SENSE OF ROMANCE Drawing on his background in cinematography, Michael Duckworth's photography evokes a sense of romance but also the solitude of the city. SENSE OF ROMANCE March 15, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Michael Duckworth INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Michael Duckworth has always had a passion for photography, firmly rooted in his childhood spent exploring the wild landscapes of the Lake District where he grew up. It was this experience of awe and wonder of nature that would drive him to pursue art, photography and film at Manchester. Yet it was his subsequent move to London that would truly shape Michael’s vision, as he soon found himself spending every spare moment with friends, working as a Director of Photography on short films, music videos and a multitude of other passion projects. It is clear that Michael’s work is inspired by his background in art and cinematography, each image evoking a sense of romance, but also the solitude and darkness of the city. His motivation is to create a cinematic atmosphere, allowing each viewer to immerse themselves in the captivating visuals and gain a glimpse into his world – one that is filled with mysterious stories, subtle emotions and vivid details. Michael's photographs are not simply snapshots; they are windows into a larger narrative, inviting us to explore and discover its many layers. Through his pictures, Michael wants to make us feel something, provoke us to think, and connect with the beauty of the city. So, join us as we delve deeper into the creative mind of Michael, an artist whose goal is to bring forth the beauty of the world and to evoke a sense of emotion within the viewer. Let’s discover how his style has evolved over the years, how his work reflects his experience of life in London and what we can learn from his powerful imagery. “I started photography at school, we were lucky enough to have a dark room, so I would wander around the Lake District countryside with a roll of black and white film. With only 24 exposures, shooting anything I found interesting, the results were often terrible, but I was definitely hooked and slowly got better.” IN CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL DUCKWORTH THE PICTORIAL LIST: Michael, where do you find your inspiration for your photography? MICHAEL DUCKWORTH: My inspiration doesn’t always come from other photographers and their work but often movies (especially noir), paintings and the music that I listen to as I wander around the city. Also more recently at a Manga exhibition I was especially inspired by the clean graphic style and powerful compositions. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started getting serious about your street photography? MD: My style is always being pulled in opposing directions I loved the clean graphic style of photographers like Jason M. Peterson around the time I first started sharing photos on Instagram. But now I become more excited by texture and tonality, and seeking a more abstract interpretation of a scene, but ultimately, I feel I’m still looking for my style as it always evolving. TPL: Where is your favourite place(s) to photograph? MD: Favourite places in London oddly are either the seedy alleys, old railway bridges and fading buildings or famous landmarks where I enjoy the challenge to find a unique view on an over photographed location, but I often start out trying to get lost in a city that I’ve become very familiar with, seeking out a hidden London. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? MD: I don’t feel equipment is important in photography, when I first move to London I was working as a Cinematographer on music videos and short films, I was an often slow and meticulous process with complex camera set ups. It was a huge revelation when I realised that I could shoot and edit on my iPhone, the ability to work so quickly and freely meant my photography improved more quickly than the days of shooting on film. If you’re starting out shooting on a phone often means you need to be more creative, its compact and inconspicuous so it lends itself to more intimate photography. The photographer's most important piece of equipment is a good pair of shoes. TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a good photographer? What’s your tips or advice for someone in your genre? MD: I think one of the main characteristics you need to be a good photographer is take the time to find what’s interesting around you, for example street photography isn’t about rushing from location to location. Don’t be afraid to keep visiting the same location, it will change constantly at different times of the day, seasons or weather, it can also be a great challenge to find a new take on a familiar scene. Visit a location enough and you’ll be able to visualise the scene before it happens, you’ll know how the shadow move across it and feel the rhythm of the city, predicting how your subject moves throughout the frame. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? MD: I’ve been very inspired by the work of Fan Ho, Trent Parke, also cinematographers such as Conrad Hall, Darius Khondji and Roger Deakins. I’ve also be inspired by the artist J.M.W. Turner, I love the way his early work shows such masterful use of light, but also how his work became much more abstract and impressionist. This is something I aspire to do with my own work in time. TPL: "If I wasn’t photographing what would I be doing?... MD: I’d love to be involved in design, it was something I studied at university and it’s always been a useful set of skills, just like photography it helps you to see the world in a different way." Michael's unique style of photography captures the beauty of both romance and the solitude of the city. His creative eye and passion for the craft shines through in each shot. If you're looking for a talented photographer to capture the essence of film noir, connect with Michael through Instagram. VIEW MICHAEL'S PORTFOLIO Michael's instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

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. 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. October 12, 2025 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Anton Bou INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link In the work of Anton Bou, photography unfolds as both a method of inquiry and an act of exposure. A self-taught photographer who also carries the long practice of psychoanalysis, Anton situates his images in the fragile space where identity is less a fixed truth than a shifting encounter. His series It Started as Light…Ended in Shivers… reflects this search: photographs that oscillate between the intimate and the uncanny, between the momentary shimmer of sensation and the residue of fracture. Anton’s photographs resist conventional anchoring. They operate nomadically, migrating between personal memory, collective atmosphere, and visual estrangement. This restlessness mirrors his own life divided between Montreal, Mexico, and “other elsewheres,” where the camera becomes what he calls “a mouth that devours everything.” It is through this appetite for sensation that his practice navigates collapse and renewal, gathering fragments of self that remain in constant motion. What emerges is not a documentation of identity but a staging of its disintegration — a sustained inquiry into how we live through rupture, how we carry wounds, and how photography might bear witness to metamorphosis without resolution. In conversation, Anton Bou invites us to consider the photograph not as a mirror of self but as a trembling threshold, where presence dissolves into light and returns as shiver. “I feel a growing hunger to turn more intentionally toward human subjects — to give more room to slowness, to duration, and to the subtle shifts that occur when an obsession is allowed to unfold over time. Visually, I’m also curious to explore working more without flash — letting natural light and the shadows it carves guide my eyes differently. Concretely, I’m drawn to develop a practice that sits at the intersection of observation and encounter. I’d love to be invited into the homes of strangers, to return, to take my time. And through the mouth of my camera, to feast on whatever captures my attention — whether it belongs to the space itself or to the person who inhabits it.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ANTON BOU TPL: You describe yourself as “self-taught”, yet you also carry the discipline of psychoanalysis. How do these two worlds — photography and psychology — intersect in the way you approach your work? Do you find your photographs reveal things that theory cannot? ANTON: Your question makes me think that the term “self-taught” is quite reductive. It doesn’t account for the cultural influences that, in my case, have prepared me for photography. What it mostly means is that I didn’t go to art school and have no technical training in the field. However, I do have an academic background in clinical psychology with a psychoanalytic approach. My photographic method is actually inspired by the investigative method used in analytic clinical practice: “Say whatever comes to mind, just as it comes, without censoring yourself,” says the psychoanalyst to the patient. This method, known as “free association,” encourages a more dreamlike, intuitive, sometimes fragmented form of speech — and in fortunate moments, a speech that escapes familiar thoughts, those locked in celebreality or caught in consensus. I bring this openness to the instinctual and the unexpected into the early stages of my work. In a way, I tell myself: “Move toward whatever draws your attention and photograph it” — without any predetermined goal or project. Opening one’s attention to the unexpected, to what insists in spite of oneself: this is a psychoanalytic invitation that deeply inspires me. As for comparing my photographs to theoretical texts, I’d say my images are closer to the emotional speech of a patient (who expresses, who trembles, who is moved, without necessarily understanding) than to the theorizing discourse of a psychoanalyst. My photographs attempt to “capture” what has moved me; they present experiences of being seized and try to share them so that others may explore their own sensitivity —whereas theory often seeks to reveal through the thickness of understanding. As I’ve written elsewhere: I photograph, and I do not understand. So yes, I believe my photographs often reveal what theory alone cannot: a trembling moment that is felt, not explained. TPL: You’ve said your camera is “a mouth that