STREET HEARTBEAT Passionate Azerbaijan street photographer Joshgun Suleymanov feels if he doesn't take photos it is as if his heart does not work. STREET HEARTBEAT August 9, 2021 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Joshgun Suleymanov INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Joshgun Suleymanov is a street photographer from Western Azerbaijan who has been walking the streets and capturing unique moments for the past ten years. Through his projects such as 'The Darkness Inside Me', 'Retro Baku' and 'Joshgun Street', he has managed to showcase his work in Argentine Spanish and is now preparing for even more amazing publications. Joshgun is also a member of the Azerbaijan Photographers Union and his passion for street photography has enabled him to create stunning images. With each photograph, Joshgun captures moments that are both beautiful and deeply meaningful, as if he was able to freeze time itself. His pictures tell stories, revealing something unique about the places he visits. His work is not only visually stunning, but also emotionally evocative, providing viewers with an insight into the beauty and darkness of the world around us. “The perfect scene for me is the one I look forward to the most and feel that moment will happen. I am inspired by a lot of things...it can be in a song or a movie sometimes it plays a role in my mood or some of my worries.” IN CONVERSATION WITH JOSHGUN SULEYMANOV THE PICTORIAL LIST: Joshgun, when you take pictures, do you usually have a concept in mind of what you want to shoot, or do you let the images just "come to you", or is it both? Describe your process. JOSHGUN SULEYMANOV: I think the concept is very important...then you will always have development. Such as looking for an abstract scene on the street and then waiting for the right person to enter the scene. TPL: What were the difficulties you encountered when you first started out in street photography? JS: When I first turned to this genre, I didn't have much experience. I had a large camera and the bulky bag to carry it in...it was torture! And learning to overcome angry glances from people after I took their photo. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists and photographers? JS: Artists such as Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. Photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Matt Stuart, Alex Webb, Vivian Maier and Fan Ho. TPL: What are your thoughts and feelings about shooting individually with company when out on the streets? JS: I rather shoot alone. The reason is because I am a heavy hunter on the street and distractions can ruin a unique shot. When I don't take photos, it's as if my heart doesn't work...my eyes can't see..my life is very ordinary. TPL: Talk to us about your equipment you use. Do you have a favourite focal length that you use? JS: I am very pleased with the equipment I use at the moment. I use the Fujifilm X100s camera with its fixed 23mm f2.8 lens. It's a retro looking compact camera that is almost always with me. Sometimes I also use the Canon 6D with 24mm, 70mm f2.8 lenses. Using zone focus makes my work almost comfortable. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artists or photographer? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? JS: To have at least three exhibitions in the state big museum and a small book to print. Five years later, to find myself in a similar agency. TPL: Can you talk to us about your series of images of found objects on the beach? What are you communicating to your viewer? JS: I try to go to the beaches every year when there are no special conditions...and a feeling almost makes me come there sometimes toys or a toy hanging from a polluted sea takes me away...and makes me pull them...I think people need to know the value of this temporary world given and given to them. They have to give up plastic waste...they have to leave a clean world for the future. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? JS: I currently have a project and this project is both art and photography using a mixed technique. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… JS: When I don't take photos, it's as if my heart doesn't work...my eyes can't see..my life is very ordinary. Joshgun Suleymanov is a passionate street photographer whose work has the ability to captivate and transport viewers. His work is a testament to his passion for capturing unique moments and conveying powerful stories through his photographs. It is clear that Joshgun has a great talent for photography and anyone interested in this art form should definitely check out his projects. To learn more about Joshgun and his work, we encourage readers to join him on his upcoming projects and take part in the wonderful journey that photography can bring. VIEW JOSHGUN'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.

Matteo Bergami is an Italian photographer (b. 1979) from Bologna, specialising in social and street photography. His work focuses on the exploration of urban dynamics and individual stories within the city context. His best-known projects include ‘Pamela. Storia di Lotta Dentro e Fuori il Ring', a photographic exhibition presented in October 2022 at the Luceombra Centre in Narni, during the Festival of Sociology. This work recounts the life of Pamela Malvina Noutcho Sawa, a nurse and Italian boxing champion in the 64 kg category, highlighting her commitment in both the professional and sporting fields. Another significant project is ‘Faith - Identity of an Ultras Group’, in which Bergami documents the identity and culture of ultras groups, offering an in-depth look at this social phenomenon. Bergami's works have been exhibited in various contexts, including the Festival of Sociology, and published on platforms such as Exibart Street, where he has shared images capturing spontaneous moments of urban life. His photographic approach aims to tell authentic stories, highlighting often overlooked aspects of contemporary society. MATTEO BERGAMI Matteo Bergami is an Italian photographer (b. 1979) from Bologna, specialising in social and street photography. His work focuses on the exploration of urban dynamics and individual stories within the city context. His best-known projects include ‘Pamela. Storia di Lotta Dentro e Fuori il Ring', a photographic exhibition presented in October 2022 at the Luceombra Centre in Narni, during the Festival of Sociology. This work recounts the life of Pamela Malvina Noutcho Sawa, a nurse and Italian boxing champion in the 64 kg category, highlighting her commitment in both the professional and sporting fields. Another significant project is ‘Faith - Identity of an Ultras Group’, in which Bergami documents the identity and culture of ultras groups, offering an in-depth look at this social phenomenon. Bergami's works have been exhibited in various contexts, including the Festival of Sociology, and published on platforms such as Exibart Street, where he has shared images capturing spontaneous moments of urban life. His photographic approach aims to tell authentic stories, highlighting often overlooked aspects of contemporary society. LOCATION Bologna ITALY CAMERA/S Sony a7iii WEBSITE https://matteobergami.com/ @DUMAS21 FEATURES // Beyond The Mask

ARTISTIC SPIRIT Ovidiu Selaru pays homage to his father's artistic spirit through his beautiful and emotive photography. ARTISTIC SPIRIT July 13, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Ovidiu Selaru INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Ovidiu Selaru is an artist with a dream. Born and raised in a family of creatives in the north of Romania, Ovidiu was inspired from a young age to nurture his love for photography, dreaming of one day becoming an artist just like his father. Now, after ten years of living in London, he has found his passion again and is paying tribute to his father’s talent and artistic spirit through his intriguing black-and-white photography. With an ‘eternal snapshot’ twist, Ovidiu is always looking for new perspectives, eagerly playing with angles and drawing on the architectural geometry of the spaces around him. He is guided by his artistic instincts and has become a master of capturing the world in an unforgettable way. A true dreamer, explore the marvelous world of Ovidiu Selaru’s photography and get lost in his captivating visions. “I used to watch my father painting and create his amazing drawings on canvas. I first dreamt of becoming an artist, just like my father...it never happened, I felt I was never as good as he was. I pay homage to his talent and artistic spirit through my work today. I started releasing my creative flows in photography about nine years ago when out of the sudden I have began collecting emotions through the lens of my camera.” IN CONVERSATION WITH OVIDIU SELARU THE PICTORIAL LIST: Ovidiu, where do you find your inspiration to photograph? OVIDIU SELARU: From movies and real life. People say that one photo means more than a 1,000 words...I like saying that beauty in photography cannot be limited by words. I do not narrow down my interests into strictly portrait or landscape niches, I just seek new perspectives, I play with angles and architectural geometry of space around me. I only rely on my instinct, I do not rationalize a move or a motion...I rarely set expectations, I just let nature do its job...The sixth sense cannot be explained, talent cannot be x-rayed, and so heartfelt art cannot be disliked...I feel inspired by many things and people around me, I learn new photo techniques every day. All of this allows me to grow and develop my skills. