the tiniest details. She enjoys the challenge of photographing the mundane. LET THE SUN SHINE March 2, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Elizabeth Paoletti INTERVIEW Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Elizabeth Paoletti is a passionate photographer who is always ready to take her skills to the next level. While she loves all genres of photography, she considers herself more of a creative photographer. As her interest in photography evolved, she began to experiment with different camera techniques and particularly loves using intentional camera movement to create a more abstract or artistic feel to her photos. She is mesmerized by vibrant colors, beautiful light and the tiniest details, and enjoys the challenge of photographing the mundane. Yellow is one of Elizabeth’s favorite colors and is the color of thread that ties this series of photographs together. For Elizabeth, yellow is cheerful and reminds her of her sister, Alyssa. She loves Alyssa’s sunny and positive disposition, and dedicates this selection of photographs to her. She also wants to thank her brother, Marc. He knows why. “Once I picked up the camera and understood the basics, I realized that I could play around with color, contrast, texture and pattern with more success. The irony is that I may not have been good at painting with a paintbrush, but I sure do enjoy the process of “painting” with my camera.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ELIZABETH PAOLETTI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Elizabeth, you say you were born and raised in the United States. What do you think you bring to your work as an American photographer? How does that translate to your images? ELIZABETH PAOLETTI: Not only was I born and raised in the United States, but I was raised by Italian-American parents who valued the arts. I was raised with the classics. I grew up playing the piano, and I was surrounded by opera, ballet, theater, musicals and painting. My mom is a painter, and I grew up with a lot of vivid color in the home. I believe the genesis of every artistic impulse I have revolves back to my upbringing, and in the case of my photography, I strongly resonate with brighter, more vibrant colors. TPL: When did you first pick up a camera? What was that experience like? How did you know you wanted to be a photographer? EP: I first picked up a camera when my daughter was born, and then later when my daughter decided to pursue Eventing. Eventing is essentially an equestrian triathlon where a single horse and rider compete against other competitors across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country and show jumping. For me the most exciting part of this competition was show jumping, and I wanted to capture my daughter in action jumping over fences and other obstacles. At the time, I kept trying for successful photos using my old point-and-shoot camera on auto mode. Fast forward a year and my husband purchased my first Nikon DSLR as a Christmas gift. I must confess, it sat in the box for a long time before I actually opened it. That big Nikon camera intimidated me, but with time I began to feel more comfortable using it. In the end, I still didn’t get those satisfying shots of my daughter jumping. Show jumping is inherently dangerous. I realized I was shaking and that it wasn’t the wrong shutter speed that resulted in an out-of-focus photo, it was my nerves. It’s a mom thing. In any case, I was hooked on photography. I loved how the creative process felt. My adrenaline would pump when I looked through the viewfinder and saw something compelling. TPL: You say that you consider yourself a creative photographer, tell us what that means to you. EP: Over the years, I’ve experimented with many forms of creativity: drama, sewing, pottery, stenciling, collage, drawing, painting and interior design. I wanted so badly to be good at drawing and painting, but I was just terrible. Once I picked up the camera and understood the basics, I realized that I could play around with color, contrast, texture and pattern with more success. The irony is that I may not have been good at painting with a paintbrush, but I sure do enjoy the process of “painting” with my camera (intentional camera movement), and I feel successful in the process. TPL: Do you consider your playfulness with the camera to be part of your photographic style? EP: Definitely. Photography wouldn’t be a passion of mine if I didn’t have the opportunity to go beyond just looking through the viewfinder and clicking. Shooting through objects, creative focusing, using props to create interesting shadows and flares and intentionally moving the camera. I find all these processes very rewarding. Sometimes just pushing a button is wonderful. The world of macro is fascinating. If I were to move the camera while shooting macro, I wouldn’t have the clarity I wanted, but being playful with the camera is when I feel the most gratified. TPL: Your unique use of color is captivating, please tell us about the important role color plays in your work. EP: I grew up with bright colors in the home. At one time we had an orange rug, colorful artwork on the walls, and brightly colored seat cushions on our kitchen chairs. I connect to the happiness and joy that only vibrant colors can bring, so to express myself with my camera in this manner is immensely satisfying. TPL: You mention the 'Mundane'. What inspiration do you find in the 'Mundane'? EP: Aaahhh, the mundane. I love the challenge of photographing the ordinary, whether there are vibrant colors or not. Let’s say I’m out hiking and I want to photograph the mountainous view. I will take the picture, but I will never feel creatively satisfied with a landscape shot. Not to take anything away from all the exceptional landscape photographers out there, but for me, Mother Nature has done all the creative work. Mother Nature has given me what is big and beautiful, so I feel less challenged in the photographic process. I love photographing ordinary things in a way that sings to me and hopefully to the viewer as well. I connect to the happiness and joy that only vibrant colors can bring, so to express myself with my camera in this manner is immensely satisfying. TPL: What are some tips or advice you would give yourself if you started photography all over again? EP: I would tell my beginner photographer-self to listen with abandon to her creative voice. Art is an expression of the artist, and there is a vulnerability that goes along with that. Don’t worry about what other people think. The beauty about art is that it doesn’t want anything from you. It gives to the viewers, and the viewers decide whether the gift is right for them. Be okay with the fact that your work will not resonate with everybody. Creatively express yourself in a way that makes YOU happy. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? EP: I love Avtandil Makharoblidze. I have one of his giclees hanging on my dining room wall. His use of vibrant colors is fantastic. I also have Mahmood Sabzi hanging in my home. I adore his use of line, color and symbolism. In terms of photographers, I love Bryan Peterson’s work. You can find him on Instagram. He doesn’t know it, but he totally inspires me. His unabashed use of color is wonderful. He creates portraits, abstracts, landscapes, macros…you name it, and he does it. Not only does he do it, but he does it all so beautifully. As a photographer, I would be miserable if I were locked into one genre of photography. I want to photograph anything and everything to the best of my creative ability, so when I see the work of someone like Bryan Peterson, it motivates me beyond measure. I actually learned from him. I have taken several of his online courses and have all his books. He has a very diverse, creative and colorful approach to his picture making. TPL: What are any lasting impressions you would like to leave the viewer? What is their ‘Take Away’? EP: Color makes me feel like that six-year-old who received a new box of crayons. If I can pass that feeling along to my viewers, I’m happy. If I can distract people from their daily responsibilities by transporting them to a time when they felt more childlike and free, I’m happy. Color evokes a spectrum of emotions. I hope to evoke an authentic emotional reaction with my photography. I’m especially thrilled when people tell me that they find my work inspiring and, because of it, they want to try something new. 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? EP: I use a Nikon D7200 for most of my images, and I have several lenses. I’d say most of the time I am using my Nikon 18-300mm lens. When I’m shooting macro, I’m usually using my Sigma 60mm lens. At some point, I plan on transitioning to mirrorless and look forward to carrying a camera that is lighter. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? EP: One of my goals is to finally have a website. Every now and again I get asked if a photo is for sale, so I figure I'd get some content online. I’ve been working towards this goal for the past several months. It’s been a grueling process. I look forward to when I’m finally finished. I also plan on shooting several series of images and joining at least one supportive online community. There’s something very empowering and motivating about spending time with creatively like-minded people. I’d also like to be part of some gallery exhibits and to be published in print magazines. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… EP: Listen to music; spend time with family, both human and furry; and get my 10,000 steps in for the day." PORTFOLIO INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

MARCO LUGLI I am a mechanical engineer working in the hydraulic sector, where my daily life is shaped by rigor, precision, and logic. At the same time, my personal life has taught me something very different, a sense of complexity, subtlety, and the constant movement of emotion. Between these two worlds, photography has become a space of freedom. I photograph to express what goes beyond who I am in everyday life. It allows me to give voice to something that does not exist within formulas or procedures, but within intuition, silence, and contrast. Through the camera, I explore what escapes control, what cannot be measured, and what exists between order and chaos. My visual language is built on reduction. I work in black and white to remove what is unnecessary and allow the essence of the image to emerge. I describe my approach as entropic minimalism, where simplicity and complexity exist at the same time, where the image appears ordered but carries an internal tension. Experimentation is an essential part of my process. I push the limits of what can be seen by working with form, space, and absence, allowing what is not immediately visible to surface. I am not interested in resolving the image, but in opening it, so that it can continue to shift and reveal itself over time. LOCATION Reggio Emilia ITALY CAMERA/S Nikon D3500 WEBSITE https://www.outofplayphoto.eu/ @LUGLIMARCO77 FEATURES // Out of Play

PICTORIAL STORY THE CONDUCTORS A LOVE STORY: Robert Sherman shines a light on the unsung heroes of the New York MTA Subway — the train conductors whose steady hands and focused minds guide the city through its daily rush. With care and precision, he captures their quiet devotion to a job that is both routine and vital. December 3, 2021 PICTORIAL STORY photography ROBERT SHERMAN story ROBERT SHERMAN introduction MELANIE MEGGS SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Every day, millions of New Yorkers rely on the MTA subway system to get where they’re going. But behind the rumble of trains and the routine of the daily commute are the steady hands and sharp eyes of subway conductors — professionals who keep the city moving with little recognition. New York based photographer, musician, and composer Robert Sherman turns his lens toward these unsung heroes in a compelling photographic series that brings their world into focus. A Chicago native and current columnist and social media manager for the Fire Island News , Sherman has long had a passion for visual storytelling. In this project, he captures the quiet resilience, focus, and humanity of those working in the shadows of the city’s vast underground network. With a keen eye for overlooked details, Sherman invites viewers to see conductors not just as part of the system, but as individuals — navigating the rhythm, pressure, and poetry of life underground. New York City MTA SUBWAY, EVERYDAY: A few years ago, as I exited the middle car on one particularly relaxed subway ride, I noticed a conductor open her window and stick her arm out and point up to the ceiling for what seemed like no particular reason. I thought to myself, what a lovely gesture of reverence and reverie! But it turns out it was neither, as I discovered by asking the next one, I saw later that week. It is actually a required action taken by the middleman conductor