TITLE: Hidden Lives

Four young women in Istanbul gather outside the Blue Mosque. They seem to huddle protectively shielding themselves from the world with two offering only a limited glimpse of their faces - one looks away pensively while the other seems to offer a challenge and perhaps a hint of defiance to the outside world.

AUTHOR: Jan Tratnik (United States)

Born and raised in the Midwest. Currently reside in Chicago. Professional career in Communications and creative. I have been photographing in black and white for several decades and have had formal training in a range of techniques. As the great-granddaughter of a post-Civil War photographer and the daughter of a newspaper man , the passion for photography is inherent in who I am. Henri Cartier-Bresson, Alfred Steigletz, Robert Frank and Vivian Maier are several famous photographers who have inspired me. My most impactful work takes place on the street and across the globe as I've been an inveterate world traveler all my adult life.