Photos by Russ Dillingham/Staff Photographer A lifelong resident of Lewiston, Russ stumbled into photography as a college student working toward a career in psychology. His great-grandfather Louis B. Costello was the publisher of the Lewiston Daily. More by Russ Dillingham.
https://www.sunjournal.com/2025/11/19/new-fire-station-for-lewiston/
Tag Archives: photographer
Virginia Beach Lifestyle Photographer Mary Eleanor Captures the Sweet Simplicity of Newborn Bliss
Virginia Beach Newborn Photography: Cherish Every Precious Moment with Mary Eleanor Photography
There is nothing quite as precious as those short but sweet moments of newborn bliss. For families in Southeastern Virginia, Mary Eleanor Photography offers a heartfelt Virginia Beach newborn photography experience that allows parents to slow down, savor the early days, and preserve the joy of welcoming a new baby home.
After months of preparing the nursery, folding tiny clothes, and dreaming of what life will feel like once baby arrives, those first weeks often pass in a blur. Mary’s gentle, lifestyle approach ensures that families can relax and simply soak up this new season while she beautifully captures each detail—tiny fingers, peaceful yawns, and the quiet connection between parent and child.
A Warm, Full-Service Newborn Photography Experience
Serving new parents and those with little ones already at home is something Mary treasures deeply. With her warm, full-service experience, she guides families through every step so they can feel prepared and cared for from start to finish.
Each Virginia Beach newborn photography session includes:
– A reserved session date around your due date
– A thoughtfully designed style guide and personal styling assistance
– Access to Mary’s curated client closet featuring timeless dresses for mothers
– Guidance on how to dress baby and prepare the family for the session
– A design and ordering appointment to choose your favorite portraits and heirloom artwork
Capture Every Moment with The Collective Membership
For families who want to document each milestone—from maternity to baby’s first birthday—Mary also offers The Collective Membership, a beautiful way to capture every chapter of your growing family.
“As a Virginia Beach lifestyle photographer, my goal is to give parents the gift of time,” says Mary. “Time to hold their babies, time to just be together, and time to know that their memories are preserved beautifully.”
About Mary Eleanor Photography
Mary Eleanor Photography is a Virginia Beach lifestyle photography studio specializing in maternity, newborn, and family portraits. Inspired by her own realization of being behind the camera instead of in the photos, Mary is passionate about helping parents be in the memories they cherish. Her work reflects genuine connection, warmth, and emotion—creating timeless portraits families will treasure for years to come.
Contact Mary Eleanor Photography
Virginia Beach, VA
Website: [www.maryeleanorphotography.com](http://www.maryeleanorphotography.com)
Email: mary@maryeleanorphotography.com
Instagram: [@mary_eleanor_photography](https://www.instagram.com/mary_eleanor_photography/)
https://express-press-release.net/news/2025/11/15/1720275
How a Portrait of a Brazilian Woman Fueled an Indian Election Scandal
A Brazilian photographer and a woman he photographed in 2017 have found themselves unexpectedly entangled in an election fraud controversy in India — a situation that appears to trace back to a stock photo website.
As reported by Hindustan Times, Rahul Gandhi, an opposition politician from India’s Haryana state, made explosive allegations this week concerning election fraud in last year’s polls. Curiously, 22 of the supposedly fraudulent votes were linked to an image taken in 2017 of a Brazilian woman, Larissa Nery.
Matheus Ferrero, the photographer who captured Nery’s portrait in 2017, has been overwhelmed by the sudden attention from India. According to NDTV, Ferrero has even deleted his online presence due to the unexpected spotlight.
Ferrero originally took the photos of Nery for practice. With her permission, he uploaded the images to various free stock photo sites, including Unsplash. Following the controversy, Ferrero has removed the portrait from Unsplash.
During a live-streamed press conference, Rahul Gandhi displayed Nery’s portrait and questioned how it was possible for this woman to have cast 22 votes in the Indian elections. At that time, Nery’s identity was unknown.
There is no evidence that Nery herself, now a professional hairdresser in Brazil, traveled to India or illegally voted in the elections. Both Nery and Ferrero have expressed confusion about how they became involved in the allegations.
Ferrero told Aos Fatos, “They literally raided all my accounts. It was a lot of weird people talking about a lot of things.”
Gandhi claims that Nery’s portrait was used in voter records across 10 different electoral sections, suggesting what he calls a “centralized operation” of electoral fraud. He said, “Someone inserted this woman in the electoral list on a central level, not at the local level of the section,” while showing photos of Nery onscreen.
According to Gandhi, his party — which opposes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi — has identified around 2.5 million votes that show signs of fraud.
In response to the claims, Nery said to NDTV, “They’re using an old picture of mine. It’s a really old photo. I was so young in it, like 18 or 20 years old. They’re using my photo for… I don’t know, some kind of election or voting thing in India. And they’re making me look Indian to scam people or hit each other with it. Look how crazy this is! What a mess I’m in!”
Amit Malviya, head of Modi’s information technology and social media unit, dismissed the accusations on X (formerly Twitter). He commented, “Now he claims that a Brazilian model voted 22 times in the Indian elections! From ‘vote theft’ to ‘vote carnival,’ Rahul Gandhi turned electoral mathematics into stand-up comedy.”
