For me photography was a life-saver. It picked me up at a difficult time in my life and I have not let it go ever since. Originally from Malaysia, I have lived in various countries and I am now based in Switzerland. Photography has changed my view of the world and has made me see things differently. I like to mix genres but my greatest photographic passion right now is documentary photography, inspired by my travels, the people I meet, the different cultures and the different ways of life. CALLIE EH For me photography was a life-saver. It picked me up at a difficult time in my life and I have not let it go ever since. Originally from Malaysia, I have lived in various countries and I am now based in Switzerland. Photography has changed my view of the world and has made me see things differently. I like to mix genres but my greatest photographic passion right now is documentary photography, inspired by my travels, the people I meet, the different cultures and the different ways of life. LOCATION Yong Peng MALAYSIA CAMERA/S Leica Q WEBSITE http://www.callieeh.com @CALLIE_EH FEATURES // Modern Nomads Mini Documentaries

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. STREETS OF KOLKATA June 29, 2025 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Ayanava Sil INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE On the street, where chaos and calm constantly collide, Ayanava Sil finds his sanctuary. A photographer based in Kolkata, Ayanava explores the social landscape of his home city with observational patience. His approach is shaped by his experience as a self-taught artist, working in the margins of a fast-paced professional life. What distinguishes Ayanava’s work is not only its compositional discipline, but its sociocultural depth. His photographs invite us to look beyond the surface, capturing the street not as scenery, but as a space of layered human experience. There is often an emerging tension in Ayanava’s photography between presence and absence – people in motion, glimpsed through windows, reflected in rain-slicked streets, suspended between shadow and light, or the hushed remain of spaces echoing with someone just departed. He frequently uses leading lines and framing devices like windows, arches, or doorways to invite the viewer directly into the scene, allowing the photograph to speak for itself. These visual metaphors deepen the documentary quality of the work, aligning it more with humanist photography than street photography. He also demonstrates a refined command of natural light, often using it to isolate subjects or heighten compositional contrasts. His color palette is rich but never oversaturated, drawing attention to tonal harmony and texture. When working in black and white, his attention to tonal gradation enhances the emotional weight of his subjects and foregrounds structure over distraction. This has earned Ayanava both national and international recognition, with his work featured in exhibitions and photography forums around the world. One of the high points of his career came when renowned street photographer Joel Meyerowitz praised one of his photos, calling it “the kind of picture I felt I could live with.”— a statement that captures the lasting and relatable quality of Ayanava’s work. His role as curator of the Streets of Calcutta Instagram platform expands his photographic practice into one of community storytelling. Rather than using the platform solely to showcase his own work, Ayanava curates it as a living archive of Kolkata’s street life, shaped by many voices. It’s a gesture that reflects his belief in photography not only as personal expression but as shared memory and civic engagement. In this conversation, Ayanava Sil shares his reflections on navigating the streets of Kolkata with a camera, the ethics of photographing strangers, and how sustained attention to public life can reveal deeper emotional and social truths. His work offers thoughtful inquiry into how we move, wait, relate, and exist — together and alone — in shared spaces. “Street photography has been a truly transformative journey for me. It has helped me discover so much about myself, not just as a photographer, but as a human being. Through this process, I have grown personally on a deeper level. It has taught me patience. I have learned to wait for the right moment, to accept that not every shot will be perfect and to keep trying even when things don’t go as planned. It has also made me more resilient, helping me deal with disappointment and stay open to new experiences. This practice has made me less judgmental and far more empathetic. It has nurtured a deeper sense of tolerance and compassion, both on the streets and in my personal life. Ultimately, street photography has helped me grow into a more thoughtful version of myself. It continues to shape how I connect with others and with myself on a daily basis, making me a better and more aware person than I was before I picked up the camera. It is not just about documenting life, it is about learning, understanding and connecting in ways I never imagined.” IN CONVERSATION WITH AYANAVA SIL THE PICTORIAL LIST: Welcome to The List Ayanava! Can you recall the moment or experience that first sparked your interest in photography? What drew you to pick up a camera in the first place? AYANAVA: Honestly, I never had a strong interest in photography at the beginning. It all began with a curiosity about the camera itself. I was fascinated by how this little device worked and what kind of images it could create. Over time, that curiosity turned into genuine interest. Like in many households, I was the one always handed the camera during family gatherings and celebrations. I didn’t think much of it back then, I just tried to capture moments as they happened. No fancy techniques, no artistic plans. I just tried to frame memories as they happened, keeping things natural and real. But when people started appreciating those photos, something clicked. That quiet joy of capturing real moments drew me back to the camera again and again. And once that spark was lit, there was no turning back. TPL: As a self-taught photographer, what were your first learning resources or influences? Did you follow specific photographers, books, or platforms that shaped your vision? AYANAVA: As my curiosity about the camera grew, so did my interest in photography. I wanted to understand how cameras really worked, so I began exploring the settings on my own and turned to YouTube for guidance and to learn the technical side of photography. That is when I discovered DigitalRev TV around 2012, a channel that opened the door to a world I didn’t even know existed—street photography. Before that, I had no idea what street photography was. I never imagined I would enjoy walking around the streets just to take photos. Back then, Kai Wong was the host of the channel and he had this funny, witty style of reviewing cameras while roaming the streets of Hong Kong and capturing candid moments. Those images intrigued me, I was mesmerized by the raw emotion and storytelling in those images. I found myself hooked on his videos, watching one after another and before I knew it, I was stepping into the world of street photography myself. But the real turning point came when I stumbled upon the work of Soumya Shankar Ghosal, a street photographer from Kolkata. His photos struck a deep chord within me. What made it special was that his photographs were taken on the very streets I knew so well, the same streets I walked every day. That local connection really hit me. It felt unreal that such powerful images could come from such familiar places. His work inspired me deeply and made me see my own city in a new light. Over time, I also learned from legendary photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Raghubir Singh, and Alex Webb. Their mastery of composition, use of color, and talent for layering scenes taught me to see the streets from a different perspective. Beyond these big names, I found inspiration in the work of local photographers too, people whose talent often goes unnoticed but whose passion and creativity speaks volume. In the end, it’s been a mix of inspiration from others and my own hands-on experience that has shaped my vision as a photographer. TPL: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the beginning — technically, creatively, or personally — and how did you work through them? AYANAVA: In the beginning, the biggest challenges I faced were more creative and personal. Creatively, I often struggled with what to photograph and what to leave out. I didn’t know how to choose characters, how to approach a scene or how to tell if a moment had the potential to become a strong story. I also didn’t know how to anticipate what was coming next, which is really important in street photography. On a personal level, being an introvert, it felt awkward and uncomfortable to step out into the streets and take photos of strangers. I was very conscious of people noticing me or questioning what I was doing. It made me hesitant and challenging at first. But I worked through these challenges simply by going out regularly and practicing, I learned how to blend into the crowd, how to observe without being noticed, how to approach a scene naturally and how to sense when a moment might turn into a meaningful image. And in the end, I didn’t give up and that quiet hunger for those one or two meaningful photographs I could bring home each time is what still drives me today. Looking back, I see that every challenge was a lesson in disguise. Making mistakes, experimenting and pushing myself out of my comfort zone helped me grow as a photographer. TPL: At what point did photography shift from a hobby to something more vital — a way