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? OS: Yes. In the first five years of my photography career I used to photograph landscapes, cityscapes, portraits and wedding. But, in the in the last five years I’ve resonated more with Minimalist Street Photography for which I’ve found my own style and is part of who I am today. I like capturing the quintessence of someone's inner beauty and nostalgia. I feel I have a different experience than the classic stream as my models often tell me that I can metaphorically transpose their souls into black and white memorabilia, which lasts for eternity. All my portraits capture a unique artistic trait, they all, defined most clearly and more simply my creative patterns. TPL: Where is your favourite place(s) to photograph? OS: London. My camera is my best companion on the streets of London and I never miss an opportunity to capture the special flavour of an after-rain street landscape or the unspoken charm of a surprising sunset. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us? OS: My favourite artist is Fan Ho because his style was unique. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the arts before photography? OS: I was born and raised in an artsy family. My love for landscaping and passion to create things with my own hands have always been nurtured and encouraged by my parents. Follow your heart, follow your instinct, and you will never fail to voyage your unique journey from a simple passion to the complex form of communication. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? OS: No, equipment is not important. So the advice I would give is that photography starts from within. They should focus on the style that they want to photograph and a minimum entry level equipment is sufficient. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? OS: This year’s Special Project that I’m currently working on is photography out and around my house, discovering new places. TPL: "If I wasn't photographing what would I be doing? OS: Maybe a fisherman." Ovidiu Selaru is a passionate artist who is inspired by his father's talent and his own creative instincts. His unique “eternal snapshot” take on photography has made him a master of capturing the world in an unforgettable way. It is incredible to observe the beauty his creative eye can bring out of even the most mundane scenes. We thank Ovidiu for his dedication to exploring and developing his artistry, and urge everyone to explore the marvelous world of his photography and get lost in his captivating visions. VIEW OVIDIU'S PORTFOLIO Ovidiu'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.

THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. October 19, 2025 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Kat Puchowska INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link The question of visibility, understood as whose lives are acknowledged and by what visual means, lies at the center of Kat Puchowska’s long-term project Morocco: The Rhythm of the Street. Between 2017 and 2024, Kat undertook repeated journeys across the country, moving through the winding souks of Fes, the hilltop terraces of Chefchaouen, the alleyways of Meknès, and the smaller villages of the Middle Atlas. Over these seven years, she has built an extensive archive of photographs that draw attention away from the language of state-led progress and toward the modest yet vital rhythms of survival and creativity that sustained daily life in Morocco during this period. Living between cultures, dividing her time between Spain and the United Kingdom after growing up in Poland, Kat brings a sensitivity to questions of belonging and identity that shapes how she approaches these spaces. Her perspective has also been shaped by years of travel to more than forty countries, experiences that sharpen her awareness of both the uniqueness of place and the quiet continuities that connect people across borders. For Kat, photography begins with an ethic of respect, a commitment to observing without intrusion and to letting daily life speak for itself. She works only with natural light and avoids staging or interference, positioning herself instead as a patient witness. The images she creates are the result of immersion and a careful negotiation between distance and intimacy. They emphasize process over performance, allowing labor to be seen not as a statistic or abstraction but as a lived reality embedded in social and cultural space. The photographs themselves operate at several registers. At one level, they document markets, alleyways, workshops, and gestures, the physical and social infrastructures of the informal economy. At another, they function as studies of cultural identity, tracing how clothing, architecture, and everyday interaction articulate Morocco’s layered histories. Kat’s own experience of navigating life across multiple cultural contexts, combined with her extensive travel, lends her work a particular attentiveness to these intersections, sharpening her awareness of how place and identity continually shape one another. Each photograph holds both the specificity of place and the broader universality of human endurance. Rather than isolated impressions, they accumulate into a composite record that is at once cultural and economic, showing how Morocco’s diverse histories are inscribed in everyday gestures while also revealing the dependence of entire communities on forms of labor that remain unacknowledged in official accounts of progress. Kat unsettles conventional economic storytelling. Her photographs invite us to think critically about how modernization is narrated, and whose labor is excluded from its metrics. What emerges is an argument for photography as a mode of counter-history, one that challenges dominant frameworks of visibility and insists on the importance of lived experience. As The Rhythm of the Street unfolds, the work reveals itself as one shaped by patience, empathy, and a deep respect for the lives it portrays. Kat’s Morocco is not a place of stereotypes or display, but of small gestures that carry weight: the rhythm of a market, the pause of rest in the shade, the quiet dignity of work done day after day. What follows is a conversation with Kat Puchowska about her project, her journey as a photographer, and the values that continue to shape her way of seeing. “Travelling abroad opened my eyes to the diversity of human life — the differences and similarities between cultures fascinated me. Learning languages and spending time in other countries made me want to tell people’s stories, to share experiences that might otherwise go unnoticed. Those early journeys shaped my approach: observing, listening, and capturing moments that reveal both individuality and shared humanity.” IN CONVERSATION WITH KAT PUCHOWSKA TPL: How did you first come to photography, and what role did it play in your life before it became a central pursuit? When you look back now, does that early period feel connected to the work you’re making today, or does it feel like a different chapter? KAT: I started photographing when I was 14. I loved capturing people. That early curiosity quickly grew into a deeper passion, and I decided to study photography at college and then at university. Over time, my focus gradually shifted from fashion to culture and documentary portraiture, but that initial fascination with composition, colour, and capturing personality still informs how I see the world today. TPL: Morocco has held your attention for seven years. What is it about this country that continues to draw you back? Do you feel your relationship with Morocco has changed as the project has unfolded? KAT: Morocco is endlessly rich in life and detail. Its streets, markets, and villages are full of people living at their own pace, negotiating daily life with resilience, creativity, and generosity. Over the years, my relationship with Morocco has deepened. What started as curiosity became familiar to me, and now returning feels like entering a rhythm of life I know but never take for granted!! Every visit reveals new gestures, exchanges, and moments that remind me why I keep photographing there. TPL: Was there a particular image or moment that crystallized what Morocco: The Rhythm of the Street is truly about for you? How did that moment influence the way you photographed afterwards? KAT: In Azrou, at a village market, I watched farmers, merchants, and neighbours trading and chatting - a space that embodies both daily life and the local economy. That day, I wanted to buy pomegranates, but the seller didn’t have change for my large notes. A woman who was standing close by bought them for me and wouldn’t accept my money. Even without speaking the same language, we shared a smile and a beautiful moment of connection. Experiences like this happened often in Morocco, and at first, I couldn’t understand how people who live more modestly than I do could be so generous and kind. Moments like these crystallise the project for me: dignity in everyday work, the warmth of community, and the beauty in small gestures. TPL: Street photography is often fast and opportunistic, yet your approach is slow and immersive. Was this a deliberate decision, or something that evolved naturally? KAT: It evolved naturally. I tried working quickly at first, but I realised my best images came when I slowed down, observed, and waited. I pay attention to details others might overlook - a glance, a gesture, a fleeting exchange. For me, photography isn’t about chasing moments; it’s about settling into a space until it reveals itself. I can say my style reflects who I am: patient, curious, sometimes shy, and interested in quiet truth rather than spectacle. TPL: How do you decide when to remain a silent observer and when to step into conversation or connection with those you photograph? Has engaging with people ever transformed the image you ended up making? KAT: I try to be sensitive and humble, aware of the space I enter. Often, simply observing is enough, but sometimes a smile, a few words, or a shared gesture builds trust and opens up moments I couldn’t capture otherwise. Engaging with people has occasionally changed what I photographed, revealing subtle emotions or interactions I might have missed. It’s a balance between respect, curiosity, and attentiveness. For me, photography isn’t about chasing moments; it’s about settling into a space until it reveals itself. TPL: Growing up in Poland and now living between Spain and the United Kingdom, and travelling to more than forty countries, how has this breadth of movement influenced your way of seeing, and what remains constant in the way you approach new places? KAT: Living and travelling across cultures has made me attentive to both difference and continuity. I notice the gestures, habits, and environments that are unique, but also the threads that connect people everywhere. What remains constant in my approach is respect and curiosity: observing without judgement, and giving people space to exist naturally, while still being present enough to notice the small details that make a story. TPL: How do you negotiate the balance between being an “outsider” and building a deeper connection with the communities you photograph? Do you see being an outsider as a limitation, or does it sometimes give you a perspective that locals might overlook? KAT: I see being an outsider as both a challenge and a gift. I can’t fully experience a place as someone who belongs there does, but I often notice details others take for granted. I approach communities with humility, openness, and respect. Building connection doesn’t mean pretending to belong; it means listening, observing, and trying to see the world through their eyes, while letting people remain themselves.🙂 TPL: Looking ahead, what do you hope your work will leave behind — for the people you photograph, for audiences, and for yourself? Do you imagine your photographs as part of a personal archive, a public record, or something more fluid that changes meaning over time? KAT: I hope my photographs give visibility and dignity to the people I document, celebrating the quiet strength of everyday life. For audiences, I want to inspire curiosity - to pause, look closer, and see the extraordinary in ordinary moments. In a world dominated by phones and distraction, where we often stay in our own bubbles, I hope my images encourage reconnection with others. I also encourage mindful travel: learning about other cultures, engaging with local customs, and seeking understanding. For myself, the work is a personal archive and a record of cultures in motion. By slowing down and noticing, I capture the intimate moments that bring these stories to life. TPL: Is there another place or project already forming in your mind, and where might your travels take you next? If we were to meet you three years from now, where do you imagine your camera will have taken you? KAT: Yes! I’m currently working on a project in Central Asia, focusing on Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. I’m fascinated by how traditions and daily routines unfold against dramatic, often harsh landscapes, and how communities adapt to scarcity, isolation, and change. In three years, I imagine I’ll still be immersed in this work, documenting the resilience, rituals, and quiet dignity of people whose lives are often overlooked in global narratives. At the same time, I remain open to new opportunities; sometimes projects find me, and I follow them wherever they lead. TPL: Every photographer’s bag says something about how they move through the world. If we were to look inside yours, what would we find — both in terms of tools and the small things you can’t leave behind? And is there anything still on your wishlist that you’re hoping to add one day? KAT: In my bag, you’d find my Nikon 750 with a 24–120mm for versatility, a 50mm for everyday moments, and an 85mm for portraits. I carry a notebook, translation apps or guides, and sweets for children, who often want my attention while I work. In the future, I’d love a telephoto lens and to expand into short films, capturing the flow and small gestures of everyday life in both still and moving images. TPL: When you are not photographing or travelling, what else might we find you doing? KAT: You’d probably find me walking in nature, spending time with loved ones, or simply sitting outside and watching people pass by. I’m always planning my next trips and keeping up with world news. I also love learning new languages; hopefully, one day I can master Arabic. I often go to live music concerts, which often inspire me. These moments recharge me and remind me why I’m drawn to photographing the world! - Please remember to be kind to other people 😊 Kat Puchowska’s Morocco: The Rhythm of the Street demonstrates how documentary photography can function as both record and reflection. Her images foreground the infrastructures of Moroccan everyday life and in doing so they unsettle the dominance of state-led narratives of development. What becomes visible is an alternative archive. Kat’s position, shaped by her own experiences across borders, inflects this work with sensitivity to belonging and difference, while her methodology of patience and respect affirms the ethical possibilities of photographic practice. As her journey continues into new geographies, the critical force of her work lies in its insistence that creativity and community are not peripheral but central to understanding how people inhabit the world. VIEW KAT'S PORTFOLIO website >>> instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

My work focuses on experimental black-and-white photography, particularly the deformation possibilities of the human body. I often use long exposure techniques as a way to see the figure differently — to push beyond what’s immediately visible. By centering my practice on the human form, I’m constantly searching for new ways to transform it, to reimagine its meaning and emotional depth. NASOS KARABELAS My work focuses on experimental black-and-white photography, particularly the deformation possibilities of the human body. I often use long exposure techniques as a way to see the figure differently — to push beyond what’s immediately visible. By centering my practice on the human form, I’m constantly searching for new ways to transform it, to reimagine its meaning and emotional depth. LOCATION Greece ATHENS CAMERA/S Nikon D60, Nikon D7200 WEBSITE https://www.behance.net/Nasos-Karabelas @NASOS_KARABELAS @NASOSSKARABELAS FEATURES // Unfigured

ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. October 26, 2025 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Nicola Cappellari INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link In Nicola Cappellari’s work, the photograph is never an endpoint. It does not resolve into certainty or narrative but remains suspended, waiting. His project Analogical Limbo inhabits this threshold, where the photographic act becomes less about representation than about suggestion, less about fixing the world in a frame than about leaving it open for interpretation. A tree pressed against a wall, a cluster of flowers trembling at the edge of a field, laundry drifting in front of barred windows, the faint constellation of leaves floating on water — Nicola’s photographs draw our attention to what is usually overlooked. They are visual footnotes that ask to be read not for what they tell us but for what they allow us to imagine. In this sense, his photographs are closer to invitations than declarations, their meaning completed only when someone else enters them. Trained in philosophy at the University of Padua and seasoned by more than twenty-five years in marketing and communication, Nicola carries into his practice a double awareness: of how images persuade and of how they fail. In stepping away from the compromises of commercial work, he embraced film photography as a way of reclaiming time. A time to wait, to imagine, to be unsettled. For Nicola, the delay inherent to the analogue process is not a technical inconvenience but a philosophical necessity. It creates a space where anticipation sharpens perception, where the act of seeing is infused with uncertainty, and where the photograph becomes an event of waiting. Analogical Limbo does not construct a linear narrative. Instead, it unfolds as a series of fragments, each capable of standing on its own. A photograph of a road bending out of sight does not explain itself; it simply gestures toward distance and disappearance. A pair of swans gliding through a narrow canal is less a document of place than a fleeting allegory of passage. These images resist being tied down to singular interpretations, instead hovering in the indeterminate space between document and metaphor. Nicola himself admits uncertainty: he knows what the project is not more than what it is. It is not a story of place, nor an exercise in technical virtuosity, nor a neatly packaged series. Rather, it is a field of possibility, where every image is provisional, every meaning contingent, every fragment alive with the potential to become a story through the gaze of another. At the heart of Nicola’s practice lies a conviction that photography is a triadic relation: subject, photographer, and, crucially, the observer. It is only in this final encounter that the image becomes truly alive, transformed from a surface into a story. In this sense, he challenges dominant notions of photographic authorship. He refuses the position of the omniscient narrator, instead offering images that are deliberately incomplete, waiting for the observer to enter and co-create meaning. This stance situates his work within what could be called the poetics of the document. It echoes a lineage of photographic practices concerned with ambiguity, incompleteness, and the fragment — not as weaknesses but as conditions of thought. Nicola describes himself as searching for “traces of life where apparently there aren’t any.” This is perhaps the most accurate articulation of Analogical Limbo. His photographs do not seek grand narratives. Instead, they attend to the residual and the almost invisible. These traces, ephemeral yet persistent, become metaphors for resilience against indifference. What matters is not what the photograph shows but what it suggests, what it allows the observer to imagine beyond the frame. It is from this position of openness that we begin our conversation with Nicola Cappellari. In dialogue, he reflects on the philosophical roots of his practice, the necessity of waiting, and the fragile life of images once they are released to the gaze of others. “Film is in fact an analogical limbo where I can slow down and imagine. It embraces my good intentions and even my less good intentions. In the meantime, my ideas take shape, slowly, without rushing. I don’t really know what this work is about, but I do know what it is not. It is not a story made of images because every image can be a story on its own.” IN CONVERSATION WITH NICOLA CAPPELLARI TPL: Your project Analogical Limbo refuses fixed narratives and instead embraces fragments and incompleteness. You’ve written, “I don’t really know what this work is about, but I do know what it is not.” How does this philosophy of “not knowing” guide the way you approach the camera? Do you find freedom in this refusal to define, or does it sometimes create tension in how others read your work? NICOLA: I love that incompleteness you talk about. It’s an opportunity for dialogue between photographer and observer. That’s the way that an image can turn into a very personal story and finally become a real “photo”. To me photography is a sort of co-created flux: there is the photographer, with his sensibility, eye and heart and there are the sensible eyes and heart of the observer. TPL: You’ve described film as a limbo where you can “slow down and imagine,” and admitted you almost shake before seeing the developed images. What does this waiting mean to you in the analogue process? Do you think this delay of revelation brings you closer to the meaning of photography, or is it more about creating space for imagination? NICOLA: What would Newton’s gravity force discovery be without the waiting time? No waiting, no apple, no gravity force. It’s not about a derby between digital and analog technology (of course not), I just don’t fit in with the speed of the digital process, it is too much, too fast, it confuses me, I need time to think, dream, love, imagine. I think the “limbo” we talk about is a very current topic, I think it is the opportunity to reconquer the dimension of waiting, observing, hearing…and finally better managing the velocity of daily life. TPL: In your writing, you say you look for “breadcrumbs that resist against the wind and cold but melt like jellyfish on a hot summer rock when it comes to indifference.” Do you see yourself as a documentarian of these fragile traces, or as a poet working through metaphor? How do you know when such a trace is worth photographing — do you decide, or does the image decide for you? NICOLA: You’ve really caught the core of my attempt. The challenge is to tell life where apparently there isn’t any. Silent signs, everyday objects become stages where life has passed, passes and will pass. Even if not represented with tangible evidence, you can feel it, you can imagine it and build your very own story. This, again, is my romantic vision of a photography made both by the artist and the observer. And then, well yes, I think the object itself has a sort of personal will, I first feel touched from it and then I react with my sensibility. TPL: You speak of photography as a threefold relation: subject, photographer, and, above all, the observer. How do you imagine the observer when you are working — are they always present in your mind, or do they only arrive later, after the photograph is finished? NICOLA: No, when I’m photographing, I don’t think about the observer, and not even about myself. I just float in my bubble, letting myself be enraptured by the scene and follow in love for the moment. TPL: Your background in philosophy and communication means you think deeply about how images persuade and how they fail. How do these two worlds — critical thinking and visual practice — intersect in your photography? Do you see photography as closer to language, or as something that resists words altogether? NICOLA: I’m in love with a kind of photography that’s symbolic and able to give clues without telling too much. In this regard I suppose photography to me is about intuition more than about words. It’s a very personal inner speech which allows me to have a different connection with the world around me. Contemporary communication tends to atrophy in the same way our minds. Everything has been already pre-cut, mixed, poured into specific jars and served to be sucked in a blink of an eye. The risk is to become more uncritical. So