devours everything.” Can you take us back to the first time you felt this appetite awaken? Has that appetite changed over time — does it hunger for different things now? ANTON: I imagine a long time — maybe a lifetime? — passed between the first emergence of hunger and the moment I was able to name it in a phrase. That early hunger, I imagine, is the one I carried as an infant — a baby who, at three months old, still longed to nurse even though the breast was no longer available. Revived through photography — or even thought through it — this idea of the camera as a mouth that devours everything came to me while I was obsessively photographing a Mexican village called San Sebastián Xolalpa. There, every morning, hot-air balloons would rise and fall. Goats grazed in open fields, magnificent clouds drifted overhead, vast hedges of cactus lined the roads. Unfinished buildings, concrete walls, fences, shadows, splashes of color...it was all there. And adding to this familiar estrangement, the Airbnb I had rented was a room inside a primary school — a school I was allowed to wander through alone on weekends. During my umpteenth visit, one evening at dusk, I found myself running across the fields to catch a shadow before it disappeared — a shadow I had first noticed on a previous stay and had been haunted by ever since. That was the moment I not only felt the hunger again but finally named it — almost like a mantra. Textures, displaced structures, wide-open spaces, animals, and saturated colors remain within the reach of this hunger. But lately, it has started to shift — toward human subjects. Toward the human being, who may very well resemble the original object of my hunger. And yet, I feel I still need many detours before I can fully direct this hunger toward another person — to address it to them. Who would be willing to let me circle around them for hours, again and again, to observe them from different angles, at varying distances, under shifting light? Or perhaps more to the point: am I ready to show myself as vulnerable — as hungry — in front of someone? These are my anxieties speaking now. TPL: Splitting your life between Montreal, Mexico, and “other elsewheres,” what role does movement and dislocation play in shaping your photographic sensibility? Do you feel more like an insider or an outsider when you’re photographing in each place? I think travel — especially travel defined by repeated returns to the same places — has become part of my creative method. It sustains a kind of destabilization I find necessary. For me, the challenge lies in finding the right tension between estrangement and familiarity. I am both an insider and an outsider. One of my nicknames, in fact, was once el local perdido — the disoriented local, or perhaps: the displaced insider, slightly off balance. For such a gaze to emerge, I need to become familiar with the places I photograph — no matter how far they are from the world I come from. I need to inhabit them as if they were ordinary, everyday spaces. Otherwise, I get caught in a tourist’s gaze — exoticized, disconnected, too stable in my status as a stranger. A German word comes to mind: der Nebenmensch — literally, “the human beside.” I love how this word holds both proximity and alterity, while also preserving a certain openness: “beside” is not a fixed point. And what if that’s the place I try to photograph from? I love when a series weaves together images from a Québécois island, the Sinai desert, and a Mexican city — and you can’t tell where each one was taken. “Beside” is a position that belongs everywhere. In my perspective, I must work both to come closer and to step away — to seek the foreign and to create the familiar. To stand just beside. TPL: Your project It Started as Light… Ended in Shivers… traces the collapse of self. What led you to work with this fragile territory? ANTON: I’ll begin with an image: a house standing on stilts. One day, the fragility of one stilt becomes apparent, and the house collapses. Not entirely perhaps — but a part of it buckles, warps, falls apart. In real life, that fragile stilt took the face of my Ph.D. advisor — and with him, the possibility of completing the thesis I had been working on for many years. That stilt also took the shape of academic success — the structure I had long entrusted with a part of my self-worth. In my first artist bio, I had written — a bit dramatically, in a Sophie Calle kind of way: “Out of the blue, at the moment to submit my thesis, my Ph.D. advisor let me down. What could I do but buy myself a camera, throw myself into the world, and hope for healing through the creation of images?” Pain, exquisitely rendered. TPL: Do you view the project as an ongoing process of transformation, or as a body of work with a distinct beginning and end? ANTON: So far, I see photography as an ongoing process of transformation — a movement driven by different forces and recurring sensations. As for the series titled It Started as Light..., I consider it complete. It has reached its own internal coherence — in rhythm, in color, in theme. It has found its edges, its saturation point. That said, the source it draws from has not dried up. It continues to manifest in different forms, feeding other currents. I think of photographs as complex systems. I see them as zones of confluence — where multiple energetic streams or invisible flows meet and become visible. So, I wouldn’t be surprised to see one or more images from that series reappear in another one — reorganized around different existential concerns, different sensuous forms. TPL: Do you see the photograph as a site of healing, or is it closer to an open wound? ANTON: I see photography — from the moment of capture to the moment of sharing — as a potential site of healing. At least, that’s how I’ve practiced it so far, to a large extent. In my experience, photography allows for the emergence of connections and resonances on many levels: between the mind and the sensing body, between the self and the world, between the invisible and the visible, between images and sensations, between images and other images, between sensations and other sensations... Not to mention the work of language that also gets activated in the process — through captions, statements, or other forms of articulation. That said, I don’t think healing necessarily means closure. Photography sustains a kind of disturbance — raw sensations, lingering traces of the wound — but all of this is held within a structure that also gives pleasure. Let me put it this way: a photograph is a wound edged with imaginary borders — so it can become something else. Why not? I photograph, and I do not understand. TPL: Your images feel nomadic, able to belong to a constellation or stand alone. How do you know when a photograph wants to be solitary, and when it longs for relation? ANTON: I think they all long for relation — but sometimes it takes time to find the right counterpart(s). To me, that’s what nomadism is about: not a refusal of belonging, but a sustained openness to possible resonance. Solitude, in that sense, is not antithetical to connection. It’s simply part of the journey. Series form gradually. Well, at least, that’s how It Started as Light... came together. Or perhaps it’s better to say: to the solitude of images, something gets added — a moment of resonance, suddenly heard. It’s hard to put into words, but suddenly there’s a sense of conviction: “this fits,” “this belongs together.” That’s when something starts to coalesce — not through logic, but through a felt sense of belonging. TPL: Do you work intuitively in the moment, or do you find yourself consciously constructing images to test certain ideas? ANTON: I usually work intuitively, in the moment — drawn by a feeling of attraction toward a scene or a detail. Something calls me, and I seize the opportunity. Later, if the situation allows, I may spend more time constructing the composition or even introducing more intentional staging — either right then, or by returning to the same place and continuing to study it. For example, the opening image of It Started as Light... — the torn gate facing the sea — was taken instinctively, during my very first encounter with that fence at sunset. Still, I returned to that location several times, photographing it from different angles, using natural light and flash. Yet that very first image remains my favorite. By contrast, the photograph of the man lying on the ground resulted from a more elaborate staging process. In that same space, on the carpet, I had previously done a shoot with another model — and afterward, that session sparked ideas for scenes I hadn’t yet realized. I decided to try them with a second model: my father. Initially, I envisioned him nude, but sensing his hesitation, I shifted toward a different kind of styling — an office-worker outfit, more aligned with my dad’s comfort zone. That photo session was, quite literally, the Christmas gift I had asked for that year. TPL: Do you see your work as autobiographical, or do you imagine it as a stage where anyone’s sense of self might enter and fracture? ANTON: Not autobiographical, no. If anything, the word autographical would better describe my approach. I borrow it from the psychoanalyst Jean-Bertrand Pontalis, who used it to describe a kind of writing that, through the act of writing itself, gives rise to a ‘’self’’ - not by recounting a life, but by forming a subjectivity in the act. In other words, my aim is not to tell the story of my life through photography. I don’t use these images to narrate the loss of my thesis advisor, nor do I use them to objectively document the geographical journeys during which they were taken. And I don’t believe that, to connect with my work, viewers need to have lost a thesis advisor themselves or even know the physical location where a given photograph was made. If I have a goal — beyond the immediate pleasure of making images — it is to feel myself into being by visually writing something. To write it from an inner vibration, reawakened through an encounter with a fragment of the world, be it living or inanimate. I hope that this attempt at being might leave enough of a gap for others to feel something too — something that concerns them. TPL: How important is ambiguity in your practice? Do you resist clarity, or is clarity simply not the point? ANTON: I don’t know if I resist clarity. To put it somewhat allegorically, I’d say I mostly fear North Korea — or rather, what North Korea shares with certain aspects of our own Western ways, as societies and as individuals, perhaps less destructively but still disturbingly. The