at every subway stop. Its purpose is twofold: it shows the roaming MTA platform inspectors that the conductors are alert and paying attention to their job, and, more importantly, they are pointing at a (previously unnoticed by me) zebra striped sign set in the exact center of each platform. This indicates to the watchful eyes of the conductor up front that it is safe to open the doors. This, in turn, protects the passengers from stepping out directly onto the tracks had the train not been aligned properly at the stop. It is a beautiful example of man and machine working in harmony. There may be the technology to do all of this automatically, yet it remains the chosen way to keep this charmingly human engagement alive and well. The zebra signs first appeared as general markers between every two cars around WW1, and the gesture itself originated in Japan, where it was being used for the same purpose, although more elaborately - including voice signals, and the turning of a complex set of switches. It is referred to there as shisa kanko . The MTA adopted and mandated this ritualistic action in the late 1990s after a number of incidents where passengers fell onto the tracks. And the new system has helped quite a bit in preventing that from happening ever since. At any rate, I still choose to see it as simply a beautiful gesture, one that connects me to the perhaps previously unacknowledged, hardworking individuals who help as many as six million riders arrive safely to their destinations each and every day. So, I set out to make a series of portraits in celebration of these conductors. We see them all the time, but perhaps we forget to look. With these images I hope that maybe we can now fall just a little bit in love with them, as well. I know I have. © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman © Robert Sherman Through this series, Robert Sherman offers a rare and intimate look at the often-overlooked world of New York City subway conductors. His photographs go beyond the routine grind of daily transit, revealing quiet moments of resilience, the human stories behind the uniforms, and the rich diversity of lives touched by the MTA. In spotlighting these essential workers, Robert reminds us of the dedication and dignity behind a job that keeps the city moving. Next time you step onto a train, consider a simple gesture — acknowledge the conductor. A thank you can go a long way. view Robert's portfolio Read an interview with Robert >>> 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 >>> THE LIFE WITHIN THE MOUNTAIN Ten years after first seeing Larung Gar, Jing Wei returns to a changed mountain, finding continuity in faith, memory and the lives held within it. PROSCENIUM GHOSTS Said Manseur honors these young actors, their courage, and the unseen work they give to keep theatre alive against the odds. REGINA: BOARDING SCHOOL LIFE AND DREAMS A boarding school room becomes the frame for Cleopatra Joint’s portrait of ambition, instability, and a young woman’s search for freedom. LIFE ALONG THE RIVER Along the Hooghly, Shubhodeep Roy photographs Kolkata through faith, labour and memory, revealing a city shaped by water, inheritance and shared life. A HOME OF MEMORIES AND THE PRESENT Davide Santangelo returns to his family home by moonlight, tracing how absence, memory, and love continue to live within place, objects, and atmosphere after loss. THE PULL OF THE EARTH This is more than a record of rural Bengal. It looks at the bond between Sayan Biswas and the place that shaped him, even after distance has changed that relationship. ARE THOSE WINDS Along Istanbul’s northern edge, Ci Demi photographs the last water buffalo herders as they keep working, remembering, and staying put while the city closes in. COLORS OF HÜZÜN Through fragments and gestures, Pedro Vidal traces Istanbul as shared melancholy lingers in everyday life, the city unfolding slowly and refusing to settle into a single, definitive understanding. OUT OF PLAY An exploration of abandoned interiors in which Marco Lugli examines how objects, light, and space carry memory beyond human presence, establishing absence as a condition of material continuity rather than loss. REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 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.

I am a UK based developing photographer whose journey is inspired by ordinary life and that which it embodies: the land, the nature, the architecture, the people, the objects, the interaction and the destruction. My photography is simplicity, feeling and stillness. I work within a spectrum of themes including, street, landscape, animal, conceptual and cultural. A commonality which you will find throughout my work is that I keep true to the feeling which initially engages me, and present it in an 'organically enhanced' form. My subjects are often lone, still and quiet, and for me colour is dependent on feeling. Currently, I shoot with a Canon EOS 4000D but I am working on a series which includes film prints. As part of my ongoing journey, I aim to incorporate community, psychology and social themes into my photography, but here I introduce to you, a cultural collective. "SpainCollective, 2019" is my one of my recent completed series which assembles my journey to Valencia, Cuenca & The Pyrenees, Spain. I focus on high contrast to display what is such a bright and beautiful country. This series is homely, intriguing and a view into the contrasting parts of the country. ANEEKA MANKU I am a UK based developing photographer whose journey is inspired by ordinary life and that which it embodies: the land, the nature, the architecture, the people, the objects, the interaction and the destruction. My photography is simplicity, feeling and stillness. I work within a spectrum of themes including, street, landscape, animal, conceptual and cultural. A commonality which you will find throughout my work is that I keep true to the feeling which initially engages me, and present it in an 'organically enhanced' form. My subjects are often lone, still and quiet, and for me colour is dependent on feeling. Currently, I shoot with a Canon EOS 4000D but I am working on a series which includes film prints. As part of my ongoing journey, I aim to incorporate community, psychology and social themes into my photography, but here I introduce to you, a cultural collective. "SpainCollective, 2019" is my one of my recent completed series which assembles my journey to Valencia, Cuenca & The Pyrenees, Spain. I focus on high contrast to display what is such a bright and beautiful country. This series is homely, intriguing and a view into the contrasting parts of the country. LOCATION Birmingham UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Canon EOS 4000D WEBSITE http://www.straygiraffephotography.co.uk @STRAYGIRAFFEPHOTOGRAPHY FEATURES // Spain Collective

