Amy Kanka Valadarsky presents "Misthaven"

In “Misthaven,” named after the enchanted forest, Amy Kanka Valadarsky writes her own sequel to well-loved childhood stories by creating a magical world in which she explores the dark and light of growing up and experiencing the world on her term. The images in the “Misthaven” series reveal the complexity of memory, history and simply being human.

"Many years ago, when I still had two long braids tied with huge white bows, I fell in love with stories.Especially the stories which transported me to magical places where wild swans turned into princes, dark forests hid marble castles, and ancient columns were spotted by moonlight floating above the waves of stormy seas. 

With this project, "Misthaven", named after the enchanted forest in the TV series "Once upon a time", I change my role from reader to writer. Rather than being an observer in worlds created by others, I dare write my own story with lenses and light. There is still magic, but this time, I am the magician."

See more of Amy's work here

Iris Debelder - "If you ever find yourself in the wrong story...leave"

In this photo noir project, Iris Debelder created a collection of dark, poetic images, that reflect the noir genre. Each image feels aesthetically mysterious, and together they suggest a story.

"I have always had a fascination with fine crafted cinema. It is to me a visual feast and

often a projection of inner feelings.

As a child I embraced soft, pastel colors, and joyful imagery. My early years were happy

and carefree in bucolic surroundings.

Later in life, when living in urban areas, I discovered “film noir” which engendered

maturity and complexity in the images I was drawn to. Currently I see the world in a

darker and more poetic way, with stark contrasts, mystery and motion. However, my

work continues to embrace aesthetics and beauty."

see more of Iris work here

Miguel Ángel Bejarano on "Photographic Prose: Poetic Visuals without Rhythm"

Miguel Angel Bejarano on his series 

"Photographic Prose: Poetic Visuals without Rhythm"

"When I was a teenager traversing through troubling times, I thought the only way I could cope with life was to write -- transforming my state of mind into words.  I would carefully craft poems into songs with the help of my friends in a band.  It helped to feel detached from my own words while someone else sang them.  

It was an indescribable feeling when people would say that they loved a song I had written.  When I touched someone through my lyrics and they felt the way I did, I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.  As I wrote about broken hearts, deceptions, or illusions, I discovered a sense of completion and I could move on, leaving that memory behind."

 "Now, as an adult, I am less secure in sharing my feelings, thoughts, and heartbreaks.  

I dread being exposed and vulnerable.  But now, I let the camera be my vehicle for expression.  My project, Photographic Prose: Poetic Visuals without Rhythm, is a visual voyage into my deepest thoughts and emotions; a psychological journey of sorts.  In this venture I write my songs with photographs, without a thought to rhymes or time signatures."

See more of Miguel's work here

Rohina Hoffman on "Mothers and Daughters"

Rohina Hoffman’s photographic series: MOTHERS+DAUGHTERS explores the complicated, nuanced relationship between her subjects at a critical time in their lives as the girls enter their teenage years. It is a collective voice for how mothers and daughters grow together and apart.

"My daughter Maya is the inspiration behind this project.  When she was little she would play in my closet and try on my high heels. I told her that she could borrow a pair for her 6^th grade graduation.  When the graduation came, her feet were two sizes bigger than mine and I knew that the connection through wardrobe was simply a happy memory. That moment had passed.

It was then that I started photographing Maya, her friends, and their mothers, and have continued to explore those relationships over the years, now focusing on the mother/daughter connection in particular."

See more of Rohina Hoffman's work here