totalitarian tendency. The freezing of ideas. The way things settle into immovable certainty, never to be questioned again. I fear the death that becomes embedded within life. Maybe it’s human — terribly human — to freeze what’s in motion, to seal the void that makes a subject possible. If my work sometimes carries an ambiguous effect — in the photographs, or in the texts — it might be a consequence of my leaning toward openness: openness to multiple possibilities, openness to complexity. It’s also surely a consequence of what, within me, remains untamed. TPL: Are there artists — visual or otherwise — who have helped shape the way you think about photography? Do you see yourself in dialogue with these influences, or resisting them? ANTON: I believe every new photograph — or any new visual or written work — that moves me somehow reshapes both the way I see and the way I understand what it means to photograph. More specifically, I deeply admire the work of Jason Fulford. His images, at once simple and striking, often carry me into that zone of familiar strangeness I’m drawn to — where things quietly creak, where coordinates begin to slip, where the everyday feels ever so slightly askew. My work with my mentor Colin Czerwinski has also been a major source of inspiration: he encouraged me to photograph without preconceived ideas, to trust my gaze, and to let the images themselves generate meaning — through their own force and visual resonance. Beyond photography, several thinkers from psychoanalysis and the humanities silently accompany my process: Roland Barthes, Sigmund Freud, Jean Laplanche, Jean-François Lyotard, Michel de M’Uzan, Cynthia Fleury, Jean-Claude Rolland, Francis Ponge... Even if most of them did not write directly about photography (except Barthes), their reflections on the human psyche and its unconscious depths, on the creative act and its ties to archaic, pre-verbal vitality, resonate deeply with my practice. And the work of Sophie Calle — both performative and intimate — remains a major source of inspiration. TPL: When you’re not behind your camera, what are the other passions or simple enjoyments that shape your days? ANTON: When I’m neither behind the camera nor sitting in a consulting room — as a psychologist or as a patient — there’s a good chance you’ll find me in an indoor cycling class, putting into action what my Instagram handle suggests: spinning to sublime. I also write a lot — fragments, reflections, and sometimes dreams. Writing helps me metabolize the world differently, with words rather than light. Otherwise, I find a lot of comfort and joy in simple evenings with a friend — cooking, laughing, talking. Just being present in those shared moments. Anton Bou’s photographs linger in the in-between, where self dissolves into sensation and images become thresholds rather than mirrors. They remind us that to see is also to be unsettled — to step beside certainty and into the trembling space of becoming. His photography moves beyond documentation, becoming a vessel for feeling. To experience the full breadth of Anton Bou’s vision is to enter this shifting terrain for yourself. See more of their work through the links below. VIEW ANTON'S PORTFOLIO instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

RANDOMNESS OF LIFE When Hersley-ven Casero isn't in the studio creating art, he will be out on the streets with camera in hand, capturing a piece of history. RANDOMNESS OF LIFE August 21, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Hersley-Ven Casero INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link As a visual artist, Hersley-Ven Casero has the distinct honor of being able to capture the beauty and uniqueness of everyday life in Dumaguete City, Philippines, where he is based. From the mundane moments to the absolute randomness of life, Hersley-Ven has a unique ability to see and transform what may appear to be nothing more than an ordinary scene into an extraordinary moment of magic. When he's not in his studio creating art, Hersley-ven takes to the streets with his camera in hand, ready to capture the subtle nuances of strangers as they move and interact within their environment. It’s a remarkable gift, the kind that few possess. He is a master of his craft, infusing his art with a captivating intrigue that speaks to the heart and soul of his audience. Get ready to embark on an unforgettable journey into the world of a multidisciplinary visual artist — Hersley-Ven Casero. “As a child and into adulthood, I have always been fascinated with creating images through art. During my time at Foundation University, I was lucky enough to be sponsored equipment and mentored by LA Times photographer Luis Sinco. Upon graduating, I worked for a while as an Art and Photography course teacher, and also conducted - along with Sir Luis, and Magnum Photographer Eli Reed - a series of South Pacific Photography Workshops attended by international photographers. I have since spent the last 16 years exploring the world of photography and continuously learning each day.” IN CONVERSATION WITH HERSLEY-VEN CASERO THE PICTORIAL LIST: What do you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? HERSLEY-VEN CASERO: I am fascinated by the fact that every time I click the shutter in front of a stranger moving and interacting within their environment, I have caught a little piece of the absolute randomness of life, a snapshot of an otherwise unremarkable moment in history, that is timely, comical, tricky to the eye or just plain beautiful. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? HVC: I find my inspiration from people, experiences and daily life. TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? HVC: I love to travel, and photographing a new place and along with it, its unique people, architecture, culture, movements and light. However, I’m learning more and more - particularly during this lockdown period - that you really don’t have to go very far to find a good picture. I’m learning as of late to rediscover new magic in the mundane of my own backyard. TPL: Who are your favourite artists? HVC: Luis Sinco, an award-winning Los Angeles Times Photographer. Henri Cartier-Bresson, Nikos Economopoulos, Alex Webb, David Alan Harvey, Joel Meyerowitz, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, Vincent van Gogh and Georgia O’Keeffe. Just to mention a few. TPL: Has your style of shooting changed since you first started? HVC: Yes. I embrace change and believe in evolving as you learn and experience more. I’m constantly trying to learn and improve and hone in my skills and style. There is always more to explore and discover, and the world is constantly changing around us. I have caught a little piece of the absolute randomness of life, a snapshot of an otherwise unremarkable moment in history, that is timely, comical, tricky to the eye or just plain beautiful. TPL: Do you prefer to photograph alone or with friends? HVC: I enjoy both for different reasons. For me, photographing alone is like a meditation. It’s when I’m at my most focused and serene. Photographing with photographer friends can also be a really fun experience though, as you learn from your peers and bounce ideas off each other along the way, and it can really freshen things up to get a different perspective on things. 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? HVC: I’m a versatile photographer. My first serious equipment was sponsored by the Los Angeles Times - zoom lenses and heavy-duty DSLR bodies. For my most recent purchase, after a lot of research and consideration for the way in which I use my equipment, I opted for a Fujifilm camera, and a Prime lens equivalent to 35mm focal length. The best equipment you can have is the one you have. You can always start from somewhere. If purchasing expensive equipment is out of your reach for the time being, I believe in making use of what you have available and it will give you pictures. The reason I chose the Fujifilm – and the advice I would give to someone starting out in Street Photography – is that, as well as being a great camera, it is compact, lightweight and inconspicuous. TPL: How long have you been involved in the artistic world before photography? HVC: My whole life I have been an artist, or at least fascinated with creating images. I started as soon as I could pick up a stick and draw abstract creatures in the dirt. I continued to draw and paint throughout my school years, and my artistic skills earnt me scholarships all the way through my education, until completing my degree. Coming from a very humble background on the outskirts of a small town in the Philippines, art was really my ticket to many opportunities that I may not otherwise have had, and is still my profession as well as my passion to this day. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on? HVC: For the last few months, I have volunteered to officially document the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic in my home city. I have been recording the empty streets, the community efforts, and people’s moving personal stories every day since the quarantine period began here in Dumaguete. *Editor's Note: Read Hersley's story QUARANTINE CHRONICLE about this project on the website. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? HVC: This is a hard question to answer, as the world is full of uncertainty these days, and you never know what’s around each corner. All I know is that I see myself still creating, and still clicking the camera shutter wherever I go. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)... HVC: Paint! I like to stay in the studio, listen to soothing music, make art, and watch inspiring documentaries with my equally creative partner.” Hersley-Ven Casero is truly gifted in his ability to capture moments that appear mundane and transform them into something extraordinary. His work has a powerful impact, as he is able to showcase the beauty that emerges from these moments of everyday life. His talent for transforming the ordinary into something truly remarkable speaks to his unique vision and creativity. We invite you to explore his work further. Use the links below to discover more of Hersley-Ven's art and see the world through his eyes. VIEW HERSLEY'S PORTFOLIO Hersley-ven's website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