PICTORIAL STORY PEOPLE OF THE LAND By bringing the lens closer to the people who live the earth and respect it deeply, Paolo Ricca immerses himself in the memory of the weekends spent on a small piece of land owned by his grandfather. April 13, 2023 PICTORIAL STORY photography PAOLO RICCA story PAOLO RICCA introduction MELANIE MEGGS SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Paolo Ricca’s photography stands out for its ability to capture the poetry of everyday life and tell stories with a documentary and artistic value. Paolo embarks on a journey to discover a territory that is close to his heart - the forgotten, rural landscapes of life. He captures the profound beauty and wisdom of people who live off the land, a reminder of his own childhood spent in his grandfather’s countryside. Through his photographs, Paolo strives to communicate the spirit of humility and determination that is rooted in the land, an ode to a value that needs respect and appreciation. His images portray a unique and vivid portrait of urban and peripheral life, without any filters or artificial light. He captures the subtle nuances of human emotion, from the fatigue and tears to the joy and satisfaction of a job well done. By using natural light and primary colors, Paolo’s art reflects an honest portrayal of life as it is, a celebration of its beauty and courage. White streets, covered with stones and gravel, shabby, rusty and half-open gates, right there, alongside the most chaotic arteries of the capital, seem to announce an unexpected guest. The infinite perspective of the orchards, the splendor of the newly turned clods in the fields, the clock that slows down and the time that suddenly seems to turn back. So, in the midst of the frenetic paths of globalization, start my journey through the unexpected and extraordinary discovery of a territory that is always present and close, a precious past that has never left me after all. By bringing the lens closer to the people who live the earth and respect it deeply, I immerse myself in the memory of the weekends spent in contact with it when, on a small piece of land owned by my grandfather, I lived intense and lively moments of my childhood. Today, like yesterday, in the hardness of the fields I find marked faces and small wrinkles, passion and sacrifices full of light. Indelible moments spent in contact with the earth, the anecdotes told by my grandparents and what then seemed to me like an incomprehensible melancholy at the end of each weekend. The bitter cold, the sun that burns, the humidity that sticks to clothes and penetrates inside, to the bone. The back is always bent, a bow and then another, once again, a dance that does not allow interruptions or complaints. Gestures and customs of distant days, yet so close to my tomorrow. Today I relive stories of humility and determination, wisdom in my hands and a great respect for the land, a value that deserves respect, which at times disappoints and gives tears of fatigue, but which then always returns to smile to give immense satisfaction. The sweat of the earth, all my work revolves around admiration for this metaphor. No filter, only natural light and the poetry of primary colors, to frame the close-up portrait of a peripheral and urban fabric that is increasingly current and intense, sometimes even rough, but for this reason even more authentic. Men and women, the human being, guardian of an inestimable value, the dignity of the soul that resists and does not bend to the easy in the face of the rhythm of the seasons, the confirmation of a today that will surely know how to cultivate the roots of its future. © Paolo Ricca © Paolo Ricca © Paolo Ricca © Paolo Ricca © Paolo Ricca © Paolo Ricca © Paolo Ricca © Paolo Ricca © Paolo Ricca © Paolo Ricca © Paolo Ricca Paolo Ricca’s photography is an invaluable reminder of the beauty and value of everyday life. From his work, we can see the drive and determination that comes from the land, and the resilience and joy of the people who live off it. Through his photographs, we are reminded of the beauty and strength of humanity, and the importance of respecting and appreciating the land that sustains us. Paolo’s work speaks to our hearts and gives us a powerful glimpse into the lives of others. view Paolo's portfolio Read an interview with Paolo >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> THE LIFE WITHIN THE MOUNTAIN Ten years after first seeing Larung Gar, Jing Wei returns to a changed mountain, finding continuity in faith, memory and the lives held within it. PROSCENIUM GHOSTS Said Manseur honors these young actors, their courage, and the unseen work they give to keep theatre alive against the odds. REGINA: BOARDING SCHOOL LIFE AND DREAMS A boarding school room becomes the frame for Cleopatra Joint’s portrait of ambition, instability, and a young woman’s search for freedom. LIFE ALONG THE RIVER Along the Hooghly, Shubhodeep Roy photographs Kolkata through faith, labour and memory, revealing a city shaped by water, inheritance and shared life. A HOME OF MEMORIES AND THE PRESENT Davide Santangelo returns to his family home by moonlight, tracing how absence, memory, and love continue to live within place, objects, and atmosphere after loss. THE PULL OF THE EARTH This is more than a record of rural Bengal. It looks at the bond between Sayan Biswas and the place that shaped him, even after distance has changed that relationship. ARE THOSE WINDS Along Istanbul’s northern edge, Ci Demi photographs the last water buffalo herders as they keep working, remembering, and staying put while the city closes in. COLORS OF HÜZÜN Through fragments and gestures, Pedro Vidal traces Istanbul as shared melancholy lingers in everyday life, the city unfolding slowly and refusing to settle into a single, definitive understanding. OUT OF PLAY An exploration of abandoned interiors in which Marco Lugli examines how objects, light, and space carry memory beyond human presence, establishing absence as a condition of material continuity rather than loss. REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 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.

