WOMEN STREET PHOTOGRAPHERS

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

It was a misty autumn morning near the Vistula River in Krakow, Poland. This day I had decided to set off for work early with the intention to photograph on the way. Strolling on the bank of the river, I suddenly spotted a group of rowers heading towards me.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

I love to walk near the water, preferably very early. When I saw this woman bending over I fortunately had my camera ready.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

NYC Exhibition, 2022

Walking the streets of Williamsburg is never boring. Whether watching men and women going back and forth or children running off to school, it’s just a matter of waiting for the right light and composition.

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

While looking at the schoolbus, a whole scene developed in the reflection of the rear window. Three men, all leaving in a different direction.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

Maroccan shadows at noon are very harsh and change rapidly. Due to the heat of the sun, people always look for a shady place to walk. It is only for a few minutes that the shadow against this wall flows in such a way that it seems as if people are being divided into two. So I had to wait for that exact moment and for this wonderful woman to pass by.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

Photo booths have recently been reintroduced in Italy. Nowadays we all have a camera in our pocket so it is for me very poetic to see people who still take a portrait together in the cabins. It takes me back to the time of my adolescence as I used to squeeze inside the cabin with two, three friends.

This photo tells me something about intimacy and rises questions? Are they friends, lovers? Are they grimacing or in a romantic moment? That day I ended up staying with my fantasies and did not wait for them to leave the booth.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

I was photographing in the ancient square of Lucca when I saw a play of shadows and light under a portico. Another woman was already there waiting with her camera for an interesting subject to pass by. I took the picture from a different point of view than her but I was impressed that we had the same insight, so I introduced myself. It turned out that we were both members of Women Street Photographers! This photo speaks of our shared vision and sensitivity as women.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

As I was leaving a favorite Paris Left Bank cafe, two men with a dog sat down and gave the dog a drink. Immediately I crouched down to ground level to photograph the dog and legs while talking to them. The folded arm gesture and scowl of the man on the right capture a moment of synchrony when the world gave me a gift. I love to photograph dogs, Parisian dogs in particular, and this shot makes me smile.

NYC Exhibition, 2018

I travel to Varanasi every year for the past 6 years and every time I am there I am mesmerized by the energy of that city and the diversity of life there. Walking the streets and documenting daily life is a treat. I stumbled upon a group of children one afternoon and joined them in their games. They always love attention and their playful nature comes to life instantly. The boy on the image had a wonderful attitude all along. When I approached him he instantly grabbed the little lamb to pose for an image. The way he held that lamb left me speechless... he made me feel as if he was holding his prized possession, his childhood stuffed animal that gave him so much comfort. His eyes, on the other hand, betrayed a less carefree self, one he lost years ago.

NYC Exhibition, 2019

Varanasi is a magical experience and one of the most fascinating places in the world. But it’s not for the faint hearted. Hindus believe that death in the city will bring salvation thus making the “City of Light” the biggest center for pilgrimage. On the many ghats that run all the way along the Ganges, pilgrims arrive as early as daybreak to perform their religious rituals and bathe in the river’s sacred waters to wash away the sins, while hundreds of dead are being cremated every day of the year. Families accompany the dead to the cremation point, dip the body one last time in the Ganges before the cremation starts. Close relatives shave their heads as sign of mourning, all the while in close proximity people go on their daily chores like washing their laundry in the Ganges. There is something quite raw about this reality; it’s an animate kind of spirituality – a living holiness.

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

I was wondering the narrow alleyways of the city of Varanasi in India one bright sunny day, the light there was soft and beautiful, the textures where a feast to all senses. The colors of the wall and the curtain caught my attention as I walked past this house, and there was this little girl sitting in a corner, all beautiful and proud of her dress. I asked if she would stand for me in front of the house and show me her dress. She did, and I am so grateful she did. The torn piece of lace adds so much to the image.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

This is what I call serendipity: it's when elements come together in a magical way, and, as photographers, we are so happy and grateful. I was initially attracted by the expressiveness of the little girl, comfortably sitting on her father's shoulders. Then came the woman on the right, followed by the one on the left, both framing the little girl beautifully.

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

Paris Exhibition, 2021

This series is about catching an unexpected moment, a moment that one would not have expected to see, a different perspective, an alternate reality.

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

I am always trying to capture images that provoke questions rather than giving answers. I took this image in Liverpool during my visit to the Beatles Museum.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

As I was walking through Tompkins Square Park, I came across this big clown sitting on a bench. He was truly impressive in his size and colors. I stood around for a while, looking for something interesting to happen, and after quite a long wait, a little boy appeared looking quite scared, but at the same time very intrigued. With much hesitation, he decided to be brave and sat right next to the clown who never moved. I would have loved to know what was going through the boy's mind as clowns can be very scary for young and old.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

I was drawn to the color of this garage and also the clothes of the man - I thought the blue and green played well against each other and against the strong light and shadow of the scene. As I was shooting, all of a sudden, the garage door opened and added a bit of mystery.

Annual Exhibition in New York City, 2023

I stop at these lights everyday, and have made several photographs here, they’re near a local Lidl supermarket in Dublin. Sometimes you spot a person, and they have a certain timeless quality – this person had remarkable elegance, poise and presence. Photographing the back of the head creates an uncanny feeling; there is both closeness and distance. We are both looking in the same direction, waiting together separately - watching, watched.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

All my life I have had an obsession with color, so when I saw those colors and the flash of light that made the room paint those tones, my gaze stopped, feeling that emotion that you feel when you think you are in the right place to shoot.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

On a very late night, while members of the Samba school de Vila Isabel rehearsed their choreography in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, children danced alongside, entranced, watching their parents, as if dreaming to participate as grownups in the Carnival. Yet, despite their energy and enthusiasm trying to keep up, they had to take breaks, resting under the wooden platform of the truck carrying the musicians and the amplification system. That is how traditions pass on from one generation to another. Samba, with its deep roots in the African diaspora, is the most important music and dance in Brazil.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

Me and a friend were rushing out of a big toy store, to catch the bus home, when I saw this scene. I stopped for a moment, my friend yelling that there was no time for delaying, I turned around and shot this man who was smoking right upon the entrance of this underground parking lot, just before he throws away the cigarette...The green neon lights surrounded by the blue color of the dusk, looked so cinematic, that I couldn't resist shooting it...

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

NYC Exhibition, 2022

I took this photo on the first day the beach opened after lockdown. It was a party! People were happy, joyful, and celebrating after a long dreary time in isolation. I saw the goose first and then two men walking towards each other with their arms outstretched. It took my breath away, this simple embrace of two friends who hadn't seen each other in such a long a time.