welcome to every form of art able to provoke, shake and stimulate the creativity and the critical thinking. TPL: In a world saturated with instant digital images, you choose to remain with film. Do you see this as an act of resistance, or simply as a personal way of inhabiting time? How do you think your photographs might change if you were to work digitally, even just experimentally? NICOLA: Probably I’ve partially already answered, but it’s exactly as you say: a personal way of inhabiting time. I’m fascinated by digital photography potential, but I just haven’t found my way to use it yet. Digital is for me a sort of drug, I take thousands of photographs, I can’t stop, and I can’t focus on my idea. I change my mind quickly and so I change the photos just because I can do it. In a way, I need to be forced not to be able to see, I need time to think and rethink and rethink again those clicks I have in in my mind. When I finally come out from my dark room with that print in my hands is to me a sort of certification and conclusion of my photographic and mental trip. The fear of being superficial pushes me to look for traces of life where apparently, there aren’t any. TPL: Reflecting on your exhibitions and books, from Analogical Limbo to Marea, what has been most important to you: making the images, sharing them, or witnessing how they are transformed by the gaze of others? Do you ever feel that once an image is released, it no longer belongs to you? NICOLA: I love this question, really. The truth is that I can’t separate the phrases you talk about. They complete each other. The idea of evoking an emotion is incredible. To image someone making up his own story thanks to that little piece of me, well, really gives me goose bumps all the time. So, no, I don’t feel the image is no longer mine when it’s released, I just let it go with the hope that it will have great chances to live many adventures. TPL: You have described yourself as a “hopeless romantic” who believes in waiting. After years of pursuing traces, fragments, and the limbo of film, what still feels urgent to you when you lift the camera to your eye? What do you hope your future photographs will offer, both to yourself and to those who encounter them? NICOLA: Hmm...this is the fourth time I have tried to answer this question. To be honest I wish to myself to keep alive the flame of passion a curiosity. If so, I’m sure I will be able to complete the projects I’m working on, and I also think there will be the chance to build new beautiful dialogues with all the ones I will meet on the way. TPL: Let’s talk about the practical side. What’s in your photography bag when you head out? Do you keep it minimal, or do you like having options at hand? Is there one tool — camera, lens, or even a non-photographic item — that feels essential to how you work? NICOLA: Very minimal. In my backpack I have films, a new battery for my exposure meter and (sometimes) a second camera just in case… My number one camera today is a Leica M6 with a 35mm Summicron but I sometimes dedicate other cameras to certain specific projects. For example, I’ve been working on a project (friendly named Home Life Diary) where I use a little point and shoot camera bought for $35 online. A pencil and a little block are always in the backpack pocket because I love to write down my thoughts or sensations connected to…those clicks I immediately believe in. TPL: How do you prepare yourself for photographing? Do you plan your walks and encounters, or do you prefer to let chance guide you entirely? Has chance ever led you to an image that became pivotal in your practice? NICOLA: I’m the person who stops the car on the highway and walks backwards 50 meters because he’s just seen an old shoe on the roadside to photograph. Sometimes I wish I were able to plan something in advance, but I’m not. I just go around with my camera as it was a fashion accessory, even to a job appointment. And, yes, at times fate works with me too, especially when I use my beloved Rolly 35t which has the plus not to be perfect as the Leica one. It's those little imperfections that lets me take clicks without thinking too much. I love how sometimes I 100% work with intuition and just “click” with no reasoning at all. Sometimes I develop the film and discover something I wouldn’t have done with the Leica approach. There are actually many of these photos in Analogical Limbo and I’m really proud of this collaboration with fate… TPL: Having spent decades in communication, how do you think about publishing your work today? Do you prefer physical books, exhibitions, or digital platforms? Do you feel the medium of presentation changes the way a photograph lives? NICOLA: Totally and definitely “book”. A book to touch, to smell, to see in my library. To me there is no photography without keeping something physical in my hands. Exhibitions, presentations, events are great moments because you can really feel other’s emotions, you shake hands (and I really love shaking hands), you meet people, you talk and hopefully drink good wine. And then we have the digital world. Well, you know what? Having an analogical soul doesn’t keep me from appreciating this world. I do appreciate it and I’m discovering how “in the name of passion” it’s possible to jump from virtual friendship to real friendship. I love this and it helps me to be optimistic in a new humanistic era. TPL: When you set the camera down, where do we find you? What else brings you joy or sustains your creativity outside of photography? NICOLA: I live and work on my beloved hill with a big dark dog, a cat, three turtles, a wife and two daughters (not in order of importance). This place is my never-ending source of inspiration and passion. Gather firewood, pruning olive trees, mowing the lawn, taking care of my rare African plants…This place is a sort of daily emotive gymnastic. Then of course there are friends, music, trips… But you know what? Even chopping wood, I always have a camera with me…there could be something in every moment lighting up my imagination and I feel safe bringing a camera in my pocket everywhere. Through Analogical Limbo, Nicola Cappellari reminds us that photography is not about certainty but about possibility. His images are fragments that resist closure, carrying with them traces of life too delicate to name yet impossible to ignore. What he offers is not an answer, but an opening. A chance for each observer to bring their own imagination to the frame. Nicola’s practice is sustained by a devotion to waiting, by a deliberate trust in slowness and imperfection to shape the photograph into something alive. He shows us that meaning is never fixed but continually renewed each time a photograph is seen. In this way, his work is not only an archive of images but a living conversation — one that extends beyond him, beyond us, and into the fragile, unseen currents of the everyday. VIEW NICOLA'S PORTFOLIO website >>> instagram >>> read more interviews >>> WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. VISUAL HEALING BEYOND THE DIAGNOSIS Betty Goh’s photography exemplifies the transformative power of visual storytelling, where personal adversity becomes a canvas for resilience, illuminating the connection between art, healing, and self-reclamation. EVERYDAY BLACKNESS Parvathi Kumar’s book is a profound tribute to the resilience, and contributions of incredible Black women from all walks of life, making it a vital addition to the conversation around International Women’s Month. A VOYAGE TO DISCOVERY Fanja Hubers’ journey in photography is one of continuous exploration, balancing documentation with artistic self-reflection. MARCH FORWARD Through photography, Suzanne Phoenix creates a space for representation, recognition, and resistance — ensuring that the voices of women and gender-diverse people are seen, heard, and celebrated. FLUX: Exploring Form, Luminescence, and Motion Amy Newton-McConnel embraces unpredictability, finding structure within chaos and allowing light to guide the composition. AN ODE TO SPONTANEITY AND SERENDIPITY Meera Nerurkar captures not just what is seen but also what is felt, turning the everyday into something worth a second glance. THAT’S HOW IT IS Luisa Montagna explores the fluid nature of reality - how it shifts depending on the observer, emphasizing that subjective perception takes precedence over objective truth. FUTURE HACKNEY Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow are the photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, merging photographic activism and social engagement to amplify inner-city marginalized communities' voices.