of seeing, or even a necessity in your life? AYANAVA: As I began to enjoy the process more, I found myself becoming deeply attached to it. Photography slowly turned into something much bigger than a hobby; it became an essential part of my life and a new way of seeing the world. The real shift happened when I started noticing small details that others often overlooked, moments of light on a wall, a fleeting expression or the quiet beauty of everyday life. I began to search for potential frames everywhere, even when I didn’t have a camera with me. Balancing a completely different professional career with a heavily involved personal passion can be overwhelming. In those moments, photography becomes my stress buster. It is my creative escape, a way to stay connected to a world beyond spreadsheets and emails. It brings me calm and clarity in the middle of life’s chaos. Without even realizing it, photography became the force that keeps me grounded, inspires me and helps me keep going. I feel incredibly grateful to have it as a steady companion on my journey and it’s the one thing I have stuck with for the longest time. It feels less like a choice and more like something I was always meant to do. TPL: There’s a quiet tension in your work between visibility and invisibility. How intentional is this theme, and how do you cultivate that mood through framing or timing? AYANAVA: That quiet tension between visibility and invisibility is very intentional in my work. I often shoot with what I call an “anticipating mind”, I try to sense what is about to unfold, rather than just reacting to what is already in front of me. I don’t always want everything in the frame to be clear or obvious. I want viewers to pause, to look again and to discover something for themselves. I always try to freeze those moments that might have gone unnoticed if I hadn’t been there. To capture them, I rely heavily on clean composition and timing. I often wait in those in-between moments, when things feel slightly off or unresolved. I let the scene settle, wait for the characters to fall into place and allow the moment to mature. That’s where the magic happens and that is the moment when I press the shutter and make the image. I also tend to choose subjects or scenes that resonate with me or catch me by surprise. I am drawn to quiet thoughtful moments, perhaps because I see a part of myself in them. Whether it’s a lone figure in a crowd, a still moment in a chaotic scene, or a poetic play of light. My photographs are ultimately a reflection of who I am. They offer a glimpse into how I see and experience life. Photography brings me calm and clarity in the middle of life’s chaos. TPL: How does the pace and texture of urban life in Kolkata shape your visual narratives, both in form and content? How do you navigate ethical representation when working within your own cultural context? AYANAVA: For me, Kolkata isn’t just a city, it’s home. I was born and raised here and over the years it has become like an old friend, growing and evolving with me. There is something magical about the way life unfolds in Kolkata, the vibrant chaos, the sudden silences, the never-ending festivals and the countless stories hidden in the everyday. Kolkata is a city of contrasts, slow and fast, loud and quiet, old and new, all existing at the same time. These layers shape the way I see the world and deeply influence both the form and content of my work. Whether it is children playing cricket in a narrow lane, the early morning rush at the flower market or the soft golden light over the Ganga. The city has taught me to see beauty in the ordinary. It has shaped not only my photography but also who I am as a person. When it comes to ethical representation, I always try to approach my subjects with honesty and respect. I have always avoided showing poverty or pain as just an “interesting frame.” Instead, I focus on capturing the warmth, dignity, culture and quiet beauty of everyday life. Through my images, I want to show the world not just how Kolkata looks, but how it feels. TPL: Do you see your work as a form of cultural preservation, especially in a rapidly changing urban environment? AYANAVA: I don’t know if I can officially call it “Cultural Preservation” but yes, over time, I have realized that my photographs are quietly preserving pieces of the past. As I have been shooting for years, I have seen buildings disappear, places change completely, and certain traditions or rituals fade away. Some of the things I captured no longer exist today. Looking back at those photos now, I feel like they have become quiet witnesses to the changes around us. They hold memories of a city that is constantly evolving. Even though it was not my original intention, but my work has ended up documenting moments, places and cultural details that may soon be forgotten. In this way, photography becomes more than just capturing the present, it is also about holding on to what is slipping away. Photography lets me freeze time, not just for myself but for anyone who looks at my images in the future. And that, I think, is a special kind of preservation. TPL: Have there been moments when you chose not to take a photograph — either out of respect or discomfort — and why? AYANAVA: Yes, there have definitely been moments when I chose not to take a photograph, and I believe those moments are just as important as the ones I do capture. I think it is important to recognize when not to click, even if the scene feels tempting or visually striking. If someone tells me not to take their picture, I always respect their choice. I simply smile, nod and walk away. Photography, for me, is not about invading someone’s space. If I ever feel that taking a photo might make someone uncomfortable, I step back. I often put myself in the subject’s position and ask myself if I would want to be photographed in the same scenario. That helps me make one of the most powerful decisions a photographer can make — to not press the shutter. In the end, being a photographer is not just about capturing images, it is also about being sensitive to people and their surroundings. Respect and empathy are just as important as creativity and technique. TPL: Can you walk us through what’s typically in your photography bag? Are there tools or objects you never leave behind, even if they’re not technical? Anything on your WishList? AYANAVA: I like to keep my photography setup simple. What you will find in my bag is a mix of essentials and little comforts. Of course, I always have my camera, usually just one body, the Fujifilm X-T200 with the 15–45mm kit lens, a water bottle and without fail, my umbrella. That umbrella feels like a loyal companion, protecting me from unpredictable weather, whether it is sudden rain or harsh sunlight. I never leave home without it. On some days, I don’t carry a bag at all. I just grab my OnePlus 12 mobile phone and step out, it has now become my primary camera for daily shooting. I actually love shooting with my phone, it is light, fast and doesn’t draw attention. Modern phones are powerful enough to capture incredible images and they give me the creative freedom to shoot quickly and discreetly, blending seamlessly into my surroundings and capturing life as it happens. As for my wishlist, I do hope to own a Sony mirrorless camera sometime in the near future. TPL: Where do you imagine yourself creatively in the next 3 to 5 years? Is there something you want to achieve in this time frame? AYANAVA: To be honest, I have never been someone who makes strict creative plans. I have always preferred to go with the flow. Even now, I don’t have a clear idea of what I will do next. Due to professional commitments, I am living in a different city and haven’t been shooting as much as I used to. But even when I am not actively photographing, I make it a point to revisit my old archives. Looking through my past work is deeply rewarding, it helps me reflect, learn from past mistakes and discover new ways to grow. Looking ahead, what I hope to focus on, though I am not sure how much I will be able to achieve—is developing my long-term photography projects. I have been photographing for over a decade and have built a body of work around certain themes and stories. What I truly want now is to bring those moments together and shape them into thoughtful, well-connected visual stories. It is a challenging process that demands patience and self-reflection, but it is a journey I am genuinely excited to take. If I can turn those scattered moments into something meaningful, that would feel like a real achievement. TPL: When you are not working or out exploring the streets creating your photography, what else could we find Ayanava doing? AYANAVA: When I am not working or out with my camera, I enjoy doing a mix of things that help me relax and recharge. Music is a big part of my day; I love listening to different genres depending on my mood. I am also a big fan of larger-than-life movies, especially those that immerses you in a whole new world. I enjoy long walks, not always with the goal of taking photos but simply to observe life around me. I also love exploring new food spots, trying different local dishes and sometimes revisiting the same place just for the comfort of a favorite meal. Another thing I often do is go back and look through my older photos. It’s a great way to reflect on how far I have come and sometimes, it even sparks new ideas. And of course, when all else fails, there’s nothing better than a good nap. In a way, even when I am not actively photographing, I am still observing and still visualizing. That’s just who I am, with a camera or without. PORTFOLIO INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. 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.

