PICTORIAL STORY SOCIALLY DISTANCED BEING SOCIAL IN TIMES OF SOCIAL DISTANCING July 3, 2020 PICTORIAL STORY Photography by Stefan Hellweger Story by Karin Svadlenak Gomez SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Stefan Hellweger is a photographer from Munich with a mission: documenting life in his city. The Münchner Tafel is a Munich food bank that provides food to 20,000 low-income people every week. During the weeks of Covid-19 prevention measures, operations had to be adapted to the new requirements. It was during that time that Stefan set out to document what that means for the disadvantaged and the many volunteers at the Münchner Tafel. He recorded it in his photo series "Being social in times of social distancing". His photos are close-up and honest and tell a real story. The global Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed how and when people interact with each other. This has had repercussions on the way life in cities is organised, and the way just about all institutions (businesses, hospitals, care homes, cultural institutions, charitable organizations, etc.) go about their business. It has also had a strong visual impact on the cityscape. Who would have thought a few months ago that face masks - in European cities previously reserved to Asian tourists - would become ubiquitous, or that we would do our exercise classes at home via online platforms? THE MUNICH FOOD BANK MÜNCHNER TAFEL In 2019 the Münchner Tafel had its 25th anniversary. Stefan is a member of the Munich Street Collective, a group of currently 10 photographers, whose passion is documenting contemporary history in public spaces - to capture life in Munich as an artistic historic document for the future. Unlike many purely virtual collectives on Instagram, the members of this collective also organise street photography walks and occasionally analog exhibitions. One of their members had connections to the Münchner Tafel, and the collective came up with the idea of documenting the charity's important work. After months of photographing, they organised a joint exhibition at Munich's art centre, Gasteig , which was very well received and much to the ten photographers' joy resulted in a significant increase of donations. So, the current reportage is Stefan's second time to be involved in a documentary about the Münchner Tafel. Every Munich resident on welfare assistance can apply for an authorisation card to visit one of the 27 branches of the Münchner Tafel. The goal of the food bank is to make the lives of people living from social security a little bit easier by providing food. That way they can spend the little money they have for other purposes. For homeless people there are other organisations specialised in providing assistance. The Munich Food Bank usually has different delivery points around town, but because of the pandemic containment measures, all groceries were being distributed from the wholesale market in Sendling for several weeks. The volunteers and the guests of the Münchner Tafel now all have to keep a distance of at least two metres. “Unlike the supermarkets I shop at, this food bank was being checked for regulation compliance every day!”, says Stefan. “So, they took this really seriously.” FROM OLD TO YOUNG The corona crisis has also completely changed the composition of the volunteer team: where previously it was mostly retired people who joined the effort to provide food for the needy, it was now mostly young people (freed up from their usual occupations by Corona). They would help set up the tables, carry boxes, clean up, hand out food, and sometimes lend an ear to one of the guests wanting to chat. For some of the people who visit the food bank, it is not only a way to get food, it is also a place where they can meet other people, where they can have a conversation without fear that they will be judged. Although all guests at the Münchner Tafel receive a minimum income from the German government, they still live below subsistence level. What this means is that after basic needs are met, they often have nothing left to enjoy a bit of entertainment - a movie maybe, or a visit to a coffee shop. Coming to the food bank helps fill that gap. © Stefan Hellweger Volunteers high fiving shortly before the guests arrive. © Stefan Hellweger A Tafel guest covering mouth and nose with a scarf. © Stefan Hellweger Axel Schweiger, head of the biggest branch of the Munich food bank. © Stefan Hellweger © Stefan Hellweger © Stefan Hellweger The Münchner Tafel is now returning to most of its 27 locations, except where, because of a lack of space or for other reasons, it is not possible to comply with strict corona regulations. Such locations will continue their food distribution at the western gate of the wholesale market. view Stefan's portfolio Read an interview with Stefan >>> Instagram >>> Münchner Tafel Munich Street Collective 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 >>> 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. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions.

