Gem chats to Diana Markosian, known for her intimate approach to storytelling using photography and film. Her projects have taken her to some of the most remote corners of the world, where she has created work that is both conceptual and documentary. Her images can be found in publications like National Geographic Magazine, The New Yorker and The New York Times. She holds a Masters of Science from Columbia University in New York. In this conversation we talk about her journey, her process, what photography means to her and her first monograph Santa Barbara recently published by Aperture which she describes as a time machine. The project is deeply personal, recreating the story of her family’s journey from post-Soviet Russia to the U.S. in the 1990s. We also discuss the dynamic participatory aspect to her approach and how the camera is in many ways a therapeutic tool for her – using it to navigate emotion, trauma, and growth - both her own and that of strangers that she encounters on assignments. Diana is a master of connecting deeply with a story – For her, to be a photographer is to be vulnerableDiana is fundraising for the Armenia Fund. You can support them at www.armeniafund.orgFollow Diana on Instagram @markosian on Instagram and visit www.dianamarkosian.com to see her work.Her work is represented by Galerie Les Filles du Calvaire in Paris, France and Rose Gallery in Los Angeles, California. Follow Gem @gemfletcher on Instagram. If you've enjoyed this episode PLEASE leave us your feedback and maybe 5 stars if we're worthy in the Apple Podcast store. Thank you for listening to The Messy Truth, we will be back very soon. For all requests, please email hello@gemfletcher.com Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.