Importantly, there is no evidence that Brazilian photographer Matheus Ferrero or his 2017 portrait subject, Larissa Nery, had any involvement in the alleged election fraud in India. Nevertheless, they have become caught up in a chaotic and bizarre controversy far from home.
This is certainly not the kind of outcome one would expect when publishing portraits on a stock photo site like Unsplash.
https://petapixel.com/2025/11/07/how-a-portrait-of-a-brazilian-woman-fueled-an-indian-election-scandal/
‘Moments of the Unknown’: Justin Aversano Shares Globetrotting Love Letter to Humanity
For his latest project, artist and photographer Justin Aversano—known for his acclaimed series “Twin Flames”—set out with a simple compass: love. Armed with just a camera, intuition, and an unspoken promise to document humanity across all seven continents, Aversano embarked on a remarkable journey.
The result is *“Moments of the Unknown,”* a living archive of global intimacy. This ambitious work is currently presented as an exhibition at Glitch Gallery in Marfa, Texas, coinciding with the Art Blocks Marfa Weekend this month. Additionally, a documentary screening is being held at the nearby Crowley Theater.
Decrypt had the opportunity to sit down with Aversano for an inside look at his journey, reflections, and creative process.
### From a Quiet Film to an Audio-Visual Experiment
Initially, Aversano planned the film to be a much quieter affair.
“It was mostly just gonna be no sound,” he recalls.
However, the project evolved as he traveled across continents into an audio-visual experiment. Hundreds of brief video portraits were stitched together, enhanced by soundscapes sourced from humanity’s most iconic artifact of love and hope: the “Voyager Golden Record.”
This phonograph record, sent into space in 1977, contains sounds and images representing Earth. Carl Sagan chaired the NASA committee that assembled the record.
“I wanted to reintegrate that historical movement in culture and space exploration—and use it as the soundtrack for a film about cultures and continents around the world and how they’re connected,” Aversano explained.
Each location in the film resonates with its own fragment from these sounds. Voices speak in 55 different languages, and delegates from the United Nations each say one simple word: “Hello.” It all culminates with the film’s final line: **“Hello from the children of planet Earth.”**
### Love as a Universal Language
At its core, *“Moments of the Unknown”* is about love—but not just romantic love. It encompasses family, friendship, and a sense of oneness.
“What I discovered while shooting is that love has so many forms,” Aversano shared.
“It became about unity, closeness, intimacy. The love of humanity and recognizing we are one human family.”
Rather than scouting subjects in advance, Aversano woke up each day uncertain of who he would meet. With no checklist for diversity or specific goals, he captured human encounters as they came—children, elders, strangers, twins, entire families.
Even the recurring heartbeat sounds in the soundtrack have personal significance. “That’s family,” he explained. “My dad, my sister, my brother. Moments where I felt presence and love.”
### Self-Portraits, Time Capsules, and a Nod to Twin Flames
Aversano quietly inserts himself into his projects, and *“Moments of the Unknown”* is no exception. His first appearance is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo at a barbershop in New Orleans.
“I just wanted to be a prop in her portrait,” he said.
Another self-portrait appears at Stonehenge on his birthday—an intentional callback to his earliest work, *“The Birthday Project.”* He calls it “an Easter egg,” a thread linking ten years of his artistry.
People reappear over time in his work. They age. Twins emerge, old and new. “I always run into twins,” he laughs, referencing his highly regarded *Twin Flames* series.
*Twin Flames* caught fire with collectors when photos of twin siblings were minted as NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain in 2021. Those tokenized photos even made it to auction house Christie’s and attracted celebrity admirers like Snoop Dogg and Gary Vaynerchuk.
“I never say no,” Aversano admits. “It’s twin flames.”
### The Most Remote Chapter: Antarctica
One of the project’s most challenging chapters was shot in Antarctica.
“A two-day boat from Argentina. Seven days there, two days back,” he shared.
When asked to name a favorite country, he answered philosophically:
“You can’t choose a favorite when it’s all one.”
### A Living Diary, Daily NFT Auctions, and Ongoing Connection
Aversano shot the project two years ago and is releasing each portrait and video exactly on the same calendar day it was taken. The series began on April 8 and will conclude on April 7, 2026.
Each evening, he writes a diaristic entry about the person he met that day. He is now auctioning these daily portraits as unique, single-edition NFTs. Impressively, Aversano hasn’t missed a day.
Every day at 12 pm ET, he hosts an X Spaces conversation to discuss the day’s auction, creating an ongoing dialogue with his audience.
### Reflections on Impact and Reception
When asked what he hopes viewers take away from the film, Aversano focused not on legacy or sales, but on emotional connection.
“Did you feel something?” he asked. “That’s all I want.”
Reflecting on the emotional reception he experienced in Marfa last weekend—where he was brought to tears—he said simply:
“I feel blessed, grateful. What more can you ask?”
—
*“Moments of the Unknown”* stands as a beautiful testament to love, unity, and shared humanity—a powerful reminder that, no matter where we come from, we are all connected.
https://decrypt.co/345942/moments-unknown-justin-aversano-debuts-globetrotting-love-letter-humanity