LONELY URBAN PEOPLE Belinda Corney shows us her love of light, shadow and reflections, capturing solitary people within their environment. LONELY URBAN PEOPLE August 24, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Belinda Corney INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Have you ever wondered what it takes to turn a love of photography into a life-long passion? For Australian-born Belinda Corney, the answer is simple – a single street photography workshop in London. With just one introduction to the art form, Belinda was hooked and has never looked back. Originally from the beautiful Whitsunday region of Queensland, Australia, Belinda relocated to London in 2017 and discovered street photography. Finding an artistic outlet she had been missing for a long time, Belinda has since explored the city with her camera and captured images that show her love of light, shadow and reflections. From captivating solo figures to silhouettes in the unique light of the city, Belinda’s work captures the beauty of human interaction within their environment. This collection of images is a testament to her eye for detail and appreciation of interesting shapes. Join us as we explore Belinda’s journey in street photography, learning along the way just how she has managed to turn an experiment into a lifelong passion. It's an honour to be able to make a good photograph of anyone, and it’s a great privilege. It's the only tool that will stop time itself. - Jill Freedman “I watched the documentary EVERYBODY STREET for the first time last year and Jill Freedman was one of the photographers featured and what she said stuck with me. This whole documentary is full of some pretty inspirational and motivating stuff, I highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in documentary or street photography!” IN CONVERSATION WITH BELINDA CORNEY THE PICTORIAL LIST: Belinda please tell us about yourself. When did you start getting interested in photography? BELINDA CORNEY: I am originally from Airlie Beach, Australia and moved to London in 2004. I currently work as a Graphic Designer and photography is a much loved hobby. I have always enjoyed taking photos but had no specific genre I gravitated towards. What piqued my interest in photography was a 2003 documentary called Dreamlives about photographers Trent Parke and Narelle Autio. You can also follow their work @chillioctopus. I got caught up in their passion and exuberance for chasing the amazing Australian light and that perfect moment. This documentary inspired me to go out buy my first SLR camera, then I came to London and this is when my love of shadow and light started to translate into my photography. My interest in street photography came much later after participating in a workshop with Joshua K. Jackson @joshkjack and Craig Whitehead @sixstreetunder in 2017. This workshop instantly kick-started my love of getting out and photographing the amazing city I live in. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? BC: Instagram, YouTube, documentaries, books, but mostly when I am out and about exploring London, you see a scene or location and it inspires you to create something from it. 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? BC: I am drawn to the interesting shapes that shadow and light create, as well as capturing the interaction of human beings, usually solitary or in silhouette, within their environment. I do love a sense of mystery, it developed in college and I haven’t been able to shake it! TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? BC: The artists Edward Hopper and Jeffrey Smart were big influences during college. I was drawn to how they portray lonely urban vistas and isolated individuals. Magnum photographer Trent Parke who I mentioned earlier. I especially love his Dream/Life series. I was drawn to how he has captured the franticness of city life, but how it also conveys a sense of isolation that can come with living in a large city. There are also so many great photographers who inspire me on a daily basis via Instagram: Mavis CW - @onechapter, Mark Fearnley - @mark.fearnley, Josh Edgoose - @spicy.meatball, Eric Kogan - @erickogan, Nina Welch-Kling - @ninakling, Mo Barzegar - @mo.barzegar, Hiroshi - @hiro_ig101, Sara Melhuish - @swendeluk to name a few...there are so many! TPL: Has your style of shooting changed since you first started? BC: A little. I am still drawn to light and shadow, but I do try to take a few more typically candid shots here and there looking for interesting moments and faces. I am not very good at it but it is fun! TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? BC: I love brutalist architecture, so Barbican and the Southbank Centre in London are favourite spots of mine, I enjoy capturing moments in these spaces and along the Southbank itself. I also love the Tate Modern which is another iconic landmark in London, it’s a beautiful building and space to photograph in and around. I am drawn to the interesting shapes that shadow and light create, as well as capturing the interaction of human beings, usually solitary or in silhouette, within their environment. TPL: How does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? What would you say to someone wanting to start out in your genre of photography? BC: I have the Fujifilm