EXHIBITION CITY OF IMAGES October 16, 2020 EXHIBITION PHOTOGRAPHY Karin Svadlenak TEXT Karin Svadlenak SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link For the third year in a row, the small town of Baden near Vienna has become an outdoor photography gallery. Billed as the largest European photography festival, the exhibitions are spread all across downtown Baden's streets and parks. In times of the Covid-19 pandemic, there could not be a more ideal setting for a "museum visit" than to stroll around in the open air, enjoying the outstanding photography and the greenery, stopping in between for coffee and cake in one of Baden's many coffee houses. I visited on a warm September afternoon, when people were still lounging about on picnic blankets and in outdoor cafes. Baden is a small town just 26 km south of Vienna with a long history as a spa town because of natural thermal springs in the area. Architecturally the old part of town is also very pretty, featuring villas and buildings built largely during the Biedermeier period, after a fire in 1812 destroyed much of the old city. Because of the hot springs and the woods surrounding it, it has always been a popular destination for recreation seekers coming from Vienna, including the imperial family. In the 19th century, a railway connection was built to Vienna, making it easily accessible for thousands of Viennese, and this connection is still running today. The tram-like Badner-Bahn makes it from the Vienna Opera to downtown Baden in about an hour. But apart from the pleasant hiking, walking, and bathing opportunities, once a year in the summer, the city itself becomes a work of art. The photo festival La Gacilly-Baden turns Baden's already quite pretty streets, squares and parks into a veritable feast for the eyes. The Baden photo festival is now in its third year, originated by Lois Lammerhuber, one of the most important contemporary photographers in Austria, as a twin exhibition to the one held at La Gacilly in Bretagne, France every year. In La Gacilly, this photo festival has been celebrated since 2004. The photos shown in Baden are those shown in La Gacilly the previous year. This year's motto in Baden is "Never Give Up" - could there have been a better title for an exhibition in this pandemic year 2020?! The motto includes two narrative circles: “Renaissance” and “All Eyes East”. Renaissance or rebirth stands for the commitment and awareness of the exhibiting photographers to dedicate their work to our planet, but also for hope: the hope for change, for a better world. The view towards the East (East from Europe, that is, and also the political "East"), refers to the remarkable creative turnout of contemporary photography in Russia and former Soviet Union states. The displays of the exhibition provide insights into the diverse and historically rich east of Europe. With a plea for peace, tolerance and togetherness, the two festival narratives are visualised by 31 photographers, a photography collective of the Lower Austrian State photography guild and 13 schools. There are 2000 photographs on display, and I can show only a small fraction here. The French festival originator Jacques Rocher is the son of Yves Rocher, who managed to create a global cosmetic brand with organic products with his company based near the village of La Gacilly. Back in 2004 Jacques Rocher realised his idea of a photo festival in La Gacilly, dedicated to the subject of people and the environment. "Major environmental and social challenges lie at the heart of the La Gacilly Photo Festival and have shaped its programme for 17 years now, raising awareness and enlightening the world through the photographer’s lens," says Jacques. The exhibited photo series have a strong humanistic orientation, showing humans in their home environment, but also showing the impact humans have on earth, often in quite disturbing ways. The images are a socially relevant merging of artistic photography and photojournalism. Apart from the high quality artwork and the topical interest, the photo festival is so delightful because of the way the art is integrated into and interacts with constructed and natural elements of the city. A tree shadow falling on a building-sized photograph, filtered sunlight illuminating exhibition paths, and coffee shops and picnic spots throughout the city, from which the viewer can admire the photography and take in the special ambience at leisure. To see all of the exhibitions takes several hours, and so it is a good idea to take it in small doses and return, a second, perhaps a third time, to absorb it all. The festival extends over a length of 7 kilometres, divided into a “garden route” and a “town route”, so you had better put your walking shoes on. Embedded into the lovely rose garden, right next to the Orangerie at Doblhoff park, are amazing large reproduction of colour photographs taken in tsarist Russia. The rose garden itself is also worth a visit during the flowering season, with some 900 species of roses blooming at different times. Apart from the work of well established photographers, the festival also makes room for contributions of some emerging talents in partnership with Fisheye Magazine. This initiative is showcasing new photographic output on the theme of New Frontiers. There are also works of local amateurs from Lower Austrian schools and from the guild of photographers on view. One of the homegrown contributions to the festival is the exhibition DU BIST KUNST. Using the hashtag #dubistkunst (you are art), an Austrian art TV programme (kulturMontag) teamed up with renowned Austrian art museums and called on photographers to join with their creations. A set of quirky reinterpretations of classic masterpieces is exhibited in Doblhoffpark. Think Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and co. The photo festival La Gacilly-Baden is on view until 26 October 2020. It is open air and free of charge to visit. For anyone in or around Vienna, or near the original location in France, I highly recommend a visit. You will be astonished, impressed, saddened, delighted, and amused. PORTFOLIO CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE 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.