PICTORIAL STORY BIFRÖST Beyond the Arctic Circle, Romain Coudrier captures Norway in stark black and white — where silence, myth, and fleeting lives cross paths in a landscape of contrast. May 3, 2024 PICTORIAL STORY photography ROMAIN COUDRIER story MELANIE MEGGS SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link In contemporary photography, some practitioners move beyond representation to engage with the core of human experience. Among them is emerging photographer Romain Coudrier, whose work reflects a commitment to visual storytelling and a sustained engagement with the photographic process. Since his early twenties, capturing moments had become more than just a pastime — it had evolved into an inseparable part of his daily existence. While interning in various companies, Romain seized every opportunity to wander the streets alone. Whether it was a leisurely stroll to buy a baguette or a chance encounter on a quiet street corner, he believed that beauty could be found in even the most mundane of circumstances. Romain began his photographic work during an immersive two-month stay in Nepal, where he documented the lives of street children. This experience marked his entry into documentary photography and resulted in his first long-term project, Coeurs Orphelins , completed in 2014. His fascination with the urban landscape would later manifest in his project Je n'aime plus Paris , a personal reflection on a decade of life in the bustling capital, unveiled in 2022. Despite his commitment to photography, Romain juggled his responsibilities at a media agency for several years alongside his creative pursuits. While the allure of photography eventually took hold of this self-taught artist, his professional expertise continues to infuse his work with a unique quality. Reflecting on the value of formal education in the field, Romain emphasizes that a degree should not serve as a barrier or a prerequisite for pursuing photography seriously. “Obviously, having a degree in a field is always beneficial. But this should not become an excuse or a prerequisite which would condition a serious and ambitious practice of photography. The important thing is to be able to reinvest your personal and professional experience and to remain open to new lessons. Especially since photography today is no longer just about knowing how to use your camera, you have to know how to find opportunities, whether you like it or not, whether to earn a living or simply progress in your practice” explains Romain, for whom each exhibition and each project serves as a catalyst for meeting new people and refining his practice. Romain echoes the sentiments of Belgian singer Jacques Brel, who famously dismissed the notion of inherent talent, asserting that true talent lies in the unwavering desire to pursue one’s dreams. In Romain’s view, success is not merely a product of innate ability but rather the result of relentless dedication and discipline. He subscribes to the belief that genuine artistry is born from a steadfast commitment to excellence and an unwavering passion for one's craft. In spite of his efforts, participation in competitions, forums, and other photography platforms failed to provide the expected boost. Romain found himself amidst a slump, grappling with the prevailing sense that community building had overshadowed genuine passion for photography. Regardless of whether this perception was accurate or not, the disappointment lingered. However, a serendipitous encounter at a small gallery in the seventeenth borough of Paris breathed new life into Romain’s artistic journey. Engaging in discussions with the gallery owner, these informal weekly meetings became a source of inspiration and rejuvenation for him. Whether it was admiring the play of light in an image or receiving feedback on his compositions, these interactions left an indelible mark on Romain’s creative process. Although the gallery has since closed its doors, the connections forged within its walls remain etched in Romain’s memory. He acknowledges the profound impact of human connection on his work, drawing inspiration from chance encounters and everyday moments. Whether it’s a fleeting conversation in the office or a shared ride with a stranger while hitchhiking, Romain finds inspiration in the camaraderie of others. This innate curiosity about the world and its inhabitants permeates his photography, infusing even the most seemingly empty scenes with depth and meaning. While not every encounter may be captured on film, their essence is woven into the fabric of Romain’s pictures, enriching his artistic vision. Romain recalls a transformative experience during an internship with a prestigious French magazine and gallery. Immersed in a world of visual storytelling, he found his artistic boundaries expanding. Amidst the captivating images that surrounded him, Romain felt his creative horizons broadening. Immersed in this creative milieu, Romain underwent a “Pictorialism” phase, a period of exploration and experimentation. Armed with his camera, he delved into the intricacies of angles, framing, composition, and the subtle interplay of light and shadow. While Romain hesitated to label himself a disciple of these masters, their influence on his artistic sensibilities was undeniable. Their images, steeped in emotion and narrative, seeped into Romain’s psyche, shaping his evolving practice. As time passed, Romain’s artistic journey took on new dimensions. It was as if every twist and turn had led him to this pivotal moment, where he stood poised to explore the depths of his own photographic vision. The Bifröst series emerged from two weeks of work north of the Arctic Circle in 2023. In this environment, Romain Coudrier explored the connections between myth and contemporary life, creating a visual narrative that reflects his ongoing interest in movement and place. This body of work marks a continued evolution in his photographic journey, where every frame tells a story of exploration and wonder. Embarking on a journey to the rugged terrains of Norway, Romain ventured beyond the Arctic Circle, weaving his way from the urban bustle of Tromsø in Troms and Finnmark County to the serene expanses of the Lofoten Islands in Nordland County, and back again. Along this captivating path, Romain captured the essence of the Land of the Fjords , revealing a landscape veiled in snow and mystery, where the sea meets the mountains in a symphony of contrasts. Amidst this breathtaking scenery, he discovered the allure of rare light and subtle shades, immortalizing each moment in striking black and white, evoking a sense of timeless beauty with every click of his camera shutter. Romain meanders through the “film noir” setting with the curiosity of a newcomer. Gone are the typical postcard scenes of charming red wooden houses and the ethereal Northern Lights. Captured on a 35mm camera, these photographs are often the result of a single, spontaneous exposure, reflecting Romain’s direct and intuitive approach. He adopts a process of walking without a fixed destination, allowing the environment to guide his movements. This method supports a form of engagement with the natural landscape, shaped by the cultural presence of Viking history and Nordic mythology. As historians increasingly emphasize, the Vikings were not merely warriors but also adept merchants, a fact that Romain subtly nods to amidst Norway’s vast expanses. Despite traversing these remote locales, the pervasive influence of mass consumption is impossible to ignore, serving as a sobering reminder of the contemporary world. Meanwhile, the presence of the locals themselves is ephemeral, their fleeting encounters leaving behind mere traces in the snow. It’s as if they've ventured off toward distant horizons, leaving behind a landscape ripe for exploration and contemplation. Romain brings together the continuity of the landscape with the presence of its inhabitants and their passing moments. Bifröst functions as a bridge, creating a connection between different environments, each defined by its own context and sense of time. The allure of black and white imagery has been a regular companion on his journey, but this is the first time that this has resulted in a formal project. With Bifröst , he meticulously crafts scenes with bold contrasts, rich textures, and a pronounced grain, all characteristic of this timeless aesthetic. For Romain, black and white isn’t merely a stylistic choice; it’s a deliberate means to move beyond boundaries and evoke a peculiar temporality unique to his vision. This monochromatic palette serves as a tribute to the raw, frigid landscapes and the perpetual darkness that enveloped them. It captures the essence of an almost foreboding atmosphere, where silence reigns supreme. Reflecting on his process, Romain muses, “It’s curious, but in hindsight, black and white amplifies the silence that dominates these spaces. I’m fascinated by this idea of unexpected quietude, akin to hearing the distinct accent of a character in a novel. In Bifröst , I revel in the notion of embracing the silence.” In Romain’s vision, black and white serves as a tool to strip away the vibrancy of consumerist moments, blending them into an almost primal ambiance despite modern trappings. It's akin to a seamless barrier of snowflakes traversing the series, bridging two disparate worlds. The concept of a bridge, central to his project Bifröst , captivates Romain deeply. It serves as a structure connecting the region’s mythic landscapes with the daily lives of its often-overlooked inhabitants. In this work, he aligns timeless geographic forms with the transient presence of people. Using black and white photography, he introduces a sense of anachronism, aligning scenes of natural terrain with contemporary acts of consumption. Within these images, quiet references establish connections between different periods, inviting reflection on continuity and change. © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier © Romain Coudrier Romain Coudrier invites viewers to engage with the landscapes of Norway and explore aspects of human experience. He balances elements of myth and modernity, documenting Norway’s landscapes while reflecting on contemporary society. As we close this chapter of Romain’s work, we recall the words of Belgian singer Jacques Brel, who stated that true talent arises not from innate ability but from the determination to pursue one’s goals. This principle is evident in Romain’s ongoing development, as he continues to expand his artistic vision one frame at a time. Romain’s latest project, TMPC (2024 – ongoing), is a nine-month journey hitchhiking across Europe. This exploration departs from conventional tourism to capture an alternative view of the continent. Simultaneously, the Dead Saloon project takes place in the landscape of Tabernas, Andalusia. In this work, Romain combines fashion and narrative within the context of the Spaghetti Western setting. For more information on Romain Coudrier’s work, follow the links below and engage with his ongoing projects. view Romain Coudrier's portfolio Instagram >>> Website >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> ARE THOSE WINDS Along Istanbul’s northern edge, Ci Demi photographs the last water buffalo herders as they keep working, remembering, and staying put while the city closes in. COLORS OF HÜZÜN Through fragments and gestures, Pedro Vidal traces Istanbul as shared melancholy lingers in everyday life, the city unfolding slowly and refusing to settle into a single, definitive understanding. OUT OF PLAY An exploration of abandoned interiors in which Marco Lugli examines how objects, light, and space carry memory beyond human presence, establishing absence as a condition of material continuity rather than loss. REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions.