X-T2. I find the tactile nature of the dials and aperture ring helped me fully understand the relationship between ISO, shutter speed and aperture, but the rest is on me! My 50mm f2 is my preferred lens at the moment. I am trying to use my 23mm f2 more but I do neglect it as jumping between the two can be quite jarring due to the difference in focal length! For someone wanting to start out in street photography, I would say always have your camera with you. Also, have your camera on and the lens cap off so it is ready to use, you don't want to be fumbling with your camera and miss the shot! It is only since I have been doing this that I have noticed my photography style improve. You will end up taking a lot of photos and only one or two may be good out of the hundreds you do take, but when you get that shot you are proud of it makes all your efforts worthwhile and encourages to you keep going. TPL: Do you prefer to photograph alone or with friends? BC: I find photographing on my own more relaxing, you can just wander and lose yourself in a walk around London. But I do enjoy meeting up with fellow photographers every now and then, it’s fun to have a walk and a chat and bounce ideas and compositions of each other. I have met some lovely photographers through photo walks and meetups here in London. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? BC: I studied Visual Arts majoring in illustration and printmaking in college, I also used to draw a lot, but when I came to London I just stopped. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on? BC: Not at the moment. I have thought about creating a zine, I am a terrible procrastinator though! TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? BC: I am not great at setting myself goals, but in five years I hope to be back in Australia. I would love to set up a studio of some sort and get back into my printmaking, perhaps even creating prints from photos I have taken over the years. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)... Meet up with friends, walk, but I normally always have my camera with me when I do this! I do love to lose myself in a good book or TV series, I have been doing a lot of this during lockdown." VIEW BELINDA'S PORTFOLIO Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> 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. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition.

PICTORIAL STORY TRANSCENDENTS Mariette Pathy Allen’s visual narrative celebrates authenticity, spotlighting Spirit Mediums’ enigmatic presence in both possession and daily life. March 15, 2024 PICTORIAL STORY photography MARIETTE PATHY ALLEN story MARIETTE PATHY ALLEN introduction KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Mariette Pathy Allen stands as a leading figure in contemporary photography, recognized for her profound exploration of human diversity and the fluidity of identity with depth and sensitivity. With a career spanning over five decades, Mariette has established herself as a visionary documentarian, shedding light and advocating for marginalized communities within society. Mariette’s journey as a photographer began in the 1970s, a time marked by social upheaval and a burgeoning awareness of gender and sexual identities. It was during this period that she embarked on a mission to explore the intricate spectrum of gender expression, particularly within the transgender community — an endeavor that would become her life's work. Mariette is a photographer of transgender, genderfluid, and gender variant communities, as well as other continuous series such as Birth and Families , The Face of New Jersey , People with Art , Flowers and Fantasy, Texas, and Scapes . In 1978, on the last day of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Mariette met a trans woman named Vicky West (although, using the language of that time, she identified as a crossdresser). Vicky befriended Mariette and invited her to Fantasia Fair , a transgender conference where Mariette would serve as the official photographer. She traveled across the United States to many other transgender conferences, participated in political activism, and worked for the Transgender Tapestry Magazine . She continues to pursue the work of photographing, interviewing, and advocating on behalf of gender-nonconforming people. Mariette captures moments of raw authenticity, inviting viewers into the intimate lives of her subjects with empathy and respect. Her photographs serve as powerful testimonials to the resilience and beauty found in the face of societal norms and expectations. Whether documenting the joy of self-discovery, the struggles of discrimination, or the triumph of self-acceptance, Mariette’s images resonate with a universal message of humanity and belonging. Mariette shares herself with us, her voice. “I first encountered transgender people at Mardi Gras in New Orleans in 1978. I met Vicky West and was mesmerized. I felt that I wasn't looking into the eyes of a man or a woman but at the essence of a human being. This encounter led to experiences that I could never have imagined. As a photographer, writer, speaker, activist, and ally, I could participate in the evolution of a vital movement to bring understanding and justice to nonconforming people. Early on, anything beyond heteronormativity