“It’s Who We Are: A Photographic Tapestry of Our Diverse Planet” by Anthony Timiraos

It’s Who We Are: A Photographic Tapestry of Our Diverse Planet

Anthony Timiraos
Anthony Timiraos Photography (2022)
ISBN: 978-0578298245
Reviewed by Lily Andrews for Reader Views (11/2022)

“What do we feel when we look at a good paragraph? We just want to be there, right at the exact moment that the photo was taken,”-Mehmet Murat Iidan

“It’s Who We Are: A Photographic Tapestry of Our Diverse Planet” is a natural and textured photo documentary by a master portraitist. Here, Anthony Timiraos takes readers on an epic odyssey of 30 destinations across the world, showcasing the diversity in people’s cultures, traditions, and customs through words and photos. And yet, these stories carry a unique message that despite our distinct differences, we are similar in many ways.

With a brief history of the cities and nations whose photos are taken, this organic tapestry of photo-journalistic art provides clear and in-focus images that seem to harbor their own enigmatic back story, driven by the tenacious aura of compulsiveness in these frank, delicate appearances and simply adorned figures. Photographer Timiraos’ technique is elegantly simple in carefully selected locations composing his shots with as much color as sharpness, offering a more imbued chroma to help sustain the reflective mood that dominates in practically every image.

At turns cheerful, bright, brooding, bold, and delicate, this embroidery brings out a combination of techniques, mood, subject matter, and overall elevation of taste. These powerful stories and portrait collections offer a cross-cultural dimension to its overall message by articulating the common thread that unites humanity across borders and territories. The results career wildly between jocular and poignant, well straddling the line between a travelogue and a collection of truly enlightening portraits.

Needless to say, Anthony Timiraos is a virtuoso in this genre. The very readable essays that are tucked inside the narrative help furnish the images and bring out an important complement to each photograph. Most of us take photos of people, places, and nature without reflecting or taking time to think about the compelling story behind them beyond appealing to us aesthetically. This collection not only unwraps staggering imagery but approves, apprises, informs, educates, and broadens our scope of thinking.

“It’s Who We Are: A Photographic Tapestry of Our Diverse Planet” by Anthony Timiraos is a five-star tour de force that demonstrates that despite the broad topographic and cultural differences between us, we are all intertwined and the act of getting to know a new place and it’s inhabitants is a marvel to be cherished. It is a text that rightfully earns its special place in the world of literature.