11/01/2024
milan, it
From the early morning rush to the late-night quiet, there is a constant pulse that drives urban life forward
The idea for In the Frame came to me while standing on a busy street corner, camera in hand, waiting for just the right moment to press the shutter. I realized then that the city is like an orchestra, each part moving in concert with the others—the rhythm of footsteps, the hum of cars, the murmur of conversations blending into a larger composition. As a photographer, my goal was not just to capture isolated moments, but to convey the sense of motion and rhythm that defines city life. I wanted my images to feel alive, as though you could hear the sounds of the streets just by looking at them.
Film photography became the perfect medium for this project. There’s something about film—the texture, the grain, the slight imperfections—that aligns with the imperfect, chaotic energy of the city. Every frame feels like a moment caught in time, a snapshot of life as it is, not as it’s polished or curated. Unlike digital photography, where every shot can be reviewed, deleted, and retaken, shooting on film forces me to trust my instincts. There’s no second chance, no editing in the moment. This mirrors the unpredictability of city life itself, where each moment is fleeting and can never be recreated exactly the same way.
Cities are in constant motion, but within that motion, there are pauses—moments where the rhythm slows, and life seems to stand still. Capturing these moments on film requires patience, observation, and an understanding of the city’s natural flow.
Whether it’s a group of commuters frozen in a moment of collective waiting at a crosswalk, or a street performer caught mid-movement as they entertain passersby, these moments of pause within the city’s larger rhythm are at the heart of this project.
The project took me to various cities, each with its own unique rhythm and character. From the fast-paced streets of [City Name] to the slower, more laid-back vibe of [City Name], I sought to capture the distinct energy of each place. But despite their differences, what I discovered was a shared undercurrent—a universal rhythm that connects all urban spaces. No matter where you are, cities are alive with a constant, pulsing energy, and it’s this energy that I tried to capture through my lens. The flow of people, the rush of traffic, the overlapping layers of sound and movement—all of it came together to create a portrait of life in the city, framed through the timeless medium of film.
Mornings feel different from afternoons, and evenings have their own distinct mood. As the day progresses, the energy shifts—there’s a slow build-up as the city wakes up, followed by a crescendo at midday, and then a gradual winding down as night falls.
Each photograph in this series reflects a different time of day, a different beat in the city’s ongoing rhythm. Through these images, I hope to give viewers a sense of how the city breathes and moves, how its character changes as the hours pass.
In addition to the rhythm of time, In the Frame also explores the rhythm of the people who inhabit these urban spaces. The way individuals navigate the city—their paths, their movements, their interactions with one another—creates its own form of choreography. A street vendor setting up shop, a cyclist weaving through traffic, a couple walking hand in hand down a busy street—all of these movements contribute to the larger dance of the city. Through my lens, I sought to capture the fluidity of these interactions, the way people move in and out of each other’s lives, sometimes unnoticed, but always contributing to the city’s greater rhythm.
