MARIO SCHNEIDER (GER) "Train Boy" marioschneider.org
All the images are included in the photobook “New York Short Stories.” The book is published by Kehrer. Most people have a certain image of this vibrant, pulsating metropolis in mind. However, what photographer Mario Schneider has to say is of a completely different nature. His gaze is gentle and intimate, following interpersonal situations and seeming to peek into the lives of its inhabitants. “In politically bleak times like these, a book like this can give people hope,” says Photonews magazine. And that is truly what the photographer is about. “Most of the photos are based on what I saw. In a city of extremes, I found moments of silence, closeness, tenderness, comfort, and human affection that one wouldn’t normally associate with New York. Some of the photos were taken shortly after Donald Trump’s reelection and inauguration for his second term. To me, they are like silent signals in an increasingly noisy world.”
HENDRICK BRAET (BEL) hendrikbraet.be
Hendrik Braet is a Belgian photographer who lives and works in Ghent. For years he has been focusing on his own Flemish Culture, which he dissects in a humorous, striking way and removing the appearances it tries to keep up. He’ s convinced that he doesn’t have to travel far to grasp the times. He works in his own environment. He studied International political sciences and photography at the academy in Ghent. In these challenging times with an abundance of images, he is convinced that people need more purified images that radiate humor; in order to put the dominant ‘seriousness’ in perspective.
MICHELE ZOUSMER (USA) michelezousmer.com
Beautiful Charlotte, the eldest of a young family of six children. A few months later, her father passed away, and in many Irish migrant families, tradition dictated that she be given to her grandparents to raise and protect. The next time I saw her, she was seven years old and had received her First Communion. Traditions are very strong, and families value them. It was moving to see her mother and all her siblings again. It was a very emotional reunion.
DES BYRNE (IRL) "Colourful Oddities" instagram.com/desbstreet/
The composition is a study in mismatched pairs. A woman in a white cable-knit cardigan sits stoically beside her blue companion, her expression masked by sunglasses. In the foreground, the domestic meets the accidental: a husky licks a trail of spilled melted ice cream, while a man in a striped shirt stands guard.
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KAREN SWIFT (USA) " Best Seats in the House for the Mermaid Parade " KarenSwiftPhotography.com
It was a hot and humid day for the Mermaid Parade on Coney Island. The parade is a celebration of every kind of imaginable creativity and a true visual feast. I'm short and petite, so it was hard to find a good position to take photos. The parade ended, and I had no idea if my photos were good, bad, or just okay. As I waited to leave, thousands of people blocked my path. I turned around to try another route and saw the most interesting scene of the day. The spectators on the scaffolding were the shot I'd been looking for all day, and I almost missed it. Isn't that how it is with street photography?
BRIAN HODGES (AUS) " Acholiland " brianhodgesphoto.com/
Brian Hodges’ “Acholiland” is a captivating documentary photography project that captures the resilience, cultural identity, and lived realities of the people of the Acholi region in northern Uganda after decades of armed conflict. Through intimate and respectful portraits and carefully observed scenes, Hodges highlights the dignity and agency of the people and communities working to rebuild their lives long after the Lord’s Resistance Army insurgency transformed the social and physical landscape. The series interweaves historical context with expressions of everyday life, emphasizing how humanity, hope, and resilience persist in places often defined by their violent histories. Hodges’ work invites the viewer to look beyond headlines and statistics, offering a nuanced visual narrative that honors both the scars and the strength of the people.
The complete series is on display in our virtual expo.
JEFF ROTHSTEIN (USA) " A rainy night on E. 45th St. NYC" j effrothsteinphotos.com
Born in Brooklyn and a resident of Manhattan for many years, he photographed New York City from the early 1970s.
Wandering the streets with my camera, I consider myself an urban observer. I try to capture the city's surroundings: structures, signs, and above all, the fleeting moments of people on the streets that will soon vanish into thin air.
Over the years, my photos have appeared in various publications, including Black & White magazine, SHOTS, the special monograph issue of Street Photographers Notebook, London Evening Standard, Daily Mail, the Jeff Rothstein special issue in Docu Magazine, Mojo, PetaPixel, the catalogue for the Yoko Ono exhibition at YES, URBAN Unveils The City And Its Secrets vol. 7, Stir the Pot, Imperfect Poetry, The Pictorial List: Volume One - New York, Color of Noise, the Grateful Dead 60th anniversary commemorative box set “Enjoying The Ride” and Fillmore East: The Venue That Changed Rock Music Forever.
JUDITH SHIEH KRASINSKI (USA) @ judith_krasinski
A cosplayer leaves the annual Comic Con festival and returns to the equally colorful streets of New York City.
MARCI LINDSAY (USA) marcislindsay.com
A couple trying to resolve their problems at a resort.
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RUDOLF NEUHOLD (AUT) marcislindsay.com
We were walking through the city center when it suddenly started to rain torrentially. Everyone sought shelter. Only the young man remained seated on the bench, impassive, despite the rain. A young woman approached him, hugged him, and left with him...
MATTHEW NG (HKG) "The Levitating girl" @ Surrealmatt
This photo was taken on Pebble Street, one of Hong Kong's most iconic streets, as it hasn't been renovated and has stood there for 100 years, since the British colonial era. Millions of tourists come to take photos here. Having just returned from a break from street photography, I spent many days here. I noticed that the light here was very special for about 20 minutes each day at this time of year. I came here every day for weeks until I managed to capture this image. That particular day was special because a tour bus parked at the top of the hill blocked out the less appealing colors and made the hill appear to stretch out until the girl's head was also lost in the shadows. At that moment, I noticed a girl walking in a peculiar way and knew beforehand that she was going to do something. So I set up my camera and took the photo at the precise moment, as she jumped into the shadows. The aforementioned elements created the effect seen in this image of the girl seemingly levitating.
SALVUCCI ANDREA (ITA) @ sciaman_74/
In the picturesque port of San Giovanni Li Cuti, in the city of Catania, Italy, a group of bathers gathers daily to enjoy the sea and its benefits. They are middle-aged men and women, some unemployed, others retired, some taking advantage of their lunch break for a dip—a kind of ritual practiced year-round as an antidote to life's adversities. Thus, spontaneously, over the years, the small community of the "Licutians" was born, now characterizing and adding color to the Catania pier with their bodies, their voices, their stories. And while they take turns swimming, the pier becomes a stage where an extraordinary, diverse, and sometimes surreal humanity manifests itself through singular personalities. Like unwitting actors, some of them naturally capture attention by displaying their most eccentric and grotesque sides, arousing curiosity, wonder, and sympathy in passersby. But beneath the theatricality and self-deprecation, the Licutians harbor a profound sensitivity. Li Cuti is not just a place, but a vital center where often invisible beings find recognition and a sense of belonging. Here they feel welcomed and protected from critical eyes and social logic; no one questions the past or imposes roles, and each person can simply be themselves. For a true Licutian, there is no greater desire than to return the next day, perched atop those characteristic lava cliffs, the "cuti lisci," and feel once again part of this landscape. Because Li Cuti is their home, their life.