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*.*.*.* PRINT EDITION *.*.*.*

PORTRAIT MAGAZINE Issue 15

With Issue 15 of PORTRAIT MAGAZINE, I return to some of the ideas that continue to shape my approach to portrait photography: simplicity, light, human presence and the value of authenticity.

This edition brings together three black-and-white portrait editorials with distinct visual characters. In Poetic Reduction, I explore how restraint can become a form of expression. Photographed with Chiara in my Zurich studio, the series relies on subtle light, clean styling and quiet compositions that leave space for the person in front of the camera.

Chasing Daylight, created with Naïla van Kommer, follows a different rhythm. Here, natural light becomes an active part of the portrait, shaping atmosphere and allowing moments to develop without forcing them. The photographs move between softness and contrast, observation and expression.

In Grace in Monochrome, my work with Valentina takes place in a luminous high-key setting. The reduced monochrome language shifts attention towards posture, expression and character, creating portraits that feel light and elegant without losing their human presence.

The Thoughts section of this issue turns towards a subject that is becoming increasingly relevant to photography: artificial intelligence. I reflect on what AI-generated imagery means for me as a portrait photographer and why I believe authenticity, real encounters and real photographic experiences may become even more important as synthetic imagery becomes increasingly convincing.

I do not see this as a question of rejecting technology. I am interested in understanding it and discovering where it can support my work without replacing what I value most about photography: the encounter between people.

Issue 15 is therefore both a collection of photographs and a reflection on what it means to create portraits today.