Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2025 i Lens Magazine

"I WANT THE VIEWER TO BE DRAWN TO WHAT IS IMPORTANT. IT’S ALWAYS MORE DIFFICULT TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE FRAME INSTEAD OF WHAT NEEDS TO BE LEFT IN."-RICK BOGACZ "SIMPLICITY CAN BE INCREDIBLY POWERFUL, AND IT IS THROUGH THE REMOVAL OF EXTRANEOUS ELEMENTS THAT THE TRUE ESSENCE OF A SUBJECT CAN BE REVEALED."-RICK BOGACZ For Huntsville, Ontario-based photographer Rick Bogacz, taking a minimalist approach has been key in the development of his working style over the past several years. While he had always had a passion for taking pictures, Rick decided after graduating from Ryerson University’s journalism program in Toronto in 1981 that his career path would be more focused on the printed word. He became a newspaper reporter and spent a…

”EACH IMAGE IN THIS SERIES FOLLOWS AN INDIVIDUAL WANDERING AROUND A BUILDING’S INTERIOR, OBSERVED BY THEMSELF. UNBEKNOWNST TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, HE MAKES A CONNECTION WITH HIMSELF, THE DOPPELGANGER. I USED A PHOTOGRAPHIC NARRATIVE TO CREATE A STORY SURROUNDING THE SUBJECT, RAISING QUESTIONS. I INVITE THE VIEWER TO PARTAKE IN A SEQUENCE THAT IS WATCHING SOMETHING UNCANNY UNFOLD. REFLECTING ON ONE’S SURROUNDINGS, THROUGH THIS, I AIM TO CHALLENGE THE NOTIONS OF PRIVACY IN A MODERN WORLD OF CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE."-SARAH O’MAHONY Each image in this series depicts an individual wandering through the interior of an old college building, spaces that are once familiar turned unsettling. As the sequence unfolds, the subject is unknowingly observed. Not by an external presence but by himself, The Doppelganger. This double, influenced by Sigmund Freud’s theories, initially…

”I WAS HOPING THAT THE WILDFIRES THAT DEVASTATED PACIFIC PALISADES, MALIBU, AND ALTADENA IN JANUARY 2025 WOULD BE THE ONLY OUT-OF-CONTROL FLAMES I WOULD HAVE TO COVER IN AND AROUND LOS ANGELES FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. BUT AS THE LATE, GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER MARY ELLEN MARK ONCE TOLD ME, "HOPE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT."- MARK EDWARD HARRIS On June 6, the same date 79 years earlier that American troops along with their allies stormed the beaches of Normandy to liberate Europe, US federal agents conducted immigration raids in and around Los Angeles. They arrested several dozen people for suspected immigration violations, as well as one person for obstruction. Clashes between protesters and ICE agents (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and later police and protesters ensued, disturbing the peace of the…

“PHOTOGRAPHING THE TRIBES OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA REQUIRED IMMENSE AND STRENUOUS TRAVEL THROUGH WINDING ROADS AND DENSE JUNGLE. AFTER TWO CANCELED FLIGHTS ATTEMPTING TO REACH THE HIGHLANDS FROM PORT MORESBY, RELIEF WAS UPON US AS THE PLANE HIT THE TARMAC.- ZOE LARSON A mid the chaos of Randy and David setting up our makeshift photo studio and beginning to shoot our first tribe of the trip, one of the people helping run the eco-lodges brings me a man by the name of Henry to talk to. Shutters and flashes go off around us as we pull white plastic chairs around the table, balancing on the uneven, muddied floor. I ask if it is okay for me to record our interview, considering the fact my multitasking note-taking skills are far from…

2 SERIES ABSTRACT • URSULA THE ABSTRACT SERIES ”I'M A CONCEPTUAL PHOTOGRAPHER INSPIRED BY MINIMALISM AND CONTEMPORARY ART. THIS LEADS ME TO TRANSFORM THE REALITY OF WHAT THE EYE SEES. MY WORK REFLECTS MY FASCINATION WITH THE ELEMENTAL NATURE OF COLOR AS AN AESTHETIC PURSUIT. THE DOMINANCE OF THE BLUE COLOR, THE HORIZON, AND THE SQUARE FORMAT ARE CENTRAL TO MY WORK. WHAT ALSO INTERESTS ME IS THE IDEA THAT EACH READER CAN APPROPRIATE THEIR OWN INTERPRETATION AND THUS DEVELOP THEIR OWN IMAGINATION."- JEAN-PAUL SOUJOL BENEDETTI ”TO DEVELOP THIS CONCEPT, I DRAW ON THE NOTIONS OF TIMELESSNESS AND INFINITY. PHOTOGRAPHY IS A PASSION THAT ALLOWS ME TO DEVELOP ANOTHER LANGUAGE: THE LANGUAGE OF CREATIVITY. "- JEAN-PAUL SOUJOL BENEDETTI Jean-Paul Soujol Benedetti is a minimalist photographer whose work is deeply influenced…

"PHOTOGRAPHY, FOR ME, IS AN INSTANT OF REVELATION. IT DEMANDS DEVOTION; YOU MUST REVEAL EVERY INCH OF YOUR SOUL TO REACH THE TRUE ARTWORK. MY INTEREST IN PHOTOGRAPHY APPEARED AS A PASSIONATE DESIRE FOR SELF-EXPRESSION AND AUTHENTICITY. I BELIEVE THAT THE BEST WAY TO COME CLOSER TO A PERSON’S SOUL IS TO STRIP AWAY ALL THE ARTIFICE. MY SIMPLE SECRET IS THAT WHEN I SHOOT, I FOCUS ALL MY CREATIVE ENERGY AS IF IT IS THE LAST OF MY LIFE."- MARIYA ANDRIICHUK In The Fragile Bloom, the rose is not just a flower—it is a metaphor for tenderness held close, for beauty that must be protected even as it threatens to wound. Cradled in the girl’s arms, the rose becomes an extension of her own vulnerability. Her gesture is soft…

"Through my photography, I seek to capture the vastness and raw energy of nature—the kind that makes everything else fall away. These landscapes make me feel fully alive and present." Nadia Sharova is an outdoor photographer based in Portugal, exploring the connection between atmosphere, movement, and wild landscapes. Her work combines visual storytelling with cinematic color grading, focusing on dramatic coastlines, remote mountain trails, and forest interiors—often influenced by seasonal light, weather, and the physical rhythm of travel. Having the opportunity to shoot in some of the most breathtaking locations around the world, she has been particularly captivated by the diverse natural landscapes of Portugal. From stormy Atlantic beaches to hidden woodland paths, these stunning environments have become her most vibrant canvas in recent years. Nadia Sharova’s journey began during…

"Natural Beauty" is a series born from my love of the natural world—including human bodies. At a young age, I found solace in the forest and acreage of the small hobby farm where I spent my formative years. I had a unique childhood experience. I grew up with several siblings in the Midwest of the United States in a traditional setting where we were largely feral, free to roam the land unsupervised, following our instincts and curiosity. The outdoors was a refuge in times of turmoil, disharmonious home life, or complex parental relationships. It was easy to identify with the geography of that particular place. Eventually, the creeks and fields that once held mysteries unsolved, looming like canyon walls or as vast as the fabled Wild West, faded and shrunk.…