Close-up portrait of a woman with dark hair and dramatic eyeliner partially obscured by white flower petals in black and white.

Monochrome image of a woman crawling on a dark circular platform surrounded by upright burning candles.

Close-up of a hand reaching toward the camera with a single visible eye looking through in monochrome.

Extreme close-up portrait of a person with high-contrast black and white makeup, dark heavy eye shadow, and parted lips.

Close-up monochrome portrait of a person with dark eye makeup overlaid with floating white dots.

Monochrome editorial image of a woman lying horizontally on a wooden bench outdoors amidst foliage.

High-contrast black and white close-up portrait of a person with motion blur and stark lighting from the Cinema Issue by Sixteen Journal.

Sixteen Journal Cinema Issue 2025

About

Sixteen Journal explores the intersection of editorial portraiture and theatrical art in its Cinema Issue. Photographed by Joe Lai, the series channels a moody, high-contrast aesthetic that leans into cinematic tropes through intimate, close-up framing and dramatic chiaroscuro lighting. The feature brings together a gritty, analogue-inspired visual language, utilizing deep shadows and grainy textures to define the editorial composition. The project relies on the distinct creative collaboration between hair stylist Tai Cheung and makeup artist Cécile Paravina, whose work anchors the intense, character-driven narrative across all featured portraits.