PICTORIAL STORY SOMETHING ABOUT THE FUTURE Through a series of collaborative portraits with her daughter Cecilia, Francesca Tiboni explores the emotional shift between adolescence and adulthood — capturing a shared journey of change, connection, and growing independence. February 18, 2022 PICTORIAL STORY photography FRANCESCA TIBONI story KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Francesca Tiboni is a photographer living in Cagliari, Italy since 2005. Cagliari is the capital city of the Italian island of Sardinia. Under the buildings of the modern city uncovered in the layers of archeology is a civilization that dates back some five thousand years spanning history from Neolithic to today. This old Medieval city rich in culture and history, many customs, and traditions has helped evolve her photography in unexpected ways. Francesca first picked up a camera at the age of eight, a passion she says she has inherited from her father and never abandoned. Francesca started as a self-taught photographer and did not feel the need to share her photography and describes this beginning of her artistic photographic process. “Photography is sort of a personal journey, a way to get to know and better understand the world around me, at the same time, to process the emotions inside me. A degree in Oriental languages and a career in corporate communication were the natural expression of the desire to research and take a closer look at the point of view of others, translating information from the perspective of the complexities and diversities from one culture to another”. Life changed when Francesca became a mother, “The moment I became a mother, the need arose in me to communicate with images in a less descriptive and more metaphorical way. In particular, the attempt to portray the complexity of my children pushed me towards the contemplation of the beauty and complexity of the world.” Francesca is involved in an ongoing collaboration with her daughter Cecilia. A project they call Something about the Future . Francesca explains her and Cecilia’s directives. “We investigate through a series of collaborative portraits, the transition into adulthood.” They explore together the definition of identity, with the overlap of conflicting emotions such as expectations, pride, hope, and fear. Together hand and hand they support one another and share the struggles and triumphs of the natural progression in life, of becoming an adult. Francesca and Cecilia’s project began when Francesca’s role as mother and role as woman became unclear. After experiencing the transition and complete selfless fusion with the bond of motherhood, she investigates what that projection of unity conveys towards her young children reappropriating their identity. This exploration has led to new discoveries taking a curious perspective that moves from the outside to the inside, revealing the complexities of transitions and transformations. We make these changes not only as a mother with children, but also for the child's development as they evolve gaining their independence and identity, tied to family but unique to their own being. We evolve as we grow and age. There are pieces of the past, that influence the present, that combine to change the future. Francesca describes the metamorphosis of transition and transformation of her daughter Cecilia as she experiences life through the challenges and enlightenments that come with the adolescence of a young woman. “The desire to describe the evolution of my daughter Cecilia began when she was 8 years old, today she is 11. Observing her I saw a poem that spoke not only of her, but of all the promises waiting to be fulfilled. As Cecilia grows so does the dialogue between us. I relive and retrace in a therapeutic way my own history which was characterized by a strong conflict with my mother and her refusal to give space both to my femininity and to my growth as a woman.” Francesca has watched her daughter from early years transitioning to a young woman today and describes what she has witnessed. “There is something poetic in girls, a combination of delicacy and strength, an anticipation of what will be the woman of the future that is sometimes already legible in the pride that is expressed in the first years of age.” Cecilia has always been a thoughtful girl, engaging in the world around her. She loves to enter and animate Francesca’s photographic work, playing with shapes and colors: “Photography is an art that fascinates me a lot and I enjoy making photographs with mom. When we collaborate, it is as if our souls come together and since we love each other very much, we create beauty.” Cecilia reports that she feels “immense satisfaction” when she sees the images she has created with her mom and about the role she plays, she believes that “it’s not that I have one role and my mom another...we get in tune and create together.” Francesca describes how her daughter experiences this interaction. “Cecilia plays with fabric drapes that she chooses both for their colors and for the way they drape and wrap around her body. The dimension of play and lightness is fundamental. The more she goes into adolescence, the more she tends to envelop herself in the drapes that become her cocoons. Her desire is to find and discover who she is in the images of herself. Cecilia’s body is constantly changing, as does the appearance to others, increasing Cecilia’s awareness.” Francesca sees that in Italy there has been a cultural effort for young girls to look at female models like writers, activists, scientists for inspiration and the aspirations of what a woman should be. Cecilia asks her mother Francesca “Why in Cagliari, the city we live in, there has never been a female mayor?” This concerns Francesca and makes her wonder if it is a legitimate ambition of a child to have infinite possibilities of realization in front of them, be integrated with the foretelling of the obstacles and discrimination that they may encounter along the way. © Francesca Tiboni © Francesca Tiboni © Francesca Tiboni © Francesca Tiboni © Francesca Tiboni © Francesca Tiboni © Francesca Tiboni © Francesca Tiboni © Francesca Tiboni © Francesca Tiboni © Francesca Tiboni © Francesca Tiboni Together Francesca and Cecilia are opening up a dialogue, communicating through their interactions with the use of the photographic process to discuss together their role as women as they evolve. view Francesca's portfolio Read an interview with Francesca >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> ARE THOSE WINDS Along Istanbul’s northern edge, Ci Demi photographs the last water buffalo herders as they keep working, remembering, and staying put while the city closes in. COLORS OF HÜZÜN Through fragments and gestures, Pedro Vidal traces Istanbul as shared melancholy lingers in everyday life, the city unfolding slowly and refusing to settle into a single, definitive understanding. OUT OF PLAY An exploration of abandoned interiors in which Marco Lugli examines how objects, light, and space carry memory beyond human presence, establishing absence as a condition of material continuity rather than loss. REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions.

Future Hackney is a social profit organisation that combines documentary and co-authorship to create a hybrid genre of photographic storytelling. Our exhibitions are inclusive, working at the intersections of photography and social engagement. Based in East London, we document Dalston’s history and present communities, alongside protests, carnivals, street culture and urban heritage. We are a grass roots led initiative, who use digital and analogue mediums to tell stories and through street and documentary photography. We create photographs, oral histories, reminisces, community dialogues, street galleries, living archives, online platforms, social media, print and press co-authored with communities. We facilitate young people and intergenerational residents in our creative, skill-based workshops, whilst producing a professional photographic archive. For more information see our community page. FUTURE HACKNEY Future Hackney is a social profit organisation that combines documentary and co-authorship to create a hybrid genre of photographic storytelling. Our exhibitions are inclusive, working at the intersections of photography and social engagement. Based in East London, we document Dalston’s history and present communities, alongside protests, carnivals, street culture and urban heritage. We are a grass roots led initiative, who use digital and analogue mediums to tell stories and through street and documentary photography. We create photographs, oral histories, reminisces, community dialogues, street galleries, living archives, online platforms, social media, print and press co-authored with communities. We facilitate young people and intergenerational residents in our creative, skill-based workshops, whilst producing a professional photographic archive. For more information see our community page. LOCATION London UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Fuji X Series, Pentax K1000 WEBSITE https://futurehackney.com/ @FUTUREHACKNEY @future_hackney FEATURES // Future Hackney

I'm a visual artist and freelance photographer with a focus on architecture and urban landscapes. In all of my work, I'm interested in showing how we reshape and utilize space in our civilized world, leaving out the actual creators of the objects built - humans themselves. MAXIMILIAN HAIDACHER I'm a visual artist and freelance photographer with a focus on architecture and urban landscapes. In all of my work, I'm interested in showing how we reshape and utilize space in our civilized world, leaving out the actual creators of the objects built - humans themselves. LOCATION AUSTRIA CAMERA/S Nikon D810 WEBSITE http://www.maximilianhaidacher.com @MAXIMILIAN.HAIDACHER FEATURES // The Human Presence

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 Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE 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. PORTFOLIO INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. 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.

