Behind our Frames 2025

To recap our 2025, we asked Inland photographers to look back on the year and share one image that stood out.

Alex Kemman

To start off the series, we begin with a photograph by Alex Kemman. In December, Alex traveled to the village of Chorrobocón, in the Amazon region of eastern Colombia. He documented an Indigenous community involved in illegal gold mining, exploring how they ended up at the axis of global interests because of rare earth metals that are also present in the territory. In his notes, Alex reflects on the community’s relationship with water, and how, throughout the journey, he kept ending up with images of children swimming.

Cyril Abad

Taken in May on the Swedish Arctic Circle, this photo by Cyril Abad is part of a long-term project on iron mines. In his notes, he reflects on the art of photography and how it constructs narrative, manipulates perception, and transforms reality.

Jana Margarete Schuler

Photographed in September in Berlin for Die Zeit, this photograph by Jana Margarete Schuler portrays Lomisi and Shota Hvaramiia in their apartment. The twin brothers fled Ukraine at 16, rebuilt their lives in Germany, and today rank among the best boxers of their class.

Jef Bonifacino

Taken in November in Port Angeles, Washington State, this photograph by Jef Bonifacino is part of The Dying of the Light project. In his notes, Jef recalls the moment he noticed this yellow tree under a streetlamp in a parking lot, and how simple scenes like this can bring such joy to a photographer.

Mathias Zwick

Taken in January 2025, this was the first portrait Mathias Zwick took that year in Montenegro. In his notes, he writes about meeting Stefan and his orange Citroën. A vintage car restorer, Stefan’s life story and generous, warmhearted nature left a lasting impression.

Matjaž Tančič

This photograph by Matjaž Tančič, taken in Lahore, Pakistan, is part of his personal project called Mars on Earth. In his notes, he writes about Yumma Majeed and her efforts to make space science accessible to young people. The image captures one of her pupils and tells a story of change at its most concrete level.

Melanie Wenger

Taken in July in Van Nuys, California, this portrait by Melanie Wenger was shot for Le Figaro Magazine as part of an assignment on Trump’s mass deportation policy. It portrays Melanie, whose husband, originally from Honduras, was arrested at the LA Federal Building in June 2025, just a month before this photo was taken. With no criminal record, he is now separated from his family, leaving Melanie to care for their six-month-old alone.

Polly Tootal

Taken in the valley beneath Arenig Mountain in Eryri National Park, North Wales, this is a portrait of Gwynfryn by Polly Tootal, her closest friend ever since she moved to Wales from London. In her notes, she reflects on their friendship and the landscapes that have come to shape her own life. Gwynfryn, having lived here for over fifty years, shares his knowledge and stories, and their friendship has grown naturally from these exchanges and acts of reciprocity.

Phyllis B. Dooney

In this portrait, Phyllis B. Dooney photographs her friend and colleague Rachel Jessen. In her notes, she reflects on the human condition of being a work in progress and on how her choices in composition and framing of the photograph convey this idea.

Romain Philippon

This portrait by Romain Philippon was taken in Chemin Grenier, Mauritius. In his notes, he reflects on his years of photographing the island, a place where he rediscovers the joy of photographing freely. Unbound by professional demands, he moves at his own pace with a 4x5 camera, allowing each encounter with his subjects to unfold naturally.

Tim Franco

In this photograph, Tim Franco captures a corner of Euljiro neigbourhood in Seoul. His notes reflect on the challenge of photographing a place you live in and celebrate the neighborhood’s authentic character, in contrast with some areas of Seoul that often are “trying to impress.”

Tjorven Bruyneel

Taken in Ghent, Belgium, Tjorven Bruyneel’s photograph explores the idea of shelteredness. In her notes, she reflects on the power of art to reveal the invisible layers of society. Over the past year, her work became more introspective, shifting inwards. This photo is a glimpse of a project that will continue to unfold in the year to come.

Tommaso Rada

Taken in February in the suburbs of São Paulo, this photograph by Tommaso Rada shows volunteers from the Movimento Sem Terra (Landless Workers’ Movement) preparing land for agroforestry. The site, part of the Irmã Alberta Community land occupation, uses abandoned state-owned land to grow family-based organic agriculture in response to the lack of agrarian reform. The image captures the quiet, ongoing efforts of local communities working toward a sustainable future in one of South America’s largest cities.

Patrick Wack

We’re closing the series with a photograph by Patrick Wack, taken in May 2025 at Budak Spit, Odessa, Ukraine, during his visit to honor the memory of his late friend, Matthieu Chazal. Once a place of childhood memories and sunny summers, the photograph shows one of the many seaside cabins in the spit that were being torn down. Today, with the war, the coastline has become a militarized front with concrete defenses.