Voices of the Nile is a project aiming at raising awareness on the vital importance of the Nile ecosystem by the photographer duo Bastien Massa and Arthur Larie. The two have been doing joint photo projects for many years. Working photo journalistically, they have been traveling through Ethiopia, where they spent four months at the source of the Blue Nile to do a series about Ethiopians and their relation with water. VOICES OF THE NILE Voices of the Nile is a project aiming at raising awareness on the vital importance of the Nile ecosystem by the photographer duo Bastien Massa and Arthur Larie. The two have been doing joint photo projects for many years. Working photo journalistically, they have been traveling through Ethiopia, where they spent four months at the source of the Blue Nile to do a series about Ethiopians and their relation with water. LOCATION Marseille FRANCE CAMERA/S Lumix G-90 WEBSITE http://www.lesvoixdunil.com/ @LESVOIXDUNIL FEATURES // Voices of the Nile

LIVING IN THE MOMENT For Tomas Cihak, photography is all about the emotions and feelings, capturing scenes that evoke and reflect sentiments in that moment. LIVING IN THE MOMENT August 5, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Tomas Cihak INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Tomas Cihak captures the beauty in the ordinary, mundane moments of life. He is a Czech born photographer, now based in Bristol, United Kingdom, whose vision for photography is to evoke emotion and feeling; a sentiment of warmth, happiness, and nostalgia, but also a reminder of sadness and emptiness. His aim is to live in the moment and remember it in his photos. But what really sets Tomas apart from other photographers is his unique approach to his art. He isn't just looking for the perfect shot, he's looking to inspire meaningful reflection in the viewer. This is what makes Tomas Cihak a truly intriguing photographer: a man who wants to make an emotional connection with his audience through the lens of his camera. “I have the desire to capture warm, positive and old-school looking photographs that can evoke and embody feelings and sentiments of happiness, nostalgia and the good old days' vibe.” IN CONVERSATION WITH TOMAS CIHAK THE PICTORIAL LIST: Tomas, when did you start getting interested in photography? TOMAS CIHAK: I started to think about actually trying to take photographs with a proper camera about two years ago. However, it wasn't until about two months ago that I actually started going out and taking photographs. TPL: What is your favourite quote or words that resonates with you the most? TC: One that has stuck with me for years is “It is what it is 'til it ain't” sung by Mac Miller in a song called “What's the use?”. I am not exactly sure why, but I believe it has something to do with the fact that I am mainly emotionally driven, and I don't like big changes in my personal life. I suppose then the line "it is what it is 'till it ain't” reminds me of the fact that nothing in life lasts forever, that it's OK and that I just have to live in the moment and appreciate what I have while it lasts. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration to photograph? TC: I suppose my inspiration comes from the fact that certain types of images can evoke in me feelings and emotions of nostalgia, happiness and/or sadness. I find that absolutely mesmerizing and I want to be able to take such photographs as well. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? TC: I wouldn't say that I have a particular favourite photographer that has influenced my style but rather the ability of certain photographs to evoke variety of feelings and to communicate emotions. TPL: Since you have only just begun your photography journey, how would you describe your style and what else would you like to explore in the future? TC: I believe the core of my photography will remain the same even in the long run...the desire to capture warm, positive and old-school looking photographs that can evoke and embody feelings and sentiments of happiness, nostalgia and the good old days' vibe. However, there are some other styles and types of photography that I also want to explore in the future, such as a bit more intimate form of photography or shooting in a studio and working with fashion models etc. The line “it is what it is 'till it ain't” reminds me of the fact that nothing in life lasts forever, that it's OK and that I just have to live in the moment and appreciate what I have while it lasts. TPL: Where is your favourite place(s) to photograph? TC: So far, I have only been photographing on the streets of Bristol, but I would love to go and take photographs in places such as Prague, Manchester, Lisbon, Edinburgh and Berlin. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone else just starting out? TC: I suppose it might become more important in the future depending on what kind of photographs I will want to take and how, and of what quality. Having said that, I don't think I need any special or expensive equipment to do what I do right now. I believe one doesn't need to have a super fancy camera to be able to just go out, explore, have a good time and take decent photographs. To someone who is just starting out or thinking about starting, I'd say, your equipment doesn't really matter. I myself shoot with an older inexpensive compact camera, and I couldn't be happier. Just go out and take photos on anything you have that shoots. If you fall deeper for photography and would want to take it to a higher level, then start thinking a bit more about getting a better camera. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on? TC: I am currently working on a platform called "Laid Back Visuals" which I hope one day will become a sort of feature magazine for like-minded photographers with a similar style to mine on Instagram. I find it somewhat frustrating to see that the majority of street photography platforms out there tend to mainly focus on abstract, high contrast and fancy looking street photographs. There are so many talented people out there who understand and portray street photography in a similar fashion as I do but it feels as if there aren't enough platforms to showcase such work. So, I would like to change that. TPL: “If I wasn't photographing what would I be doing? TC: If I wasn't photographing in my spare time, I'd most likely just watch movies all the time...I love movies.” 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.

CROSSINGS Tony Reddrop shares his series of photographs reflecting mystery and anonymity of the people in a rural town in New Zealand. CROSSINGS November 16, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Tony Reddrop INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Life is full of unexpected turns, and for Tony Reddrop, that turn came in his late thirties. Tony had been working for years, and as he grew a little bit older and wiser, he decided to take a leap of faith. He left his job and embraced his newfound passion for photography. It was a blessing in disguise, and it has led Tony to great success and recognition. Tony's work has been featured in Australia, New Zealand and internationally in all types of media forms. His bodies of work are held in several institutions in Australia, and it has attracted the attention of many. His series of images CROSSINGS reflect the people of a small semi-rural town in New Zealand he lives in, and the light and shadow of his images tell a story of mystery and anonymity. The journey of Tony Reddrop is inspiring and will surely leave an impression. What he has been able to capture through his lens is truly remarkable and unique. From the hustle and bustle of a big city to the quietness of a small rural town, Tony Reddrop continues to share his story through his beautifully composed images. “I kept observing people walking across certain crossings in town at different times of the day when the light was really mellow (glowing) and noticed many people were wearing really great colours, that blended with the crossings and the backgrounds. The way I shoot a lot of the time, under exposed and not fully showing the person, worked really well, so I kept going back to the different locations, which when you live in a small town of 90,000 people, is not a lot. The idea of the series is how you can live in a town for years, but not really feel you know the people, who are just passing mysterious shadow figures. The images in the series show an insight into what could be something darker, lying just under the surface, that has become increasingly more visible in the town, health, and social issues.” IN CONVERSATION WITH TONY REDDROP THE PICTORIAL LIST: Tony please tell us about yourself? When did you start getting into photography? TONY REDDROP: I am an Australian photographer (from Melbourne originally) living in the North Island of New Zealand for the past 12 years. I am also a dad to three girls, so juggling time has become an art form. I started photography later in life, in early 2000, did some short courses at tech, was a wedding photographer's assistant (didn’t last long), then a commercial photographer's assistant, did some more formal college study (two goes at that), then some time at press photography, starting at local papers, working up to the daily's. So it would be fair to say, I had done and tried a bit of everything, before finding what I wanted to do, documentary and portrait photography. Add to all the above a few years spent walking the streets of Melbourne taking photos of people and whatever interested me, usually light and shadow, all on black and white film. I tend to look and observe, and capture images when something catches my eye, the light, shapes, shadows, colour, or interesting people, things that would make a great environmental portrait, or stories that can make great documentary. I usually don’t take a lot of images every time I am out shooting, and I shoot to the mood of the area I am in. I have exhibited my work since 2000, mainly solo shows, in Australia and New Zealand, and have bodies of work held in collections of various national and state organisations in Australia. I have shown work at international photo festivals and had my work featured on radio, television, and in print. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration to photograph? TR: I mainly find inspiration from things I see, and people I meet in everyday life. Also inspiration from the many different photographers on Instagram who are doing longer term projects. TPL: Is there anything you want to express through your photography? And what are some of the elements you always try to include in your photographs? TR: Humanity and what we are really seeing in the images of the people. Colour, light and shadows, a story... TPL: Do you prefer to photograph alone or with friends? TR: Always alone. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? TR: I made a point of not looking at photography books, for the first couple of years, so I would not be influenced by others. Believe in yourself! Because you must always believe in your talent, it gives you the strength to keep going. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? TR: My style has changed over the years, the biggest shift has been in the past six years, after returning to photography, after an eight year hiatus. Images I take now are mostly colour, and have even more contrast than when I first started. I now tend to look and observe more, shoot less, but more quality, and if it's not happening, I don’t worry. TPL: How does the equipment you use help you in achieving your vision in your photography? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? TR: I use (as I always have) a prime lens (23 mm/35 mm equivalent) and mirrorless cameras. I have used SLRs. All usually set around f2.8. Looking like a tourist or a happy snapper, helps me to fit in, is less intrusive. TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? TR: Melbourne City. So much going on, and the light, and the surrounding suburbs... TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? TR: Over the summer break, I want to start documenting the major change to a small rural town of 700 people. It is having a railway freight hub built just outside the town, like 800 yards out of town. The freight hub will be 7 km long, operating 24/7, so the noise, light pollution etc, is going to change peoples' lives forever. Add to this a new ring road to bring big trucks to the rail yard, that will run through or close to the town. Paradise lost. TPL: What are some of your goals as an artist? Where do you see yourself or hope to see yourself in five years? TR: Publish a book, or books. Get the funding to do so. Getting and doing commissioned work and projects, globally. Major public exhibitions, globally. Getting a web page up (aaah the money). Family first too. A financial patron, who is involved in the arts. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I (like to)... TR: Stay at home spending time with the family, watching good documentaries and films.” 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.