HIDE & SEEK With the help of light and shadow, Gabriel Guzman takes an interest in spaces, the spaces through which he moves and tries to be invisible. HIDE & SEEK April 13, 2022 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Gabriel Mieles Guzmán INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Gabriel Mieles Guzmán, an Ecuadorian photographer, has dedicated himself to capturing moments of everyday life and turning them into timeless works of art. With an eye for the ordinary and an eye for the extraordinary, Gabriel uses his camera to stop time and bring the beauty of life into focus. His street photography allows him to relate to reality in an intimate way, to notice the small details and capture them in light and shadow. Through his lens, Gabriel takes us on a journey through the spaces he inhabits, inviting us to observe carefully and appreciate the beauty of the everyday. “The way I see now is a result of walking with a camera all over and being curious for the people and moments in my way. It is like a training day every day.” IN CONVERSATION WITH GABRIEL MIELES GUZMÁN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Gabriel please tell us about yourself. How did you become interested in photography? How have the streets and culture you capture influence your photography? How have your captures changed the way you see Ecuador? GABRIEL MIELES GUZMÁN: I born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. I am a photographer and I currently teach photography too in Guayaquil. I became interested in photography by the paintings. I remember be touched by the Chiaroscuro. Then, I studied some authors like Nadar, Cartier-Bresson and Irving Penn, I was fascinated for those portraits and I decided go out to the streets for portraits. At that moment I did not know what was street photography, I discovered on the road. I was working in a newspaper and the street taught me to be prepared for everything. The way I see now is a result to be walking with a camera all over and being curious for the people and moments in my way. It is like a training day every day. TPL: When you are out shooting - how much of it is instinctual versus planned? What are some tips or advice you would give yourself if you started street photography all over again? GMG: Nothing is planned, I am very instinctual when I am walking on the streets. Actually, I am just doing that, with a camera on my hand, I enjoy the idea that I do not know what is going to happen. I am just walking around feeling alive. Go out now! Do not think about it too much. Go out and enjoy the process. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists and photographers? If you could just choose one photographer to shoot alongside for a day...who would you choose? And why? GMG: Pau Buscató, Philip-Lorca DiCorcia, Elliott Erwitt, William Klein, Daido Moriyama, Maria Plotnikova, Matt Stuart, Alex Webb, Garry Winogrand and Linda Wisdom. This is very difficult to answer. I would choose Maria Plotnikova because I really love the way she sees the streets. When I'm photographing, I see life. That's what I deal with. I don't have pictures in my head… I don't worry about how the picture is going to look. I let that take care of itself… It's not about making a nice picture. That anyone can do. - Garry Winogrand 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? GMG: I think the equipment helps, but it is not all. Right now, I use my old Fujifilm X20, it is a model from 2013 with a 35mm equivalent. This is my gear for streets right now. When we talk about focal length, I prefer 28mm or maximum 35mm. TPL: Are there any other special projects you are currently working on or thinking about that you would like to let everyone know about? What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you hope to see yourself in five years? GMG: Right now, I am working a lot in my portfolio and making new photographs. Keeping on the streets, see other new places and publishing something interesting about my work. TPL: When I am not out photographing, I (like to)… GMG: I like to travel, and explore new places. PORTFOLIO INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. 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.

THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. August 24, 2025 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Suvam Saha INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Suvam Saha’s path to photography began unexpectedly. An electronics engineer with an MBA in finance and marketing, Suvam spent years working in multinational companies before deciding to step away, dedicating himself to helping his father and continuing the family’s garments materials business. Art, however, has been present from the beginning. As a hyper realistic portrait artist, he had trained himself to see detail with precision — the fall of light on skin, the shifting tones of shadow, the subtle textures of a surface. When Suvam picked up a basic DSLR in 2017 to photograph products for his business, those same instincts shaped how he looked through the viewfinder. Soon, the streets of Howrah and Kolkata became his extended workspace, their energy and unpredictability igniting a lasting commitment to street photography. The photographs are not staged. They are anchored in real encounters that emerge in the flow of daily life. Suvam’s photographs move between quiet observation and dynamic activity: riverbank rituals, railway stations in thick fog, children playing in open fields, moments of performance and celebration. Across these settings, his focus remains on preserving what will not happen again in the same way. The influences he cites — Alex Webb’s layered compositions, Elliott Erwitt’s timing, Martin Parr’s documentary irony — all point to a practice concerned with both structure and spontaneity. Suvam often works with bold color and complex framing, but always in service of the scene. His process is less about arranging reality than about recognizing when reality arranges itself. Recognition has come from both national and international platforms: finalist in street photography festivals such as Urban Photo Award, Fujifilm Moment Award, Paris Street Photo Award, and features in Eyeshot Magazine, Asian Photography Magazine, and Vogue Italia. Yet for Suvam, the value lies in the act itself. Photography, he says, is “oxygen” — a way to reset his mind, reconnect with the world, and find calm in the midst of pressure. Now exploring long-form series and documentary work, Suvam is turning his attention to sustained narratives that explore the social, political, and cultural conditions of the place. His approach remains consistent: to work with patience, to move with curiosity, and to see the street not as a backdrop, but as an active subject in the stories he tells. “I want to focus on stories that reveal the undercurrents shaping our times. How economic shifts affect families, how climate change is altering livelihoods, how identity and tradition evolve in an interconnected world. I’m especially drawn to the intersections where personal narratives meet larger political realities. Culturally, I want to explore both the fragility and the reinvention of heritage, from street festivals to fading crafts. My goal is to create work that not only documents but also sparks dialogue, helping people see the shared humanity behind statistics and headlines.” IN CONVERSATION WITH SUVAM SAHA TPL: You describe yourself as “first an artist, then a photographer.” How does that identity shape the way you approach the street compared to someone who came to photography first? How do you think the act of drawing prepared your eye for the kind of detail and patience street photography demands? SUVAM: Drawing sharpens our eye to build an image rather than just find one, and it gives us the patience to wait until all the visual elements click into place — which is exactly what street photography, at its best, demands. As a hyper realistic sketcher, I have to observe each and every detail of a picture-like skin, pore, hair, wrinkles of a subject. Sometimes it will take 20-24 hours or more than that to complete a sketch. So, it is a process by which a habit has been developed to observe every detail of circumstances when I'm going to click a shot. And talking about a composition, it's automatically generated in my brain no matter how many subjects there are. TPL: Running a full-time business while maintaining a committed photography practice is no small feat. How do you structure your life, so both thrive? SUVAM: Balancing the two isn’t about splitting my life into compartments — it’s about letting them flow into each other. The business side