THE HUMAN ELEMENT Kenneth Nederskov Petersen has faced the challenge of adapting his style to the pandemic. Despite the hardships, he has continued to capture the world around him through his unique lens. THE HUMAN ELEMENT January 25, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Kenneth Nederskov Petersen INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE For Kenneth Nederskov Petersen, photography is a way of life. This year has been a challenging one, as his normal style of street photography has been put on hold in light of the pandemic. Instead, Kenneth has turned his lens towards the muted beauty of architecture, capturing it in the lonely night streets. However, as the year draws to a close, Kenneth is looking forward to a future where he can once again return to the hustle and bustle of street photography with a sense of freedom and artistic expression. “I received my first camera at my Christian confirmation. My uncle was a good photographer and was my inspiration. But the learning curve was difficult. The challenge was not to see the result instantly. Everything changed for me when digital was the new standard. Now I could see the result immediately.” IN CONVERSATION WITH KENNETH NEDERSKOV PETERSEN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Kenneth, where do you find your inspiration to photograph? KENNETH NEDERSKOV PETERSEN: Hmm...they come from all over. Books, movies, architecture, music, life itself. I cannot stop photographing, so I do not think too much about this. There is an element of hunting in it too. Street photography is not necessarily the easiest genre. You can come home with no good pictures. The more satisfying it is when you come home with something worth sharing. TPL: What has been the best advice you have ever received in photography? KNP: Photograph the things that interest you, and do not photograph what you might believe interest most people. If the passion is not there, the struggle will be bigger, and the pleasure smaller. I do not live from my photography, so it might be easy for me to say that. TPL: Do you have any favourite spots to go photographing? How has the pandemic affected you and your photography? KNP: Copenhagen is where I feel at home with my photography. Around the harbor line, the train and metro stations, in parks and more. The pandemic has turned my photography upside down. My wife is kind of exposed at her job where she is looking after small children and my kids are in school. I am working from home (as a purchaser of spare parts for buses and trucks) and I try to be the one less exposed to the virus. This is stopping me from going onto public transport and to be at places with many people - this left me with lots of frustration. I then started a night photography project by going out in the dark with my tripod and taking long exposures of architecture and buildings in the local areas. This is just the opposite of street photography and has been a very fun and giving project. TPL: What is it that you enjoy about street photography? What happens when you walk the street with your camera? Explain your technique. How do people generally respond? KNP: Street photography captures a glimpse and a moment of life that happens just as you click the shutter. If you are lucky, then you document the time of year and/or the decade of a time. You can also capture something beautiful, something about the country and area, something very human, colors, light and much more. When I walk with my camera, I am in a mental zone. I am more aware and more alert. I get the best results when I am alone. I try to be quiet, to blend in, or act as a tourist, I smile or just pretend that I am interested in other things than my subject, or even shoot from the hip. At events like demonstrations, I pretend to belong there as an official which allows me to get close and photograph portraits. My smaller and old school looking camera makes me less intimidating than running around with a large camera body and a big telephoto lens. TPL: What do you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? KNP: The human element is important in my photography. But there can also be something very graphic pleasing and mathematically satisfactory with symmetry or when things are in a certain order in a picture. And then again chaos can be as satisfactory, if that is what I see in a situation. Architecture has also been a part of my photography recently. Copenhagen is in constant development with new buildings and exciting architecture. Treat people the same way as you would like to be treated by them. This is also my go-to phrase with the camera. I do not try to photograph embarrassments. A photograph can be humorous and still respectful. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? KNP: I enjoy work from Elliot Erwitt, Nick Turpin, Angela Ambrosini, Nils Jorgensen, Shane Taylor, Matt Stuart, Alan Schaller, Sally Davies, Annie Leibovitz and many more. I have found some photo friends at Instagram too. I am very glad to see Li Mullen listed here as 2021 photographer. As much as I enjoy the work of these people, I cannot copy their work. When I am out, my mind and head is totally cleared and wiped clean. If my photography looks like someone else's work, then it is completely unconscious and something that I am not aware of myself. But what I like in other photographers' work will naturally show up somehow in my own work. 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? KNP: Fujifilm has been a real game changer for me. I was coming from a big heavy DSLR - Canon 5D - which was not a street ninja tool. Fujifilm mirrorless was lighter, more intuitive, it has old school dials, and it is somehow discrete and not very offensive. XT1 was my first Fujifilm camera. I missed something in handling, but then I bought the XT2 Silver edition. It does everything I need it to. If there are any mistakes, it is my mistake and not the camera. Features like auto ISO and electronic shutter are fantastic. 23mm F2 is my go-to lens = 35mm equivalent in full frame. I have tried to use longer lenses under Covid19, but I think and compose in 35mm focal length. I can shoot without looking with one hand or from the hip, and still know what is in the frame. I do also use other lenses (not much though) - mostly a 50mm F2 = which is about 75mm on full frame - for events and portraits. The current gear has stopped my lust for new cameras/lenses, and I can focus on the important part - the picture itself. I might try a X100V one day, but I still like the flexibility of being able to change lenses. TPL: When you go out photographing, do you have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? KNP: When I go out shooting, I normally have a plan of districts I want to visit. I do not normally have a special concept and idea. But when the pandemic is over, I will for sure go out with different projects in my head. Inspired by my Night Photography project under Covid 19. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the arts before photography? KNP: I have always been creative. First with the music which included school concerts and more. Now photography. To be able to fulfill the creative side of life completes me somehow. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? KNP: As mentioned before, I am working on a Night Photography Project right now. This project has led me to continue with night photography and architecture pictures - also after Covid 19. I hope to add more portraits to my portfolio. It might be street portraits; it might be normal portraits - time will tell. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… KNP: When I am not out photographing, I like to be close to my family and friends, to travel, to cook, to walk the dog, to play the keyboard, to watch action movies and Nordic Noir thriller series. Thanks for listing me as a 2021 photographer. I feel very honored. PORTFOLIO INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> CONTOURS OF ABSENCE Where concealment unsettles recognition and ordinary spaces turn psychological, the photographs of Serhii Fett suspend identity between presence and absence. THE ART OF ATTENTION Curiosity turns portraits, objects, and places into discoveries as Len Irish reflects on a life shaped by the camera’s attention. WHERE EMOTIONS BREATHE Simple encounters Irina Sedletskaya almost missed become photographs shaped by silence, distance, uncertainty, memory, hope, and resilience. THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details.