CURIOUS BY NATURE Felicia Olivares is interested in people and the places where they live, going about their daily activities in their social environment. CURIOUS BY NATURE May 17, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Felicia Olivares INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE We are surrounded by unique stories that add a unique flavor to our lives. Everyone has a story to tell us. It could be of joy and sorrow, of struggle and success, of love and loss. We may not always remember these stories, but they remain a part of us - a part of our culture and identity that brings us together as people. Felicia Olivares has made it her mission to capture the stories of the people and places where they live. Through her work as a photographer, she is able to document the daily activities of people in their social environment, giving us a glimpse into the lives of others in ways we might not have seen before. From capturing the beauty of nature to the hardships of everyday life, Felicia’s lens brings us closer to understanding the diversity of human experiences. In this interview for The Pictorial List, we will explore the work of Felicia Olivares and learn how she uses photography to capture the stories of people and places around the world. We will also delve into her journey as an artist, and how her passion for people and places has shaped her work. So join us as we take a journey through Felicia’s photography and discover the stories that make us unique. “Everyone has a story to tell us...we like it more or we like it less. Photography is the magic tool that can capture that unique moment.” IN CONVERSATION WITH FELICIA OLIVARES THE PICTORIAL LIST: Felicia, could you please tell us when you first became interested in photography? FELICIA OLIVARES: When I was a teenager, next to books there was also a camera in my environment, belonging to my older brother. I used to torture my friends by taking pictures of them. TPL: Where do you find your inspiration? FO: In real life and in my imagination. I tend to think of situations, places and moments and create scenes that I photograph. I am curious by nature. And above all I enjoy looking at the work of classic photographers from the 1940s, 50s and 60s. I am very interested in their work and life. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? FO: As a teenager, the first photographer to impact me the most was Cristina García Rodero. Her photos are magical, like taken from a world I had never seen or imagined. She was the one who marked the beginning. And I started to look for and be interested in other photographers... of course, the founders of Magnum and all the other members who were joining the agency. They brought photography to the street and directly to the lives of ordinary people. I especially love Josef Koudelka and his lifestyle, Bruno Barbey, Martin Parr. And a Spanish photographer that fascinates me, among others, is Carlos Pérez Siquier. But the list is long and almost infinite because also through Instagram I have met impressive photographers. TPL: Describe your style. FO: Frankly I don't know if I have my own style, because many topics interest me, and I see and treat every one of them differently. In reality I follow my instinct. Every day is different, and I do not always feel the same. Everything changes all the time. TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? FO: Always outside, in any place or situation that catches my attention Curiosity, motivation and observation. See with your own criteria, without prejudice and be relaxed about it. TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a 'good' photographer? What’s your tips or advice for someone in your genre? FO: Curiosity, motivation and observation. See with your own criteria, without prejudice and be relaxed about it. Even if I don't have the camera with me, I like to look like I have it and I always capture moments. We actually see in slow motion because an instant lasts only tenths of a second and the difficulty is in capturing it. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the artistic world before photography? FO: Since I was a child, I drew, painted and designed. Later, in high school, instead of going, - not always - (laugh), I drew the teachers or whatever came to mind (my student books were full of them). TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? FO: Yes it is, but you don't necessarily have to have super expensive equipment. To my understanding a manageable camera with good optics, at least in my case, is enough. It depends on what type of photographer you are and what you do exactly. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? FO: Bodies and faces of the elderly. that time when the inner age does not correspond to the body, but shows in the eyes. We turn our backs to the elderly and on a life-stage that is full of wisdom and also of great satisfaction. With my photos I want to look at old age with dignity and admiration. TPL: "If I wasn't photographing what would I be doing... FO: I would be a gardener and a goldsmith. And always adventurous." PORTFOLIO 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 RESILIENT BRONX As the pandemic swept through the outer boroughs of New York City, Pan turned his focus to the Bronx — venturing out to document the everyday lives, struggles, and strength of his community in a time of crisis. August 27, 2021 PICTORIAL STORY photography PAN story PAN introduction BILL LACEY SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link In August 2021, with most New Yorkers vaccinated and its streets returning to life, it’s tempting to consider a full return to normal even as many countries on the globe struggle to vaccinate their populations before variants wreak havoc. It is too early to fully understand how the pandemic has changed the way we think, see, and listen. Early on, when New York was in truly desperate shape and the pandemic raged in the outer boroughs of New York City, the photographer known as Pan ventured out to document his neighborhood, the Bronx. His pictures and story document his very personal journey to understand the effects of the pandemic on his community. The Bronx fights a pandemic and for its people. In March 2020, news of an epidemic arrived, and then news of ensuing closures of businesses. I went to the taqueria down the block for what might be the last time. I chatted with the owner and two other gentlemen waiting for tortas. “They are not thinking about us here. What are we going to do?” Someone I know made his escape upstate. “But there’s nothing else that can be done.” “No, no, no. Something must be done.” I decided to take on a project, of walking around the Bronx, to every neighborhood my feet would take me, and photographing the scenes of loss, hope, trouble, and resilience. For thirty days, from May 10 to June 8, every day, I walked the streets, looking......looking for messages of resilience...looking for memorials to those who succumbed...looking for people who were getting by...looking for corners where normal life flickered on. With the quarantine, barbers got enterprising and took their business any way they could. As I mentioned about the barber shop, getting a shave and a cut is meaningful to men in the Bronx in a way outsiders might not understand. A quarantine could not lock down that essential part of the culture. So, a lot of barbers had to hide in parks or under bridges or wherever to serve their clientele. I respect the spirit of doing what needs to be done, and also the optimism of my friend who is getting a touch-up here, who didn’t let the quarantine get in the way of looking good. In Devoe Park, there is a woman just exercising, shooting hoops. Except, the police took away the hoop. In March, the police immediately took down the nets and sometimes even the hoops in basketball courts in the Bronx, citing the need to discourage social gatherings. Yet, when I went into Manhattan during the spring, the basketball courts were intact, and games were taking place. We all hear calls from government and media to consider social distancing, wear masks, think of public health, but that the enforcement of policies to encourage public health would be meted out along blatantly racial lines is one of the most discouraging elements of the response to COVID-19. That basketball would be acceptable to white people in Manhattan, but discouraged for people of color in the Bronx, does an enormous amount of damage to the entire program to overcome the disease. It sends out distrust of the message as yet another racist message imposed by authorities, as yet another means to control and limit the life of people in this community who are just trying to get by. I was walking by in Bedford Park and saw a woman wearing a wonderfully timely shirt. Her son is a basketball coach, but with the closing of schools, he had to turn to other means to work up some money, so he was designing and screen printing these t-shirts, and selling them, with the help of his mother. I love that kind of spirit in response to the disaster that was imposed on the people of the Bronx. When I took the photograph, a guy told me, “She’s the real deal, that’s my aunt.” During Memorial Weekend, in the Morris Park neighborhood. Spring was chilly in New York, and that weekend was the first that was reliably warm and pleasant. It was two months into the quarantine, and people were anxious to get out and just live. I walked all the way to Orchard Beach that day and saw parts of the Bronx very different from the neighborhoods I am familiar with, such as this one. The people here could not be more different than me, but we all had the same desire, to enjoy the sun. Then... Two weeks into my sojourn, George Floyd was coldly murdered in Minnesota. Here in the Bronx, people took to the streets. On these streets, people were speaking out, marching, saying their names, and showing their faces. Here are voices that demand to be heard, messages that demand to be read, demands that can no longer be ignored. There is Japanese saying, “fall down seven times, get up eight.” We all need words to get us through, get by, and keep on going in these tough times. It’s as simple as that. © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan © Pan As we slowly come out of the pandemic and begin to rebuild our lives and communities, it is important to remember the devastation of the past year and reflect on the lessons we have learned. Pan's personal journey to document the effects of the pandemic on his community is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, and of our interconnectedness in the face of adversity. view Pan's portfolio Read an interview with Pan >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> 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 DOMESTIC WASTELAND Domestic Wasteland is Vin Sharma’s raw and honest visual diary, documenting her family’s life during the global pandemic. Through intimate moments and everyday scenes, she captures the tension and transformation of a household navigating uncertainty. February 25, 2020 PICTORIAL STORY photography VIN SHARMA-TIMON story KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link The urban spaces of New York City changed significantly during the Global Pandemic. Sidewalks once filled with pedestrians not afraid to knock elbows with a friendly smile, became vacant solitary spaces where distance was mandated and the masked smile became the New Normal . As spaces once open for public use began to close, more restrictions were imposed, and city dwellers had to adapt to these changes. Everyone deals with change in different ways, some finding it more challenging than others. For Vin Sharma Timon, one particular day marks the beginning of her photographic documentary Domestic Wasteland . An authentic portrait of a family and their personal journey. It is a visual diary of the minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, they shared, and how that strains the best of relationships. Vin depicts with complete candor the emotions and feelings her family confronted and had to learn to manage in new and difficult times of uncertainty. I asked Vin to paint a picture of what it was like at home prior to the restrictions and confinement of the Pandemic. What was the New Normal ? What was a day in the life of the Sharma-Timon family like on any given day before the pandemic. “I often wonder what the norm was before the pandemic. Or if there is such a thing. Sometimes we feel like your typical Brooklyn family. We have a pet; we walk everywhere we need to go. We are a mixed-race family, and we encourage our children to be open. Normally, we stop to chat with our neighbors and are thankful for the local