Annual Exhibition in New York City, 2023

I saw this situation by chance when I was in a quiet bedroom community Tushino in Moscow.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

This photo was taken during a walk in the center of St. Petersburg. In Russia, it is believed that St. Petersburg is the strangest and funniest city in the country, and my photograph confirms this belief.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

In this photo, my niece Ksenia is diving for shells on the Black Sea. I used my GoPro8 camera, which I bought specifically for underwater filming. I also used the dome port by Telesin.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

NYC Exhibition, 2024

This picture was taken in the fruit & vegetable market in Lahore, Bangladesh in November 2023. In this market, thousands gather to give their best bid. I took the picture to show the behind-the-scenes of this crazy moment where everybody is yelling, and you can see the calm.

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

Spring in Yakutia is always very bright and sunny. People enjoy spring after a long and frosty winter. The skating rink on Lake Teploe is one of the favorite place of rest for the townspeople. The picture was taken in the middle of March.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

I took a series of photographs "Living in Self-Isolation" during the Covid-19 quarantine. This photo captures the view from my window at blue hour and my husband, who worked remotely for almost two months at home.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

NYC Exhibition, 2024

In mythology, Konstantis haunted the area of Tabakika, when he learnt that his dear Lenio was hit by a thunder and died. Konstantis couldn’t cope with this loss, so he killed himself in order to reunite with Lenio in the afterlife. Konstanti’s story was revived in 1995 as an annual tradition. On the last Saturday of the Carnival, the locals of Amfissa put on their traditional costumes, to represent the myth. The audience was observing this myth come to life through a theatrical performance. I turned my gaze to the audience watching and made them my own protagonists.

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

Protected by his red rain poncho which matches his betel-nut-reddened lips, this workman unloads fish without respite following a well-established, repetitive route. It is a brightly colored environment under beautiful light, even if at times, tense.

Paris Exhibition, 2021

Away from the hustle of the modern city, sometimes you just need to relax, let go, and be in the moment. It can be a soak in a warm sulfur bath at the local hot spring, sunbathing, or dozing piggyback on somebody you love and trust. It may be the ability to let go and lay comfortably for several seconds on the wet ground. Asphalt, concrete, plastic, and a neighborhood street create as good of an environment as any to relax, breathe, and recenter. Letting go for a moment in time allows you to be mindful of simple, restorative sensations.

NYC Exhibition, 2018

I was wondering in the streets of Harar, Ethiopia, and suddenly I came across these three girls standing and waiting for something. I was first attracted by the colors and then I saw how the one at the back was embracing the other and I just hit the shutter. I take time to select photos and it is only when I was going through some files a few months ago that I found this photo amongst others from Ethiopia that I had forgotten about.

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

Mongolia is known for its rolling steppe lands. When visiting Mongolia I had a sense of immensity and endless emptiness. We drove for hours not encountering any human soul. I was a little surprised when I came across this family living a nomadic life with their horses and sleeping in their ger (tent) but had a computer and phones!

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September – October 2021

One grey winter day in the midst of the Pandemic, I was lucky enough to encounter this lovely young woman dancing in Washington Square Park. A symphony of movement with her enormous, handmade fan of silk tie-dyed scarves, her gestures were elegant, fluid, hypnotic; a joyously defiant response to the world’s new reality.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

NYC Exhibition, 2024

When 24 hours of heavy rain was predicted, my plans to spend the afternoon street-shooting and experimenting with intentional camera movement had to be placed on hold; my camera was not weather sealed. However, outside my window passed a stream of colorful umbrellas and rain gear amidst steady traffic. The blur of figures and vehicles in motion, the subtle shifts in hue, and the interplay of shadows and reflections on the wet pavement evoked an impressionistic sense of movement and transience, providing an alternative path and canvas for my project.

NYC Exhibition, 2018

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

I shot this in the Eur neighborhood in Rome on a day in which I’d promised myself I’d only shoot with a DSLR camera instead of with my iPhone. The girl worked at the cashier desk of an exhibition to which I was buying the ticket. As she looked up to give me my ticket, I quickly took a couple of photos – needless to say...with my iPhone!

NYC Exhibition, 2019

Suddenly I saw this beautiful face emerging from what looked like a jungle, her dreamy expression adding to the mystery.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

I saw the hair and had to take a shot. I was told by the locals that the lady is Bulgarian and has been wearing the same hairdo for over forty years, always red, always big, always impeccably perfect and extravagant, any time of day whether she was walking the dog or went out shopping. The kids from the neighborhood call her Mrs. Sarma, Sarma as in filled cabbage rolls, because of the way her hair is curled.

Annual Exhibition in New York City, 2023

15 jun 2018, 8:00 am. Thousands of Muslim, Indonesian women are gathered to celebrate Eid al Fit -the end of Ramadan- at Victoria Park In Hong Kong. Majority of them work as domestic helpers, with a special migratory status. Leaving their country and families behind to look for a better life (for them), and living at their employer’s houses, they can only rely on each other as a community. I stood in awe, witnessing a massive gathering of celebration and prayer; of chants and silence; of stillness and movement; of sorority and faith.

Annual Exhibition in New York City, 2023

This photo is about religion and beliefs. showing how beliefs can keep people together far from any differences and contradictions from inside of them is the story behind this photo.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

Manhattan street with a black and white advertisement in the background. I waited for the right moment.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

The photo was taken during the annual celebration of Galicka Svadba, a traditional wedding in the Galicnik Mountains in North Macedonia.The weddings in this village were traditionally held on St.Peter’s Day since 1963.The beauty of the wedding is complemented by the traditional clothes of the groom and bride. The photo captures the moment of the bride getting on the horse who will take her to Orthodox Church. The people accompanying the bride are also dressed in traditional clothes and help the bride in the wedding ceremony. This event is a delightful audiovisual phenomenon.

NYC Exhibition, 2019

1979 - I was driving down West Broadway with my camera sitting on the seat beside me. I saw the motorcycle with sidecar (rare in NYC) echoed by the trade towers in the distance. Great shot! So I sped up, passed the cycle, drove a block or so, screeched to a halt, jumped out and snapped the shot. I don't think either the cyclist or passenger noticed me.

Exhibition at the Regional Museum of Anthropology, Villahermosa, Mexico, 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

This 1978 photo was from "Street Play,” a series I shot documenting kids playing creatively without adult supervision. These girls were dancing to disco music coming from a nearby bar on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The graffiti tags on the wall provided the perfect backdrop.

Exhibition at the Regional Museum of Anthropology, Villahermosa, Mexico, 2021

This was taken at a comparsa, a neighborhood celebration, during the Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico. It is fascinating to engage and blend in, to become one of them and celebrate together in a deeply-rooted tradition in Mexican culture.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

I am mindful of backgrounds, they can make or break an image. I found this background to be beautiful but often difficult to work with. I tried many things, time of the day, view points, composition with subjects, and then this happened. Happenstance is a big gift.