HOMEMADE COSMOS Leonardo Cassi's aim is to break the banality of objects by showing their hidden different faces, to create a moment of science fiction. HOMEMADE COSMOS May 4, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Leonardo Cassi INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link The world of visual creation is a vast and mysterious realm, full of beauty and complexity. It takes a special eye to capture the hidden depths of everyday objects and transform them into something extraordinary. Enter Leonardo Cassi, a graphic designer and photographer who is driven by an insatiable curiosity and appreciation for the nuances of everyday life. With his series HOMEMADE COSMOS, Leonardo has crafted a captivating and surreal universe from the ordinary. Using high contrast and unexpected angles, Leonardo is able to capture the true essence of his subjects. His eye for detail and creativity is unparalleled, as he strives to unlock the mysteries of the mundane. He seeks to uncover the soul of a scene, to show how even the most mundane objects can be imbued with life and emotion. In Leonardo’s world, nothing is boring; everything has the potential to become something remarkable. Through his photographic artistry, Leonardo hopes to inspire others to look beyond the surface and see the world with new eyes. By pushing the limits of imagination, he hopes to show that anything is possible. As he says, “There’s no such thing as a banal subject. Everything speaks, if we learn how to perceive.” With his work, Leonardo invites us on a journey of exploration and discovery, into the depths of our own creativity. “HOMEMADE COSMOS is a demonstration of my definition of photography: it is a tool which enables me to detect and explore the hidden dimensions of my subjects. Each shot recreates an astronomy or science fiction scene from the normality of daily things. The contrast is always very deep and the lighting is dim and directional, to turn the ordinary into epic. More than the beauty of what’s in front of the lens, I am interested in its essence. I try to capture its soul, which sometimes hides in the shapes, sometimes in the color rhythms, sometimes in the structure of the material or in the battles between shadows and lights.” IN CONVERSATION WITH LEONARDO CASSI THE PICTORIAL LIST: Leonardo please tell us about yourself? LEONARDO CASSI: I was born and raised in Milan. Milan is a business-oriented city, but its cultural and artistic life is very dynamic and, at times, you can still breath that unique creative atmosphere from the sixties. This element surely contributed to inspire my studies and my passion for art. Nowadays everything is unfortunately more fashion-oriented and everything must be trendy and expensive. That's the part I like less and one of the reasons why I moved to Prague, where I live and work as a photographer and graphic designer. TPL: What draws you to photography and art? How did your journey into photography begin? LC: Visual creation has always been a vital necessity for me. My first contacts with photography started with my dad, who owned a nice Yashica reflex and made me often try it and experiment with it. I then expanded this passion during the audio/video classes in my secondary school years and ended up studying ancient art and literature in university. After it, I took a postgraduate master class in photography and graphic design in Milan and other two classes in Prague. During those years I started having my first exhibitions. TPL: Talk to us about your method of working and experimentation before the final image. Did you know exactly what you wanted from the beginning? How long did each image take to create? LC: In my photography I often use long exposure times with close shutters. The lighting is often direct and involves the use of flashlights, infrared lamps, candles, or simple daily light. What I try to accomplish is breaking the daily object's apparent banality by showing their hidden different faces. I usually don’t have the scene already built in my mind before. I rather look away for a bit, to let the objects express their soul freely. TPL: Does your project HOMEMADE COSMOS differ from your previous work? Is this type of visual storytelling something you would like to pursue again in future projects? What do you think is your next chapter in your exploration with future projects? LC: This series is a precise example of my photography and my expression: turning the banal into epic. For my next exhibitions, I’m working on two new parallel series. One focused on the apparently alien beings that can be found in our daily food and the other dedicated to the imperfection and incompleteness of reality, in black and white on film. The main core of my experimentation is the exploration of the voids and volumes of the daily objects. TPL: What do you want people to take away from this series? What do you want them to be asking themselves? LC: Photography and art are simply my language of expression. I don't take photos because of a passion, but through them I try to express myself. My introvert nature has always failed me in actively showing my voice, my thoughts. Through conceptual photography I feel perfectly free to dare, to tell what I feel and I believe. Creating and enjoying art has always been for me the most powerful tool to merge with the rest of the universe outside my shell. The final aim of my expression is taking my viewers a bit beyond the apparent reality of daily life. To give my subjects a moment of glory in their boring, unnoticed life. I never found interesting getting an expressive shot of an already beautiful subject. On the contrary, I believe that a good challenge for photography – and for art in general – is to transform blend subject into an intense scene. Because there’s no such thing as a banal subject. Everything speaks if we learn how to perceive. Creating and enjoying art has always been for me the most powerful tool to merge with the rest of the universe outside my shell. 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? LC: I use a Canon EOS Mark V reflex for digital and an EOS 33 for film. In the great majority of my shootings, I use the tripod. My favorite lenses are 70-300mm macro and 50mm portrait. The choice of field is usually deep, using longer exposure times and close shutters. I rather keep a low ISO and prolong the exposure time, to avoid grain. TPL: Is there any advice that you would give yourself if you started photography all over again? LC: If I started studying photography all over again, I’d surely focus much more on the film developing techniques and on the experimenting part from the beginning. Also, to be more social, to reach out more to fellow students and professors, to be better at networking and PR. That has always been my weakest side. TPL: Do you have any favorite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? LC: The photographers who most inspired me and influenced my work are Josef Sudek, Man Ray, Harry Callahan, André Kertész, and Ansel Adams. The last four mainly for their work and techniques, Josef Sudek also for his way to share his soul with his photography subjects. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to photograph with for a day...who would you choose? And why? LC: A day with Josef Sudek would certainly be a priceless life experience for me. I’m not talking only from a photography and technique side, but also from a human perspective. His solitary life inspired him his magical relationship with the daily objects and the views of his little universe. His intense and metaphysic perception is something I’m constantly seeking, shot after shot. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)... LC: I love playing Lego with my son, cycling and jogging, reading while drinking coffee and eating cookies, hiking along mountain pines." Through his stunning work, Leonardo Cassi has proven that everyday objects can be transformed into something extraordinary. His series invites us to unlock the mysteries of the mundane and see the world with new eyes. By pushing the boundaries of imagination, Leonardo encourages us to discover the hidden depths of our own creativity. VIEW LEONARDO'S PORTFOLIO Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

AUTHENTIC MOMENTS Vicki Windman shows us the beauty in the everyday details of her immediate world, no matter how mundane it may appear at first glance. AUTHENTIC MOMENTS June 10, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Vicki Windman INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Originally hailing from New York, Vicki Windman is a now Boston-based photographer with an eye for the artistry of everyday life. Working mainly on the streets of her hometown, Vicki is passionate about capturing the beauty of small, seemingly mundane moments that often go unnoticed. She has a gift for finding unexpected beauty in her immediate world, inviting her audience to explore the often overlooked aspects of the city and its inhabitants. Through her lens, we come to appreciate the richness of a single moment, the texture of city life, and the grace found in its everyday miracles. “My dad was an amateur photographer, he had a great eye for irony. After an injury I had to come up with a way to find happiness, I had a mirrorless camera and decided to take a class...that was it I was hooked.” IN CONVERSATION WITH VICKI WINDMAN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Vicki, where do you find your inspiration to photograph? VICKI WINDMAN: I find my inspiration on the streets. I fell in love with Coney Island because of its authenticity. I felt like time stood still and memories flooded back to simpler times. I also love people. I love engaging with the people I meet. Sometimes I just snap...other times I banter. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? VW: I think there is continuity in my style. I am willing to take more chances now and try different techniques. I have also slowed down looking more for the decisive moment. TPL: Do you have a quote or saying that fires you up? VW: "Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith." - Steve Jobs TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? VW: Hands down Vivian Maier is my favorite photographer. I also love Diane Arbus, Helen Levitt, Elliott Erwitt and Martin Parr. I think Vivian Maier influenced me the most because of who she was and how she looked at people, especially children. TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? VW: Coney Island, Williamsburg and now that I have moved to Boston I think it will be Revere Beach. I grew up with a very talented mother who is a designer. I believe her eye and my dad's humor groomed me for the art world. TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a good photographer? What’s your tips or advice for someone in your genre? VW: I believe to become a good photographer you need to take pictures everyday. Take chances...life is short...so go with your gut. I am a street photographer. The best tip I can give is practice asking people - you have to smile- though right now is more difficult because of COVID. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the arts before photography? VW: Photography has been my first experience in the art world. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? VW: I have bought and sold so many cameras until I found two that work for me. So yes the equipment has helped me with my vision. If I had the opportunity to talk to someone first starting out I would suggest a camera without so many bells and whistles. I started with my iPhone. I also think if you want to learn take a class just in learning how to use your camera. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? VW: Right now I am documenting COVID - I hope I can photograph it in a different slant than others. TPL: “If I wasn't photographing what would I be doing?... VW: This is a great question! I honestly don’t know what I would be doing as I am limited physically. My other passion is technology so I probably would be engaging more in the world of apps.” Vicki Windman is a photographer with a knack for seeing the beauty in the small moments of everyday life. Through her work, we are able to better appreciate the city that she now calls home and the individuals that inhabit it. She has a talent for uncovering the beautiful and often overlooked aspects of urban living, showing us that even the most everyday moments can be interesting. To truly appreciate Vicki's work, we invite you to connect with her and be inspired by her photographic journey. VIEW VICKI'S PORTFOLIO Vicki's instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

A CREATIVE PERSPECTIVE Fine art photographer Ingrid Clauwaert is a light searcher, impulsive and passionate, always looking for a creative perspective. A CREATIVE PERSPECTIVE March 10, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Ingrid Clauwaert INTERVIEW Bill Lacey SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Introducing Ingrid Clauwaert, a Belgian photographer with an exceptional talent for capturing mood in her work. Ingrid fully embraces each moment while exploring with her camera. With a keen sense of light, she is fueled by her unwavering passion and spontaneity, constantly seeking out new and groundbreaking viewpoints. Ingrid's unwavering dedication to her crafts are a testament to the power of pursuing one's passions. Her rich musical background includes violin, solfège, and harmony studies at the prestigious Bruges Conservatory, as well as a degree in psychology from the University of Gent. Ingrid has made her mark in a variety of musical genres, from classical orchestras to jazz, rock, and house bands. She currently resides in The Netherlands and serves as a public relations manager for an international company. Ingrid discovered her passion for photography at a young age, using an analog Minolta camera and learning the art of black-and-white photo printing in a traditional dark room. Though her music career temporarily took center stage, she recently reignited her passion for photography. Starting with her phone and quickly moving onto a digital camera, she now captures the essence of black-and-white street photography with renewed fervor. With an unwavering passion for photography, she specialises in capturing the essence of a single person through her masterful use of lighting, lines, graphics, and shadows, creating a sense of depth that is truly breathtaking. Her curiosity leads her to explore train stations, stairs, and bridges, uncovering the beauty hidden within them. But what truly sets her apart is her ability to take moody cinematic shots in foggy scenes, adding an extra layer of intrigue to every photo she captures. Every picture Ingrid takes tells a compelling story, leaving you mesmerized and yearning for more. The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. - W.B Yeats “I love to wander around when there is fog. I get up early, sometimes around 5am or 6am to achieve the best mood.” IN CONVERSATION WITH INGRID CLAUWAERT THE PICTORIAL LIST: Hello Ingrid, where do you find your inspiration? INGRID CLAUWAERT: I buy photography books, view accounts of fantastic photographers in different styles on Instagram so I can always be triggered to try something new. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? IC: Certainly, and it is still evolving! I started off with nature photography and now I focus mainly to fine art, always in search for that one human element framed into the light. Still I love different styles. And as I am still learning I try out other styles when I see an inspiring photo. TPL: Where is your favourite place(s) to photograph? IC: Most of the time I search for places where I can shoot stairs or train stations as I have a fascination for them. One of my favourite cities is Lisbon but I really love London too. So much to discover yet. And I love to walk around randomly and click whatever I feel in that moment. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us? IC: Harry Callahan, Fan Ho, Mark Fearnley, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Trent Parke, Mo Barzegar, and Sean Tucker. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? IC: I started with an iPhone 6, after 5 months I bought a Panasonic Lumix GX80 with a 14-42mm lens, which I am very happy with. Maybe in the future I will buy another lens as I will continue to evolve. I would say to someone just starting: it is not the gear that makes the photographer, it is the passion and eye you need the most. So much to discover yet. I love to walk around randomly and click whatever I feel in that moment. TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a better photographer? IC: Try things out, get inspired, be passionate, don’t give up and go out and feel the moment! TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? IC: I am working on my own website, want to organize a little expo and will soon propose my art for sale. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… IC: Be composing, singing, painting, cooking difficult dishes or baking the most complicated cakes and reading books. I really need to be creative and challenged.” Ingrid is a photographer who is passionate about imbuing her work with purpose. She has a talent for creating both fantastical and realistic images that leave a lasting impression on her viewers. Follow Ingrid's journey by connecting with her through the links below VIEW INGRID'S PORTFOLIO Ingrid's website >>> Ingrid's instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

THE BIGGER PICTURE To Stefan Hellweger, human presence in photos adds interest, and he enjoys walking about the streets of his home town and documenting life. THE BIGGER PICTURE July 3, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Stefan Hellweger INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Photographer Stefan Hellweger finds inspiration in art, science, music, and the photography of others. He thinks that having a personal or emotional connection to a scene or subject helps to get good pictures, if you can translate that emotion into your photographs. To Stefan, human presence in photos adds interest, and he mostly enjoys walking about the streets of his home town and documenting life. Beyond that, content is important to him, and he seeks to use his photography to draw attention to particular causes or issues. If your pictures are not good enough you weren't close enough. - Robert Capa “This might be the most quintessential quote for everybody in street and documentary photography. Although I think it is often misunderstood. It is not only about physical closeness (which is a good thing in these genres) but being closely related to the scene and the atmosphere you are about to show in your photographs.” IN CONVERSATION WITH STEFAN HELLWEGER TPL: Stefan, when did you start getting interested in photography? SH: Like probably many I was taking pictures of traveling, parties, family events and so on all my life. First with analog film cameras, later digital but always in auto mode. The passion grew when I bought my first camera with easy access to all the basic settings for exposure, a Fujifilm X-M1. It was very soon when I realized two things. First, almost every shot gets instantly more interesting if it shows some kind of human presence. Second, learn how to use every camera setting to your benefit and read as much as you can about composition. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? SH: In art, science, music, other photographers...Pretty much everything that surrounds me in daily life. To name one thing specifically, maybe news. When reading newspapers or seeing the news on TV or the internet I often ask myself what moments I would like to capture if I were there. TPL: Do you have a favourite genre of photography? SH: Definitely street photography and documentary photography. But although I am really not good at it, I also enjoy seeing good landscape photography, which is quite hard to find in my opinion. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? SH: When I started doing street photography I was scared as hell to get too near to my subjects. I accepted that it is part of the game to be near the people you are taking pictures of, and so I got closer and closer. Meanwhile I try to take a step back again and get more of the context into the frame as well. TPL: Do you have a favourite place(s) to photograph? SH: Not in particular. I think you can take great pictures almost anywhere. Just make the best of it. Even if you hate a place. Hate is a strong emotion. Use it in your photography and show the viewer why you hate that place. TPL: Do you prefer to photograph alone or with friends? SH: That depends on my mood. I love going out shooting with one or two friends, usually from the Munich Street Collective. But there are also times when I have to put my headphones on and roam around on my own. Almost every shot gets instantly more interesting if it shows some kind of human presence. TPL: Often you focus really closely on people in your street photography. How do you go about it? SH: Actually it is just something you have to get used to. A lot of people won't even realize that you are taking pictures of them when you are that close. TPL: Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? SH: Definitely 35mm, in my case, as a Fuji shooter the Fujinon XF 23mm f2.0 TPL: There are so many different rules about what you can and cannot photograph in different countries. Are you ever worried about legal issues when taking street photos in Germany? How do you deal with it? SH: I try to simply not care about it. I never got in any trouble, and even if people don't want to have their picture taken you can still delete it. TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a 'good' photographer? Any tips or advice for someone just starting out? SH: Patience and persistence. It can be a little bit frustrating walking around in a city for a whole day and not to get even one good shot, but that's just part of the game. Then there will be days when you get one shot after another. Try to find your flow with some "easy" shots like silhouettes and work your way up from there. And try to stick with the classic focal lengths for street photography between 28mm and 50mm. When starting out it is tempting to use a telephoto lens, but it is actually quite hard to take good photographs with long focal lengths in this genre, most shots will just look like you are a creep. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on? SH: I'm thinking about how I could help the Black Lives Matter movement with photography. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… SH: Love being outdoors with my dog, thinking about this and that.” Stefan Hellweger's approach to photography is unique and inspiring. He looks to capture the emotions of a scene as well as the content, and he seeks to use his photography to bring attention to causes and issues that he cares about. If you would like to stay updated with Stefan's new projects, be sure to connect with him and follow his journey. VIEW STEFAN'S PORTFOLIO Read SOCIALLY DISTANCED by Stefan Stefan's instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

ASSONANT DIFFERENCES Ornella Latrofa focuses on the similarities between biological shapes and the evocative nature of the human body. ASSONANT DIFFERENCES March 25, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Ornella Latrofa INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link The human body is an incredible source of inspiration for many different artistic endeavors, and Ornella Latrofa is one of the most creative minds when it comes to conceptual photography. Born in Rome and graduating from the Art Institute of Rome, Ornella has been passionate about photography since she was a child. Her father, who documented their family memories with a video camera, instilled in her a love of capturing moments and creating art. When she turned 20, Ornella bought her first reflex camera and began experimenting and learning more about photography. She soon acquired a digital camera and attended classes to gain a deeper understanding of the art form. With this new knowledge, Ornella was able to channel her creative vision into her unique style of conceptual photography. In her project ASSONANT DIFFERENCES, Ornella wanted to explore the connection between biological shapes and the power of the human body. She wanted to create images that allowed viewers to step away from reality and reflect on the interaction between nature and the human form. By creating these diptychs, Ornella has created a beautiful visual narrative that speaks to the harmony between our natural world and ourselves. “The project started by chance. I had photographed the sand with its shades. In the following days, I asked a friend of my daughter if she would allow me to take pictures of her. I took several pictures and when I took the one with the hair down I immediately noticed the resemblance to the one I had taken days before of the sand. Then, associating the two images, I thought that there could be other similarities between nature and human body. The more I thought about it, the more these associations came to mind. I thought: It is truly amazing how nature resembles us. Humankind constantly seeks contact with nature. A primordial necessity from which we cannot escape.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ORNELLA LATROFA THE PICTORIAL LIST: In your project ASSONANT DIFFERENCES, your photographs blur the distinction between the human body and nature. Why was it important for you to incorporate both images together as a diptych for the presentation of the image as a whole? ORNELLA LATROFA: I thought that a diptych with the two images associated together would have been very powerful and with a strong evocative impact for the viewer. TPL: How does this project differ from your previous work? Is this type of visual storytelling something you would like to pursue again in future projects? What do you think is your next chapter in your exploration with future projects? OL: Starting from situations and events that capture my attention my idea of representing reality develops. I prefer intimate themes with which I can express my personality. When I was on a London trip to visit my daughter, I walked around the city and started taking pictures in 'The City' District. The buildings with their mirror reflections inspired my previous project: "Between dream and reality"; Peace, silence and reflections": Another project I created, describes the relationship between man and sea. While I was shooting on a cliff, I realized how powerful is the sea. Later on I developed my project: "You are strong"; by associating pictures with poems written by me. In the future I still don't know where my creativity will bring me, I have some projects in my mind but I still need to focus them clearly. For sure the relationship between poetry and photography is a theme that fascinates me a lot. TPL: Ornella please tell us about yourself. OL: I was born and grew up in Rome. When I was a child my father used to paint. He also had another creative passion; he loved to record videos to capture family memories. I’ve always been fascinated by this passion. Later on I attended art studies and I graduated from the State Institute of Art in Rome. The art school taught me the concept of aesthetic sense. At 20, I bought my first reflex camera with which I started experimenting, developing the taken pictures by myself. Nowadays I still live in Rome where I work. I have a family that has absorbed my time over the years, photographing occasionally. TPL: What draws you to photography and art? How did your journey into photography begin? OL: Some years ago, having more free time, I’ve decided to resume my passion in a more demanding way. Attending various schools and studying the famous photographers’ works. In my opinion photography is a form of art, the language I use to express my feelings, to communicate my way of seeing reality. In photography there are different languages that arise from one's mood at a given moment. The moment I take a picture I feel a sense of satisfaction, concretising in the shot what I want to express with my feelings. I like to experiment my creativity with the photographic different techniques. TPL: Is there any advice that you would give yourself if you started photography all over again? OL: Yes, to start over shooting earlier!!! Don’t waste time overthinking and get into your passion. Don’t be afraid of your inexperience you’re going to build your style by shooting. The moment I take a picture I feel a sense of satisfaction, concretising in the shot what I want to express with my feelings. I like to experiment my creativity with the photographic different techniques. TPL: Who are your favourite artists and photographers? OL: A photographer who inspired me at the very beginning was Luigi Ghirri with his images that represent places with a new perception of reality, bringing us to reflect on the way of seeing our surroundings. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to shoot alongside for a day...who would you choose? And why? OL: I would love to be able to shoot with a photographer who has more experience than me. I can't tell exactly who among the many masters of photography, but I think such an event would enrich me. The discussion with people with my same passion is always very positive and engaging. I would certainly be very happy about that. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? How much post-processing do you do? OL: I started with a Nikon D7000 and during some years I have been using a Fujifilm XT-4 with a focal length of 18-55mm, 18-135mm and 55-200mm. I don't like manipulating the pictures I take, so I do very few post-production. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… OL: I am a very curious and creative person. When I am not photographing, and this is not very frequent, I go to see exhibitions, photography meetings, concerts. Everything is related to art fascinates me. Ornella Latrofa’s captivating work celebrates the connection between our biological shapes and the power of the human body. By creating a visual narrative that speaks to the harmony between ourselves and the natural world, she is encouraging us to reflect on that connection and appreciate its beauty. We invite you to explore Ornella's work and be inspired by her unique style of conceptual photography. VIEW ORNELLA'S PORTFOLIO Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

My working practise incorporates quietly observing the world. I try not to impose my presence as a photographer. I aim to allow the moment to unfold in front of me and for meaning to emerge from the act of looking and recording. These photographs are from an ongoing project about lived spaces. It is a photographic series designed to pose questions to the viewer. What happens on these streets? What happens inside these homes? These are lived in spaces, yet the people are not present to give us clues as to the kind of lives they lead. What is evident is that these spaces themselves are identifiable as urban and British, due to the weather and the architecture. However, although these photographs represent commonplace scenes, the meanings of the lives that are lived there remain elusive. The focus therefore rests on the small details found within the frame of these banal scenes. The dynamic assembly of objects found in these images stand in for the inhabitants. This can lead to the image signifiers becoming dramatized in the mind of the viewer. In these photographs, the everyday signs of lives lived in these spaces are present in the details. RYAN DODD My working practise incorporates quietly observing the world. I try not to impose my presence as a photographer. I aim to allow the moment to unfold in front of me and for meaning to emerge from the act of looking and recording. These photographs are from an ongoing project about lived spaces. It is a photographic series designed to pose questions to the viewer. What happens on these streets? What happens inside these homes? These are lived in spaces, yet the people are not present to give us clues as to the kind of lives they lead. What is evident is that these spaces themselves are identifiable as urban and British, due to the weather and the architecture. However, although these photographs represent commonplace scenes, the meanings of the lives that are lived there remain elusive. The focus therefore rests on the small details found within the frame of these banal scenes. The dynamic assembly of objects found in these images stand in for the inhabitants. This can lead to the image signifiers becoming dramatized in the mind of the viewer. In these photographs, the everyday signs of lives lived in these spaces are present in the details. LOCATION England UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S FujiFilmX100F, Canon EOS 5DS, Pentax K-x WEBSITE https://ryandodd.co.uk/ @RYANDODDARTIST FEATURES // Lived Spaces