bodega. We have books in every room; we have a quaint stoop for outdoor people watching. We dance in our kitchen and manage to share our evening meals together.” Vin may have had trouble describing Normal , but she easily depicted what was normal and what was not! Sometimes this is the best way to understand change. “I know what the norm was not. Before the pandemic, it was not dreading getting out of bed every morning. It was not crying late at night with an empty bottle of wine (or two) in a bathroom with the lights turned off. It was not binge-watching reality shows on a Monday evening, ordering cases of evaporated milk and toilet paper. The norm was not wiping down groceries (I did this) and ordering 50lb bags of flour because suddenly, I became a bread maker. In the last 23 months, I have baked bread twice and refuse to discuss sourdough starters. Though I still dance in my kitchen with my children.” Vin found one change in their living patterns and daily routines and customs to be perhaps the most profound. Once real connections were made with physicality, playing, hugging, touching. These connections are now made virtually, where an image on a screen replaces the hug, and is the hand you hold. For Vin, “The norm before the pandemic was not being separated from extended family members, unable to visit them, unable to grieve with them. Suddenly, our local friends and our neighbors became a lifeline.” Vin remembers this day, “March 16th, 2020, was the day I began documenting life at home with my family. NYC schools officially closed their doors due to the global pandemic and our lives were hurled into an abyss of madness. Lockdown, shelter in place, quarantine, remote learning - these became commonplace concepts in an ocean of uncertainty.” These new daily living adjustments are not small and insignificant but require much patience and diligence to practice. A family must find the resources to help establish new processes and routines. Combine this with different personalities and the dynamics of relationships between family members, it can create an atmosphere of frustration, and agitation leading to discontent. Vin shares with us her genuine experience and thoughts during this time. “Sometimes, I don't like my family. Mostly I love them, even admire them. We are a group of four who have become so intertwined in a very complex way during the last 33 months. What has happened during this time? Need I ask? The pandemic paved the way for puppies, plants, kitchen gadgets and a complete loss of self. I have become so wrapped up in the lives of my family, that I no longer understand where I fit in. I observe, I record. Yet I am not in the frame. My perceptions are there, stamped on every single moment, but the visual sense of 'me' is absent, except in the way I perceive the people closest to me.” Vin’s story investigates feeling lost and alone even when surrounded by people. Like a super colony, it is hard to move or think independently. For every action, a reaction. Like a pebble cast in water, the ripples spread far and wide, affecting far more than the spot it dropped. Loneliness can be experienced in many different ways as Vin describes the beginning of her day. “Waking up, placing our feet on the ground and beginning the walk that leads us to the day is no longer a mundane routine. It is a feat of greatness, an act of courage. Anything more than that is a bonus.” Vin shares her honest opinion, thoughts that are not always nice, but unavoidable when confronted with the intricacies and complexities of ‘Shelter in place’. “It cannot be normal to live with the same humans every minute of every day, every week, every month, every year. With little relief. I am so tired. We are all so tired. Yet, within the uncertainty, there is a deep appreciation for life and for contemplation.” Another huge adjustment Vin and her family had to make was remote learning, new home schoolers. Confronted with a new set of challenges, their home became their new schoolhouse. “Our entire apartment functioned as a school room. Literally, Brooklyn apartments do not always offer families the generosity of indoor space. I have seen our bathroom floor serve as a reading space, wiped the kitchen table down after a science experiment, seen my 12-year-old check in for attendance from the comfort of his bed. I’ve watched my 9-year-old, lying face down on the floor with an open laptop, her camera off while eating lollipops for breakfast. Welcome to pandemic schooling.” Roles in the family changed, one day Vin was a mother, the next day she was a teacher. Her children were just siblings, playing and quarreling like siblings often do, until the school day began and then they became classmates. This brought new complexities and challenges for her two young children. Vin tells us what it was like for her, and her children transitioning between roles. “Becoming a teacher and managing remote learning was a disaster. ‘Shitshow’ is the word that comes to mind. The constant questions of ‘when can we meet for a zoom call’? became tedious. Sure, anytime is a good time because every time is a bad time. No certainty of schedule, no idea about how many apps would be required in order to read a single day’s homework, no clue as to how to connect with peers. No one hated remote learning more than parents and guardians who stayed at home with their little people, all day, every day. As classmates, my children were either embracing each other or screaming at the top of their lungs. We did our best to give them space and a chance to take a break when they needed to. Who knows what the long-term effects of remote school are.” In the middle of the chaos, there is the rock, the sound of reason. When everything is going wrong, there is always one person that stands in front of the fan, catching all the debris. This was her husband’s role. For Vin and her family, he was the person they relied on to keep the peace, to mend any fences, and to be the voice of reason in a time that seemed to have none. “My husband’s role was honestly much the same as it always was - a source of support, a foundation. He really does insist that he carried on much the same way as before the pandemic. Interestingly enough, I agree with him. The only major change was that we somehow reconnected. We had begun to rely on our own separate schedules before the pandemic, busy with our own activities - him with his work and, oftentimes, me with the children. The pandemic offered a change to that, as well as presenting us with a challenge. For the first time since our first child was born, we were thrust together in close quarters. It has been a simple connection that we somehow lost along the way.” Life changed for Vin and her family, but these changes brought some unexpected connections. The table has become an important place for the family during the pandemic. Vin and her family now share their table embracing the importance of this simple but intimate gesture, of sharing food, nourishment, and family conversations. Vin talks about the ‘value of silence and reflection’. I asked Vin how this applies to their time together during confinement. What did Vin and her family learn, what was their takeaway as a family? “Before the pandemic, we were always busy. There was always something to do, somewhere to go, someone to talk to. Now, that value of silence and reflection has become meaningful, not to mention essential. Particularly when it’s applied to our sense of wellbeing. What was once taken for granted is now sought after - moments of quiet, time to sit and read a book or pick up a real newspaper, time to enjoy nothing but being present. Taking the time to accept the value of being alone at times. In terms of how this all applies to our time together as a family, it’s allowed us to trust each other. It’s given us time to allow for individual space, to respect personal boundaries and to help each other without having to speak. An embrace, a kiss on the cheek, a squeeze of the hand - I have learned how wonderful and heartfelt these gestures can be and how much more important they are now.” What is the reflection that helps them move forward? “We move forward as we have been the last two years - one day at a time. Doing our best not to rush, not to worry. Which of course, is nearly impossible when you are living through a pandemic. Most of all, I am confident in accepting that we need each other. I need the people I love. My family needs me. We are connected and that connection extends to friends who I miss terribly. I miss the kisses on soft cheeks; I miss the warmth of my friend’s arms and the sound of their laughter in my ears. We move forward with the promise that new kisses, new embraces and newfound laughter will be waiting for us. As the story continues to unfold, I find myself holding on to a tremendous love of life and all that we hold dear. What was once mundane is now a point of interest. What we took for granted is now in the spotlight. This is an unraveling of our collective domestic wasteland.” © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma © Vin Sharma Life continues, and so will the Sharma-Timon’s stories. The obstacles along the way will be hurdled and they all will cross the finish line one day. For the Sharma-Timon family, it is the journey that will create the landscapes of their future and make the connections that will last a lifetime. view Vin's portfolio Read an interview with Vin >>> Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> 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.

A Czech self-proclaimed starting photographer based in Bristol, trying to capture the beauty in every day, the mundane and living in the present. To me, photography is all about emotions and feelings and creating photographs that evoke and reflect the sentiments and feelings of warmth, happiness and memories but also sadness, nostalgia and emptiness. TOMAS CIHAK A Czech self-proclaimed starting photographer based in Bristol, trying to capture the beauty in every day, the mundane and living in the present. To me, photography is all about emotions and feelings and creating photographs that evoke and reflect the sentiments and feelings of warmth, happiness and memories but also sadness, nostalgia and emptiness. LOCATION Bristol UNITED KINGDOM CAMERA/S Panasonic Lumix LX100 @TOMCIHAK FEATURES // Living in the Moment

HUMANS IN MOTION Shawn Byron Danker is a Singapore based photographer who focuses primarily on physical manifestations of humans in motion in urban settings. HUMANS IN MOTION September 11, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Shawn Byron Danker INTERVIEW Karin Svadlenak Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Shawn Byron Danker is a Singapore based photographer who has been shooting professionally since 2006. To Shawn the cityscape is a physical manifestation of the very human tension between what is and what ought to be, and also the moral tension between what merely appears to be and what is unspoken. This constant double tension infuses Shawn’s photography, which both celebrates and rehabilitates the contemporary spaces and humans in their urban habitat. Shawn challenges himself to create and recreate this double vision in each new series he embarks upon, to help audiences become aware of the natural, the undiscussed, the undisputed, the implicit – and to ultimately reflect and question them. Shawn´s pictures have been showcased in publications in Bangladesh, France, Japan, the Philippines, and Singapore. Shawn has also held two exhibitions in Singapore. “I was born and raised in Singapore. I got into photography as a kid because I always wanted to create beautiful work that would make people stop to look at the story in front of them. My bread and butter is photojournalism so I use the storytelling skills I developed there in every other genre of photography I work in.” IN CONVERSATION WITH SHAWN BYRON DANKER THE PICTORIAL LIST: You have shared your photo project SHALL WE DANCE with us. What gave you the idea of photographing street dancers and turning it into a long-term project? SHAWN BYRON DANKER: I was in the middle of finishing up my second exhibition in Singapore when I started thinking about what would be the subject for my next show. I decided that I wanted to do something fun since my previous two shows were about dour and serious subject matter. I have always loved watching the human form and enjoyed dance as a spectator, but I felt I lacked the skills to properly photograph dance. After my second show ended, I felt I was now ready to take on the challenge so I decided I was going to use every trick I had ever learned to put my own spin on photographing dance. I wanted to mesh genres to hopefully create something