STUDIO
Welcome
The Studio is all about stories. For more than twenty years, I have photographed across Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and beyond, following stories that have taken me into people's homes, lives, and communities. The Studio is a continuation of that work. It is a place for documentary photography, storytelling, learning, and connection.
Whether you are developing a long-term project, joining a workshop, seeking feedback on your work, or just curious about the craft of visual storytelling, you are welcome here.
With love,
Anush
Tajikistan, 2021
Trees grow on what was once the bed of the Zeravshan River, near its source in Tajikistan. Over the past two decades, the glacier that feeds the river has retreated by nearly a kilometer. Once a tributary of the Amu Darya, the Zeravshan no longer reaches it, its waters diverted in Uzbekistan.
I wasn't looking for this photograph... I had imagined that the glacier itself would be the final image of this journey. Instead, it was this scene. It seems that some of my favorite photographs are the unexpected ones.
Kyrgyzstan, 2021
The city of Kara-Köl was built in the 1960s to house workers constructing the Toktogul Dam. A mural on one of its residential buildings depicts the Naryn River flowing into the Toktogul Reservoir, a reminder of the project that gave birth to the city itself.
I spent nearly two hours in front of this wall, waiting for people to pass through the frame. I tried different moments, and made around a hundred photographs before settling on this one. The image slowly arrived, until everything finally fell into place.
* The photograph on top was taken by John Stanmeyer. Here I am photographing the Araks River from Armenia, looking across the border into Iran.