The Art of Looking, the Frame of Remembering

"What I like about photographs," Karl Lagerfeld once remarked during his 1996 exhibition at Galerie Gmurzynska — later cited in My Modern Met and Document Journal — "is that they capture a moment that's gone forever, impossible to reproduce."

It is one of those aphorisms that sounds deceptively obvious until you pause to absorb its weight. A photograph transcends being an image in Lagerfeld's frame. Instead, it shifts into a wager against oblivion, a temporary reprieve from the erosion of memory. A photograph is never neutral but an argument, a plea, a gamble that what we see will not slip entirely into the ether.

This book you hold is built on that wager.

It may also be something more. It could easily articulate a meditation on the way we live among strangers, the way gestures fleetingly align, and the way light concedes its secrets for a fraction of a second.

At its center is Stephan Holzinger, who, with a camera slung not as a weapon but as a companion, has chosen to look harder, longer, and with unusual tenderness. His photographs breathe instead of screaming for attention. They invite you to lean closer. And in their unpretentious affectations lies their power.

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The Art of Looking, the Frame of Remembering

"What I like about photographs," Karl Lagerfeld once remarked during his 1996 exhibition at Galerie Gmurzynska — later cited in My Modern Met and Document Journal — "is that they capture a moment that's gone forever, impossible to reproduce."

It is one of those aphorisms that sounds deceptively obvious until you pause to absorb its weight. A photograph transcends being an image in Lagerfeld's frame. Instead, it shifts into a wager against oblivion, a temporary reprieve from the erosion of memory. A photograph is never neutral but an argument, a plea, a gamble that what we see will not slip entirely into the ether.

This book you hold is built on that wager.

It may also be something more. It could easily articulate a meditation on the way we live among strangers, the way gestures fleetingly align, and the way light concedes its secrets for a fraction of a second.

At its center is Stephan Holzinger, who, with a camera slung not as a weapon but as a companion, has chosen to look harder, longer, and with unusual tenderness. His photographs breathe instead of screaming for attention. They invite you to lean closer. And in their unpretentious affectations lies their power.

Read More

The Art of Looking, the Frame of Remembering

"What I like about photographs," Karl Lagerfeld once remarked during his 1996 exhibition at Galerie Gmurzynska — later cited in My Modern Met and Document Journal — "is that they capture a moment that's gone forever, impossible to reproduce."

It is one of those aphorisms that sounds deceptively obvious until you pause to absorb its weight. A photograph transcends being an image in Lagerfeld's frame. Instead, it shifts into a wager against oblivion, a temporary reprieve from the erosion of memory. A photograph is never neutral but an argument, a plea, a gamble that what we see will not slip entirely into the ether.

This book you hold is built on that wager.

It may also be something more. It could easily articulate a meditation on the way we live among strangers, the way gestures fleetingly align, and the way light concedes its secrets for a fraction of a second.

At its center is Stephan Holzinger, who, with a camera slung not as a weapon but as a companion, has chosen to look harder, longer, and with unusual tenderness. His photographs breathe instead of screaming for attention. They invite you to lean closer. And in their unpretentious affectations lies their power.

Read More

Moments of Life Book Front and Back Cover
Moments of Life Book Front and Back Cover

About the Book

This project began in places most people pass without a second thought: street corners, fading facades, brief glances, the quiet labor of daily life. Yet it was in these unguarded moments that Stephan Holzinger found a kind of truth. What began as a personal indulgence of looking (a small devotion to stillness) slowly matured into a body of work that reveals the everyday eloquence of the world as it is.

But this monograph was never meant to end with the images alone. Embedded in its making is a conviction that the act of seeing can become an act of service. In this sense, the book is both an artistic offering and a quiet manifesto: that attention, when practiced with humility, can transform into generosity.

All proceeds from this monograph project will support two institutions whose work restores dignity and possibility: the Rotary Club’s THREEE Initiative and Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation, Inc., both steadfast in championing children and communities who often stand at the margins of visibility.

Each page of this monograph extends a small invitation to witness, to feel, and to join a gesture that reaches beyond the images.

The monograph sale and donation to the two institutions is a humble reminder that beauty, when shared, becomes a form of care, because, sometimes, the most enduring impact begins in moments without spectacle, carried forward by hands willing to give generously.

A glimpse of Stephan’s captured kindred moments, beyond the pages of the monograph.

This monograph supports the following beneficiaries

Anak-tnk logo
Anak-tnk logo
Anak-tnk logo

ANAK-Tnk (Tulay ng Kabataan)

Stephan Holzinger's inspiring book "Moments of Life, Live Moments" highlights the importance of recognizing beauty in everyday moments, which leads to a glimpse of authentic Hope.

And that’s exactly the goal of ANAK-Tnk - Tulay ng Kabataan foundation: to be an instrument of Hope for the street children.

In the midst of Metro Manila, there are thousands of street children without any link with their families. Victims of violence and drugs, they survive by begging, stealing and prostitution.

Since 1998, ANAK-Tnk has been providing these children from the streets and slums of Manila access to education, health, nutrition and protection.

Our Mission is to provide for the basic needs of all children, without exception and to give back the dignity and the smile to the most vulnerable children of Manila.

"There are so many inspiring stories, so many resurrections. That’s why placing children on a path of an authentic resilience is so important"

Father Matthieu Dauchez

Executive Director of ANAK-Tnk

Website

rotary club of makati and the threee initiative logo
rotary club of makati and the threee initiative logo
rotary club of makati and the threee initiative logo

The Threee Initiative

The Rotary Club of Makati, through its AI Academy Committee, extends its warmest congratulations and heartfelt appreciation to Mr. Stephan Holzinger for his remarkable book project titled “Moments of Life – Live Moments”. His art embodies both courage and grace—capturing the human spirit through a lens that reveals not only faces and places but also the deeper stories that unite us all. His journey stands as an inspiring testament to resilience, compassion, and purpose.

We are deeply honored that Mr. Holzinger has chosen the Rotary Club of Makati AI Academy as one of the beneficiaries of this meaningful endeavor. His generosity strengthens our mission to make technology and innovation accessible to more people, empowering them with knowledge and opportunity. Through our AI Academy, we strive to build a future where progress is guided by empathy, ethics, and inclusion—values that also resonate throughout Stephan’s work and life.

His story reminds us that creativity and service share the same heart: both seek to heal, uplift, and connect. Stephan’s photographs reveal that even in adversity, beauty can flourish; even in struggle, hope can shine. This spirit perfectly embodies Rotary’s enduring ideal of Service Above Self.

The Rotary Club of Makati AI Academy extends its deepest gratitude to Mr. Holzinger, Rotarian Ric Gindap, and the Design For Tomorrow team for bringing this extraordinary vision to life. May this collaboration inspire others to see how art, technology, and compassion can together illuminate the world.

Roger Collantes
Chair, Rotary Club of Makati AI Academy Committee


Website

Social Media

For more on recent snaps, Follow Stephan on Instagram

For more on recent snaps, Follow Stephan on Instagram

BRANDING + WEBSITE DESIGN by design for tomorrow

BRANDING + WEBSITE DESIGN by design for tomorrow