UNPLANNED MOMENTS Learning mostly from his mentors, Delhi based photographer Ashish Patel gets his inspiration from the Indian people in their everyday life. UNPLANNED MOMENTS November 9, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Ashish Patel INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Ashish Patel is a Delhi based street and documentary photography who only started photographing about a year and a half ago. His main focus is to show the candidness of a scene and make it look extraordinary. Learning mostly from his mentors he gets his inspiration from the Indian people going about their everyday lives. “I was born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. I live in New Delhi, India. Photography has always been a part of my journey. Although its meaning kept changing in my life. During school, it was the capturing memories phase. I used to click pictures of my friends and also self-portraits to keep with me as a memory.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ASHISH PATEL THE PICTORIAL LIST: Ashish please tell us, when did you become interested in photography? ASHISH PATEL: Things changed when I moved to Delhi from Kanpur for my engineering studies. It was the event capturing phase. During a college event, I borrowed a camera from a friend and covered it through the lens. It was the first time I clicked something with a DSLR, and to my surprise, the results were quite good (I had clicked those pictures on auto-mode). I didn't know anything about how a camera works. So I entered the learning phase, I went searching on YouTube on how the manual mode works and what the settings are. I spent hours practising and improving my skills. I kept clicking basic photographs of sunsets and flowers, everything that I came across, and through that process, I’ve learned a few things on how a camera functions. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? What do you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photography? AP: I think I learn from people every day. I learn from my mentors and I get inspiration from so many people. To me one of the basic characteristics of street photography is candidness. I feel that as a street photographer it is my duty to show the candid street. Photography has taught me many things and the most important one is patience. I have been an impatient person my whole life but now, I can wait for a perfect shot for hours. I can stand at a position for several minutes to capture that perfect moment. It feels like a responsibility and I like that. Being a street photographer, I find my own voice in my photos. In street photography I look out for some unusual things and then create some illusion. In street photography what you hide is equally important as what you reveal. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us? AP: Mr. Raghu Rai and Mr. Vineet Vohra Being a street photographer, I find my own voice in my photos. TPL: Does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? What camera do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? AP: Absolutely yes, being a street photographer, I feel that your presence of mind matters more than the camera equipment. I use a Nikon D5600 and prefer to shoot 18-55mm. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? AP: Photographs are the universal language of our era. Everyone has hundreds, maybe thousands in their pocket. Weightless, they turn the scale when the argument is: What happened here? Images don’t age or warp. A great photographer’s strings never go out of tune but as a participant in the formal artistic world of museums and galleries? No, only as a visitor. I want to work as a photographer for Magnum Photos after 5 years. TPL: "When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… AP: Listen to music, travel, hang out with friends." Learning mostly from his mentors, Ashish gets his inspiration from the Indian people in their everyday life. Connect with Ashish through Instagram and see more of his photography. VIEW ASHISH'S PORTFOLIO Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

COLORS OF A GREY CITY In Rafa Rojas' photography project, we witness the convergence of passion and purpose, a visual ode to the city of São Paulo he calls home. COLORS OF A GREY CITY April 26, 2024 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Rafa Rojas INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Rafa Rojas, a photographer based in São Paulo, Brazil, has captured the essence of the city through his vibrant and colorful images. He is the co-creator and editor of the Brazilian magazine “Imagem Vertigem” and the curator of a small publisher known as “Selo Vertigem.” His work has been featured in numerous publications and exhibitions, showcasing his unique perspective on street photography. Rafa’s interest in photography began during his second year of college, but financial constraints prevented him from buying a camera until the rise of smartphones. A few years later, he purchased his first camera and started pursuing photography daily, exploring the streets of São Paulo, drawn to the city’s sheer size and diversity, making street photography a natural fit for him. From initially being intrigued by the streets of São Paulo, Rafa has evolved into a skilled photographer, driven by his passion for capturing the constantly changing city. Despite the challenges that come with living in such a large and bustling city, Rafa has found a way to highlight the beauty and culture that exists within São Paulo. Rafa’s photography project was inspired by a single photo that captured a pop of color amid the city’s greyness. This led him to seek out similar scenes and eventually transformed into a series. The main focus of his work remains the vibrant colors that bring life to the city, no matter where they are found. In this interview, we delve into Rafa’s journey as a photographer, his love for street photography, and how he has successfully captured the colors of São Paulo through his lens. “There is a very active street photography scene in Brazil, especially in São Paulo. São Paulo is a city with great cultural diversity, as well as social contrasts, which makes it very rich for photographers.” IN CONVERSATION WITH RAFA ROJAS THE PICTORIAL LIST: Hello Rafa…welcome to The Pictorial List! Let's start by telling us about yourself. RAFA: I live in São Paulo, but was born in a city called Santo André, located in the metropolitan region of São Paulo. I'm 35 years old, a photographer and editor. TPL: What would you say first drew you to photography? Explain the importance of photography in helping develop your narrative in your visual stories. How big a role does ‘color’ play in your work. RAFA: Since I was a kid, I've always been fascinated by cameras, and I've always been very attracted to art in any form. When I was a young, I loved to draw, but I don't think I'm talented enough in this kind of art, so I think photography was the way I found to express myself artistically. When I started street photography, I mainly shot in black and white, but I never had a preference for using color or black and white. Actually, the choice of color or monochrome depends a lot on the work, place or type of photography I'm doing. But for this series, the colors were what allowed me to create a different vision of my city. Which has always been called the 'Grey City' (Cidade Cinza). TPL: What is your takeaway from the work you do? How have you grown as an artist, visually and intellectually? RAFA: I believe that the search for knowledge, coming from any kind of art, can help my photography grow, even if it comes from subjects or themes that may not be my favorites. And it certainly helps me to grow artistically and personally year after year. TPL: There are two techniques that are colloquially referred to as ‘hunting’ and ‘fishing’ in street photography. When you are out on the street taking pictures, are you a ‘hunter’ or a ‘fisher’, or is it a combination of both? Please describe your process. RAFA: I honestly don't have a single process. Every day I shoot on the street is a different experience, and consequently a different process. Some days I go out with the aim of photographing a particular subject, some days I'm out with my camera and I just take a shot of something I found interesting that day, which may have nothing to do with a series I'm already working on. TPL: What is the most rewarding part of being a street photographer for you? What are some of the challenges that you have faced? RAFA: The possibility of capturing small details and people that often go unnoticed by most people. The lack of security is one of the difficulties of photographing in Sao Paulo. The city has changed a lot since the pandemic, some areas have become almost impossible to photograph unless you are in a large group of photographers. TPL: Is it impossible for you not to be constantly on the lookout for a moment to be captured? RAFA: I guess for any street photographer. Even in situations where my goal isn't to photograph, it's inevitable to watch the world around me and eventually find an interesting image. Photography was the way I found to express myself artistically. TPL: How do you manage a work/photography balance? RAFA: You need to have a balance in everything in life and not let go of the things you like to do. No matter how messy my routine gets, I never stop going out to do street photography. TPL: Do you have any favorite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? RAFA: Wes Anderson's cinematography is a big influence on my work. Edward Hopper's work is also a great source of inspiration. TPL: If you