Grains of Silence

© Ksenia Shupenya - A quiet street moment, crisp lines and light; finding geometry in the everyday. Ilford Delta 100 © Ksenia Shupenya - Close-up of textures - shadows playing on surfaces. Ilford Delta 100 © Ksenia Shupenya - Movement caught in stillness - a figure, a shadow, suspended mid-step. Ilford Delta 100 View all images ↓
View all images ↓
  • Dates
    2023 - 2025
  • Author
  • Topics Contemporary Issues, Daily Life, Nature & Environment, Social Issues, Street Photography
  • Locations Tallinn, Narva

Beyond the exploration of rhythm and grain, these fifteen frames touch upon themes of memory, history, and the contrasts embedded in urban life.

This project brings together frames shot between 2023 and 2025. Two years ago, I decided to try capturing street scenes on film. I experimented with Kodak, Fomapan, and Kentmere, but the film I truly connected with turned out to be Ilford. And even in switching to analog, I never stepped away from black-and-white photography - a choice deeply tied to my passion for developing film at home. I’m not ready yet to process color film on my own, as it is more complex and requires a certain skill set. But with black-and-white, I’ve already managed to reach a level of confidence and success.

Beyond the technical side, these 15 frames touch upon themes of memory, history, and the contrasts embedded in urban life. From children marching at a Victory Parade to quiet moments in cemeteries, from symbolic juxtapositions of skulls and religious domes to the silent geometry of streets and buildings, the series reflects on how public rituals, architecture, and everyday scenes carry traces of the past into the present. What interests me is the dialogue between intimacy and collectivity, between personal observation and shared cultural symbols.

It was exactly this search for rhythm, meaning, and atmosphere that led me deeper into the world of analog. During this short period, I was fortunate to work with three different Ilford stocks: Delta 100, XP2 Super, and Delta 3200 Professional. Each of them allowed me to explore how grain can shape emotional street narratives. I believe, and almost physically sense, that film brings a unique rhythm to my images. This project is my way of telling a story about that rhythm and its ability to convey intimacy, mystery, and the unexpected. For each photograph, I specify which type of Ilford black-and-white film was used. Each of these three stocks carries its own mood, its own tonal range, its own interplay of light and shadow.

© Ksenia Shupenya - A quiet street moment, crisp lines and light; finding geometry in the everyday. Ilford Delta 100
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A quiet street moment, crisp lines and light; finding geometry in the everyday. Ilford Delta 100

© Ksenia Shupenya - Close-up of textures - shadows playing on surfaces. Ilford Delta 100
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Close-up of textures - shadows playing on surfaces. Ilford Delta 100

© Ksenia Shupenya - Movement caught in stillness - a figure, a shadow, suspended mid-step. Ilford Delta 100
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Movement caught in stillness - a figure, a shadow, suspended mid-step. Ilford Delta 100

© Ksenia Shupenya - Abstract play of light and shade - a silhouette against a wall. Ilford Delta 100
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Abstract play of light and shade - a silhouette against a wall. Ilford Delta 100

© Ksenia Shupenya - Smoke or mist, something ephemeral; the border between clarity and blur. Ilford Delta 100
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Smoke or mist, something ephemeral; the border between clarity and blur. Ilford Delta 100

© Ksenia Shupenya - Café scene, tables and people - a narrative of communal everyday life. Ilford XP2 Super
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Café scene, tables and people - a narrative of communal everyday life. Ilford XP2 Super

© Ksenia Shupenya - Image from the Grains of Silence photography project
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In Estonia, June 23 is Victory Day, a national holiday commemorating the decisive victory against German troops in the War of Independence. In this photograph, children are marching at the Victory Parade, dressed up in honor of the celebration. Ilford XP2 Super

© Ksenia Shupenya - Image from the Grains of Silence photography project
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Since the Victory Parade took place in the city of Narva, which lies on the border with Russia, a flying object coming from the Russian side of the border was visible in the sky to all residents that day, observing what was happening at the parade. It is worth noting that military equipment also took part in the Victory Parade. Ilford XP2 Super

© Ksenia Shupenya - Moody winter scene - blurred grasses, soft sky, atmosphere heavy. Ilford Delta 3200
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Moody winter scene - blurred grasses, soft sky, atmosphere heavy. Ilford Delta 3200

© Ksenia Shupenya - Texture of snow patterns, feeling of contrast and cold. Ilford Delta 3200
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Texture of snow patterns, feeling of contrast and cold. Ilford Delta 3200

© Ksenia Shupenya - Image from the Grains of Silence photography project
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The contrast between the foreground and the background: skulls and pirate symbols against the backdrop of a dome with a cross on an Orthodox cathedral. Ilford Delta 3200

© Ksenia Shupenya - Bare trees, open space, a little solitude; feeling of waiting. Ilford Delta 3200
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Bare trees, open space, a little solitude; feeling of waiting. Ilford Delta 3200

© Ksenia Shupenya - Gritty urban detail — debris, walls, perhaps decay; texture is loud. Ilford Delta 3200
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Gritty urban detail — debris, walls, perhaps decay; texture is loud. Ilford Delta 3200

© Ksenia Shupenya - Street at dusk - soft light mixed with shadows; quiet presence. Ilford Delta 3200
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Street at dusk - soft light mixed with shadows; quiet presence. Ilford Delta 3200

© Ksenia Shupenya - Image from the Grains of Silence photography project
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A cemetery on the grounds of St. Bridgettine’s Pirita Convent in Tallinn. A tree leans toward the ancient graves, as if bowing to those buried in this soil for their service and faith. Ilford Delta 3200