gives structure, a steady rhythm to my days. Photography brings breath, curiosity, and a sense of wonder that keeps me from getting lost in spreadsheets and schedules. I carve out time for photography the way you might water a plant — regularly, intentionally, even if it’s just a small sip. Some days it’s a dawn walk with my camera; other days it’s noticing light falling across my desk in the middle of work. Over time, I’ve found that my photography feeds my business with a fresh perspective, and my business gives my photography the stability to grow. It’s less a balancing act and more a conversation between two parts of myself. TPL: You’ve said photography is “oxygen” for you. Can you describe a time when picking up the camera completely changed the way you felt or saw a situation? SUVAM: There was a week when everything in the business felt like it was falling apart — an order delayed, a client unhappy. One afternoon, instead of trying to “push through,” I grabbed my camera and just walked. I ended up in a small alley where the late afternoon light was pouring through dust in the air, turning everything gold. I started shooting — near a bank of rivers, a stray cat watching me from a window. Ten minutes in, my breathing slowed, my shoulders dropped. I wasn’t thinking about deadlines anymore, just light, texture, and the quiet rhythm of the street. When I got home and looked at the images, the problems were still there, but they didn’t feel so big. Photography had shifted my perspective — from being stuck in the noise to noticing the beauty still humming in the background. That day reminded me why I call it oxygen. TPL: You often speak about preserving “unstaged events.” How do you train yourself to anticipate a moment without interfering with its authenticity? How do you decide when to approach and engage, and when to remain completely invisible? SUVAM: For me, it starts with patience and trust — patience to wait for a scene to unfold naturally, and trust that something worth capturing will happen if I’m attentive enough. I train myself by spending a lot of time simply observing, without even raising the camera. That way, I start to understand rhythms: how people move, how light shifts, how small gestures build into a moment. When I sense something is about to happen, I decide whether to engage or stay invisible based on the nature of the scene. If my presence might alter it, I keep my distance and shoot discreetly. If engagement will add to the connection — say, in a portrait or a shared smile — I step forward. The key is respect. I’m not there to “take” an image, I’m there to witness it. The best photographs, for me, are the ones where the subject forgets I’m even there, and the moment breathes on its own. TPL: In a city like Kolkata, where life moves quickly, how do you decide whether to wait for a scene to develop or move on in search of the next? SUVAM: It’s a constant negotiation between patience and restlessness. If the light, background, and energy of a place feel promising, I’ll stay — even if nothing’s happening yet — because I’ve learned the street can change in seconds. Sometimes the best photographs come from waiting for the scene to find me. But Kolkata has a rhythm that pulls you forward. If I sense the scene has settled — the light shifting away, the flow of people thinning, or the mood flattening — I move on without regret. The city is generous; there’s always another corner, another intersection of chance and beauty. Over time, I develop a gut sense for it, almost like listening to music. You know when the beat is building toward something, and when it’s fading out. I want my photographs to feel like a single frame from a film you’re desperate to see the rest of. TPL: Your influences span from Alex Webb’s layered color work to Martin Parr’s social documentary and Elliott Erwitt’s humour. Which of these photographers’ lessons have stayed with you most when you are actually out photographing? SUVAM: I can't say about particular shots but one thing I have noticed is that if i observe their photos their one thing is common and that is handling many subjects in a single frame carefully so that no one is overlapping with each other. The subject is balanced with the background as well as light and shadows also. Raghu Rai and Raghuveer Singh sir are my most favourite photographers who have shown how to capture the raw essence of Indian culture. TPL: Your upbringing involved books, painting, and films from many languages. How do those influences find their way into your photographs today? Can you share an example of a movie or series that has directly shaped how you approached a street scene? SUVAM: Growing up surrounded by books, painting, and multilingual films plants three distinct seeds in a street photographer’s mind: Reading trains us to think in arcs and subplots. On the street, this means we see not just a single moment but how a gesture or glance might suggest a larger, unseen story. Paintings sharpen our sense of palette, texture, and composition. You notice when the street offers you a “Vermeer” moment with side light and a warm interior glow, or a “Hopper” mood in the isolation of a lone figure at a café. Films teach timing, how a beat of stillness before an action can make it land harder. They also show how framing and movement guided emotion. Recently I have been so much influenced by the series called Picky Blinder which tells the story of Tomas Shelby. Each and every frame of the series is so inspiring to take your camera and go outside to click shots. TPL: Have you ever captured a moment that you later chose not to publish? What guided that decision? SUVAM: Some of my captured pictures I have not shared on any platform but particularly there is no reason behind that. Maybe I will share them in a different series which tells a strong story. TPL: You’ve said photography made you more comfortable talking to strangers. Can you recall a conversation sparked by your camera that stayed with you? SUVAM: One afternoon in Burrabazar, I was photographing the way afternoon light fell through the narrow lanes, cutting across stacks of fabric. An elderly shopkeeper noticed me hovering outside and called out, “If you only take the light, you will miss the stories.” He invited me in for tea, and what began as a polite chat turned into a two-hour conversation about how his father had started the shop before Partition, how trade routes shifted, and how the neighborhood’s rhythms changed over decades. I barely took a photograph in that time — just one frame of his hand resting on a ledger — but that image means more to me than most because it carries his voice, his history, and the reminder that the camera is not just a way to collect pictures, but a reason to be invited into someone’s world. TPL: You’ve shifted toward long-form documentary work. How does working on a series over time change the way you see individual frames? SUVAM: When we move into long-form documentary work, an individual frame stops being the story and becomes part of the story. In a single-shot mindset, we’re looking for an image that contains everything — the mood, the narrative, the visual punch — all in one. In a series, our relationship with each frame changes: Each image adds a facet: one gives context, another emotion, another tension. I start shooting with gaps in mind, knowing the series will be stronger when those gaps are filled. The power often emerges in the sequence, how one image sets up the next, how repetition or contrast builds meaning over time. Instead of chasing the peak moment every time, we can sit with the subject or location, letting relationships and patterns emerge. For me, working on a series makes me more forgiving and more curious. I can allow a frame to breathe, knowing it has companions that will help it speak. TPL: When someone looks at your work years from now, what do you hope they will understand about the time and place you lived in? SUVAM: I hope they’ll understand that the time I lived in was messy, layered, and alive with contradictions — that Kolkata, and the world beyond it, was constantly shifting between the old and the new, the personal and the collective. I want them to feel the texture of our streets: the way light caught on peeling posters, the quiet negotiations between strangers in crowded spaces, the humor that bloomed even in hardship. If my photographs survive, I want them to be read as a kind of emotional archaeology. Like proof that even in an age of speed and distraction, there were still people who stopped long enough to notice. PORTFOLIO FLICKR INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. 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.