I began exploring photography many years ago, when the first mobile phones with cameras became available. Back then, I mostly photographed family and friends. Over time, as I started to travel - especially to India - my interest deepened, and my style began to evolve. India became an incredible source of inspiration. In the beginning, I was drawn to capturing the chaos, colors, craziness - trying to fit as many people and as much life as possible into a single frame. But with time, and through recent travels beyond India, I started to realize that sometimes, less is more. A recent trip to Ethiopia had a profound impact on me and shifted my perspective very much. The few places I visited there deeply influenced how I want to approach my work in the future, in a more simplistic way. I know I’ll return to Ethiopia, and I’m eager to explore other parts of Africa as well - to capture its beauty in a much more minimal and also cleaner way. SEBASTIAN PIATEK I began exploring photography many years ago, when the first mobile phones with cameras became available. Back then, I mostly photographed family and friends. Over time, as I started to travel - especially to India - my interest deepened, and my style began to evolve. India became an incredible source of inspiration. In the beginning, I was drawn to capturing the chaos, colors, craziness - trying to fit as many people and as much life as possible into a single frame. But with time, and through recent travels beyond India, I started to realize that sometimes, less is more. A recent trip to Ethiopia had a profound impact on me and shifted my perspective very much. The few places I visited there deeply influenced how I want to approach my work in the future, in a more simplistic way. I know I’ll return to Ethiopia, and I’m eager to explore other parts of Africa as well - to capture its beauty in a much more minimal and also cleaner way. LOCATION Duesseldorf GERMANY CAMERA/S Fuji X100V @SE6ASTIANOWICZ FEATURES // Unknown Abyssinia

PICTORIAL STORY AMY'S ASHES February 26, 2021 PICTORIAL STORY Photography and story by Camille J. Wheeler Introduction by Karin Svadlenak Gomez SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Camille J. Wheeler lives and works as a photojournalist in Austin, Texas. Her principal concern is the documentation of social issues, and she often photographs and engages with Austin's homeless community. Camille shared with us the impactful story of one Austin resident: Brian (Scotty) and his mother Amy. A story that deserves to be told in her own words. In the winter of 2020, as Austin braced for the coronavirus outbreak, I met a woman named Amy, a member of the city’s downtown homeless community who spent her nights roaming Sixth Street. Uncharacteristically for me, a street photographer possessed of an insatiable curiosity and a love of people, I never interviewed Amy. I never engaged her in conversation. And in a decision that will haunt me forever, I never took her picture. Amy wore a heaviness like a cloak. She was small in stature, maybe just shy of 5 feet in height, and she walked with the odd, halting gait of the psychically wounded. Spring arrived in Austin, bringing with it the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent closures of bars on Sixth Street, the wild beating heart of the downtown Austin entertainment district. Face mask on, I became a denizen of the night in my own right, sporadically venturing to Sixth to hear one of my favorite street musicians, acoustic guitarist David Quick, perform outside a closed bar on what was now a virtually deserted thoroughfare. It was in this empty space that I began to take closer notice of Amy. I often saw her from a distance, walking alone. I respected Amy’s privacy. Sensing her depths of raw pain, and seeing her tired, forced smile, I decided not to pry into her personal life. A few times, Amy and I briefly stood together on Sixth, listening to David play. Our greetings were simple. A friendly nod, a quick hello before Amy ambled off, to locations unknown. What I didn’t know about Amy was substantial. I didn’t know that she grew up in Danville, Illinois, where she was a model student in school. I didn’t know that she was a mother of three children, including her eldest son, Brian, who was born in Danville and was living in the homeless community in South Austin, some five miles away. I didn’t know that Amy had come to the Austin area several years prior, trying to get her life back on track after suffering a series of personal setbacks. I didn’t know that Linda Addis, a close friend of Amy’s since their freshman year at Danville High School, had taken in Amy and her two sons, Brian and Zach, at her home in Bastrop, southeast of Austin. I didn’t know that Amy lost custody of her sons, sending her family into a destructive tailspin and sending Brian and Zach, 15 years apart in age, into the Texas foster care system. And I didn’t know that for Amy, the loss of her sons was a pain too great to bear. And neither I, nor anyone else, knew that on August 27, 2020, at approximately 12:30 a.m. in downtown Austin, a wayward bullet fired from a stranger’s gun would claim the life of Amy Lynn Warner, a mother, a daughter, and a friend to many, at the age of 51. There was no obituary for Amy, just short news articles summarizing what happened. In late August, Hurricane Laura evacuees from Southeast Texas were sheltering in Austin. On August 27, two evacuee groups began brawling near the intersection of Sixth and Brazos streets. Shots were fired, and Amy was accidentally killed. I gleaned more details from my friends on the street. Amy was standing on the Brazos Street sidewalk, right in front of a newly installed City of Austin water drinking station, when a fight erupted over an electric scooter. A man inside a car pulled out a gun. Four shots rang out, and one bullet tore through the stainless steel of the water station, ripping into Amy’s neck. She was rushed by ambulance to a hospital and died later that morning. Tragically, it was in Amy’s death that I began finding out about her life. From my friend Catherine “Cat” Fako, who knew Amy as a fellow street resident, I learned about Amy’s son Brian. In a strange twist of fate, he had lived with his mom in downtown Austin before moving to the city’s south side. Cat said she was worried about Brian, a sweet kid living on his own. Devastated that I had never gotten to know Amy, I resolved to find Brian. I didn’t know what kind of help I could offer him. But I wanted to try. So it was that I embarked on a mission of locating Brian, a journey that would take a heartbreaking turn of helping him find his mother’s ashes. In the ensuing months, I cautiously started looking for Brian in the homeless encampments in South Austin, respecting both the Coronavirus and the privacy