could just choose one photographer to shoot alongside for a day...who would you choose? And why? RAFA: That's a tough one. I don't know if I could choose just one. I could put together a team with William Eggleston, Vivian Maier and Fred Herzog. TPL: What was the first camera you ever held in your hand, brought to eye, and released a shutter on? What is the camera you use now and your preferred focal length? Is there anything on your Wishlist? RAFA: Probably an old Olympus Trip 35 that belonged to my father. For street photography, I shoot with an old Nikon D3400 with a 35mm lens, sometimes an 85mm. I'm interested in a more compact camera, but cameras are extremely expensive in Brazil, and that's a big issue here too. TPL: Are there any special projects that you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? What are some of your photography goals for the next 3-5 years? RAFA: I've just had an exhibition of my series "Colors of São Paulo" at the MIS - Museum of Image and Sound, which was a fantastic experience. I have plans to release a book with this series in the next year or two. Apart from that, I continue to work as an editor at Selo Vertigem, and this year we'll be publishing the 3rd edition of the magazine “Imagem-Vertigem”, two books and a few photo zines, all showing the work of different artists, and a little of mine too. TPL: When you're not creating your visual stories, what do you do for leisure? RAFA: Movies and music are a big part of my life. What began as a fascination with his surroundings blossomed into a lifelong commitment to capturing São Paulo's essence. Armed with his first camera, Rafa Rojas embarked on a quest to uncover the city's hidden gems, guided by an unwavering desire to showcase its beauty and culture. In Rafa's images, we witness the convergence of passion and purpose, a visual ode to the city he calls home. His photography transcends mere visuals, serving as a mirror reflecting São Paulo's spirit—resilient, colorful, and infinitely captivating. As we bid farewell to this narrative journey through Rafa Rojas' lens, we are reminded of the power of art to illuminate the ordinary and celebrate the extraordinary. Through his vibrant and colorful images, Rafa invites us to see São Paulo anew, through the eyes of a passionate photographer who has captured its essence with unwavering devotion and boundless creativity. VIEW RAFA'S PORTFOLIO Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

THE SPIRIT OF A PLACE Ulka Chauhan is somewhat of a wanderer. Always on the go to wherever personal and photography travel takes her, capturing the essence of each place. THE SPIRIT OF A PLACE January 15, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Ulka Chauhan INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Indian photographer Ulka Chauhan is somewhat of a wanderer. Always on the go to wherever personal and photography travel takes her. Her love for the medium began in the 80s when her dad gifted her a red Olympus camera. Having rediscovered her love for photography, Ulka has travelled to various cities and villages in India to capture the spirit of each place. But instead, has been captured by the intensity of the people. Her work has been exhibited at the Meraki exhibition held at the Nine Fish Art Gallery in Mumbai in 2019. In the current pandemic times, her explorations are of candid moments on the streets of Mumbai, London and Zurich. “Through my street work, I hope to inspire people to see the extraordinary in all the ordinary moments that take place in our backyards. And through my documentary work, I hope to spark conversations about topics that interest me. I like the human element in my work. Sometimes it is the silhouette of a person. But more often than that, I like to get close to my subjects and try to capture their expressions and emotions.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ULKA CHAUHAN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Ulka, please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? ULKA CHAUHAN: Originally from India, I have lived in Bombay, Boston, New York, Cape Town and Zurich; and currently divide my time between Bombay and Zurich. My love for photography began in the early 80s when my dad gifted me a red Olympus camera. I was down with chickenpox and was in home quarantine, but I enthusiastically photographed everything in sight. Since then, a camera has been my constant companion over the years. But about a year and half ago, I had a turning point when I went on a photo tour to Masai Mara. It was there in the vast open plains of Africa that I got bitten by the photography bug. I love photography because it has helped me find my voice. It has been a refuge for me during difficult times and a safe space to explore a multitude of emotions of motherhood, conflict, hope, love, isolation, and resilience. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? UC: Apart from the inspiration I find online, I love looking at photo books. I have a small but growing collection of them. I also love connecting with the photography community. I get a lot of ideas from speaking with my peers and mentors. I am also fascinated by the art world. I love going to galleries and museums so that to me is a tremendous source of inspiration. My other source of inspiration is closer to home, my mother and my two daughters. They are not only my biggest fans but also my toughest critics. I learn a lot from their honest and unfiltered feedback. TPL: Do you have a favourite place to photograph? UC: I love being able to shoot in both India and Switzerland. Both these contrasting worlds - one of chaos, the other of calm - keep me motivated and inspired. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? UC: I started out loving Ansel Adams’ landscapes and Steve McCurry’s travel portraits. Then David Yarrow for wildlife and now Vivian Maier and Alex Webb, amongst many others for street photography. Two master Indian photographers whose work I look up to - Raghu Rai, who was a protégé of Henri Cartier Bresson. And Dayanita Singh whose work is in the permanent collection of Tate in London and MoMa in NY. Two master Swiss photographers whose work I absolutely admire are René Groebli and René Burri. Apart from the masters, I also look at contemporary photographers for ideas and inspiration. In the art world, I love the surrealism of Salvador Dali, realism of Edward Hopper and the pop art of Andy Warhol. 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? UC: Yes I strongly believe that equipment plays a big role in your overall photography experience. I’ve always had an emotional connect with the Leica brand because my dad was a huge Leica fan and I came to acquire his last Leica camera. More recently, I bought the M10R. I use a 35mm and 28mm lens. This rangefinder system has changed the way I photograph. Being a completely manual system, it really forces me to slow down and shoot more mindfully, which I enjoy. I also really like the sense of community amongst the Leica photographers. All the Leica photographers I have connected with so far have been very friendly and supportive. The lens looks out to the world…it also looks within you. The photos I take are a reflection of who I am. TPL: What happens when you walk the streets with your camera? Do people respond positively to you, or do you sometimes get negative reactions? If yes, how do you handle it? UC: When I’m out on the streets capturing candid moments, or even when I’m shooting environmental portraits, I sometimes come across people who do not want to be photographed. In this case, I try to explain the purpose of what I’m doing and I respect their wishes. But these negative reactions are seldom…I don’t take them personally and also don’t let it discourage me from photographing. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? UC: I worked in advertising on Madison Ave, NY. I was in the client management side of things and was the point of communication between the client and the art directors and rest of the creative team for the accounts that I worked on. I feel this has played a big role in developing my sense of aesthetic. TPL: You have a photo series on domestic workers in India, from which we have included a few photos here. Could you tell us how you came up with that idea? UC: My domestic workers series titled 'The Real Homemakers' is an ongoing project which evolved from a desire to document the inner workings of households in urban India. There are a lot of books, TV Series and Films about domestic help in the Edwardian Era in the UK and the Segregation Era in the US. While this system has diminished in most countries over the century, it survives and thrives in India even today. India’s affluent and middle class households are equipped with full-time staff and/or part-time help that keep the homes functioning like hotels. They perform a range of services from childcare, cooking, serving, dishwashing, cleaning, laundry, driving, gardening and guarding. They play such an integral role in the homes - they are in fact the real homemakers. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? UC: I hope to continually evolve as a photographer and to create work that is meaningful and touches others. I would like to reach others through publications and exhibitions. My dream is to publish a photo book of my work over time. I am also very fascinated by short documentary videos that have a combination of still and moving images as a medium for storytelling; and I am currently in the process of learning the basics of filmmaking. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? UC: I have an idea for a documentary project in Zurich which is still in the initial phase of conception. I’m currently working under the guidance of a Swiss reportage photographer to develop that further. I also have two documentary project ideas that I’m exploring with a Lisbon-London based photographer. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… UC: I love going to galleries and museums. I love going to restaurants, cafes and bars. I love spending time with family and friends. I also enjoy connecting with other photographers. Ulka Chauhan's work is an inspiring example of how the power of photography can capture moments and stories that would otherwise go unnoticed. Through her travels around India, London, and Zurich, she has been able to freeze time and give life to her photographs. We can learn from her in terms of expressing our own stories and perspectives in our photography. VIEW ULKA'S PORTFOLIO Read MYSTIC VOYAGE >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.