“When we make photographs, we are participating in a conversation that takes place across temporal space. To press the shutter is to pull a slice from the unyielding flow of time, to hold a moment still, so that we may linger on moments of connection and beauty that would otherwise evaporate as quickly as light can move.

Our language is visual- these sentences are constructed in motifs, juxtapositions, color theory, and compositional weight. It’s a language we can never fully master, but we can always deepen our fluency, every new insight learned is compounded in the reservoir that we draw from, and from this ever-deeper well, new ideas emerge and break through the surface, showing us new ways to see.
One of my favorite photographers who sees the world in her own complex and poetic way is Monaris.

She is able to filter the chaos of city life through a sensitive and thoughtful lens, highlighting the humanity that turns these cathedrals of concrete into living, breathing, communities. A city without its people is just an inert structure, and to find the moments that breathed life into an inorganic place is a subtle and clever talent.” (Dave Krugman, abstract from the book)

Paola Franqui, also known as Monaris, is a Puerto Rico-born photographer with a passion for visual storytelling. She captures moments that surround us, turning them into scenes from movies that don’t yet exist. She is an Ambassador for Lightroom and Sony and has over 7 years of experience working with brands. What started as a hobby grew to become Paola’s passion and it has changed her life in ways she never could have imagined. Storytelling is a key element she emphasizes through both her personal and professional work.

“I’m always trying to push boundaries within myself by mastering timing and refining my ability to observe and record those decisive moments in time. I am a reader of people and fascinated by human behavior. Always curious, and wondering what the people I capture are experiencing, what emotions they are going through, and I try to share their stories. A snapshot of a passing moment that will never happen again. I hope for people to go beyond their senses with my images, as I wish to evoke emotion behind the lives that people lead.” (Monaris).

The book Momentos is published by Setantabooks.