The Portrait Photographer

Fumi Sugino is a portrait photographer, so it makes sense that he sees things in scenes. His images are artfully and carefully composed. The people in them are merely props meant to blend in with their surroundings. “I tell the sitters to have no expression or feeling,” he says, with no expression or feeling. “I imagine the subject matching the background. It is as if they are in an old painting.” Fumi demonstrates. He stands next to a graffiti-scrawled wall and stares straight ahead…

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The Young Man with the Broken Heart

Romaine Paige is sitting on his bed trying to figure out his future, which may or may not be written on the Whiteboard on his wall. His wife – there has been no wedding ceremony or marriage license, but that’s how Romaine thinks of her – left him three days before Thanksgiving. “She told me that separation makes the heart grow fonder,” he says, tears coming to his eyes, which register heartbreak even when they’re dry. “She said that she would come back but that I needed to re-define…

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The Family at Home in the Kitchen

“Would you like me to make breakfast?” Because the asker is Peter Giannakas, the chef at Ovelia, the answer is an enthusiastic YES. “I’ll just fix something simple,” he says as he begins frying organic eggs in Greek olive oil. “A traditional Greek family-style breakfast.” Within minutes, he brings the platter of eggs to the table. Then he presents country-style pork sausage made with leeks and orange zest; grilled halloumi cheese from Cyprus; grilled pita bread seasoned with…

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The Pet Pamperer

Ginger, a toy poodle whose name matches her fur color, prances into Central Park Pet Spa. She has an appointment for a shampoo and haircut. The grooming salon on Ditmars Boulevard at 38th Street is new, and she’s never been here so it’s unclear whether she knows about her upcoming beauty treatment. She’s only a year old, so when her mommy walks out the door, she cries like a baby until Reda Elabd, the spa owner, scoops her up in his big hands and plies her with puppy kisses and treats. By…

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