new...I set out to show the world that dance and dance photography is more than just ballet. What you are now seeing with this body of work, is the fruit of that resolve. The plan is to eventually take this body of work and turn it into a traveling exhibit and coffee table book. TPL: In your street dance photographs, you pay a lot of attention to the setting. How do you pick a location, what criteria do you employ? SBD: The art direction’s mandate for this series is that the location should matter within the composition. The setting helps set the mood and reveal character. The negative space around the dancer should enhance their presence and impart a richer meaning into the frame. I also tell my dancers that they are not dancing in a vacuum; they should be using their bodies to tell a story of how the scene makes them feel. I use a lot of film theory when I look for locations and plan my shoots. I look for anything that helps build an engaging mise-en-scene, so that can range from the quality of light and shadow, the colors, but most importantly the shapes and forms that the structures impart to the scene. Working on this series has taught me to look at a location in front of me and see it as it could be. From there I start to figure out how I would compose the shot. Do I go for a composition using juxtaposition and or do I want to convey a sense of scale and perspective? It all depends on how all these factors come together while I look at what is in front of me and figure out if I can somehow add some visual tension into the shot. Sometimes it can take me years to finally figure out how to best use a location for maximum visual impact. TPL: You have told us that contextualizing your photos matters to you. Does it make a difference what type of dance genre you are shooting? For example, if you are shooting ballet, do you try to select different locations from when you are shooting street? SBD: Many people will argue otherwise but I see the series as a form of street photography because I apply a lot of street sensibilities into the composition. That is why context matters in my composition. Context helps to make a shot more engaging. The more engaging a shot is, the longer your eye will linger upon it to drink it all in and make for a richer viewing experience. For ballet, I look for locations that juxtapose the environment against the ballet dancer’s etherealness; soft versus hard. When I am looking to create something with an emphasis on pronounced statuesque shapes (think Rodin’s thinker) I bring in a contemporary dancer. I tell my jazz dancers that I want them to seduce and invite their audiences into their parlour like how a femme fatale would in film noir. For pole dance I tell the dancers to tone down the overt raunchiness and play up their physicality. Pole dance audiences tend to focus on the dancer’s sexiness and not how amazingly fit they really are. I want to break the negative stereotype associated with the genre. The photos you see may not show it, but some dance genres are a lot more difficult to shoot than you think. This Melbourne break-dance crew had plenty of energy to bounce off one another so I decided to use that to my advantage. I had some of them dance while their other crew mates were egging them on from behind the window, pretending to be spectators. Dancers from left to right: Michael Fox (@bboyflyinfoxy.rhf), Emmy Li (@ramenloverli), Andrew Mcintosh (@anndramcin) and Fauntine Lariba (@bgirlfontz) Josh Glavin (@joshglavin) tap dancing at an artificial waterfall in Tokyo. Scottish Dancer Natalie Smith (@nattts_dance) dancing Fosse style in a parking lot in Tokyo. Break dancer Syafiq Junior (@stylejoinsrhythm) leaning into Robot Love a mural by artist Sonny Liew in Singapore. Jazz dancer Angeline Chin (@angelineychin) on a stairway to heaven in Melbourne. Jazz dancer Kelly jams outside an Izakaya in Toranomon Tokyo. Wrecking Ball: Finding a pole dancer like Yoshimi Higo (@hkanon1112) who is both proficient and confident enough to take on the challenge of dancing outside the dance studio is a massive challenge in itself. Popping is a difficult genre to shoot because it's difficult to show the muscles popping while the dancer is moving so Shawn opts to focus on the dancers´ shapes instead. Popper Ryosuke Inagaki (ryosuke_1974) is juxtaposed here against the oldest part of Tokyo, Kanda City. TPL: Which dance genre do you think is the hardest to photograph then? SBD: It depends. To be frank, Dane Shitagi made a very pertinent point when he said that dance is best consumed in video form. This is because dance is a continuous sequence of movements. What I am doing as a dance photographer is akin to what sketch artists do when they draw gesture: capturing a movement to express emotion and motion. I love watching ballet but it can be a pain to shoot because of how perfectionist ballet dancers can be. Contemporary can be very challenging to audiences who have no dance training because they lack the dance vocabulary that would allow them to understand what they are looking at. But genre wise I would say the hardest ones to shoot are popping and pole dance. Popping is naturally stiff looking and you are confronted with this conundrum: how do you show your subjects popping their muscles while they keep their shirts on? I solved this little problem by directing the dancer to give me shapes and lines that identifies the genre to the viewer. Pole dance is hard because of two things: The logistics involved and the competency of the dancer. I do not use those portable poles that pole dancers sometimes use because I want the pole dancer to use what is within the natural urban environment. When I shoot pole dance, the first thing that I have to do is find a street sign that is situated in an interesting location. Then I have to find a pole dancer who is confident enough to be able to dance using a street sign instead of what they are used to in the dance studio. Finally after meeting these two conditions, I have to hope and pray that the conditions on the ground are favorable when we finally head there to shoot. That is why my very first pole dance themed shot took me five years to create. Popping is naturally stiff looking and you are confronted with this conundrum: how do you show your subjects popping their muscles while they keep their shirts on? I solved this problem by directing the dancer to give me shapes and lines that identifies the genre to the viewer. TPL: Do you in a way “choreograph” the dances you shoot? Meaning, do you tell the dancers what to do, or do you let them do their thing and just shoot? SBD: When I started on this series, I used to come into the shoots with a preconceived move that I wanted the dancer to do for the shot. I slowly began to realize as I gained more experience, that the best shots I ever got was when I let the dancer freestyle their moves. Doing this really let them improvise and inject their own personality into their movements instead of being boxed in by a specific expectation. I keep a large store of researched imagery on hand to show the dancers if they need some ideas, but I tell them to always put their own spin on their inspiration and make the shot/move theirs. For the most part I intentionally keep the art direction vague. I tell the dancers that they are free to do what feels right to them as long as I see shapes, lines or extensions. From there we make whatever adjustments are needed to improve the shot. The biggest breakthrough I have had was the realization that dance is not just about movement. Dance is also about what Jay Maisel and sketch artists would call gesture. The more engaging a shot is, the longer your eye will linger upon it to drink it all in and make for a richer viewing experience. TPL: In many of your photos there are dancers performing incredible leaps and twirls, and there are passers by seemingly unconcerned with what is happening. How does that happen? Do people not stop to ask what is going on, or at least to watch the action? SBD: Well they look unaware because they are usually on their way to wherever their life is taking them. Occasionally some of them stop to watch or ask what is going on. There has been a few times where we get an audience while we work who either applaud or smile at us while remarking “beautiful”, but that mostly happens when the passers by actually stop to pay attention to what is going on. TPL: Other than in dance, where do you find your inspiration? What else do you like to photograph? SBD: I find a lot of inspiration from video games, comics and movies. Some of my composition ideas come from movies by Denis Villeneuve, Wes Anderson or Akira Kurosawa. I also get a lot of ideas for my battle style dance photos from the Ryu Ga Gotoku (Like a Dragon or Yakuza) series. The cinematics in that game series contain some amazing dynamic cinematography. I love photographing street when I get the chance. It helps to hone my eye while helping me to relax. TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? SBD: I adore Platon and Moriyama. Little Shao has been a constant source of inspiration for dance related photography. He is constantly trying new things with dance and street instead of repeating the same thing over and over. With regard to who has influenced my style the most. It is a combination of people. Akira Kurosawa’s movies taught me how to add a sense of kinetics into a shot by incorporating motion with stillness within my compositions. Film Noir, like the Maltese Falcon, gave me my love of using light and shadow for drama in my compositions. But my college friend, Dena, taught me the most important lesson I ever had to learn as a photographer: “Even if the shot is not technically perfect, you should find a way to make it work for you anyway.” It’s a philosophy that I have held close to my heart ever since she said it to me. She is the reason why I am not a technical photographer. I look for emotion and I shoot by feel. That is why my style tends to be very emotive. Is ballet dancer Catherine Donato (@catdonato) real or simply a part of the graffiti on Hosier Lane in Melbourne? Urban Dancer Alley Kerr (@alleykerr) takes a leap of faith while riding the subway in Tokyo. Breakdancer Takeo Okamoto (bboykamo1130) plays a trickster on a subway platform in Tokyo. This guy was outside Shibuya station posing for the cameras and I knew I just had to get a shot of him because he actually made his costume light up! In the end I asked him for 2 shots. Parkour Athlete Hikari Izumi (@hhhhi02) in Tokyo shows us how women can do anything that boys can. Daniel Sonic Rojas (@danielsonicrojas) works some parkour in Singapore. "Teardrop": Contemporary dancer Darnell Williams (@darnyyy_) is statuesque in the halls of the Harumi Futo in Tokyo. Aussie dancer Jess Page (@jesslbepage) decided to have some fun with this space in Tokyo. What camera/s do you use? Do you have a preferred lens/focal length? My workhorse is my Canon 1DX and the 24-70mm f2.8 lens. It is fast and it lets me break down the dancers' movements frame by frame to find the best moments. The zoom length also gives me a lot of freedom and allows me to work quickly without having to waste time trying to figure out whether a wide angle or telephoto lens would work better. For situations that require stealth and discretion, I switch to my Fuji X100F. It is silent and is the perfect walk around camera because its compact size does not intimidate people on the street at all. TPL: Are there any special projects, other than the long-term documentary on street dance, that you are currently working on? SBD: I have a few. The other book that I am working on simultaneously with SHALL WE DANCE is THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. It is a body of work where I am shooting revelers on the street during Shibuya Halloween. Halloween in Shibuya is like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, but with costumes. I thought it would be fun to showcase the Japanese take on Halloween. I am also shooting PARKOUR as a spin off from SHALL WE DANCE; I take what I am doing with dance but apply it to parkour instead. Another project that I am working on has me photographing the architecture of public housing buildings. And I have a portrait series called WAR PAINT where I photograph headshots of wrestlers as they emote: a sight that wrestling fans never get to see up close. One day if I ever get the chance, I would love to do something with cosplay. TPL: “When I am not out photographing, I like to… SBD: Either look at other street photographers to research locations I would like to shoot dancers with or chill out and play some video games. Or eat. Because I have a weakness for food.” 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.