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September – October 2021

Across sub-Saharan Africa, a white man hears the words, “mizunga” or “muzungu, mlungu, muzungu, etc.” A word that sounds relatively neutral for many: “Hello, mizunga!” It’s a shout to attract attention. However, it is often overheard in a very stern way:“Mizunga, give me MY money !!!” And at that moment, the denomination of a white man or an Arab, in short, an obvious foreigner and an intruder, is already pejorative. And being a white blond, I often felt like just such an intruder on my three-week trip to Kenya. My photo tries to express that feeling I had.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

I was walking in the streets of Sydney on an early morning when a girl was walking down the street with her family. She was dancing around, and I loved the way the light caught her white dress. I waited around for a little bit taking some shots and looking for the right frame, including the shadows and the pattern on the ground and of the little poles in the background. She twirled and I caught her exactly at the right moment. It felt like one of those moments everything came together perfectly for the shot and I knew I had it!

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

I was on a trip in Madhya Pradesh, India, through the countryside and the rural villages, meeting local people and seeing wonderful colors everywhere.

This image shows a typical situation in this region: a little girl close to her mother. Women and girls work hard at home. Many houses are painted in blue: this color is supposed to keep the mosquitoes away.

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September –October, 2021

Carpet has a large connection with Iranian culture and identity, and this connection is inseparable.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

Cuba, Havana, 2019. On the mythical Malecón Avenue and seawall, these young twin sisters struggle to follow their father who took them along while jogging and ran out of the frame.

Due to the collapse of Venezuela and the Trump administration’s tightening of the decades-old embargo on Cuba, September 2019 was marked by fuel shortages all over the island nation, and the roads were emptier than usual.

This image is part of my ongoing long-term project from Cuba, "About Time or the Impossibility of an Island".

Annual Exhibition in New York City, 2023

This photo was taken last year while I was on holiday. My mother-in-law has a holiday home on Brac, an island in Croatia, and we go there every summer. One day while I was going home from the beach, I walked home above a park that I have passed hundreds of times. However, this time, to my delight, a little girl in a white dress with blond curls was swinging on the swing, and beside her, her shadow. I knew I had to capture the scene and am glad I did.

Annual Exhibition in New York City, 2023

Waiting to cross a street in San Miquel de Allende, Mexico, in pursuit of making photos illustrating its unique character, I turned around to see a colorful stack of hats moving towards me. I immediately positioned myself to include as much of the stack as I could above the boy’s hand. As he approached the corner I clicked three photos hoping to get a glimpse of his face, and to also include the younger boy’s hands in the frame. The colorful walls and clothes were ready-made. I felt exhuberant knowing that this was a rare find.

Annual Exhibition in New York City, 2023

I was strolling around the beach in Sopot, a popular touristic destination in Poland, and was struck by this lady, sleeping calmly among numerous people walking by.

Annual Exhibition in New York City, 2023

I was strolling in the As Sabtiyyah neighborhood in Cairo, which is known to house the stables for the many horse carts that are so common in the city. It was getting close to midday and the light was harsh, so I experimented with highlight. The guy in the black Tshirt with a smoke pattern that suddenly entered the frame made my shot.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

The number of fabric pattern available to Toposa villagers is limited, thus there is a high likelihood to come across people using similar fabric. While on the lookout for a potential series, I ended up with 3 girls in the same fabric and another similar fabric drying in the background.

NYC Exhibition, 2018

I had seen the balloons when I was still inside. They did not look red then, as they were silhouetted against the sun. Along them came smartly dressed young women – something was definitely going on, but was it advertisement filming, a wedding shoot, or ? I was intrigued. The exquisiteness of the interior of the Zaha Haddid museum, however, kept me ensnared for quite a while more. It’ was only much later, when trying to find another angle to observe the awkwardly-beautiful organic outer shape of the building that the balloons appeared again—far away—but I knew there was a picture in this scene, so I ran.

Ideally, I would have wanted a moment when the balloons covered the walking figure’s head. It did not happen.

Street photography means shooting the moment when it happens, rather than searching the streets for something to happen exactly the way you want it to happen.

The balloons were for a graduation party of the Baku Technical University.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2019

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

Cape Coast has amazingly colorful lanes, but you might miss them if only following the main roads. The entrances are narrow and not obvious to find. This little lane is actually parallel to one of the main bustling shopping streets, but there everything is quiet, kids play outside, old folks sit on stools and chat.
I liked the girl half hidden in this maze of colors. It was too good a scene not to take a picture!

Brussels Street Photography Festival, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

I had tried shooting on the beach without much success and passed a school on my way back. The combination of colors of walls and school uniforms attracted me. Then I saw the boy with the bag and here was my picture!

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

Shopping for wedding clothes in Jodhpur is a family affair. I loved the bond between the siblings, the made-up baby and his connection to the balloon.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

Climbing up the narrow, winding alley of the blue city of Jodphur, I came across a group of workers renovating a house. The surprise was mutual.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

Strolling the streets of Gaziantep, I met a family of Syrian refugees. A pink balloon for innocence but also to hide the eyes of a child that has most certainly seen unspeakable things.

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

Paris Exhibition, 2021

Every street photographer has items that attracts them more than others. For me, these are cotton candy, hanging fabrics, and mostly… balloons. Balloons are colorful, have a nice shape, seem to dance in the sky, and are usually accompanied with playful kids. They can also yield mysterious images by hiding people’s faces. They are the perfect start for composing a photo.

Exhibition at the Regional Museum of Anthropology, Villahermosa, Mexico, 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

I was drawn to the pattern of the fabric and the mysterious silhouette of the covered mannequin. Yet, it lacked a human element. The lane was very narrow, so including a person was challenging, but eventually the right person entered the frame.

Kuala Lumpur Photo Festival and WSP Virtual Exhibition, 2023

The Aliyev center in Baku is an amazing, futuristic building designed by Zaha Hadid. I was fortunate enough to encounter students of the Baku technical University doing a photoshoot there, prior to their graduation party. The combination of the improbable shape of the building and the way the students are dressed is what make the picture work.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

NYC Exhibition, 2024

In the evening, when the heat of the day finally subsides, the Ovakuvale people congregate by the well. I really like the blue and white wall and the changing groups of people that stand in front of it in the fabulous light.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

This film photograph was made at 52nd St & 6th Avenue during a trip to New York in late 2019. This was the first frame I made on the visit having just arrived in Midtown from the airport. The juxtaposition between the man in the booth and the advert immediately caught my attention. I used a 35mm lens to include context around the scene and add a sense of scale in the photograph.

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

I was visiting and photographing around Langha Township of Cape Town, South Africa one Sunday morning in late spring. There were many people out and about, mingling with each other and enjoying the warm weather. A number of children engaged in various forms of play. My eye caught a sight of two girls jumping a rope and their little friend sitting on a step. I fired off a few shots, the girls never really acknowledging my presence and this has been my favorite shot of the series that day.