was considered freakish or immoral. What I saw was different and my intention became clear — to present gender-nonconforming individuals in the daylight of everyday life, alone or in relationships with friends, family, and children. I continue to photograph this ever-changing world. My hope is that during this time of ignorance and violence, my work will move people to reconsider the prejudices that negate what is natural in a world that includes gender-expansive people.” We asked Mariette to share one of her insightful projects with us. “Most people in Burma and Thailand are Buddhists, but there are areas in both countries where Spirit Mediums continue to perform the ancient, animist traditions and rituals that pre-date Buddhism. Although there are differences in the traditions practiced by Spirit Mediums in Myanmar and Thailand, I have combined the images here, as my focus is on the visual mystery of Spirit Mediums when they are possessed, and when going about their daily lives. I am looking at them as human beings who have been part of their cultures for as long as Animism has existed. In the past, most Spirit Mediums were women, but over time, more men have felt called as Spirit Mediums. Those who live as men, dress as women in colorful, flowing garments, wear make-up, headdresses, and ornate jewelry before, during, and after possession. They must adorn themselves as women for the Spirits. Others live as women full-time. They would be identified as transgender in the West. When Mediums are possessed by a particular Spirit, they fall into a trance, and dance for many hours, drinking, smoking, accepting money from the crowd of onlookers who may join in the dance. During festivals when not dancing, Mediums sit in their beautifully decorated tents with altars covered with offerings that may include fruit, flowers, cans of beer, soda, cash, small toys, and statues. People come into the tent to get advice from the Spirit that the Medium channels.” © Mariette Pathy Allen © Mariette Pathy Allen © Mariette Pathy Allen © Mariette Pathy Allen © Mariette Pathy Allen © Mariette Pathy Allen © Mariette Pathy Allen © Mariette Pathy Allen © Mariette Pathy Allen © Mariette Pathy Allen © Mariette Pathy Allen Mariette Pathy Allen continues to inspire generations of artists and activists alike. Her dedication to capturing the essence of human experience, in all its complexity and diversity, reflects the profound power of art and the enduring strength of the human spirit. Through her visual storytelling, she reminds us that true beauty lies in the courage to embrace our authentic selves, unapologetically and without reservation. In addition to her artistic contributions, Mariette has been a vocal advocate for transgender rights and visibility, using her platform to challenge stereotypes and foster understanding. Mariette is the author of four books that have brought visibility to transgender communities across the world including Transformations: Crossdressers and Those Who Love Them (1989), The Gender Frontier (2004), TransCuba (2014), and Transcendents: Spirit Mediums in Burma and Thailand (2017). She has made dozens of slide presentations to a variety of groups, participated in radio and television programs, and been a consultant and still photographer for films. Mariette’s work is included in numerous collections, both public and private, and has been exhibited internationally. Her work is being archived by Duke University's Rare Book and Manuscripts Library and the Sallie Bingham Center for Women's Studies. Mariette is based in New York City and is represented by CLAMP . Mariette also shares with us a portfolio of images, spanning the globe that represents the artist's dedication to showcasing the lives of gender-nonconforming individuals that transcend the boundaries of mere representation. By conscientiously capturing these individuals in their everyday environments, the artist's goal is to illuminate the human essence that exists within each person, regardless of gender identity. She seeks to challenge existing prejudices and inspire a reevaluation of societal norms, fostering a more inclusive and empathetic world for all gender-expansive individuals. The Pictorial List is incredibly thankful to Mariette Pathy Allen for sharing her inspirational photography, it shines a spotlight on her groundbreaking and exceptional work, showcasing the lives of gender-nonconforming individuals. Through her photography, Mariette captures the raw authenticity and resilience of these communities, inviting viewers into the intimate lives of her subjects with empathy and respect. Her dedication to documenting and advocating for marginalized communities, including the transgender community and gender-nonconforming individuals, has been truly impactful. Moreover, Mariette's work challenges existing prejudices and inspires a reevaluation of societal norms, fostering a more inclusive and empathetic world for all individuals. We are honored to be able to share her insightful project, Transcendents: Spirit Mediums in Burma and Thailand and her remarkable contributions to art and advocacy with our audience. view Mariette'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 >>> 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. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions.