AUTHENTIC MOMENTS Vicki Windman shows us the beauty in the everyday details of her immediate world, no matter how mundane it may appear at first glance. AUTHENTIC MOMENTS June 10, 2020 INTERVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY Vicki Windman INTERVIEW Melanie Meggs Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link SHARE Originally hailing from New York, Vicki Windman is a now Boston-based photographer with an eye for the artistry of everyday life. Working mainly on the streets of her hometown, Vicki is passionate about capturing the beauty of small, seemingly mundane moments that often go unnoticed. She has a gift for finding unexpected beauty in her immediate world, inviting her audience to explore the often overlooked aspects of the city and its inhabitants. Through her lens, we come to appreciate the richness of a single moment, the texture of city life, and the grace found in its everyday miracles. “My dad was an amateur photographer, he had a great eye for irony. After an injury I had to come up with a way to find happiness, I had a mirrorless camera and decided to take a class...that was it I was hooked.” IN CONVERSATION WITH VICKI WINDMAN THE PICTORIAL LIST: Vicki, where do you find your inspiration to photograph? VICKI WINDMAN: I find my inspiration on the streets. I fell in love with Coney Island because of its authenticity. I felt like time stood still and memories flooded back to simpler times. I also love people. I love engaging with the people I meet. Sometimes I just snap...other times I banter. TPL: Has your style of photographing changed since you first started? VW: I think there is continuity in my style. I am willing to take more chances now and try different techniques. I have also slowed down looking more for the decisive moment. TPL: Do you have a quote or saying that fires you up? VW: "Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith." - Steve Jobs TPL: Do you have any favourite artists or photographers you would like to share with us, and the reason for their significance? VW: Hands down Vivian Maier is my favorite photographer. I also love Diane Arbus, Helen Levitt, Elliott Erwitt and Martin Parr. I think Vivian Maier influenced me the most because of who she was and how she looked at people, especially children. TPL: Where is your favourite place to photograph? VW: Coney Island, Williamsburg and now that I have moved to Boston I think it will be Revere Beach. I grew up with a very talented mother who is a designer. I believe her eye and my dad's humor groomed me for the art world. TPL: What characteristics do you think you need to become a good photographer? What’s your tips or advice for someone in your genre? VW: I believe to become a good photographer you need to take pictures everyday. Take chances...life is short...so go with your gut. I am a street photographer. The best tip I can give is practice asking people - you have to smile- though right now is more difficult because of COVID. TPL: Have you ever been involved in the arts before photography? VW: Photography has been my first experience in the art world. TPL: Do you think equipment is important in achieving your vision in your photography? What would you say to someone just starting out? VW: I have bought and sold so many cameras until I found two that work for me. So yes the equipment has helped me with my vision. If I had the opportunity to talk to someone first starting out I would suggest a camera without so many bells and whistles. I started with my iPhone. I also think if you want to learn take a class just in learning how to use your camera. TPL: Are there any special projects you are currently working on that you would like to let everyone know about? VW: Right now I am documenting COVID - I hope I can photograph it in a different slant than others. TPL: “If I wasn't photographing what would I be doing?... VW: This is a great question! I honestly don’t know what I would be doing as I am limited physically. My other passion is technology so I probably would be engaging more in the world of apps.” 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.

I grew up in New Jersey, USA and New York City. I have currently been living in Santiago, Chile for the past three years. I have been photographing off and on since the age of 17. I graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts (Rutgers University, New Jersey) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography in 1998. I pride myself in the ability to find emotional resonance in the ordinary. I prefer photography that is intentionally vague with a mysterious tone of ambiguity that leaves room for a wide-ranging interpretation. I am just not concerned with conventional narrative other than in the simple way in which the city looks at the time I am photographing it and I how I perceive it photographically. Still, my photography is about my personal connection to the place, even if from an outsider’s perspective. For me, the outsider’s perspective is an advantage. I do not have any nostalgia for how the place should look or be due to a childhood, personal or political connection. I do not yearn for the good old days or stress over things I cannot control. I do not photograph a place based on what I wished it to be. The present in its most banal form has enough magic for me. "Quiet NYC" in the "City That Never Sleeps" this series is about quiet moments of everyday life in the streets of NYC. JOHN GELLINGS I grew up in New Jersey, USA and New York City. I have currently been living in Santiago, Chile for the past three years. I have been photographing off and on since the age of 17. I graduated from Mason Gross School of the Arts (Rutgers University, New Jersey) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography in 1998. I pride myself in the ability to find emotional resonance in the ordinary. I prefer photography that is intentionally vague with a mysterious tone of ambiguity that leaves room for a wide-ranging interpretation. I am just not concerned with conventional narrative other than in the simple way in which the city looks at the time I am photographing it and I how I perceive it photographically. Still, my photography is about my personal connection to the place, even if from an outsider’s perspective. For me, the outsider’s perspective is an advantage. I do not have any nostalgia for how the place should look or be due to a childhood, personal or political connection. I do not yearn for the good old days or stress over things I cannot control. I do not photograph a place based on what I wished it to be. The present in its most banal form has enough magic for me. "Quiet NYC" in the "City That Never Sleeps" this series is about quiet moments of everyday life in the streets of NYC. LOCATION Santiago CHILE (formerly New York) CAMERA/S Fujifilm X-T1, Fujifilm X-T2, Fujifilm X-Pro2, Nikon Df, Sony A7R WEBSITE http://www.johngellings.com @JOHNGELLINGS0 FEATURES // Quiet NYC

PICTORIAL STORY HISTORY IN THE MAKING What happens when history is not just remembered — but staged, lit, and reimagined to confront the present? Dean Goldberg recreates historical pictorials to reflect on the rise of hate crimes and the ideologies behind them. August 19, 2020 PICTORIAL STORY photography DEAN GOLDBERG story KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Hate Crimes are crimes that are motivated by prejudice and biases against, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or gender. Globally we are all challenged by the rise in these crimes. These crimes are perpetrated by extremist collectives that engage in intimidation and violence to eradicate who they feel are inferior or contradictory to their beliefs. We bring to you a special photographic series created by photographer, filmmaker, writer, director, and educator Dean Goldberg. For the past twenty years Dean Goldberg has been living in Woodstock, New York, an upstate hamlet that has become synonymous with the mud-trenched festival that actually took place fifty miles away. His move to Woodstock meant a career change to Academia, where he developed the film and media program for a small liberal arts college in Newburgh, New York. Teaching gave Dean the freedom to work more creatively and develop his love for photography as a storyteller. This led Dean back into the studio to create what he first termed Mise-en-scenes . Dean directed actors, set to a historically correct well-constructed stage, utilizing props that define the time and create tension and create the language for his visual storytelling. Dean shares his inspiration for his journey back through history. “I am still obsessed with manipulating light and dark – using negative space to help the visual, but I wanted to do more, not just produce an image, so my Framing History series was born, and still inspires and directs my work today.” Dean has created a powerful series that depicts hate crimes of the past that speaks loudly to current affairs in the United States. When I went to see his exhibition at the Newburgh Jewish Community Center, Dean had footage of the insurrection on the Capitol that took place on January 6, 2022. There was an obvious overlapping of history, and the language as well as the images confirm we don’t seem to learn from our tragedies and atrocities of our past but repeat them as we move forward into the future. Dean shares his insights and motivation for creating this work. “The Trump presidency hit me hard, as someone who fought against the War Mongering of our post-cold war presidents, who saw the poverty, anger and fascism across America as I thumbed my way cross country when I was 18 years old. The link between The Night of the Broken Glass , and the January 6th insurrection was for me, a bloody chain of rusted steel. The elements were the same; a charismatic leader that spewed hate and prejudice, a population that’s lost self-respect through unemployment, frustration at those in power, and a need to have a scapegoat in which to point their vitriol. While the photos are frozen in aspic, the violence and hate they represent lives again in America. I had played Lily Marlene and other German music during the shoot. I used that as my metronome while editing to present images of the past and present. The video is an essential part of my installation; it is the beating heart of the images hung on the gallery wall.” KRISTALLNACHT Kristallnacht is the most current of Dean’s series of historical photo-narratives that confront the struggles humankind has faced and continues to face today. These series depict true events that reflect the myriad portrayals of human justice. Dean tells us what drives this powerful inspiration for his works. “In this time of light vs. dark, good vs. evil, right vs. wrong, we have a responsibility to speak out against all forms hate and violence and use the magic and majesty of the human spirit to push back against those that spread the malignancy of hate, for the sins of the past have now come back to haunt us.” For those of you who are not familiar with the story known as The Night of the Broken Glass , let me share with you this tragic event in history. On the night of November 9th, 1938, the Nazis decimated the Jewish quarters in Germany, Austria and the Sudetenland. So much damage was done that broken glass littered the streets, and that night was then known forever as The Night of the Broken Glass . Dean found his inspiration to recreate a fictional interpretation of events that took place that infamous night of terror. Dean explains his directives to create the chilling photographs. “ Kristallnacht tells of a fictional meeting of two young lovers who grew up together outside of Berlin, one Christian and one Jew. They meet for the last time in a small out of the way Cabaret for a last dance and champagne. Proud in his uniform he will go on to kill, while she will go to the camps to be killed. The story is fiction. The reality is not. One of the most challenging aspects of creating Dean’s stories was that he became his own art director, prop person, casting director, and set dresser. Dean became a regular Ebay customer, searching