I am a Dutch artist working with photography as a medium. My photographs reveal abstract qualities that can be found in everyday life, often with architecture as a prominent ingredient and a strong focus on composition, texture and color. MAARTEN ROTS I am a Dutch artist working with photography as a medium. My photographs reveal abstract qualities that can be found in everyday life, often with architecture as a prominent ingredient and a strong focus on composition, texture and color. LOCATION Aalten NETHERLANDS CAMERA/S Canon EOS 6D WEBSITE https://www.maartenrots.nl/ @MAARTENROTS FEATURES // Pursuit of Stillness

My journey into the arts began with music. With a Level II Academic Diploma in Cello, I spent a decade performing as an orchestra professor and chamber musician, immersing myself in the world of sound, rhythm, and harmony. But creativity is fluid, and over time, my artistic expression found a new voice. For years, I worked in Visual Communication, always drawn to painting and the visual arts. Photography entered my life unexpectedly, a gift that sparked an unforeseen transformation. From the moment I picked up my first camera, I realized that I wasn’t interested in documenting the world as it is, but rather in reimagining it. Photography became my language — a way to translate emotions, memories, and perceptions into images that blur the line between reality and illusion. I began with documentary reportage, capturing moments of truth and human experience. But as my artistic voice evolved, so did my approach. My images now live in a space where layers of meaning intertwine, where elements dissolve and reconstruct themselves, creating fragmented realities that reflect my inner vision. This journey has led me to international recognition, with Honorable Mentions in competitions such as the Monochrome Photography Awards, ND Awards, Monovisions Photography Awards, Chromatic Awards, Tokyo International Foto Awards, IPA International Photography Awards, BIFA, and Trieste Photo Days. My work has been published in books and online magazines, further solidifying my place in the photographic world. LUISA MONTAGNA My journey into the arts began with music. With a Level II Academic Diploma in Cello, I spent a decade performing as an orchestra professor and chamber musician, immersing myself in the world of sound, rhythm, and harmony. But creativity is fluid, and over time, my artistic expression found a new voice. For years, I worked in Visual Communication, always drawn to painting and the visual arts. Photography entered my life unexpectedly, a gift that sparked an unforeseen transformation. From the moment I picked up my first camera, I realized that I wasn’t interested in documenting the world as it is, but rather in reimagining it. Photography became my language — a way to translate emotions, memories, and perceptions into images that blur the line between reality and illusion. I began with documentary reportage, capturing moments of truth and human experience. But as my artistic voice evolved, so did my approach. My images now live in a space where layers of meaning intertwine, where elements dissolve and reconstruct themselves, creating fragmented realities that reflect my inner vision. This journey has led me to international recognition, with Honorable Mentions in competitions such as the Monochrome Photography Awards, ND Awards, Monovisions Photography Awards, Chromatic Awards, Tokyo International Foto Awards, IPA International Photography Awards, BIFA, and Trieste Photo Days. My work has been published in books and online magazines, further solidifying my place in the photographic world. LOCATION Parma ITALY CAMERA/S Olympus E-M5 Mark II WEBSITE https://www.luisamontagna.com/ @LUISAMONTAGNAPHOTO FEATURES // That's How It Is

LIMINAL SPACES Through her art, Anna Tut aims to bring attention to the complexities of femininity, challenging societal norms and highlighting the often, unseen emotional landscapes women navigate daily. LIMINAL SPACES November 15, 2024 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Anna Tut INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE In contemporary photography, Anna Tut emerges as an artist focused on exploring profound themes through her work. Born in the far east of Russia, on the border of China, Anna’s geographic origins mirror the liminal spaces she captures in her work — spaces between the seen and unseen, the known and unknown, the external and internal. Her artistic journey began as a departure from her profession in economics, a shift that spoke to the power of artistic reinvention. This personal transition shaped the deeply introspective nature of her photography, embracing it as a means of personal expression and discovery. At the heart of Anna’s artistic practice is a desire to create work that resonates beyond aesthetics, offering her audience projects that provoke thought, evoke emotion, and carry significant social commentary. For her, photography is not simply a medium to capture moments, but a powerful tool to convey messages — each photograph is engrained with meaning, each project is a statement or call to action. Her work reflects her belief that art has the ability to shape perspectives, ignite conversation, and inspire change. Anna’s interdisciplinary approach, applying embroidery, appliqué, and collage to her photography, results in photographs that are not merely aesthetic but carry layers of meaning. This fusion of mediums allows her to create images that are as textured in their visual language as they are rich in narrative depth. These elements act as visual metaphors for the emotional, psychological, and social layers that define a person’s experience. Her latest series, “Women”, is an exploration of the complex role of women in contemporary society. As much as women have gained rights and freedoms, they still often face immense pressure — juggling roles in society, work, and family life. Anna’s series transforms her subjects into visual stories that articulate the tensions and contradictions women face today. Each image is meticulously composed, with every detail — lighting, expression, and gesture — carefully thought out to evoke a response. The portrayal of women in Anna’s work is imbued with symbolism and a sense of timelessness. Her use of shadows, color palettes, and fabric all contribute to an air of mystery that speaks to the hidden depths of female identity. In her photographs, there is a duality — a blending of strength and vulnerability, of power and grace. The 15 women featured in her project, aged between 25 and 60, are depicted as both subjects and objects of contemplation, inviting the audience to reflect on their own understandings of womanhood. In doing so, Anna challenges the viewer to consider not just what they see on the surface but the inner world that each woman inhabits — a world that celebrates the idea that every woman is an independent, multi-dimensional individual. In this interview, we explore Anna Tut’s artistic philosophy and delve into the inspirations behind “Women”. We discuss how she approaches the delicate task of portraying women in a way that honors both their individuality and their collective experience. Through her art, Anna aims to bring attention to the complexities of femininity, challenging societal norms and highlighting the often, unseen emotional landscapes women navigate daily. Her portraits act as both mirrors and windows — reflecting the reality of womanhood while offering glimpses into the unspoken depths of her subjects’ inner lives. We also explore Anna’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of photography by integrating traditional craft techniques with digital artistry, creating a distinctive visual language that is all her own. Anna Tut’s work reminds us that art can be a powerful tool for dialogue and change. She believes that photography, beyond its aesthetic function, should inspire reflection and provoke discussion. As Anna looks to the future, she remains committed to creating projects that resonate on both a visual and intellectual level. For her, these projects are more than just an artistic endeavor; they are an essential contribution to the broader conversation about gender, identity, and societal roles. “The heroines of my photographs always like the result. Women are often dissatisfied with their appearance and are tired of the portraits they typically post on social media. They want more complex images of themselves. The visual pressure on women is very significant, and when they receive an image of their persona that is full of meanings, it becomes a very unusual experience.” IN CONVERSATION WITH ANNA TUT THE PICTORIAL LIST: Can you share how your personal journey and your experiences growing up in the far east of Russia have shaped your artistic vision, and in what ways do you think these influences manifest in your photography? What moments stand out as pivotal in your development as an artist? ANNA TUT: I was born in a unique region and from childhood, I witnessed unusual creativity shaped by folk crafts historically practiced by the indigenous peoples of these territories: the Nanai, Udege, Koryaks, and others. The so-called petroglyphs of Sikachi-Alyan are included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, and the ornamental art of the peoples of the Amur region is noted for its originality and beauty. From an early age, I encountered folktales and myths that were unusual and mysterious. Uncommon musical instruments are also characteristic of the art and culture of my region. I grew up immersed in this culture, which ultimately shaped my cultural identity. TPL: As an interdisciplinary artist, you integrate various mediums such as embroidery, appliqué, and collage into your photography. Can you elaborate on your motivations for combining these different forms of expression, and how you believe this fusion enriches the narratives within your work? Additionally, how do these techniques interact with your photographic images to convey deeper meanings, and what do you hope viewers take away from this multifaceted approach? ANNA: In my opinion, photography as a medium in its pure form is insufficient for expressing the creative potential of an artist, which is why I have been engaged in interdisciplinary art for a long time. This allows for the creation of visually more complex works, as well as infusing them with more intricate meanings. I still love the classic portrait, but for the idea of my project, it was necessary to create an image. It is the image, rather than a portrait of a specific woman, that allows me to express my thoughts most accurately. TPL: In your project “Women”, you focus on portraying women in a way that acknowledges both their individuality and their collective experiences. Can you describe your artistic philosophy regarding this delicate balance? How do you navigate the complexities of representing each woman's unique