JUST PASSING THROUGH – Reflections of a Solitary Traveler | Fred Zafran
Just Passing Through_03 Fred Zafran
The first good photograph I made was in 1968. It was an image of my friend Martha crouched beneath an umbrella in the rain on the banks of a secluded woodland creek in the Wissahickon Valley, PA. This was a first hint that a photograph could be more than a simple depiction – it could be poetic, a small fiction pointing toward some deeper understanding.
I am a visual storyteller, a careful observer of cities, small towns, and the spaces we inhabit. My work often takes the form of lyrical narratives – photographic essays that are open-ended, suggestive, and rich in symbolism or metaphor. I am continually drawn to quiet introspective images that point beyond the surface of appearance.
Through the decades of my photographic practice, I have found that all compelling images come from a state of heightened awareness and may awaken the same in a viewer willing to take the time. I have learned that it is the heart, more than the eye, that guides the photographer along his way.
My new solo exhibition JUST PASSING THROUGH is a contemplative body of work. I returned to Japan to photograph in the deep winter landscape. Within a short time after arriving, my plans abruptly changed and the journey became a personal reflection on solitude and transience. From the exhibition catalogue:
Just Passing Through_12 | Fred Zafran
It was winter of 2024 and I was traveling to Japan, headed to its northernmost island. Drawn by the promise of abundant snowfall and the rarefied, crystalline air, I went searching for the poetry of winter light in the rural villages of Hokkaido.
A small group of photographers planned to meet in Shiodome, Tokyo, have dinner together, and travel north the next day. I arrived a week early to spend time with an old friend who lives in Tokyo. Nobu-san was now in his eighties, and age had taken its toll. Our meeting was happy, but bittersweet, and I left with a premonition that by week’s end, I would be traveling alone.
Shiodome is a neighborhood of glass and steel, quiet and often deserted at night, but within walking distance of Ginza, its gleaming Chuo-dori and miles of side streets and alleyways. I had been to Japan many times before and cared deeply for this country, its people, its art and culture. I always anticipated small discoveries and new acquaintances. But on this journey, something had changed.
For the next week I wandered and photographed, crisscrossing an uncertain landscape. I sought solace in the streets, the ebb and flow of living shadows, the purity and colors of the night. The photographs that emerged were poignant reminders – heart reflections of a solitary traveler, the lonely trace of someone just passing through.
The exhibition JUST PASSING THROUGH will be on display at Multiple Exposures Gallery from May 19 through June 28, 2026. The gallery is located in Studio 7 on the first floor of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA. Please join us for an opening reception on Sunday, May 31st from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. For inquiries, you may send me a note at fred@fredzafran.com or visit my website at www.fredzafranphotography.com to explore more of my work.