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September – October 2021

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

It was the time of Covid in 2020, when we all were trapped inside our houses. One afternoon, it started raining heavily, and I decided to go out. I went on a small walk nearby my home and took my camera along. It was dark and empty. After walking for some time, I saw these guys cycling towards me with a big plastic wraps flowing in the air around them. That’s when I took this shot. It gives me a feeling of mystery and drama with minimum elements in the frame.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

I moved to Australia shortly before the pandemic, unknowingly walking into what would be the most locked-down city in the world. My partner and I quickly found ourselves in a precarious situation, living continents away from our home town, and spending almost three years inside a studio apartment. I was lucky enough to maintain my job in the city centre, for which I needed a special permit to travel past a policed border. What was once the busiest place in the state was suddenly empty, suspended in time. It was a unique and surreal time that begged to be documented.

Annual Exhibition in New York City, 2023

NYC steam photos are tricky. The chance of finding an interesting situation when the steam is just right is an elusive endeavor. In this case, however, the subject led me to the shot at the perfect moment. She wore crimson red, drawing me to her like a magnet. Imagine my surprise when she approached a steamy crosswalk with the sun shining its raking light across the scene — and then raised her hand to the brim of her hat. It instantly created a narrative that felt just right … and this time, the steam played along perfectly.

NYC Exhibition, 2018

I’ve always been drawn to the neon sign at this bakery near my home – and when I saw this apparition from the past daydreaming as she was cleaning, I was struck by the beauty of the scene. It was in the morning and I was out running, but I slipped my phone from my pocket and took the shot. A more rigorous camera might have taken a more precise shot, but the quality afforded by the phone seems well-matched to the feel of the photo.

Title: Untitled, from the series The Watchwomen, 2013

Location: Brooklyn, New York

Camera: iPhone

Brussels Street Photography Festival, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

In Manhattan, the weather doesn’t just come from the sky; but rises up from beneath as well. While the steam that courses through the streets isn’t exactly weather, it turns New York into a city of clouds ... even if they are made in Consolidated Edison’s cogeneration plants. New York has been using steam since the 1880s, and the steam system here is the largest in the country. There are 105 miles of steam pipes slinking beneath the streets, delivering steam to thousands of buildings for everything from heating and cooling to washing dishes and pressing laundry.

This photo is from my series City of Clouds, a tribute to the unique beauty that the steam affords; in which the streets become a stage with steam sent forth from below as if on cue. I was admiring one particularly dramatic steam vent when this mystery man appeared, disappeared, appeared, and disappeared again. I managed to get a shot when he was somewhere in the midst of it all.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

It was a drizzly evening, and I was running errands hoping I might get a photo too. Nothing was looking very good, so I tucked my camera under my coat. A bit later I noticed how dynamic this window looked with the buildings behind me reflected in the woman's silhouette. I took my camera out just to see it framed, held the camera to my eye, adjusted the settings – and then this figure walked into the scene from out of nowhere. He got to the right spot, took a pull from his cigarette, and I pressed the shutter.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

My last trip before the pandemic was to Paris, France – which might be the only city I love more than New York. Among the many places there that hold my ardor, the Musée d’Orsay stands out. Built in 1900 as the Gare d’Orsay, it retains the look and feel of the grand European train station that it once was, yet it is filled with some of the most iconic art of the last half of the 19th century. What a wonder.

The museum has two enormous windowed clocks that broadcast the time to Parisians, and also serve as the backdrop for a million selfies and photos. Upon entering the museum I knew I wanted to stalk the clocks, but once I was looking out at the river Seine from behind one of them, I realized this is just too easy. So instead I started slinking around the less-traveled corners of the museum and discovered that the building’s incredible architecture isn’t limited to photogenic timepieces. Beauty is everywhere there – even in remote staircases, like the one where I saw this woman slipping by, like a ghost on her way to catch a train in a station that no longer serves passengers.

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

NYC Exhibition, 2018

There is nothing better than being out with a camera on a crisp September afternoon in Manhattan. After months of sweltering heat and hazy light, fall brings relief to millions of wilted New Yorkers. The light lowers and sharpens, the temperatures turn cool and invigorating, and this particular woman donned a chic and graphic coat that I would have gladly stolen right off her back. The next best thing to my felonious impulse was to photograph her, but the challenge was to avoid making a cliched picture of an older lady—or a steam pipe—much less make a compelling picture of a person’s back. Luckily, this woman was deep in conversation with a friend and didn’t notice me as I took a dozen photographs of her. I love the contrast between the orange pipe and the clear blue sky, and how her lovely cloud of white hair is echoed by the wafting steam. Carrying a multitude of women on her back, she could be the metaphorical grandmother of us all.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2019

When I started out photographing strangers in the street, my shyness and fear often led me to photograph into windows, the sheets of glass a physical—but not a visual—barrier. As my confidence has grown, I’ve largely eschewed that rookie strategy. Nevertheless the low, clear light on this February afternoon in New York City made this scene irresistible, the reflection from outside erasing the boundary between the Union Square cityscape and the interior of the bookstore. The light fixtures look like three alien suns; the book titles tell a short story about the current literary landscape…and Tony Robbin’s “Awaken the Giant Within” is still (?!!) a popular bestseller.

The main subject looks a little like a giant himself. And what about the band-aid on his nose? It begs a story. Does he anxiously await the results of a skin biopsy? Is he hiding a fading bruise from a bar fight or a nose job? Or is he simply covering a scratch from his irascible cat? We will never know…but stand reminded that the devil, truly, is in the details.

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

In New York City the hoarding walls surrounding construction sites are typically painted blue or dark green, so imagine my delight when I found this vibrant red wall on 45th Street. When I first discovered it the wall had a fresh and pristine coat of paint, but as always happens in New York it was soon slathered with advertisements.

The gorgeous light and peeling posters on this day last October were particularly enticing, and I was lucky enough to catch this woman racing through the scene. Sadly, when I returned to the wall last week, it had been painted black. There was a touch of red lettering, however. It read “Post No Bills.”

Brussels Street Photography Festival, 2019

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

When I go out to shoot on the streets of New York City I rarely set out with any plans or preconceived notions about what I might encounter, yet this photograph was taken at a spot on Manhattan’s far west side that I returned to again and again over the course of several weeks. I have dozens of shots of people coming and going through the revolving door but it was this man, of the perfect height and the just-so gesture, that gave me the photograph I wanted.

Certainly, with its bright color, architectural geometry and solitary figure the image has all the makings of Instagram catnip. But this everyman—a man of average hight and build that the architects clearly had in mind when etching that perfect circle in the door—becomes a touch extraordinary in this moment, caught in a yellow capsule of a door in a split-second capsule of time.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

I was in Chicago helping my daughter move into a new apartment on the day I took this photograph . I took a break from assembling all the requisite Ikea furniture and headed over to Millennium Park; it was a hot sunny Saturday, and the Crown Fountain was crowded with children splashing in the water. It’s always tricky to catch fast-moving kids at play (though perhaps not as tricky as putting together that damn BESTÅ TV unit), but I got lucky and caught this moment of joy and exuberance, with all six children lined up just so. Karmic payback perhaps.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

I knew this bus stop advertisement had potential for an interesting photograph when it appeared on Sixth Avenue near 34th Street in Manhattan. I haunted the spot over the course of several days, waiting for the right actors to fill the stage—which, to my good fortune, they eventually did.