story while simultaneously addressing broader societal themes and issues that affect women as a whole? ANNA: The balance between individuality and collective experience in each specific woman is not only difficult to capture but also to convey to the audience. I start by engaging with each woman, exploring her story, experiences, and dreams. These conversations help me see the uniqueness of each participant, but they also allow me to identify common themes that concern all women, such as the struggle for equal rights, the role of women in society, motherhood, careers, and personal ambitions. I choose a particular image or concept for my subject. I do not take straightforward shots; instead, I employ complex photographic techniques such as long exposure, incorporating fabrics and reflective objects into the frame. I always use meditative music during the shoots and encourage the women to move as she feels comfortable. During this time, I capture her movements and photograph what I believe she radiates. I almost never use photo editing software; for this project, it would feel "unfair." TPL: In what ways do you aim for your work to influence discussions about gender identity and the emotional landscapes women navigate daily? How do you confront the challenge of ensuring that your portrayals resonate with a diverse audience, encouraging them to reflect on their perceptions of womanhood and the various roles women inhabit in contemporary society? ANNA: First of all, I send my projects to curators and try to propose them to publications. I believe this way I can draw attention to the issues and questions I address in my projects. I can publish individual frames from the project on my social media, and sometimes they attract very angry and unfriendly comments, which makes it clear to me that my visuals have touched a nerve for someone. TPL: As a photographer, how do you navigate the balance between technical skill and creative intuition in your work? Are there specific techniques or tools that you feel enhance your ability to express your vision, and how have these evolved over time? ANNA: I always rely on my intuitive perception. And while my technical skills grow year by year, they are just tools for my mind, and I use them to expand the possibilities for bringing my ideas to life. After all, the idea is what matters most, and then each artist expresses it in their own way using the technical means available to them. This is freedom, and it is wonderful! I believe that it is through personal images that we can speak to the global issues and legal questions affecting women around the world. TPL: In your opinion, what role does storytelling play in photography, and how do you approach the challenge of conveying a narrative through your images? ANNA: I love storytelling; for me, it is an inspiring tool for engaging with the viewer. However, storytelling does not suit every project. Complex projects often require philosophical texts and can be very difficult for an unprepared audience to understand. I have projects that incorporate storytelling, which are usually documentary projects, but I also have projects with fairly complex texts. TPL: What has been your most significant challenge as a photographer, and how did you overcome it? How did this experience shape your understanding of resilience in the creative process, and what lessons did you carry forward into your future work? ANNA: If we talk about the specifics of the work, then the work of a photographer like me is always about working with people. It’s important to spend even more time communicating with the subjects than on the actual shooting. I am naturally impatient, and I find it challenging to demonstrate patience and understanding that the subjects need time to get accustomed to the process. However, I am grounding myself more and more and allowing the process to flow at its own pace. As a result, I take great pride in myself because the response from the subjects is so much greater when there is no pressure involved. TPL: Looking back on your journey as a photographer, are there particular influences — be it other photographers, artistic movements, or life experiences — that you can pinpoint as having a profound impact on your style and approach? How have these influences evolved over time? ANNA: Photography has always been an inseparable part of my life, but I was only able to fully dedicate myself to it in adulthood, when the youthful maximalism that divided the world into black and white faded away. I realized that judgments about anyone or anything can be superficial, and only patient study of a phenomenon or object can lead to truly inspiring discoveries. When it comes to the influence of other photographers or artists on me, there are many, but among artistic movements, the philosophy of constructivism has had the greatest impact on me. TPL: In a world increasingly dominated by digital imagery and social media, how do you maintain a sense of authenticity and personal expression in your work? What strategies do you employ to ensure your photography remains true to your vision amidst external pressures? ANNA: There are indeed a vast number of digital images, and you are right that their purpose increasingly boils down to quickly conveying information. On the other hand, the artist's task is the exact opposite. Art is primarily about contemplation and reflection. Yes, art can utilize digital imagery, but it differs in its purpose, which in turn leaves an imprint on the visual itself. This is a very noticeable distinction. For now, I view artificial intelligence as a technical tool that expands the possibilities for the creator. TPL: As you look toward the future of your artistic practice, what types of projects are you currently considering, and how do you envision these endeavors evolving over the next 3 to 5 years? Are there specific themes or issues you feel compelled to explore more deeply, and how do you see your style or approach transforming as you continue to grow as an artist? ANNA: I am drawn to two types of projects: fine art projects and documentary projects. Currently, I am working on an art project about the theme of Anthropomorphic Nature, while simultaneously developing a documentary conceptual project about discarded items. I have enrolled in a two-year program at an institute of contemporary art. I believe I need to enrich my knowledge in philosophy and contemporary art in order to create conceptually more complex projects. I think that my studies will change my approach and possibly my style. We'll see where this path takes me. TPL: When you’re not behind the camera, what fun adventures or creative pursuits would we find Anna diving into, and how do they add a splash of inspiration to your photography? ANNA: I love traveling and draw inspiration from it. I also enjoy cooking. All of these activities allow me to reflect, while travels enrich me with new visuals. PORTFOLIO WEBSITE INSTAGRAM read more interviews >>> THE VILLAGE A workers’ neighbourhood becomes a living archive as Virginia Cassano photographs the people, streets, and memories that continue to shape Villaggio Piaggio. MUTABLE MORPHOGENESIS By merging scientific methodologies with photographic experimentation, Emma Varga creates images that challenge fixed distinctions between human and non-human, visible and invisible. THE ARCHITECTURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS Chad Coombs’ Polaroids are small psychological scenes where identity, memory, culture, and belief push against each other. WHERE WE BELONG Community storytelling lies at the heart of The Pictorial List’s mission, and Marlon Ramos’ photographs reflects the spirit of the place we now call home. GUIDED BY A WHISPER Guided by reflection and the quiet presence of art history, Isolda Fabregat Sanz makes photographs that resist certainty and invite the viewer to remain inside the act of looking. WHAT REMAINS, WHAT EMERGES Laetitia Heisler transforms risk, memory, and the body into layered analogue visions — feminist rituals of seeing that reveal what endures, and what quietly emerges beyond visibility. WHAT WE ARE, WHAT WE DO Culture lives where art and community meet, and in this space Alejandro Dávila’s photographs reveal the unseen labor and devotion that sustain creation. ANALOGICAL LIMBO Nicola Cappellari reminds us that the photograph’s power lies not in what it shows, but in what it leaves unsaid. THREADS OF MOROCCAN LIFE Through gestures of work and moments of community, Kat Puchowska reveals Morocco’s overlooked beauty. IT STARTED AS LIGHT…ENDED IN SHIVERS… Between intimacy and estrangement, Anton Bou’s photographs wander — restless fragments of light and shadow, mapping the fragile terrain where self unravels into sensation. WITH EYES THAT LISTEN AND A HEART THAT SEES For decades, Rivka Shifman Katvan has documented the unseen backstage world of Broadway, capturing authenticity where performance and humanity intersect. DIPTYCH DIALOGUES Through the beautiful language of diptychs, Taiwanese photographer Jay Hsu invites us into a world where quiet images speak of memory, resilience, and hope. UNKNOWN ABYSSINIA In Ethiopia, Sebastian Piatek found a new way of seeing — where architecture endures, but women in motion carry the narrative forward. THE PULSE OF THE STREET Moments vanish, yet Suvam Saha holds them still — the pulse of India’s streets captured in fragments of life that will never repeat. WHAT DO WE WANT? More than documentation, David Gray reveals the human pulse of resistance and asks us to see beyond the surface of unrest. CRACKED RIBS 2016 Cynthia Karalla opens up about the art of survival, the power of perspective, and why she believes each of us holds a monopoly on our own narrative. STREETS OF KOLKATA Ayanava Sil’s reveals Kolkata’s soul, capturing moments with empathy, presence and humility while offering deep insight into both city and self. PERIPHERAL PLACES A project by Catia Montagna that distills fleeting encounters and spatial poetics into triptychs - visual short stories that capture the in-between, where meaning often hides. POINTE-AU-CHIEN IS NOT DEAD Through Wayan Barre’s documentary, we are invited not only to see but to feel the lived realities of a community standing at the crossroads of environmental collapse and cultural survival. QUEER HAPPENED HERE Author Marc Zinaman sheds light on the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made to the cultural and social fabric of New York City. TRACES OF TIME Marked by an ongoing visual dialogue with time, memory, and impermanence, Zamin Jafarov’s long-term projects highlight the quiet power of observation and the emotional depth of simplicity. THERE MY LITTLE EYES Guillermo Franco’s book is an exploration of seeing beyond the obvious. His work invites us to embrace patience, curiosity, and the unexpected in a world that often rushes past the details. 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.