PICTORIAL STORY ON THE TRAIL OF LOVE LOST Sasha Ivanov shares a heartfelt tribute to Lydia and Nikolai — a beautiful love story that reveals the unbreakable strength and resilience of the human spirit. February 2, 2024 PICTORIAL STORY photography SASHA IVANOV story SASHA IVANOV introduction MELANIE MEGGS SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Sasha Ivanov is more than a photographer — he is a quiet observer of life’s unfolding stories. His images trace the subtle rhythms of human experience, capturing everyday moments that speak with quiet power. Born in Krasnodar, in southern Russia, Sasha’s relationship with photography began early. But it was only after moving to St. Petersburg and studying journalism that he discovered the form his storytelling would take, documentary photography. His path deepened through work on social projects and sharpened further at Docdocdoc’s School of Contemporary Photography , where he began to shape a personal, independent voice. Sasha’s focus rests on the human face — portraits that reveal not only the subject, but the conditions and histories that surround them. His lens lingers with care, revealing lives as they are lived, without ornament. Among these stories is that of Lydia and Nikolai. They met at a dance in 1957. Four months later, they married. By the following year, they were parents. Their life together spanned six decades — across the Soviet era, through Perestroika, and into quieter years. She was a teacher, he a military engineer. Later, they wrote: Lydia composed poems; Nikolai, humorous tales. In 2018, Lydia had a fall that left her unable to walk unaided. Nikolai became her caregiver, taking on every task with patience and resolve. For two more years, they remained side by side until her passing. Sixty-two years of shared time came to a quiet close. Now, at 88, Nikolai is learning solitude. Sasha’s photographs follow him through this transition, not with sentimentality, but with honesty and care. The series is less about loss than it is about presence — what endures, what changes, what it means to continue. Seen through Sasha Ivanov’s thoughtful perspective, the story of Lydia and Nikolai unfolds not as a grand romance, but as a lived life. I met Nikolai and his wife, in 2018. Lidochka, as her husband affectionately called her. By that time, she had already suffered a knee injury and could not move around on her own. I worked as a volunteer for a foundation that supports World War II veterans. This support is largely not material, but spiritual. Attention to these elderly people is the main value. As I got to know this elderly couple, I was inspired by their enduring love for each other and their resilience in the face of challenges. I quickly became a regular visitor to their home. I communicated with their relatives from France, helped with various tasks, and listened to their creative works. Lydia wrote poetry while Nikolai wrote prose. At that time, they had been living together for 61 years. Nikolai reverently cared for his wife. He bathed her, dressed her, did various physical exercises with her, invited friends over, and tried in every way to keep her in a good mood. It was interesting for me to watch such an elderly couple from the sidelines. At that time, I was already dating my future wife. I could not imagine that people could live together for so long, go through so many trials, see such a different country, and stay together despite the challenges. My grandmother was an invalid, and every Summer when I came to visit her, I would take care of her for several months. I would feed her, comb out her hair, and take her for a ride in her wheelchair. Perhaps the memories of my past allowed me to have a special connection to Nikolai and Lydia. I learned of Lydia’s death from Nikolai almost immediately. Unfortunately, I couldn’t come to the funeral because I was overseas. I was very sad about not being able to support my friend at that moment. When I returned to St. Petersburg, I heard his story about how he had fed her scrambled eggs on her last night. How she had been taken away in an ambulance, and he had followed her. Finding her in the hospital corridor, he confessed his love for her, but she was already unconscious, though her eyes were open. It was very hard for him at first. And I realized I just wanted to be there for him. To try to distract him from his sad thoughts. We began to read and publish his writings and go to museums, and concerts. That's when I realized I wanted to tell his story. Together, we visited places that held special memories for Nikolai and Lidochka, and I listened to stories from his youth that revealed new facets of his character. I was in awe of his determination to live life to the fullest, despite losing his beloved wife. As I reflected on my own life, I realized how easy it is to take our loved ones for granted and how important it is to cherish each moment together. Now, at 30 years old, I am happily married, and the thought of losing my spouse rarely crosses my mind. But Nikolai’s strength and perseverance have taught me the importance of living in the present and appreciating every moment with our loved ones. He may have lost his partner in life, but he has not lost his zest for life, and I am honored to tell his story. Nikolai and Lydia. © Sasha Ivanov At first, Nikolai had a very hard time accepting the new reality. He had way too much spare time that he did not know what to do about. Then, he started to digitize his short stories and put them on the internet. He follows his readers, responds to their reviews, and regularly meets new people. © Sasha Ivanov Lydia and Nikolai used to spend a lot of time writing their works. Joint creative work helped them with battling and overcoming anxious thoughts. He used to say that Lidochka was living in two dimensions. One was where the poems would come to her, and the other – where she would write them down in flesh. Now he is reading those poems to their mutual friends discovering more and more meaning in them with every next time. © Sasha Ivanov © Sasha Ivanov When at the dacha, the neighbors’ kids came to them to listen to the music records, play