for various period pieces, clothing, etc. For example, the doll carriage in Kristallnacht was period true – late thirties and took him a month until he finally found exactly what he needed. Makeup and makeup effects were extremely important, and Dean tried to work with the same people when he could. He shares his process with us. “I don’t use actors for my stories, I pick artists, they seem to be more chameleon-like and without too much artifice. I also like to include real art–in Kristallnacht , the woman who plays the young German girl, New York Artist Erica Hauser painted the Aryan Poster.” Erica adds what it was like to work with Dean and create the painting for this work. “His excitement for the project made me want to contribute. For the Kristallnacht shoot, he commissioned me to make another painting, this one based on a Nazi propaganda poster, Like this . I want to put it on the wall of the cafe. Can you, do it? That's how I ended up making a painting of a young Nazi soldier, my first and hopefully my last; but he was right, it glowed on the dark wall, a piece of background telling more of the story.” Equally important to Dean is the environment he works in and the small crew he devotes his artistic direction to aid in the collaboration that together create the image and body of work. Dean shares why this way of working inspires him. “I like the collaboration; it mimics a film set. I always have music playing that’s relevant to the story and I work to create excitement on the other end of the lens. Ironically the shoot becomes more like a theater piece than a film because of the abstractness of the set. Lots of negative space, theatrical spots, no attempt at verisimilitude. While the Kristallnacht is the first of the series to be installed, all my installations include the props and paintings used in the studio as well as video and audio.” Dean began this series in 2019 and had finished the first three, when he was stopped short by the pandemic. At the time Dean was shooting with a Nikon 6z mirrorless camera but has stepped up to a Fuji Medium Format digital camera to ensure that his prints, when installed are at least 53 inches high at least not lose resolution. Dean uses film lighting, studio grid as well as free standing lights, ensuring the correct exposure, color for his photographs. In Kristallnacht Dean rigged a chimera on the grid to light the dance as well as freestanding Arri lights to illuminate specific areas. Dean has created a series of historical photo-narratives, The Pictorial-List gives you a glimpse into Dean’s world and his direction for his series The Joan Vollmer Murder . Dean tells us what motivated him to create this intriguing photographic series. THE JOAN VOLLMER MURDER “William Seward Burroughs was born 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri. Although related to the Burroughs empire, after graduating from Harvard, Burroughs was given a modest trust that basically paid his rent. He set out to write, drug and screw (boys and men only please) his way through life. But his marriage to Joan Vollmer was at least a true friendship; but drugs were the glue that bound them. Burroughs quickly became a major force in the Beat movement that included Allen Ginsburgh and Jack Kerouac. The beats were the original outcasts; they produced bold new literature while hanging out with thugs and petty thieves in Times Square. In this installation, I wanted to create visuals that did not reveal any of Burroughs’s wit or charm, instead unveiled the bitter truth of the Junkie’s life and the inevitable ghost of death that shadows each fix.” As with all of Deans installations, The Joan Vollmer Murder starred Hudson Valley artist Jackie Skrzynski, turning her from female to male seemed for Dean to be perfect for this work. The installation includes the props and posters in the photographs as well as video clips of Burroughs and other hipsters. Dean found inspiration in the American culture of the 1960’s and the hate crimes that existed in that iconic time in the USA. Dean created a colorful series and shares with us his vision. “The Kennedy era brought with it an air of breezy freedom, new music and new, cool, colors — the Rat Pack, the Cold War, a strong KKK and laws to keep segregation strong. Artist Sienna Martz was delightfully fun as the beautiful reflection of the decade that revolted against the stoicism of the 50s. These interesting events in a critical time in American history, led me to create the series I titled 1961 .” These images do not just hang on the wall, but Dean recreates history once again through his diligent research, acquiring all the special props needed to create the important instantly recognizable characteristics that define that time period and aid in This visual storytelling. Dean explains, “This series will be supported by a video that will show the other side of Camelot , the killing of civil rights volunteers as well as the demolition of poor neighborhoods to make way for Urban Renewal.” I asked Dean what was the match that ignited the fire, to develop these poignant works of art. What was the defining moment, the image that sparked the idea? “Like so many other artists during the covid lockdown, I had to find another way of expression in photography. We have lovely gardens, so I found myself peering down to earth on the most elemental level–from seedling to bud to flowering. But like the beauty of this country, we have been scarred by the poisonous diatribes of those who need power, and have the power destroy souls. So, in the end, I made these flowers drenched in blood. The beauty is still apparent, but the flesh is still wounded.” Dean’s work does not stop here with his historical pictorials. Dean has begun research and has written a narrative for a piece he hopes to produce in the future, The Assassination of Leon Trotsky . The Assassination of Leon Trotsky is in pre-production, featuring artist Norm Magnusson, and a guest appearance by artist Sienna Martz as Frida Kahlo. Dean wants to bring these theatrical pictorials to stage. I look forward to buying a ticket and holding the playbill in my hand! Kristallnacht © Dean Goldberg Kristallnacht © Dean Goldberg Kristallnacht © Dean Goldberg Kristallnacht © Dean Goldberg Kristallnacht © Dean Goldberg The Joan Vollmer Murder © Dean Goldberg The Joan Vollmer Murder © Dean Goldberg The Joan Vollmer Murder © Dean Goldberg The Joan Vollmer Murder © Dean Goldberg 1961 © Dean Goldberg 1961 © Dean Goldberg Flesh & Blood © Dean Goldberg Flesh & Blood © Dean Goldberg Flesh & Blood © Dean Goldberg Flesh & Blood © Dean Goldberg The Assassination of Leon Trotsky (new project) © Dean Goldberg It is an important time in our history to reflect and remember our past. To create work that creates awareness and engages one to think about how we walk into our future. The Pictorial List is grateful to Dean for sharing with our community the important reminders of what we have done in the past, to redirect our energies to create a better future. We look forward to his next series of insightful creations. I personally thank Dean for sharing his time and history with me, reminding me to make a change. view Dean's portfolio Website >>> Instagram >>> The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author/s, and are not necessarily shared by The Pictorial List and the team. read more stories >>> ARE THOSE WINDS Along Istanbul’s northern edge, Ci Demi photographs the last water buffalo herders as they keep working, remembering, and staying put while the city closes in. COLORS OF HÜZÜN Through fragments and gestures, Pedro Vidal traces Istanbul as shared melancholy lingers in everyday life, the city unfolding slowly and refusing to settle into a single, definitive understanding. OUT OF PLAY An exploration of abandoned interiors in which Marco Lugli examines how objects, light, and space carry memory beyond human presence, establishing absence as a condition of material continuity rather than loss. REIMAGINING TALIESIN Form gives way to flux in Amy Newton-McConnel’s photographs, where architecture unfolds as a field of shifting relations and perception moves with light, geometry, and time. WHERE THE MUSIC BEGINS Before the strings, Jeevan Akash Jayavarthanan leaves the movement of the street for the rhythm of the workshop, where time holds, hands work, and each moment forms what will later be heard. LAND, LABOR, AND THE GOLDEN FIBER In West Bengal’s jute fields, Rajesh Dhar examines the systems of land and labor, tracing how a single material sustains communities and informs a changing ecological future. WITH GRATITUDE AND DEVOTION A quiet and intimate account of devotion in Zaraza, Venezuela, Rafael Ayala Páez reflects on faith, memory, and community through photographs and words that honor the enduring power of small gestures. SILVER AND BREATH Within this fragile space between looking and being seen, Eva Christina Nielsen has developed a practice that is both restrained and deeply attentive. RUPTURE REPAIR REMNANT In this reflection on rupture, Donna Bassin invites us to consider how grief settles into the body and the image, and how the slow work of witnessing becomes a form of repair. DELTA DUSK John Agather weaves image and text into a single current, tracing how music, memory, and daily life continue to move through the Mississippi Delta. SILENT BEAUTY Tamara Quadrelli photographs the world by slowing down inside it. There is no rush to explain what we are seeing. The pleasure comes from staying with it. SOLITUDE UNDER A TECHNIFIED SUN Tracing the space between movement and stillness, Héctor Morón reveals a city that persists as human presence slips by. 4320 MINUTES WITHOUT COLOR Moving between photography and narration, Mohammed Nahi traces a period in which sight could no longer be assumed as reliable, and attention shifted toward memory and duration. THE PAINTED VILLAGE OF LABANDHAR Anjan Ghosh’s photographs carry us to Labandhar, where painting becomes language, tradition stays present, and art grows through shared ground. ORDINARY GRIEF What endures when everything else is uncertain? Through photography, Parisa Azadi asks us to see Iran not as story, but as feeling. THE EVERYMAN Eva Mallis uncovers the quiet strength of overlooked lives, capturing everyday encounters in Mumbai’s industrial districts as intimate portraits of labor and resilience. IN BETWEEN LIFE AND AFTER In Cairo’s City of the Dead, families carve out ordinary lives among centuries of tombs — Paola Ferrarotti traces the fragile line between memory and survival. UNFIGURED Nasos Karabelas transforms the human body into a site of emotional flux — where perception fractures and inner states become visible form. VISIONS OF ICELAND FROM ABOVE Massimo Lupidi takes flight above Iceland — capturing nature’s abstract brushstrokes where land, water, and sky blur into poetic visions beyond the ordinary eye. UNDER THE CLOUDS Giordano Simoncini presents a visual ethnography of the interconnectedness of indigenous cosmology, material life, and the ecological balance within the Quechua communities of the Peruvian Andes. NYC SUBWAY RIDERS BEFORE THE INVASION OF SMARTPHONES Hiroyuki Ito’s subway photographs reveal a vanished intimacy — strangers lost in thought in a world before digital distractions took hold. THE GHOST SELF Buku Sarkar stages her refusal to vanish. Her photographs are unflinching, lyrical acts of documentation, mapping a body in flux and a mind grappling with the epistemic dissonance of chronic illness. WHISPERS On Mother’s Day, Regina Melo's story asks us to pause. To remember. To feel. It honors the profound, often quiet sacrifices that mothers make, and the invisible threads that bind us to them. BEYOND THE MASK By stepping beyond the scripted world of professional wrestling and into the raw terrain of mental health, Matteo Bergami and Fabio Giarratano challenge long-held myths about masculinity, endurance, and heroism. FRAGMENTS OF TIME Each of jfk's diptychs functions as a microcosm of the city, allowing viewers to experience urban life as constant fragmented glimpses, mirroring the unpredictable nature of human interactions.

