A Pleasant Distance

A Pleasant Distance is a personal, visual photo essay capturing seemingly mundane moments as they are observed and represented in time and space. Light, weather, movement, smells and sounds, and ambient atmosphere give rise to both foreseeable and partially unexpected impressions and feelings. It can be questioned to what extent the photographic language is related to the geographically emotional perception. People, who inhabit the places, play a crucial role. They are not emphasized as the key characters to be portrayed. Rather, their inclusion in the narrative is sought.

The photo essay has been created in Berlin and Latvia, with no deliberate goal to find similarities or differences. Instead, it was a surprising revelation to find the similar features and traits. The work is based on the collection of photo fragments, which initially seem to be unrelated, yet in carefully selected sequences they gradually form a narrative.

Aija Pole (1980) is a self-taught photographer. She was born in Latvia but now lives in Berlin. She has studied Geography and Earth science at the University in Latvia.