checkers, or organize a full-on concert with dancing and singing. It was always loud and merry; the house was full of life. In the evening, Lydia would sit down in that chair, combing her long grey hair preparing herself for sleep. Now, Nikolai loves to sit in this chair reminiscing about the good old days. © Sasha Ivanov Archival photograph of Nikolai and Lydia. © Sasha Ivanov Lydia and Nikolai. © Sasha Ivanov Nikolai is in his apartment sitting on an inflatable ball. With the help of this particular ball, Lydia and he used to do exercises that the doctor recommended to her. Up to this day, he still does those exercises on a regular basis. © Sasha Ivanov Before any official event, Nikolai would have to get shaved. All his tools are in their own places. He has many ties in his wardrobe that his wife once gave to him. She used to tie them for him before he would leave the house. © Sasha Ivanov Nikolai wears ties to official events. He has many ties in his closet that his wife once gave him. She used to tie them for him before he left the house. Now Nikolai ties them himself. © Sasha Ivanov For the last few years, they slept in separate bedrooms. Now, in his wife's bedroom, everything is in the same place it was the day Lydia died. Nikolai cleans it weekly. Looking at the order in the room and the presence of things, it seems that someone still sleeps in it every day. © Sasha Ivanov The subject of Aivazovsky's painting that Nikolai is looking at is the wreck of a ship in a storm. He compares his present life to that ship. Lydia's death has become a storm for him - worries, doubts, desires to give up the fight. He survived that storm. © Sasha Ivanov The photo was taken in Yelagin Island Park in St. Petersburg. It was in this park that they spent their younger years. They went boating, fed squirrels, and admired the Finnish bay. There is a blooming apple tree behind him in the picture. It symbolizes the arrival of summer and the beginning of something new and long expected. © Sasha Ivanov The photo was taken in Yelagin Island Park in St. Petersburg. It was in this park that they spent their younger years. They went boating, fed squirrels, and admired the Finnish bay. © Sasha Ivanov Nikolai is watching a recording of a concert Lydia took part in. In the mid-90s, Nikolai and Lydia joined the “Ostrovok” Club. It was a community of senior people, who organized amateur concerts and share their written work with the audience. At first, those were small-scale home concerts, but then they were given a facility at a local Palace of Culture. “Ostrovok” became an asylum for its participants where they could go to escape from the heavy though of that time. The club exists up to this day, and Nikolai takes an active part in its life. © Sasha Ivanov Lydia’s dress is hanging on the crossbar, the one that can be typically fixed with special hangers in the doorway. One can move the crossbar lower or higher. When Lydia was still recovering from the trauma, she would approach the crossbar in a wheelchair, grab onto it with both hands and help herself up. It was a great warm-up for both the spine and the arms. © Sasha Ivanov This was the bathroom where Nikolai had been helping his wife take a bath for the past two years. After the trauma, Lydia was not able to get into the bathtub by herself. To make it easier for her to overcome that obstacle, he installed a handrail. Later on, such handrails would also appear in the restroom and by the bed. © Sasha Ivanov Now, he is learning to live on his own. He maintains an active social and cultural life, visits concerts, museums, and exhibitions. The art helps him to get distracted from his loneliness. The scenery brings him back to his childhood days that he had spent in a small village in Siberia. The portraits flatter him with a possibility to see a whole other life with the eyes of the ones pictured. The photo was taken in the main hall of the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. The last time he had been there was over 20 years ago with his late wife. © Sasha Ivanov Military build, always in time, looking sharp with his shoulders back – these were the manners he was taught first at the Military Academy and then on duty. Nikolai was an engineer for the strategic missile forces. During his service, he had been to several cities and countries. The life of a military servant means constantly being on the move. Lydia had always been by his side. She was waiting for him to come home, raised their daughter, maintained the household wherever they had to go while her husband was in service. © Sasha Ivanov Every summer, Nicholai and his wife would ride their bicycles to the lake in the woods. There they would swim on hot summer days. These bicycles were made back in the 1980s. Now he doesn't need to keep two bikes. He is slowly taking his wife's bike apart and re-purposing the parts on his own. He uses the bike to go to the store, which is two kilometers from home. © Sasha Ivanov In this fast-paced world where love often feels fleeting, Sasha Ivanov’s photographs remind us that enduring love still exists. His portraits guide us into the quiet, unwavering bond of Lydia and Nikolai — a couple who defied the passage of time and proved that love knows no boundaries of age or circumstance. Their story echoes the resilience of human connection and the quiet strength of devotion. Sasha’s work ensures that their love continues to resonate, inviting us to pause, reflect, and cherish the ones we hold dear — just as Lydia and Nikolai did for 62 years. view Sasha's portfolio Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> THE LIFE WITHIN THE MOUNTAIN Ten years after first seeing Larung Gar, Jing Wei returns to a changed mountain, finding continuity in faith, memory and the lives held within it. PROSCENIUM GHOSTS Said Manseur honors these young actors, their courage, and the unseen work they give to keep theatre alive against the odds. REGINA: BOARDING SCHOOL LIFE AND DREAMS A boarding school room becomes the frame for Cleopatra Joint’s portrait of ambition, instability, and a young woman’s search for freedom. 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