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The Unposed Journal

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**Slide 01 — Cover** An off-white editorial cover from The Unposed Journal. A black-and-white photograph shows a smiling young man standing barefoot on a railway track, balancing with his arms outstretched. Railway lines recede into the distance beneath a cloudy sky. Below the photograph are the title “What the Photograph Cannot Hold” and the credit “Photographs & words by Alberto Givanni.” Picture Story 002.

**Slide 02 — Introduction** A text-only editorial page headed “The Story Behind the Photographs.” The Unposed Journal introduces Alberto Givanni's photographs of everyday life across Africa, including children, classrooms and hospitals. The text explains how the journal invited Alberto to share his memories and learned that his journey began in South Africa, continued north through Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya, and eventually reached Sudan. It ends with the journal asking him to return to the beginning of his journey.

**Slide 03 — Before the Journey** A wide black-and-white photograph of a coastal landscape. A person walks across the sand in the middle distance, near stranded boats. The dark curved hull of a larger boat dominates the upper-right portion of the frame. Below, Alberto reflects on how photographs shaped his idea of Africa before he visited, and the difference between photographic representations and the reality of living somewhere.

**Slide 04 — Leaving Europe** A black-and-white silhouette photograph against a bright sky. A tall figure occupies the foreground, holding a narrow object, while another smaller figure appears near the horizon. Alberto explains that he travelled to Africa while seeking freedom, a connection to his roots and distance from his personal and professional circumstances in Europe. TUJ notes that he began in South Africa and travelled north, sometimes walking long distances or using local transport.

**Slide 06 — The Railway Memory** The young man from the opening photograph stands barefoot on the railway tracks with his arms extended. Below, TUJ explains that the railway service had stopped and the tracks had become a footpath connecting villages. Alberto remembers walking approximately twenty kilometres with backpacks and cameras, becoming exhausted and developing malaria fever. Despite his illness, he remembers feeling an extraordinary sense of freedom.

**Slide 07 — Encounters Along the Way** A close black-and-white photograph of a young person with closed eyes as a small puppy presses its nose against their face. The background is bright and softly blurred. TUJ reflects that Alberto remembered not only the difficult days but also the people he encountered. His quotations speak of friendships, solidarity, affection and love, and of the time and openness needed for meaningful experiences.

**Slide 08 — Learning to See Differently** A black-and-white classroom photograph. An adult man in a shirt and tie stands at the left, holding papers near his shoulder. Behind him is a large chalkboard covered in Arabic writing. A young girl stands near the board on the right, looking towards the camera. Alberto reflects on learning not to interpret every encounter through his own cultural expectations and accepting the possibility of being changed by unfamiliar experiences.

**Slide 09 — Inside the Hospital** A black-and-white photograph of an adult seated with a small child on their lap beside a hospital bed. The figures occupy the darker left side of the composition, while an open doorway reveals an empty, brightly lit space on the right. The accompanying text explains that Alberto spent considerable time photographing inside hospitals and introduces his memory of a newborn whose photograph had remained particularly important to him.

**Slide 10 — The Newborn Photograph** A softly focused black-and-white close-up of a newborn lying among blankets, with their mouth wide open and one small hand near their face. Alberto recalls making the photograph in difficult circumstances, without a particular sense of hope. Over time, the image acquired a different meaning for him. He describes it as a powerful affirmation of life, expressing something beyond what he intended when he pressed the shutter.

**Slide 12 — The Photographer and Reality** A text-only page with The Unposed Journal masthead and Alberto's quotations in italic serif type. TUJ asks whether his travels changed the way he photographs. Alberto describes photography as a delicate relationship between reality and interpretation, requiring balance between objectivity and subjectivity. He explains that experience has not made photographing easier. Every time he looks through the viewfinder, he feels he is starting again, because every encounter with reality is unique. The page closes with his words: “In that sense, photography is always a new beginning.”

**Slide 13 — What He Hopes Viewers See** A text-only editorial page on an off-white background. TUJ asks what Alberto hopes people will find in his photographs. He describes simplicity as the result of a long and difficult search, rather than superficiality. He recalls people saying they could have taken his pictures too, something he welcomes because he wants to share what he sees without unnecessary interpretation. He explains how a 16mm wide-angle lens brings viewers closer to the scene. His final thought is about finding the clearest, most honest way to reveal reality.

**Slide 14 — Closing Photograph** A vertical black-and-white portrait of three young children. The youngest stands closest to the camera in the lower foreground, looking directly towards the viewer with a serious expression. Two other children appear behind, slightly out of focus and partly in shadow. The image is presented without accompanying narration, beneath The Unposed Journal masthead. The footer reads “The Unposed Journal · See Deeper.”

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Posted On: October 25th 2026, 02:54 am

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alberto.givannifotografo

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PICTURE STORY 002 | WHAT THE PHOTOGRAPH CANNOT HOLD

Before Alberto Givanni travelled through Africa, much of what he imagined about the continent had come from photographs.

When we first encountered his work, we found ourselves looking at the people he had photographed along the way. Children, classrooms, hospitals, and moments from everyday life.

We invited Alberto to explore these photographs with us through Picture Stories. He shared a selection made at different stages of his travels, and our conversation began with a simple question about where it had all started.

His journey had begun in South Africa, taking him north through Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya, before eventually reaching Sudan.

As our exchanges continued, Alberto took us back to a day spent walking along railway tracks, when exhaustion and illness accompanied an extraordinary feeling of freedom. He spoke about a newborn whose photograph had come to mean something different to him over time, and about returning to Europe to find that even familiar places no longer looked quite the same.

Through his memories, we began to understand how those years of travelling had changed his relationship with the world, and how he continued to approach photography.

What the Photograph Cannot Hold brings together Alberto's photographs, memories and reflections on a journey that changed the way he sees.

Read the complete story on our Substack. Link in bio.

Photographs & words: Alberto Givanni
Instagram: @alberto.givannifotografo
Editorial: The Unposed Journal

See Deeper.

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