Some photographers are content to sit behind the camera and observe the world go by. Others use the camera as a stage to engage with the world, shouting out loud, sharing their vision. I tend to be the former. My home loan paying job requires me to step up and fully engage with the world. I use my photography as a way to regain my zen, drawing strength from the people I observe through the view finder. JASON PHANG Some photographers are content to sit behind the camera and observe the world go by. Others use the camera as a stage to engage with the world, shouting out loud, sharing their vision. I tend to be the former. My home loan paying job requires me to step up and fully engage with the world. I use my photography as a way to regain my zen, drawing strength from the people I observe through the view finder. LOCATION Auckland NEW ZEALAND CAMERA/S Fujifilm X-T30 WEBSITE https://goodintentions.nz/ @JASEINNZ FEATURES // Finding His Zen

DOWNTOWN LIMA Downtown Lima is where Arturo searches through his camera for the relationship of the individual within his urban environment. DOWNTOWN LIMA November 2, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Arturo Cañedo INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Arturo Cañedo is a Peruvian photographer who studied economics as a profession, and painting and drawing at the Art Museum of Lima. He integrates his economics training into his photography work, showing an understanding of aesthetics and the human condition. Arturo's photography has won several awards in national and international competitions, such as the photography salons of France, the United States and Peru. His photos have been exhibited in Dubai, Italy, India and Peru. Arturo shares with us his project DOWNTOWN LIMA, where he searches for the relationship of the individual within his urban environment, from a social, economic, religious, political, racial, or other point of view, including those ethnographic elements that allow us to identify and link the individual and the city to which they belong. He started this photographic project six years ago in his home city Lima, a city throbbing with life. In Arturo's photography, the city's character is represented through a combination of colours, lights, motion, and people's cultural aspects. His project started with black and white photography, from where he moved on to the present project where he uses camera, cell phone, and artificial lighting techniques to portray Lima in an unusual and particular way. “I was born in Lima, the capital of Peru. At present I live in the city of Lima. My interest in photography started from a very young age, and it was painting and cinema that influenced my passion for photography.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ARTURO CAÑEDO THE PICTORIAL LIST: Arturo, what do you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? ARTURO CAÑEDO: Communicate and tell how interesting, hallucinatory, mysterious, beautiful, complex all that can be shown in this relationship between photographer and environment can be. The main element in my photography is the human being and their relationship at all levels with their environment. TPL: Your photos show an aspect of Lima that seems rather wild, lively, and at the same time, because of the way you compose your photos, almost fairytale-like. What is it you want the viewer to make of this? AC: I would precisely like you to enjoy it with the same words and sentiment that you used to formulate this question. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? And do you have a favourite place to photograph? AC: Inspiration for me is a constant stimulus that comes from everything beautiful that surrounds us: our family, friends, our culture, music, cinema, poetry, photography, travel, etc. My favourite place today is my city. TPL: Do you have a favourite quote or saying saying that especially resonates with you? AC: At this stage of my life what comes to my mind, more than quotes, lyrics or sayings, are the eternal conversations with my father and his great advice and life experiences. The reason for the above is that my father left a while ago. This happens when your best friend leaves. TPL: Who is Spiderman, and what is he doing in Lima? AC: Lima and in general the main cities of Peru are characterised by having a diverse and complex economy at the same time. Therefore, labour informality is generated that encourages the creation of different forms of work: One of them is Spiderman. Inspiration for me is a constant stimulus that comes from everything beautiful that surrounds us: our family, friends, our culture, music, cinema, poetry, photography, travel, etc. TPL: Your photographs emit a glow of colours and lights. Could you tell us a bit about how you accomplish this? (You are using flash and motion