PICTORIAL STORY TAKING THE PLUNGE Carol Dronsfield brings us face to face with the fearless members of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club — those who plunge into icy waters not just for the thrill, but for the spirit of it all. Her photographs reveal the heart, humor, and humanity behind this winter ritual. June 2, 2023 PICTORIAL STORY photography CAROL DRONSFIELD story KAREN GHOSTLAW POMARICO SHARE Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link While we all put our toes in the sand as the sun kisses our face at beaches by the sea in summer, some regulars at Coney Island swim all year around. There are these amazing individuals who are part of an integral part of the Coney Island community called the Coney Island Polar Bears, famous for their outrageous New Year's Day Plunge. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club’s official season meets every Sunday from mid-November through mid-April on the cold shores of Coney Island. They share their inspiration and drive with us through the eyes of Carol Dronsfield, capturing the spirit of the Bears through her lens. Carol is a familiar and inspirational part of The Pictorial List community of photographers. Carol was born in Hartford, Connecticut and currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. Her career began as an advertising art director on Madison Avenue, where she developed a particular passion for photography. Drawn to her unique and emotionally engaging style, clients began asking Carol to step behind the camera to shoot their ads. She has been shooting commercially ever since. Her recent personal work centers on street photography, seeking out the humanity of her subjects against the often-harsh background of their urban surroundings. Carol says, “Living and working in NYC for over 30 years, I realized that I never had really seen the city. Shooting the streets of NYC is like my own personal theater. There are many acts, never quite the same. I walk around with my eyes wide open; my mind open to what is happening before my eyes. The city and especially its people are my inspiration.” Carol has committed herself to the inspiration the Coney Island Polar Bears bring from November through April. Many of Carol’s Sundays are spent not only photographing but making honest connections. She shares her time with a community she thrives in and inspires her visual storytelling. Carol shares her commitment and dedication to the community she is inspired by. “I photographed the Bears, an eclectic tribe of dedicated winter swimmers, on 17 different Sundays during the 2022/2023 season. A typical day at the height of the Bears’ season: Water temp 38 degrees. Air temp 32 degrees. Wind chill, brutal. The Polar Bears arrive at their clubhouse which is owned by the NY Aquarium in Coney Island at around 12:00. Some hang out on the boardwalk. Some like to chat with the photographers. Sometimes there’s a photo op there. Close to 1:00, I head down to the shoreline, usually with a few other photographers. The Bears arrive and form a circle for jumping jacks, then head into the frigid water. Some enter the water as if they are tackling it, some form a line holding hands, supporting one another as they wade into the water. However they go in, they are now all together, frolicking, submerging themselves in the water, creating a conga line moving through the surf. So much fun to watch, I’m tempted to join them. Once the Bears are in the water, some stay for 15 minutes, others almost an hour. They never complain about the cold, though at temperatures much above 40 degrees, they’ll complain it’s not cold enough. I stand on the beach with a long puffer coat, hat and gloves, shivering as I watch these Bears plunge in the water in just a bathing suit. I observe this community of swimmers through my lens and with my heart. I see firsthand the bond they share, the respect and care they have for one another. The joy they extract from the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean is contagious. As much as I go to photograph the Bears, I go to be elevated by their smiles, warm hellos or waves, silly outfits and chants, and fellowship, which always bring me such joy. Thanks to all Bears who’ve let me share their beach for this project.” Carol Dronsfield has shared the inspirational community of the Coney Island Polar Bears with The Pictorial List last year. There were so many Bears that had rewarding experiences, we felt we needed to share a few more heartwarming positive stories from more members of the CIPB family. © Carol Dronsfield MEET ELLEN BEAR: Ellen has made her career in Corporate Facilities and Real Estate Management, spending her day taking care of everyone's needs. She puts out fires, fixes things that are broken, repairs things before anyone notices they are broken, ensuring everyone has what they need for their work life. Being such an ardent caretaker, Ellen finds her swims with the Bears to recharge and vitalize her personal being, taking time to care for herself. Ellen shared her story with us. “I’m an open water marathon swimmer, a long time member of Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers (CIBBOWS) and a long time member of Chelsea Piers Masters Swim Team. The Pandemic closed the pool and my office. I was too afraid to ride the subway to go to the beach in fear of getting Covid. I wondered if I’d ever be able to swim again. I also took on the leader role at my company for the Covid team and had to research health advisories across the states for our offices which put more fear in me. For months and months I watched, read and listened to the news. Food became my go to and a whirlwind of negativity got in my head. That coupled with spending hours at my desk instead of being in the office walking around…I stopped putting my health first. But 2023 is the year for me to focus on my physical and mental health again. I’ve got the best support systems every which way I turn. On a few occasions I mustered up the courage to get on the train and head to the beach. I felt out of the loop from being gone so long: a missed day feels like a month…and I saw the Coney Island Polar Bear Club members in the summer, at Brighton Beach and loved the support they gave each other and they were a unified group. The compassion they displayed for each other was so comforting after all the hardships that Covid brought to so many. The bond was lovely. I’ve known many of the Polar Bears personally for many years. And thought they were nuts. Could not fathom how or why they did it. But after seeing them during Covid I decided that was a group I wanted to be a part of. I knew there was a spiritual nature to being a bear. I needed that and wanted to be a part of that support. I also wanted to extend my open water season. Since I disliked cold water, my open water season was limited to events mostly in July/August, and I was very hesitant to spend money for a June or September event that might be too cold for me. One summer day I told my friend Janete Scobie that I was thinking about becoming a bear and she offered to be my Sponsor, I hesitantly said yes!” Ellen enjoys the Polar Bear Club and her fellow members and bears, finding them to be like minded, coming together supporting each other's individual journeys and mental health. “Each Sunday we (I can say that now) support each other getting into and staying in the water, feeling the same thing, the magic of the healing ocean, doing what many of us thought was impossible and maybe even a little crazy. Together. Getting it. And having as much fun as possible while we are there. It’s an experience of smiling that lasts the entire day and beyond. It does linger.” Ellen is not only a Polar Bear, but is a sponsor of two Polar Bear Cubs, helping to support them in their swims and guide them to becoming a full fledged Polar Bear. Ellen finds much reward giving back to her community of Bears. “I am proud to now be the sponsor of 2 Cubs! Ellen Sexton just became a full fledged Bear, completing 12 dips and being voted in and earning her patch on 2/12. Laurel Christie’s 12th dip will be 12/19 - earning her patch the 26th! Seeing them go through this experience has been wonderful. So not only have I joined the Bear Family, I’m part of another branch on the family tree: Jozef Kopelman sponsored Janete, who sponsored me, who sponsored Ellen and Laurel.” Ellen’s personal goals for this year are to go out farther than everyone else, to take photographs from the outside of the group, keeping Ellen deeper in the water. Participating in the ‘3 on 3’ full dunks for as long into the season as possible is another goal she hopes to achieve, while her most important goal is working on getting her health back in order. Ellen’s favorite swims are high tide, big wave days, she shares why. “Coney doesn’t typically get big waves but when it does it’s so much fun to jump them! They seem to be bigger in the winter than the summer. There is no escaping being fully submerged in the waves with an awesome group of people experiencing it together. I’ve realized what I thought would be intolerable really isn’t! Another thing that I’ve always wanted to experience was a snow swim. It doesn’t get much more magical than that! I’ve been fortunate to participate in one last year and I look forward to many more to come. All of the swims are meaningful but two that stand out the most: the day I became a Bear and my family was there for the first and only time! And the other was a dip on a foggy Friday night with a few fellow Bears to celebrate James Hart and Lane Spigner’s recent marriage. I am so blessed to have been welcomed into this community. Just for being me.” What keeps Ellen coming back is the unique phenomenon that happens every time her bear family comes together. She remembers her sponsor, when she first started her swims. “I could not understand why she would spend about two hours commuting each way on the subway for a 20 minute or so dip. In the cold. And now I love it and look forward to it and the commute is also a part of the ritual and has become an added bonus.” Ellen has fundraised for the community and volunteered at the New Year’s Day Plunge, helping others enjoy this experience. Ellen Wienberg Bear and Ellen Sexton Bear. MEET ELLEN BEAR: We have the pleasure of sharing Ellen Weinberg’s sponsored bear, Ellen Sexton. Time and time again, the familiar link that ties the Coney Island Polar Bears together, is their true connection and devotion to their Polar Bear family. That means bringing new cubs into their den. Ellen shares her special connection and how she became a Coney Island Polar Bear. “Across the bay from Coney Island was my birthplace, Belle Harbor Queens. My mother had a rule that whenever I was in the ocean, I always needed to be able to stand. I could not go ‘over my head’. That habit stuck with me. I became a pool lap swimmer. About 20 years ago, a friend insisted that I come to Coney Island for the day. I felt like a fish out of water. Where were the waves? A few years later another friend invited me to Brighton 4th Street in Brighton Beach for the day. He told me we were going to swim past the jetties. I had the jitters but followed his lead. I had a great experience. I never looked back. After that day, I would go out to Brighton Beach from time to time. I loved the diversity and free environment. When the pandemic hit, Brighton Beach became a lifeline. I had a job in the social work area that had just ended and the entertainment world that I am also involved in came to a halt. I needed the ocean’s healing, peaceful and restorative energy. As August approached, a few beachgoers would comment about how the ocean water was getting too warm. They couldn’t wait for the temperature to drop. I thought they were crazy! I heard the Polar Bears passionately talk about their “dips” in their beloved ocean. I managed the temperature drop in the ocean until October 2020. With everyone’s encouragement, the following year I made it to November 2021. In 2022, encouraged by the Polar Bear community, I decided to approach going from a cub to a bear one dip at a time. I couldn’t embrace the whole idea of 12 dips, it seemed unattainable.” Ellen Weinberg became Ellen Sexton’s Polar Bear Sponsor. The mentorship and role models of the other bears inspire the new cubs. Laurel Christy, Ellen Weinberg’s other cub, was an inspiration