of individuals whom I did not know. Eventually, I met a man named Hex, who lived in a tent beneath U.S. 290. Hex knew Brian — Scotty, as he was known — and graciously volunteered to help me find him. There are dozens of encampments and countless tents in this South Austin area. Even with Hex’s help, I kept failing. I couldn’t find Brian. On Thanksgiving Day in November, I was visiting with a homeless man at a gas station near the expanse of concrete where Hex lived. Hex saw me and walked over. He said he had just seen Scotty and would go get him. About 20 minutes later, Hex approached with Scotty, a sorrowful figure dressed entirely in black. Tears flooded my eyes. Scotty, a beautiful young man with red hair, a slender build, and twinkling blue-green eyes, was the spitting image of his mother. Hex left Scotty and me alone to talk. Scotty started crying. He said he had heard from several people that I was looking for him. He was overwhelmed that I cared. “I’m just happy that someone came around to talk to me,” he said, choking back tears. “Thank you.” His story, and his grief, came tumbling out. Brian Scott Smith, who prefers to be called Scotty, hadn’t seen his mother in about two years before her death. He learned of her passing from Linda, his mom’s longtime friend, who drove to South Austin from Bastrop and somehow found Scotty in the camp where he was staying. Scotty filled in missing details from the past. Amy and Zach, his little brother, moved from Danville to Bastrop, Texas, to live with Linda, a woman so close to Scotty’s family that he calls her his aunt. Eventually, Scotty joined his mom and brother in Bastrop. Amy lost her job, and, because of serious legal problems, lost her sons to foster care. Amy became homeless and joined the community beneath Interstate 35 in downtown Austin. Scotty and Zach were sent to a group home, where they were separated from each other. From the ages of 16 to 18, Scotty was shuffled between foster care homes in Texas. Desperately unhappy, he ran away more than once, and he wound up homeless as a teenager in downtown Austin. One day, shocked, he saw his mother under I-35. “Wow, Mom,” he asked, “how are you here?” Amy and Scotty stayed together for a while at a small camp, but Scotty was frightened by the violent crime in the area. Plus, tensions were high between him and his mom. They got into a heated argument, and he left, migrating to South Austin where he felt safer. Scotty was adrift, without a nuclear family. His father, Donald Smith of Ashmore, Illinois, died of cancer on July 27, 2020, one month before his mother was killed. His younger brother, who was about a year old when he and Scotty were separated, was sent to an undisclosed foster care location. As for his mother, Scotty had harbored a dream that they would someday live together under better circumstances. “All I was really hoping to do was get housed and then take my mom in,” he said. “Now I can’t do that.” What he needed the most, Scotty told me, was to learn where his mom’s body had been taken. “If she’s not at the coroner’s office, of all places, then where the hell is she?” he asked. “All I want is my mom’s ashes and to know where she is, if she got buried and I can go visit her grave.” He looked at me, tears shining in his eyes. “I’m sure my mom can see me right now. I miss her a lot.” I told Scotty I’d help with the search. I called the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office but was denied information available only to family members. I next reached out to Linda Addis and her husband, Josh, the Bastrop couple who have done so much to help Scotty and his family. During a phone call in December, they told me that Amy’s body had been sent to Illinois, where Scotty’s half-sister has their mother’s ashes. I met again with Scotty six days before Christmas. Now living in a tent under U.S. 290, he thanked me for the information about his mom. He was grateful she went home to Illinois. “At least I know where she’s at,” he said. “She didn’t just disappear.” Undated photo of Amy Lynn Warner with her two oldest children, Brian and Katelynn Photos courtesy of Brian Scott Smith Undated photo of Amy Lynn Warner Photos courtesy of Brian Scott Smith On August 27, 2020, Trey Brewington was standing relatively close to Amy Lynn Warner when she was caught in the crossfire of two groups fighting on Sixth and Brazos Streets in downtown Austin. Amy was talking with an unidentified friend on the other side of this water drinking station, which stands on the Brazos sidewalk, just south of Sixth (in foreground). Two bullets, as Trey shows in this photo taken three days after the shooting, struck the water fountain. The top bullet lodged in the stainless steel of the fountain and didn’t pass through. The bullet that hit lower, more to the center, struck Amy in the neck. She was rushed by ambulance to a hospital, where she died in the early morning hours of August 27. Trey counted Amy as a close friend in the downtown Austin homeless community and is distraught in the wake of her death. © Camille J. Wheeler Watson Robertson, a homeless man on Sixth Street in October 2019 © Camille J. Wheeler When street photographer Camille J. Wheeler first met Brian Scott Smith, who goes by Scotty, on Thanksgiving Day in late November 2020, he cut a sorrowful figure dressed entirely in black. Brian, who goes by Scotty, is one of the younger members of Austin’s homeless community. At the age of 23, he is on his own without his mother, Amy Lynn Warner, who was shot to death in downtown Austin on August 27, 2020, his father, Donald Smith, who passed away in Illinois in July 2020, and his little brother, Zach, who is at an unknown location in the Texas foster care system. Scotty and Zach, who are 15 years apart in age, were separated at their first foster care placement. In a strange twist of fate, Scotty and his mom lived together in the downtown Austin homeless population before he migrated to the south side of the city. He still lives in South Austin, in a tent beneath the concrete expanse of the U.S. 290 highway. © Camille J. Wheeler © Camille J. Wheeler Scotty on his bicycle outside a local restaurant where he asks people to buy him meals. Ever resourceful, he taped a battery-operated clock to the handlebar assembly of his bike. © Camille J. Wheeler Scotty lives in a tent beneath the concrete expanse of the U.S. 290 highway. © Camille J. Wheeler With his red hair, slender build, and blue-green eyes, Scotty is the spitting image of his mother, Amy Lynn Warner, who was accidentally shot to death on August 27, 2020, in downtown Austin. © Camille J. Wheeler In March, Scotty will celebrate his 24th birthday without his mother or his brother, who is turning 9 in February. Scotty still doesn’t know where Zach is living. “I want him to know that he does have a brother out there, you know?” Scotty said, his voice cracking with emotion. “That he wasn’t just alone.” And Scotty wants me to tell his mother’s story — that she struggled with significant mental and physical health challenges. He wants people to understand “that my mom wasn’t just some other homeless person. That she had a family; she had people who cared.” Editor's Note: It's with deep sadness we write that Scotty passed away on August 5, 2021. He was only 24. view Camille's portfolio Read an interview with Camille >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. 