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September – October, 2021

Exhibition at the Regional Museum of Anthropology, Villahermosa, Mexico, 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

One of the many wonderful things about New York City is that on a morning walk in your neighborhood you can stumble onto a scene like this, where people are standing in front of a big black block wearing big mirrored blocks on their heads. I’m not exactly sure what was going on, but it’s probably best to delight in the mystery, and be reminded that truth really is stranger than fiction.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

While I generally avoid taking photos of people’s backs, I found doing so irresistible when I came upon this man’s head of unruly gray hair at the Chelsea Flea Market in Manhattan. While he examined some junky trinket, I crouched low to frame his hair in the black-shrouded church in front of him. Lucky for me the man was also wearing a black jacket, making him resemble a deep-sea creature or an outer-space alien.

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

New Yorkers have myriad strategies for catching a passing taxi, but with the rise of Uber and Lyft, I notice fewer people hailing cabs these days. When I saw this well-dressed couple on Fifth Avenue in the throes of a vigorous cab-hailing, I was happy to see that the practice is hardly a lost art. I particularly love the woman in blue; I think we know who wears the pants in this family.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

I’ve loved maps as long as I can remember and still prefer a paper map to the smartphone’s GPS when I’m in an unfamiliar city. So it’s no surprise I couldn’t resist taking a photograph of this man. I could’ve told him he was squarely on the southeast corner of 34th Street and Seventh Avenue, but he was clearly determined to get the bigger picture.

Kuala Lumpur Photo Festival and WSP Virtual Exhibition, 2023

I’ve got a long list of things that pique my interest and trigger my shutter finger when out photographing on the street. Among the many are mothers and daughters, wind, balloons, and people dressed alike. Imagine my delight when I stumbled across this scene as it unfolded in front of me. The streets of New York can be a very generous place.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

Lesson one in journalism is that “dog bites man” is too common a story to be newsworthy, but “man bites dog” is a rare enough story to warrant a few column inches. Likewise, “man ogles woman” is an all-too-common trope in the history of art, while “woman ogles man” is a far rarer subject. So here I present my own man bites dog/woman ogles man story, photographed during Fleet Week in New York City in 2018.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

This image was taken on the Staten Island Ferry in New York City in May 2022. The juxtaposition of the Staten Island commuters and the tourists trying to catch a glimpse of the State of Liberty was very interesting to me. Being from tropical island destination, the interaction between 'locals" and "visitors" fascinates me. These two lovebirds happened to be standing in an interesting location with the city in the background. They only has eyes for each other, and I was lucky to catch such a romantic moment in a normally mundane situation.

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

Brussels Street Photography Festival, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

I was photographing in the Tuileries gardens in Paris on a sunny November afternoon and realized the strong shadows of the persons passing by. The shadows and the texture of the ground reminded me of Westerns and of people preparing themselves for duels. I felt like I was producing a still life scene out of a movie.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

I took this image at Trocadero, which is the best place in Paris for looking at the Eiffel Tower. Instead of photographing the tower, I turned around to capture the people photographing themselves with the Eiffel Tower as their background. It was like looking at people on the scene.

2nd Virtual Exhibition, September – October, 2021

I was going to see an exhibition on a rainy Sunday afternoon when I saw the young couple walking with their umbrellas. It was such a bleak day with no light, so I decided to add some mystery to the image by playing with the shutter speed. I felt it gave a different dimension to the situation. To me, it seemed that they were just passing here, just like the time. And then gone.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

I was walking back home on a dark and rainy evening and was intrigued by the reflection of the Parisian subway sign on the wet pavement. It glowed in golden tones and seemed to draw the fallen leaves towards it like a magnet. The leaves were also golden and looked like they were dancing on the surface. They provided a contrast with the dark pavement and the haunting shadow of a man passing by. It felt like a magical moment in an otherwise ordinary evening.

Exhibition at the Regional Museum of Anthropology, Villahermosa, Mexico, 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

I moved to New York City in 1975 and rented a room in my 4th cousin's home at 63 West 92nd St. There were always interesting people hanging out on the block, such as this group sitting on the stoop next door. I asked to take their photograph. They smiled and said yes. Printing the photo for the first time four decades later brings back feelings of joy and reminds me why I love New York City.

Brussels Street Photography Festival, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2022

This photo was taken during a street photography workshop in NYC. Being from a city without a subway system, I set a goal to capture some images documenting daily life as a passenger. This is one of the first images I took in New York, and the only one where I didn’t have a chance to talk with the subject of my photo — I had just figured out my camera settings when the train pulled in. I reluctantly waited for the doors to close and snapped this image of the passenger noticing my camera and giving me the side-eye.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

This image is from my series, “Queens Surface,” that portrays neighborhoods in Queens that have not yet been gentrified. Walking down this street in Jamaica, Queens, I considered taking a candid photograph of these young men when one of them asked me to take their picture. As I lifted up my medium format camera loaded with film, they struck a pose, using hand gestures. Pausing for a moment, I held up my hand and asked them to relax. Making this new connection through the lens, I clicked the shutter.

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

NYC Exhibition, 2018

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

Greg Lamarche painted this Coney Island wall as part of the Creative Time project in 2004. If you haven't been there, it borders a ramp connecting Deno's Wonder Wheel Park to Luna Park. On a Saturday in August 2015 I was trying to keep cool, taking pictures in the shade at the bottom of the ramp under the overpass. I liked the idea for the image more than the results I brought home. So the next weekend I made a beeline back to that spot with an agenda – to get a silhouette of a child running alongside that incredible mural.

Brussels Street Photography Festival, 2019

However she chose a different career path, and she is a veterinarian.

NYC Exhibition, 2019

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

I took this picture across from Greg Lamarche's famous Coney Island wall in Brooklyn, NYC, August 2015. This was my favorite image of the day, and not just because the strong graphic colors worn by the women and little girl complemented the background, but because of precisely which of their features were cloaked in shadow and which were exposed by light. I was especially moved by the young child's expressive eyes, the only eyes visible of the four people pictured. She may be the smallest person here, but she made the most profound impression on me.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

I wrote an essay for an undergraduate writing workshop imagining my father as a boy in Coney Island. Even though Coney Island is one of my favorite places to shoot, I’m not sentimental about it. I try to avoid nostalgia in my photography, with the possible exception of this picture. My father, who died last year at 92, was a child in the 1930s and ’40s. When I saw these boys with their crewcuts and milk-fed swagger, I realized that he could have been one of them, just as any one of them might be him eighty years from now.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

I took this picture on April 1, 2017, in midtown Manhattan. Though I am normally an impatient shooter, often moving quickly from one location to another, in this case I stayed put until all the elements seemed to come together. Later, when I saw the final image I laughed: the people looked as if they were about to burst into song and dance. They still make me smile.