blur, and it seems you are also overlaying two or more shots in post-processing?) AC: DOWNTOWN LIMA started as a documentary project that sought ethnographic information about my city. This project was transformed along the way and became a photographic essay. Although it is true: the inhabitant of the city of Lima is still the protagonist, this time they are captured through different mixed lighting techniques, not only with an SLR camera but also with a smartphone. I use flash and different shutter speeds, as well as the ambient lighting support provided by the city. I don't use two or more shots to superimpose on my result, and I don't use Photoshop at all to achieve any additional or final effects. The result of my images are achieved in camera with the valuable tools that the photographic artefact possesses: speed, aperture and ISO with a great ally: the flash. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? AC: From a very young age I was interested in painting and music, but it was in the first (painting) that I had a greater degree of involvement. 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? AC: Currently for my project for more than 6 years, I use my Nikon D7100 and my smartphone. The lens I use is my 17-50mm f2.8. I usually use the most angular part of my lens. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? AC: This answer answers the 2 questions: I hope to see that the objectives of my projects are met: THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE OF MY CITY. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? AC: Currently I am taking up my other passion in parallel to my documentary work: which is teaching camera management; photographic language and development of photographic projects through individual workshops virtually on my social networks. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… AC: Listen to music, walk, watch movies...with my loved ones. VIEW ARTURO'S PORTFOLIO Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> 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. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition.

My journey into photography started with a self-taught, street-photography focus, driven by my passion for travel. I later decided to deepen my knowledge by taking a photo reportage course at the 'Graffiti' School of Photography in Rome, under the guidance of photographer and photojournalist Gianni Pinnizzotto. This course ignited my interest for documentary photography, particularly in social and travel contexts. Today, I work as a collaborator for photojournalistic agencies ZUMA Press and NurPhoto, while also pursuing personal projects as a freelance photographer. My goal is to capture and share stories of people and places, whether near or far, through my unique perspective. TOMMASO STEFANORI My journey into photography started with a self-taught, street-photography focus, driven by my passion for travel. I later decided to deepen my knowledge by taking a photo reportage course at the 'Graffiti' School of Photography in Rome, under the guidance of photographer and photojournalist Gianni Pinnizzotto. This course ignited my interest for documentary photography, particularly in social and travel contexts. Today, I work as a collaborator for photojournalistic agencies ZUMA Press and NurPhoto, while also pursuing personal projects as a freelance photographer. My goal is to capture and share stories of people and places, whether near or far, through my unique perspective. LOCATION Rome ITALY CAMERA/S Fujifilm X-T100 WEBSITE https://tstefanori.wixsite.com/tommasostefanori @TOMMASO_STEFANORI

I seek to create work that reveals and lends new insight into common experiences, in hopes of creating a deeper understanding of the human condition through visual representation. I often work in areas related to trauma and how people navigate the aftermath of it while examining how documentary work of these experiences can help mitigate grief. ROSS TAYLOR I seek to create work that reveals and lends new insight into common experiences, in hopes of creating a deeper understanding of the human condition through visual representation. I often work in areas related to trauma and how people navigate the aftermath of it while examining how documentary work of these experiences can help mitigate grief. LOCATION Denver UNITED STATES CAMERA/S Nikon D850 WEBSITE http://www.rosstaylor.com @ROSSTAYLORPHOTO @ROSS_TAYLOR FEATURES // A Love Song to the American West

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