for Ellen. “The ‘dip’ is part of a great process. From preparing my knapsack for the trip until I walked back into my apartment from Coney Island, the ‘dip’. is the peak experience. For me, the process is transformative. On Sunday mornings, we communicate about which Q subway we are taking. Which subway car we’re meeting in. Once on the subway, we catch up with the events of the week and talk about any new tips we’ve thought of for getting dressed after the ‘dip’. Then when we are in the New York Aquarium's Education Hall, we visit with others. The energy and unity build. At 1pm when we start to walk to the ocean, conditions - wind and temperature vary each Sunday but, we just know that we are getting into the ocean. It is almost like we coalesce as we enter the water. Then, we have fun and dunk and just be with the ocean. It’s a beautiful experience. I carry my Polar Bear patch that I received from President Dennis Thomas on February 12th, 2023 signifying my passage from cub to bear in my purse. I am so happy to be a member of Coney Island Polar Bear Club.” The Coney Island Polar bears create connections and bonds that span lifetimes. © Carol Dronsfield MEET ELLIOT BEAR: Elliot Reed was born in Odesa, a city on the Black Sea in the Ukraine. Elliot spent his childhood growing up in New York City, but finds himself now residing in Massachusetts. Elliot considers himself a “Straight Edge Vegan Musician” creating new work committed to a project called ‘SUPERCOMPOSURE’. Elliot is known for his Boom Box that he brings to the swims, sharing his inspiration with his Bear family. Elliot shares his Polar Bear experience, “I have been a member of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club for nearly fifteen years. Every January my resolution is the same and carries me through the year: to stay fit physically, mentally and spiritually. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club community is dear to my heart. I have made a lot of kind friends, and also brought friends and family to the Coney Island Polar Bear Club for a plunge. The incredibly resilient Polar Bear Club people can be counted on to be there every winter season, no matter what is going on in the world. The amazing organizational work done by the club President Dennis Thomas and Vice President Suzanne Tomatore, along with the elected club officials cannot be underestimated. Aside from raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for a local nonprofit during the January 1st, New Year's Day Plunge, the club submerges into the Atlantic Ocean every Sunday from November to April like clockwork. We all meet on the Boardwalk, behind the Legendary Cyclone Roller Coaster for that one of a kind, ‘only in New York’ experience.” © Carol Dronsfield MEET DOUG BEAR: Doug grew up with his toes in the sand, sea breezes, sun kissed skin, bobbing in the salt water and riding the waves in Long Island, New York. The sand and the surf are a part of him, and Doug still finds the same excitement when he puts his toes in the sand. Doug shares his connections and goals as a bear. “Hello! My name is Doug! And I’ve been told by many that I am LOUD! I love life, and never take myself too seriously. I’ve been a Coney Island Polar Bear for 3 years now. I swam many new years jumps before then, but in the late fall of 2019, I decided it was time that I make the plunge and make my case to become a full member. I am a union Ironworker, building the greatest city in the world (politics aside), I am very fortunate that I love my trade. I grew up on Long Island, and as far back as I can remember, we spent long days on the beach all summer long. The sand and surf are in my blood and if I could spend the rest of my days on the sandy shores, I would. I moved to the city right after high school and fell in pretty hard with the punks on the LES, spending many a night at CBGB’s and Tompkins sq park. These days, I’m lucky to get a couple of shows in a year! But that’s life. I have a ten year old autistic son, and most of my weekends are spent with him. He was swimming with us for a bit, but decided it wasn’t his time yet. Summers we spend camping and generally going on adventures. I love the great outdoors and spend as much time away from society as possible. I find great peace in the mountains and beaches. It would feel incomplete for me not to mention that many years ago I entered into recovery, and now spend a great deal of my time with other sober fellows and helping others on their journeys. I find this extremely rewarding and hope to be able to be there for those I love and admire for a very long time. What brought me to the bears? To be completely honest, seeing the members wear the CIBP jackets and thinking to myself, I WILL HAVE ONE OF THOSE! That was one of the initial reasons I was drawn to the bears. Of course it has morphed into so many other reasons over the years. Being a member of the world famous Coney Island Polar Bears has been a lifelong dream come true. I love my bears and think about them all week. I love the Sunday ritual of packing the bag, getting in the car, hitting the highway, Sunday acoustic blues on the radio. I love it when I drive along the belt parkway and I see the ocean for the first time. I get filled with excitement and anticipation, and on the rare occasion, a swift, cold kick of absolute dread. On those terrifically cold and blustery days, where any sane person wouldn’t be caught dead outside, let alone be insane enough to so swimming, there we go, merrily singing, polar bear chanting and yelling, willingly step (though some might not believe it) towards the icy and medicinal waters of the Atlantic. At this point it has become so ingrained in my psyche I don’t believe I’ll ever stop.” © Carol Dronsfield MEET NICOLE BEAR: Nicole Beckford travels to Coney Island on Sundays to swim all the way from Orange county New York. Being a married mother of four amazing boys, this can be challenging. Nicole has made the commitment to stay the course to become a Bear. “Hi, I’m Nicole! I’m not a bear yet, I’m what’s known as a ‘Cub’ for now. This group is very special to me because of how I was introduced. I have a friend named Robert who is also my sponsor towards full grown bear status. Robert has a very long history with the bears and when he was being made an official part of the group, he invited friends to witness the event. I just had to attend. This is a guy who gives so much and I think he’s blissfully unaware of the wisdom he imparts to all he encounters. Well, not only did I witness but I jumped into the icy water with him to celebrate this milestone and give him my full support. I fell in love immediately with the entire experience. There is such a diverse and welcoming group of people surrounding you and pouring love and warmth into you. What the week at work and at homes takes from you, on Sundays, the bears make you whole again. My goal this year is to become a WORLD FAMOUS CONEY ISLAND POLAR BEAR!!! Swim number 10 was very special to me because my goal actually seemed attainable. Two swims to go and I only hope that I have as much to give them as they have given me.” The Pictorial List has heard that since our last conversation with Nicole, she has finished her required swims as a Polar Bear Cub and has officially become a Coney Island Polar Bear. We congratulate Nicole on her determination and success in achieving her goals. © Carol Dronsfield © Carol Dronsfield MEET JOSHUA BEAR: Joshua Gold is originally from Brooklyn, New York, now currently living in Staten Island. Joshua loves nothing more than hanging out with his extended family, the Coney Island Polar Bears. He has been a member of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club for three years and plans on being part of his Polar Bear family for years to come. Joshua’s first swim with the Polar Bears was the infamous New Year’s Day plunge, in the year 2020. The unfortunate events of the pandemic made becoming an official Polar Bear a bit challenging. Joshua continued with his required swims when he could, achieving his goal and becoming an official Bear on November 14, 2021. This was an achievement to be proud of even without the threat of a global pandemic. When Joshua is not a Polar Bear, he is an essential part of the crew and operators at the Deno's Wonder Wheel Park, contributing to the fun that fuels the fever Coney is known for. Little did Joshua know what the Coney Polar Bears community would bring to them, and how they would drive them in a positive way into the future. “Hey I’m Joshua Gold and I've been in the Polar Bear Club for three fantastic years now. My first swim was New Year’s Day 2020. Unfortunately with the pandemic I was unable to finish the required swims. I was then allowed to have my swims rolled over to the next season. So on November 14, 2021 I was voted in as a Polar Bear! I started working in Coney Island 8 years ago as a game operator blowing up balloons and running a basketball ball game. The year after that I started working in Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, and with that I got to know more of the Coney Island regulars. I always thought the polar bears were crazy and I never thought I’d get into the cold ocean with them but it was the best decision I've ever made. To me the Polar Bear Club is my family and I will forever love them all! The energy from the group is so powerful and the joy it brings me every Sunday keeps me coming back. Every time I go jump in the ocean with the Coney Island Polar Bears, any stress or worries that I might have, stay on land. No matter if I’m in for 10 minutes or even 30 minutes I’m having the time of my life. What makes it even better is if the weather is calling for snow. Snow swims are the best! But even around summertime when the water is warmer it’s great to see the bears and swim with them before work and then later put them on the Phoenix Roller Coasters.” © Carol Dronsfield © Carol Dronsfield © Carol Dronsfield © Carol Dronsfield © Carol Dronsfield © Carol Dronsfield © Carol Dronsfield © Carol Dronsfield Carol is currently using two cameras, she explains which she has chosen and for what reasons. “When I photograph the Bears primarily a Leica Q2 with a 28mm lens. A perfect camera and lens for portraits and street scenes. The wide-angle lens forces me to get close to my subject, making a more intimate portrait. I also started using a Nikon Z7ii with a 24-70mm lens. I generally prefer the Leica, it’s small, lightweight and easy to maneuver. With the Bears you have to be quick and ready for anything.” Carol finds inspiration in a quote from Gertrude Caroline Ederle, (born October 23, 1905, New York, New York, U.S. — died November 30, 2003, Wyckoff, New Jersey), American swimmer who was the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926 and is one of the best-known American sports personalities of the 1920s. Quote: “To me, the sea is like a person – like a child that I’ve known a long time. It sounds crazy, I know, but when I swim in the sea, I talk to it. I never feel alone when I’m out there.” – Gertrude Ederle The Pictorial List is enthused with Carol's connection to the Coney Island Polar Bears and are pleased to present some more of the Bear’s personal stories to coincide with Carol’s unique way of visual storytelling seeing her subjects come to life through the lens of her camera. Thank you, Carol, for sharing your inspiration with our photography community. Carol’s work has been exhibited at the International Center Of Photography, the Annual Women Street Photographers exhibit in NYC 2020, Art On The Ave NYC 2020, the Women Street Photographers Inaugural Virtual Exhibition 2021, the 2nd Women Street Photographers Virtual Exhibition 2021, Women Street Photographers Exhibition in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico at the National Museum of Anthropology, More Art of Coney Island BWAC Gallery Red Hook, Brooklyn and currently is in the Women Street Photographers Exhibition in NYC 2023. In December of 2021, Carol’s interview, On the Boardwalk , and in April 2022, part one of the Coney Island Polar Bears series, Making a Splash was featured on The Pictorial List website. view Carol's portfolio Read Part One of this story - "Making a Splash: with the Coney Island Polar Bears" >>> Read an interview with Carol >>> 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.