In 'Read Your Photography,' we focus on the narratives behind photographs—stories that cannot be encountered by simply looking. Alongside works gathered through the cizucu-hosted and social media, cizucu Magazine translates the backgrounds and unique moments behind each image into 12 languages, sharing them with the world.
Choosing to keep a story close to your heart is one option. Yet, those feelings may quietly touch someone else’s soul and inspire new emotions yet to be discovered.
This time, we introduce the works of five artists from around the globe.
Now, let’s gently peer into these one-of-a-kind stories.
Kai Kim’s Story
Photo by Kai Kim
Kai Kim
📷 NIKON Df
📚 01
While traveling through central Kenya, a young boy kept following me. I imagine he was curious about who I was. It’s rare to see an Asian person in the heart of Kenya, especially one carrying a camera that looked almost like a machine gun, walking with a group of white people. I must have seemed very peculiar in his eyes. Perhaps he wanted to know more.
He followed me until I stopped at a host’s place. As I looked around, there he was. Our eyes finally met. In that instant, I couldn’t resist—I pressed the shutter and captured his gaze. His eyes were filled with curiosity and wonder.
To me, he was just one of many children I met in Kenya. But for him, I believe I became someone memorable in his life. I hope I can remember this moment for as long as possible.
cizucu Editorial Team
Through a small window, the gaze of a young boy reaches straight toward us. The contrast between the dim interior and the dazzling outdoor light brings his expression into sharp relief. His eyes, a mix of curiosity and caution, pose questions that transcend words. For just this moment, the photographer and the subject—two people from different worlds—truly intersect.
Tito’s Story
Photo by Tito
Tito
📷 SONY α7 IV
📚 02
Neon signs slice through the night, their colorful lights reflecting off the damp city streets. The scene feels as if it has leapt straight out of a film. The recurring motifs of signs and rain in works like 'Akira,' 'Ghost in the Shell,' or 'Blade Runner' may seem fantastical, but for many, they embody the very image of 'old Hong Kong.'
However, these rich colors have gradually been replaced by uniform LED lights, and the city has become increasingly monotonous. All I could do was pick up my camera and document, one by one, the beautiful scenes that once existed there.
The shop in this photograph was once a beloved local restaurant, known for its reasonable prices and quality. Sadly, it closed down in the middle of last year. That’s why I wanted to preserve this vanishing landscape before it disappeared.
To prove that those vivid, cyberpunk-like scenes were not mere fiction, but truly existed in this city.
cizucu Editorial Team
The neon of a now-closed restaurant casts colorful reflections onto the rain-soaked pavement. Two figures under umbrellas slowly cross this sea of light. The scene, reminiscent of a cyberpunk film, was not a fantasy—it truly existed in this city. There are things that can only be preserved through documentation. A quiet sense of mission permeates this image.
Deep Chan’s Story
Photo by Deep Chan
Deep Chan
📷 NIKON Z f
📚 03
Twilight on Nathan Road. People come and go, their expressions shaped by the city’s relentless pace.
Amidst them, this foreign man stands at the intersection, exuding a distinct presence. His unconventional attire and quiet demeanor give him a unique outline.
The evening light cuts across his face, accentuating the sharpness of his features and the tension in his expression.
Captured between the fading natural light and the city lights about to ignite, he seems both part of the crowd and somehow set apart from it.
This photograph is not simply of a man waiting at a traffic light, but captures a fleeting moment that reveals distance, resistance, and the nature of self within the urban throng.
cizucu Editorial Team
The presence of the man standing on Nathan Road at dusk is powerfully conveyed in this work. The vivid colors of his fluorescent green cap and red top emerge from the deep darkness, enveloped in a tranquility that stands apart from the city’s bustle. The light sharply defines his jawline and the toothpick at his lips, drawing the viewer into his silent intensity. Though he blends into the crowd, there is a palpable sense of distance—as if he is in a place apart. That, I feel, is the very core of this image.
In Closing
How did these stories resonate with you?
We want to turn our attention to the allure that cannot be fully expressed through visuals alone. 'Read Your Photography' is a project that focuses on the thoughts and emotions behind photographs, inviting you to receive them as stories.
What is captured is only a fleeting moment. Yet behind it, there is a continuous flow of time and unspoken emotions.
We hope you savor these works as if reading a photograph, turning each page with care.
How to join
On cizucu’s , a spontaneous 'photography theme' is posted.
Simply reply with 'your image' that fits the theme.
The only requirement is to follow cizucu’s social media 💙
From the submissions we receive,
those selected will receive a message from the cizucu editorial team!
In 'Read Your Photography,' we also feature works exhibited in the cizucu-hosted .
The ppp may be held in your country as well. Encounters connected simply by a shared love of photography are now spreading worldwide.