As a child, I was always intrigued by the camera that my father used to make pictures. I soon received my own, a Konica pop in 1982. Ever since I have been photographing wherever I go and always carry a camera with me. I try to be aware of my own experiences in life and connect them to my photography in several different projects. Atmosphere and emotions are the most important for me. FANJA HUBERS As a child, I was always intrigued by the camera that my father used to make pictures. I soon received my own, a Konica pop in 1982. Ever since I have been photographing wherever I go and always carry a camera with me. I try to be aware of my own experiences in life and connect them to my photography in several different projects. Atmosphere and emotions are the most important for me. LOCATION Utrecht THE NETHERLANDS CAMERA/S Fuji X100vi WEBSITE https://www.fanjahubers.nl @FANJAHUBERS FEATURES // A Voyage to Discovery

Photography can document a reality that depicts truths. But what if photography was embraced and utilized as an artistic medium, like paint, pencil or pen? Where the photographic image becomes an expressive brush stroke, a significant gesture of character, a simple clue in an abstraction, based in reality. This is the creative approach to photography that allows Monika to create the surreal images that ground and define her body of work. Her imagination writes the story, utilizing photography and innovative techniques Monika depicts and illustrates her thoughts and ideas, allowing her work to speak for itself. MONIKA JURGA Photography can document a reality that depicts truths. But what if photography was embraced and utilized as an artistic medium, like paint, pencil or pen? Where the photographic image becomes an expressive brush stroke, a significant gesture of character, a simple clue in an abstraction, based in reality. This is the creative approach to photography that allows Monika to create the surreal images that ground and define her body of work. Her imagination writes the story, utilizing photography and innovative techniques Monika depicts and illustrates her thoughts and ideas, allowing her work to speak for itself. LOCATION POLAND CAMERA/S mobile phone @MJUMJU_008 FEATURES // New Realities In Visual Poetry

PICTORIAL STORY FIRE AND FORGE In the crater’s depths, where blue fire flickers and sulfur coats the air, Alexandros Zilos documents the stark reality of mining and its haunting beauty. August 16, 2024 PICTORIAL STORY photography ALEXANDROS ZILOS story ALEXANDROS ZILOS introduction MELANIE MEGGS SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link In the captivating yet harsh landscape of Mount Ijen in East Java, Indonesia, the lives of sulfur miners reveal a narrative of resilience and determination. Alexandros Zilos, a documentary photographer, videographer, and video editor based in Athens, Greece, engages with this juxtaposition of beauty and hardship. With a camera in hand, Alexandros captures the interaction between man and nature, documenting the spirit of those who labor amidst toxic fumes and treacherous paths. After completing his academic studies in Conservation Biology in Plymouth, United Kingdom, Alexandros began an extensive journey across three continents. Traveling by bicycle, he immersed himself in diverse natural environments and cultures, gaining a deep understanding of the lives and struggles of the people he encountered. Alexandros’s work focuses on environmental issues, human rights, and regional cultural realities. Through his project Sulfur Miners and Tourism at Mount Ijen , Alexandros’s photographs depict the fascinating coexistence of tourism and labor in this volcanic region. Tourism has increased at Mount Ijen, drawing visitors to its sulfur mining operations and landscapes. This increase in visitors affects local communities and the environment, causing potential environmental degradation and disruptions in mining activities. The presence of tourists also influences local economic and cultural dynamics, as communities adjust to the demands and opportunities created by tourism. Alexandros delves deep into the harsh reality of sulfur mining, while also capturing the allure of the blue fire phenomenon created by sulfur deposits in the crater. Mount Ijen is a stratovolcano located in East Java, Indonesia. Daily, hordes of tourists ascend its steep slopes to witness the captivating blue flames emanating from sulfur deposits. It is one of the few remaining active sulfur mines in the world. While its surreal landscapes have fascinated scientists and adventurers for over two centuries, in recent years, the miners themselves have emerged as a contentious tourist draw. In the heart of this volcanic wonder, I observed a world where beauty and hardship intersect. Using my camera, I documented the daily struggles of the sulfur miners, their bodies bent under heavy burdens and their spirits tested by the harsh elements. Manually loading sulfur into their baskets, the miners laboriously carry their hefty loads on foot. Among clouds of toxic sulfur dioxide that cause immediate discomfort