On the occasion of World Book Day, Khanjan Purohit explores the connection between memories and books, each informing the other, and together constituting the landscape of meaning that conditions the spirit.

She traces the beginnings of her first encounters with photos as imagery the stories she heard and read, evoked, with the intangible visuals framed by emotions her memories stirred, and taking on a dimension beyond the page bound in a book.

Khanjan invited Ephemere writers to share their memories of photo books and the impressions they came away with after engaging with them.

I’ve realized my focus is on young photographers—the non-professionals, the amateurs in the most affectionate sense of the word, those who create for the love of it. Francesco Candido, 25, is one such artist. His black-and-white photography captures Rome as something raw, unpicturesque, deeply personal. A former model, he photographs people the way someone who’s been watched would—with attentiveness, an instinct for comfort, and an understanding of vulnerability. In this conversation, we discuss his work, his evolving artistic vision, and what it means to create before fully knowing oneself.

Mark Gill’s Ravens brings the haunting world of Masahisa Fukase to the screen, capturing the essence of the renowned photographer’s artistry and inner turmoil. Through meticulous research and an intuitive creative process, Gill immersed himself in Fukase’s Tokyo, working closely with Tadanobu Asano and Kumi Takiuchi to bring depth to their portrayals. With never-before-seen behind-the-scenes images taken by Gill himself, this feature written by Anne Murayama offers an intimate look at the making of Ravens, ahead of its highly anticipated Japan premiere on March 28th.