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Creative and experimental, always attentive to new artistic proposals in his environment, Lorenzo develops the aesthetic sense of his works by combining classic elements and innovation. He pays particular attention to shapes and materiality. He frames his work by him in a conceptual discourse with a marked tendency towards formal research. LORENZO VITALI Creative and experimental, always attentive to new artistic proposals in his environment, Lorenzo develops the aesthetic sense of his works by combining classic elements and innovation. He pays particular attention to shapes and materiality. He frames his work by him in a conceptual discourse with a marked tendency towards formal research. LOCATION Milan ITALY CAMERA/S Canon EOS R5 WEBSITE https://www.lorenzovitalifoto.it/site/ @LORENZOVITALIFOTO FEATURES // The Memory of the Female Body An Arrhythmic Succession Of Interrupted Pauses Sahara: The Shape And The Shadow They Have Gone

I am from western Azerbaijan and I have been doing street photography for about ten years. I am the author of the project "The Darkness Inside Me" and exhibitions called Retro Baku and Joshgun Street. I am also the member of the Azerbaijan Photographers Union. My work has been published in Argentine Spanish and I'm currently working on new publications. JOSHGUN SULEYMANOV I am from western Azerbaijan and I have been doing street photography for about ten years. I am the author of the project "The Darkness Inside Me" and exhibitions called Retro Baku and Joshgun Street. I am also the member of the Azerbaijan Photographers Union. My work has been published in Argentine Spanish and I'm currently working on new publications. LOCATION AZERBAIJAN CAMERA/S Canon 6d, Fujifilm X100s, Minolta Zoom 60 @JOSHGUN_SULEYMANOV FEATURES // Street Heartbeat

I am a Californian born photographer currently based in Brooklyn. I photograph places and the people who live in them. Studying at the International Center of Photography, my work has been featured in solo shows at Viewpoint Gallery in Sacramento, California and Gallery 1855 in Davis, California and in group shows at the International Center of Photography; Women Street Photographers 2022 at Artspace PS 109; Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo in Oaxaca, Mexico; Art on the Ave, New York, New York; Los Angeles Center of Photography; Noyes Arts Garage at Stockton University in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, New York; Showfields, New York City; and other galleries. JEAN ROSS I am a Californian born photographer currently based in Brooklyn. I photograph places and the people who live in them. Studying at the International Center of Photography, my work has been featured in solo shows at Viewpoint Gallery in Sacramento, California and Gallery 1855 in Davis, California and in group shows at the International Center of Photography; Women Street Photographers 2022 at Artspace PS 109; Centro Fotográfico Manuel Álvarez Bravo in Oaxaca, Mexico; Art on the Ave, New York, New York; Los Angeles Center of Photography; Noyes Arts Garage at Stockton University in Atlantic City, New Jersey; Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, New York; Showfields, New York City; and other galleries. LOCATION New York UNITED STATES CAMERA/S Nikon D810, Nikon Z7ii, Fuji X-Pro 2 WEBSITE http://www.jeanmross.com @JEANMROSS FEATURES // Raising The Bar

I have worked as a professional actor for over 30 years in theatre, film and television. And as an actor I have spent my life delving beneath the surface of a character to reveal the details of human behaviour. As a street photographer, I’m always drawn to the story I see in front of me. I'm looking for the scene, the moment of dramatic tension or the beginning, middle and end of something. Who are you? What are you doing? What has just happened? What is the story? I like to capture the moment after which nothing will ever be the same. A director once said to me about a role I was playing: “This character speaks to discover what she’s thinking.” As a photographer I think I make photographs to discover what I see. I photograph on many streets in many cities but I keep returning to make photographs at the beach. It’s here that time stops and life unfolds in unexpected ways. People reinvent and rearrange themselves when they come to the beach and suddenly a devised theatre of connection appears. I’m drawn into something that has just happened. Or is about to happen. I see the sketch of a character, a hint of a story and the joy of feeling like I understand the rest. There is a mystery conveying too much and too little in a single moment and I want to capture it. People live their best lives by the water. And I come to witness the event. MARIA RICOSSA I have worked as a professional actor for over 30 years in theatre, film and television. And as an actor I have spent my life delving beneath the surface of a character to reveal the details of human behaviour. As a street photographer, I’m always drawn to the story I see in front of me. I'm looking for the scene, the moment of dramatic tension or the beginning, middle and end of something. Who are you? What are you doing? What has just happened? What is the story? I like to capture the moment after which nothing will ever be the same. A director once said to me about a role I was playing: “This character speaks to discover what she’s thinking.” As a photographer I think I make photographs to discover what I see. I photograph on many streets in many cities but I keep returning to make photographs at the beach. It’s here that time stops and life unfolds in unexpected ways. People reinvent and rearrange themselves when they come to the beach and suddenly a devised theatre of connection appears. I’m drawn into something that has just happened. Or is about to happen. I see the sketch of a character, a hint of a story and the joy of feeling like I understand the rest. There is a mystery conveying too much and too little in a single moment and I want to capture it. People live their best lives by the water. And I come to witness the event. LOCATION CANADA CAMERA/S Fuji X100F WEBSITE http://mariaricossaphotography.com/ @MRICOSSA FEATURES // Beach Stories