to their throats and eyes, the miners work tirelessly without adequate protection, with only a few possessing gas masks. As I followed Dharma and his fellow miners on their ascent, I noted the scale of their labor. Carrying baskets and driven by determination, they navigated steep paths and dense jungles, their bodies covered in sweat and grime. Formerly a seasoned miner, Dharma transitioned from working in the crater to becoming a tourism operator, demonstrating the enduring human spirit. He spent years learning English to leave behind the life of a miner and focus on tourism. He recounted to me his three-year stint, making the arduous journey two or three times a day. The mark on his shoulder shows the burdensome baskets used to transport sulfur. Dharma explained that most miners prefer working at night to avoid the daytime heat. Despite their resilience, the miners remain at the mercy of forces beyond their control. Operated by a distant Chinese company, the mine lacks permanent staff and offers low wages and little in the way of protection or support. Miners decide their daily ascents up the 2769-meter volcano. On average, a miner can carry between 60 to 90 kilograms of sulfur at once, with some of the strongest shouldering over 100 kilograms. The miners utilize primitive baskets connected by a yoke. The journey entails carrying the load up to 300 meters along a steep mountain path to the crater's edge. Then, they trek an additional three kilometers through the jungle to the collection point at Pos Paltuding. Each miner earns approximately $5 per trip, typically managing just two trips a day. And yet, it remains one of the highest-paid occupations in the region, a stark reminder of the harsh realities faced by those who call Mount Ijen home. © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos © Alexandros Zilos In concluding this exploration of Mount Ijen, between the environment's beauty and the miners’ arduous labor. Alexandros Zilos’s photographs provides a profound look into the resilience and determination that define the daily lives of these workers. With his background in Conservation Biology and extensive travels, Alexandros brings a unique perspective to his work. His images are more than visual records; they are powerful narratives. These narratives provoke thoughtful discussion on socio-economic dynamics and the preservation of cultural heritage. They prompt us to consider the human and environmental costs of the beauty we often take for granted. They challenge us to think critically about the untold stories and the lives that unfold far from the spotlight. In the end, the sulfur miners of Mount Ijen have left a strong impression on our awareness. Alexandros ensures their stories are seen and heard, a testament to the human spirit and the role of storytelling in bringing attention to less visible aspects of our world. view Alexandros Zilos' portfolio Instagram >>> Facebook >>> 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 >>> 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. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions.

As a self-taught street photographer, leaning towards social documentary and storytelling, I believe the camera is an instrument of self-expression and a way to question the world. My interest in photography started in 2019, when I came across the work and writings of Henri Cartier-Bresson. His humanist vision and poetic geometry resonated with my professional architecture background and lead me into other old masters like André Kertész and Robert Frank. I photograph to detach myself from the objective reality of the world. My photographs are black and white, but not the ideas I portray. They are metaphors of themes that haunt me when the camera is down: displacement, alienation, solitude, but also the whimsical, bizarre and unexpected moments of ordinary life. ANDRÉ LOBÃO As a self-taught street photographer, leaning towards social documentary and storytelling, I believe the camera is an instrument of self-expression and a way to question the world. My interest in photography started in 2019, when I came across the work and writings of Henri Cartier-Bresson. His humanist vision and poetic geometry resonated with my professional architecture background and lead me into other old masters like André Kertész and Robert Frank. I photograph to detach myself from the objective reality of the world. My photographs are black and white, but not the ideas I portray. They are metaphors of themes that haunt me when the camera is down: displacement, alienation, solitude, but also the whimsical, bizarre and unexpected moments of ordinary life. LOCATION London UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Olympus E-M10 Mark II WEBSITE http://www.andrelobao.com/ @ANDREFLOBAO FEATURES // The Unpredictable