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

Paris Exhibition, 2021

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

Paris Exhibition, 2021

As a photographer, when I am in a different environment with the camera in my hand, at first I am an observer who sees through the eyes of the camera, but, as time goes on, I feel that I am also a part of that environment, and I have to be there, to find. It is then that I seek to find myself among human beings, the reflections, the shadows, and wherever there is a sign of me. I portray myself in those solitudes and crowds.

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

This photo in one of the streets of Tabriz is taken of a little girl and her doll. It is always attractive to me: reflections from behind the glass or in the water. In this picture, the presence of a little girl with her Barbie doll and reflection of the city's buildings on the bus glass was interesting to me.

Paris Exhibition, 2021

The images are about the intersection of fashion, identity, and individuality in the city. The earliest photo in the series is “Fish in the City,” which appealed to my sense of finding the surreal in everyday life. Then, I love the Japanese fashion influence with emphasis on the the happy and sad face emojis combined with black skin on a London street, the cropped abstraction and textures of the luxurious hairy abdomen and colorful clothes on a reclining, gay male, and the symmetry and mirroring of the tattooed legs, foregrounding similar cross-legged positions on the London Underground.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

NYC Exhibition, 2024

I was watching several small children socialize and play in a little town during a street festival. They could have been 50, 100, or 4 years old; the scenes of love and connection were just the same. My heart melted when I caught this.

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

"Browsing Gallery" is one of my photo series, which I have been working on for a few years. This picture was taken at an art exhibition by Internationally acclaimed artist Yayoi Kusama "Life is the Heart of a Rainbow" in 2017.

Through the overwhelming use of colour and light that the viewer experiences in her artwork, she creates sensory phenomena. I loved the primary colour palette in this frame and the use of light to support it.

The photo was taken on the 39th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. When I took the photo, I was thinking about what percentage of the slogans of the revolution have been achieved after thirty-nine years. The looks in the photo were my answer to this question.

Exhibition at the Regional Museum of Anthropology, Villahermosa, Mexico, 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

In Queretaro, Mexico, from the 12th to the 15th of September each year, hundreds of people called "concheros" come from different parts of the country dressed in their warrior costumes and congregate in one of the most important festivities of "Santa Cruz," which marks the fusion of 1531 between pre-Hispanics and the conquerors. For three days they dance to demonstrate their exaltation and devotion, performing ritual dances that date back to Chichimec and Aztec origins, as well as dances that form part of popular humor, accompanied by masks and costumes.

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

This photo was taken on the eve of the India Republic Day Celebration, 2015. As I was covering the mega show as a press photographer for print media, this unique moment instantly caught my attention. For me, the lady signifies my country, India. she is old, loaded with rich cultural heritage and history, diverse and yet unshaken. Full of strength and wisdom, she rises like a unicorn from all the challenges every year. Her biggest strength is her own countrymen.

The young man looking through the window just made the moment all the more so relatable.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

On La Palma, Canary Islands, they built these structures for a future cruise ship terminal, but the plans were cancelled. Now the area is only used by locals going for a stroll or jog by the sea. I loved capturing the light and shadow play of these decaying structures together with the few people giving it perspective in black and white!

NYC Exhibition, 2020

“Unbridled” best describes this image taken at a Rang-De-Holi Festival. Like Holi festivals world-wide, this was a vibrant, joyful event with music, dance, and brilliant colorful powder thrown about and playfully massaged into each participant's hair and face. I arrived not knowing quite how my presence with camera would be received, but was immediately welcomed into the fold of celebrants with greetings of “Happy Holi” and an anointing of powders. The sense of rapture was deeply infectious, and I wanted to show that story of euphoria in a B&W image rather than losing the emotion in a cascade of color.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

While at a crosswalk with my daughter and husband one evening vacationing in Porto, I caught sight of this couple in masquerade masks approaching. I had just clicked a candid of my daughter as we waited for the traffic light to change and so, with camera at the ready, I quickly shuttered this image and caught these two "cats" before they slipped by and disappeared into the night.

NYC Exhibition, 2020

What captured my attention at that moment was the children's laughter. It is just pure and simple but makes me ponder about where my youth has gone. Isn't it an irony that when we were young, we don't get much freedom, but we are free of mind. When we enter adulthood, the freedom is ours, but our mind is caught up in the chaos of life. I think that sometimes we should just let our inner child be in charge for a change.

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

Painterly-like reflection taken in Zagreb, Croatia, 2020.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

The young woman is carrying the fishing tackles home. She looks like the bride of the see which I called jellyfish.

NYC Exhibition, 2018

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

An elderly woman is crossing an alley in the suburbs of Mashhad. In these areas, the streets are crowded, old buildings with high density still can be found, and even in the summer, flooded pathways catch your eye.

Kuala Lumpur Photo Festival and WSP Virtual Exhibition, 2023

Kids are source of incense for me.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

When I moved back to my childhood home in Idaho, I had the random good fortune of moving in next to a sheep rancher. The Siddoway family has welcomed me to take photos of their photogenic ranching activities, and one early morning at a spring round-up, I discovered what it looks like when a flash is used on a herd of sheep in the dark.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

Being part of the last indigenous of Europe, the Saami of Russia lost their nomadic autonomy with the rise of Soviet power. Reindeer herders in the tundra on the Kola Peninsula, the Saami were forced to live in apartment buildings in Lovozero village, considered as a reserve. Settled to work in kolkhozes, the saami language and the traditional costume were prohibited. Today, there are 1500 saami people, and some 200 speak the language, most of them are elderly. Proud of their traditions, they strive to preserve their culture while adapting to modernity and global warming in the Arctic region.

NYC Exhibition, 2018

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

From my photo series "Women with headscarves". This square, black, transparent fabric will one day turn into headscarves for these girls. It is truly thin and practical, it isn’t slippery and can be easily attached to hair. The women from this region mostly start wearing them after marriage. This is a tradition, a symbol and an inseparable part of their lives. Since their childhood, they get used to labour, having respect for the elders and caring for each other. They share and preserve traditions.

In the mountainous Adjara, they say that everything slowly changes as times goes by. The people of the mountains are moving downwards and those who stay recount how fast the environment changes; what used to exist yesterday has already disappeared and even the things from today will be gone tomorrow. This is the reason why I wanted to photograph the black headscarf on the background of these women and girls, as today it is the symbol of their femininity, loyalty, simplicity and inner peace.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

Solo Exhibition Winner of the 2023 Women Street Photographers & Leica Women Foto Project

This series is a longterm photography project that Natela Grigalashvili began in 2013. She explores and observes the nomadic community in the mountainous area of Adjara, one of the most beautiful regions of Georgia. The traditions and old ways of life are still visible today. The residents are mostly cattle breeders, who have to move their herds several times a year. They take their cattle to the mountains in the summer and stay there until late autumn. The difficult social and economic situation in the country has hindered development and integration of its inhabitants with the rest of the country. With the absence of basic living conditions, many villages have been abandoned, draining the area of its unique traditions and lifestyle, all now slowly being forgotten.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

Solo Exhibition Winner of the 2023 Women Street Photographers & Leica Women Foto Project

This series is a longterm photography project that Natela Grigalashvili began in 2013. She explores and observes the nomadic community in the mountainous area of Adjara, one of the most beautiful regions of Georgia. The traditions and old ways of life are still visible today. The residents are mostly cattle breeders, who have to move their herds several times a year. They take their cattle to the mountains in the summer and stay there until late autumn. The difficult social and economic situation in the country has hindered development and integration of its inhabitants with the rest of the country. With the absence of basic living conditions, many villages have been abandoned, draining the area of its unique traditions and lifestyle, all now slowly being forgotten.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

Solo Exhibition Winner of the 2023 Women Street Photographers & Leica Women Foto Project

This series is a longterm photography project that Natela Grigalashvili began in 2013. She explores and observes the nomadic community in the mountainous area of Adjara, one of the most beautiful regions of Georgia. The traditions and old ways of life are still visible today. The residents are mostly cattle breeders, who have to move their herds several times a year. They take their cattle to the mountains in the summer and stay there until late autumn. The difficult social and economic situation in the country has hindered development and integration of its inhabitants with the rest of the country. With the absence of basic living conditions, many villages have been abandoned, draining the area of its unique traditions and lifestyle, all now slowly being forgotten.

Special Exhibition for 22 Indian Women, Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

I took this picture during the Pushkar Fair. it was my first time visiting as a photographer. Pushkar Fair is a place where many stories are seen of the tribal people of Rajasthan. The only thing that grabbed my eye was a girl is doing a cartwheel and the way everyone is gathered around watching her. The scene in the background is actually shows the fair vibe, culture, and life of tribal people and villagers of Rajasthan. I felt I captured the whole fair in one frame.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

It was a summer day in Athens, Greece, and tourists were having a hard time coping with the heat. I noticed this group, which was trying hard to follow what the guide was telling them, and I could FEEL their anguish.

NYC Exhibition, 2019

Every year the Dead Sea water level drops for about a meter due to many reasons. And every year, Tourists travel from far and wide to have an experience of this unusual water body situated at the lowest part of the earth with no living organism due to its high salinity, hence the name “The Dead Sea”. In this photograph, tourists are seen floating effortlessly and just having a good time in the water.

For me, the dead sea was the highlight of our group trip to Jordan. It was sunset when we got there, As soon as Stephanie got into the water and began to float, I noticed the couple in the background just relaxing. It felt very surreal and peaceful. One couldn’t tell by just looking all the people in the water at the time that this high saline water stings really bad, except for the man in the middle.

2nd Virtual Exhibition—September 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photo Festival and WSP Virtual Exhibition, 2023

I was in Oaxaca at the Plaza de la Danza and saw this gentleman walking around trying to sell the colorful cotton candy to all the kids playing in the public square. I followed him for a while to get a good picture, and he eventually took a break and leaned against the wall. I took the picture then because I could no longer see him but only his lower legs and shoes, so the cotton candy looked as if it was the upper part of his body, and it made me laugh.

Virtual Exhibition, December 2023

I took the original photo in Oaxaca at the market. It was in the meats section, so there was all this smoke that gave the mood an interesting feel. There was a lot of activity, and I saw this gentleman purchasing vegetables from the vendor and knew it was the right moment. I'm part of Gulnara Lyabib Samoilova's subscription mentoring group and had the picture workshopped. Her suggestions were spot on! She recommended a crop on the right side to get rid of some distractions. That's when the picture worked and came to life.

NYC Exhibition, 2018

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

Walking on the beach I saw two men hugging with an amazing expression. Magic happened when the kids in the background flew the floating Unicorn in the air! At that moment I realized that this was a strong image. It’s those rare moments and I felt my heart beating like crazy and my stomach swirling!

I just hoped that everything was in focus and within the frame.

Kuala Lumpur Street Photography Festival, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

While walking on the beach looking for "Beach Stories", my ongoing series on the beach, I saw some children playing in the sand. I believe they were from France. One child was completely buried in the sand, leaving his head only visible. I found that interesting and approached them. At one point sand particles dropped in the kid's eyes and he blinked like he was in pain. It was a split of a second. And I was so happy to have pressed the shutter release button right at that time. Click!
I feel that this photo hides a story behind and may be interpreted in many ways. The child's expression together with the departing child makes the picture stand out to me. It could be cause and effect related, or, in a more surreal way, the body running away from it's own head!

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

While photographing on the beach for my ongoing photoessay "Beach Stories" I saw these two women. I loved the cloudy sky and the contrast with their colored hair. So I stood by and discretely took several pictures. On the last click the one woman lifted her hands spontaneously in the air! I felt freedom!

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

Trieste Photo Days Exhibition, Italy, 2020

NYC Exhibition, 2020

When shooting on the beach, I feel an unbelievable energy surrounding me and the people around me. The contrast of the cloudy sky and this beautiful woman's tanned body struck me. While pressing the shutter release, I realized that the tanned printed eyes on the back of her phone matched perfectly her face! Click!

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photo Festival and WSP Virtual Exhibition, 2023

One warm day on Miami Beach, this lady captured my attention with her beautiful fur hat, and her bright, red bag.

She was by a bench, and right then she picked up her dog, and embraced it in this tender moment. I was thrilled to have captured it! I liked that they both closed their eyes enjoying the moment.

What I realized afterwards was that the men passing by also matched her red bag. What a coincidence!

PhoS Sofia Street Photography Days, Bulgaria, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

This is an image of two young lovers in the Zocalo, which is the main square in Oaxaca Mexico. This type of affection isn't always met with approval from older generations.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

In the pueblo of San Juan Sacatapez, Guatemala, I came upon a crowd gathering. I quickly zoomed over to observe and found myself in the middle of a Mayan wedding reception. I was welcomed in and started talking with the guests and capturing images. In one of those split-second moments, I saw this scene develop with the bride capturing my eye, and I was more than ready.

Brussels Street Photography Festival, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

Stacks of smoke are unique to New York City and a constant reminder of what lays below the surface - to this day countless arteries of pipes deliver heat to much of the city. Above the surface, the smoke creates a wonderful filter that I use in my photography to isolate people as well as create a sense of mystery. This photo was taken Midtown on Madison Avenue and I tried to capture the movement of people emerging from the steam. The “headless men” is anonymous, leaving most of the photo’s story to the viewer’s imagination.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

NYC Exhibition, 2020

This photo was taken in Times Square, New York City on a winter afternoon in January 2020. I was about to head home and caught sight of the blue wall of a coffee truck. I decided to linger for a while to see what might evolve. I noticed nearby a few costumed characters, who are a constant in Times Square trying to make a few dollars being photographed with tourists. One of the characters was wearing a red hat standing in front of the blue wall and the skyline of the city, giving a sense of mystery by staying anonymous.

1st Virtual Exhibition, May 2021

Exhibition at the Regional Museum of Anthropology, Villahermosa, Mexico, 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

In February of 2020, I spotted an American flag outside a hardware store in New York City, beautifully illuminated by the sun. Pedestrians were walking home after church, and I lingered for a while to observe the scene. A couple approached, and the wind blew the flag to partially obstruct them, creating a sense of anonymity and mystery, something I look for in my photography.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

This photo was taken in Greenwich Village, New York on a warm Spring day in 2019. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a person holding a large bundle of white balloons in both hands. I ran to catch up and noticed that when the sun struck the balloons, they magically illuminated, turning translucent and glistening in the light. I followed for a while, observing and taking multiple photos along the way. This is still one of my favorites of the day, maintaining the anonymity of the balloon holder while capturing a special New York moment in time.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

This photo was taken Easter Sunday, April 2022.

Celebrants wear festive finery and show off their bonnets along Fifth Avenue – a very popular event among street photographers. I arrived early to a sparsely populated front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral when I noticed a large group of nuns gathered outside. Walking up Fifth Avenue, singing hymns, I followed them closely. The shot was taken before they “disappeared” under scaffolding, catching the sunlight on their white habits and song books. This is one of my favorite shots, maintaining the anonymity of the nuns while capturing a timeless New York moment.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

It's a single shot, I was fascinated by the light and different layers and tried to combine people in perfect positions. Additionally I feel the left person with the head in the "dark" adds a little bit of bizarre.

India Photo Festival, Hyderabad, India, 2022

My photo "ooOOOioOo" is not part of a series, but a single shot. The round windows immediately caught my eye and taught me a lesson in patience, until the right passerby walked by with an umbrella.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

The photo was taken in November 2021 in Paris in the famous business district, la Defense. The graphic background is the side wall of the "Grande Arche." It's usually a very hectic and rowdy place where people pass by on their way to the office. Therefore, I find the captured moment very special. The man looks like he needs a short break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and pauses for a moment, lost in thought, to take a breath.

Kuala Lumpur Photo Festival and WSP Virtual Exhibition, 2023

The photo was taken in Copenhagen, Denmark at a bus station. Since I have a great fondness for architecture, lines and graphic image elements, I thought about how to integrate the construction into my photograph. The opposing movement and positioning in front of and behind the glass have been a great challenge of patience and timing.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

This shot was taken from a lookout tower on a busy square in Lisbon, Portugal. In a fraction of a second, I had my image idea of ​​the connected shadows in my head, realizing it took me a lot of patience and perseverance.

Virtual Exhibition, 2023

I took this photo in Marneuli, Georgia, at the bus stop. My bus was running late. These two women passed by, without sparing a single glance at each other. These two ghostly figures, floating on their own way seemed interesting to me, against the background of already faded, but still cheerful green wall.

This is how I see my country - cheerful and full of hope, and at the same time gloomy and weary.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

I like to walk around the old parts of Tbilisi, in the city of my childhood, which is slowly disappearing. Once, while walking down the street, I saw an open window. I liked the curtain shaking. Suddenly a shadow appeared from deep within the house. I took the shot.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

My son Mark is 15 years old. He loves fishing, and I often accompany him. When Russia invaded Ukraine, we moved to France, to the seaport city of Le Havre. The passion for fishing helped my son to adapt to the country, to a new home and school. We went fishing with him early in the morning, in the rain, and even at night.

NYC Exhibition, 2019

The photo was taken in Hong Kong, 2019

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

The photo was taken on the seashore of Batumi, Georgia

NYC Exhibition, 2023

This photo was taken in Mexico City during the Zona Maco opening week. The cowboy hat is Mexican symbol. Usually, it represents masculinity, but the purple light makes the composition and the message very romantic. I found the purple light and two men wearing cowboys hats very enticing and sensual. It’s left to us to wonder what kind of energy is building between these two cowboys.

Exhibit in Chelyabinsk, Russia, 2020

On our last day in Bangladesh we accidentally stumbled on Independence Day celebrations in a suburb outside of Dhaka. It was spectacular. The school girls were beautifully dressed with extravagant make up and looked absolutely ravishing. The atmosphere was festive and everyone was super friendly. It was the perfect photographic farewell to a fascinating country.

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

1st Virtual Exhibition, 2021

NYC Exhibition, 2020

I was in Ghana, Cape Coast. We stayed at a small beach hotel. The local youth came in the afternoons to play, practice and impress the tourists. The light, the movement and their skills combined to a magical moment.

Paris Exhibition, 2021

My first trip after a long pandemic-related halt to my travel was to Egypt. It was exhilarating, and Egypt the perfect destination. I felt alive again. While mostly open to being photographed, people’s reactions varied. This series reflects that variety from refusal, to face covering, to just plain staring—most always friendly.

Exhibition at the Regional Museum of Anthropology, Villahermosa, Mexico, 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

A visit to Egypt in May 2021 was my first trip after a long pandemic-related pause. The colors, smells, and friendly people of Egypt were a great source of photographic inspiration. I felt alive again. The ability to photograph daily after such a long time felt like such a privilege.

NYC Exhibition, 2023

While visiting Iloilo in the Philippines, we walked through a fairly run-down neighborhood on the water. Narrow and rickety wooden bridges connect the different areas. I was ready to head back, when we finally came to the beach and solid ground. The children were out in force. I am always impressed by how little they need in order to have fun. No fancy toys, or elaborate playground structures necessary. I observed this group for a long time as they were running around, climbing, coming, and going. Then finally it all came together.

NYC Exhibition, 2024

Visiting an amusement park in Almati in Kazakhstan, I spotted this rather unusual game. The children were put in a harness sporting boxing gloves. The harness was raised and centred above a pile of boxes. Once lowered, the goal is to grab as many boxes as possible. It made for a truly quirky and somewhat mysterious yet joyful image.

NYC Exhibition, 2018

This picture was taken during Purim, the Jewish mask holiday; according to the tradition, the orthodox Jews are obliged to be happy and to drink heavily.

The young people from Bnei Brak in the picture are celebrating as much as they can.

Kuala Lumpur Street Photography Festival, 2019

NYC Exhibition, 2019

Indian Photo Festival, 2020

Palestinian women and children comes to the sea for the first time in their life. The sea days are organised by Israeli women from Watch Barrier in July and August every year

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2020

NYC Exhibition, 2020

One of the old costumes in Judaism is the Kapparot before Yom Kippur. Because of the increasing awareness to it's cruelty, these days there is a possibility of donations instead.

Exhibition at the Regional Museum of Anthropology, Villahermosa, Mexico, 2021

Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, 2021

Kapparot (Hebrew: כפרות, Ashkenazi transliteration: Kapporois, Kappores) is a customary atonement ritual practiced by some Jews on the eve of Yom Kippur. This is a practice in which a chicken or money is waved over a person's head and the chicken is then slaughtered in accordance with halachic rules.

NYC Exhibition, 2022

Street performances are sometimes magical—that's how it felt.