The photographer Peter Bialobrzeski captures portraits of cities: his photographs have been published in many lovely little books by Hartmann Books. They are travel diaries filled with observations that capture everyday life – perfect for browsing, discovering and observing. And for poetry.
Sandra Hofmeister
Peter Bialobrzeski, Palermo Diary, 96 pages, Hartmann Books, Stuttgart 2026 → order now
Exploring cities
If I could make a wish, it would be to be able to take photographs like Peter Bialobrzeski. Every time I see his photographs and observations of cities, I’m amazed all over again. Seriously, a camera is a far better way of capturing streets, buildings and the everyday lives of city dwellers than words ever could – just like Peter Bialobrzeski does!
© Peter Bialobrzeski
New York and Norderney
New York and Norderney, Palermo and Tbilisi: the visual language of the photographs is always the same – seemingly neutral, observational. The sky is usually pale, bringing the houses, people, cars and street scenes into the foreground. This brings the moods to life – you can almost smell the atmosphere. What unfolds in this way in the photo books claims to be objective, even if such a thing perhaps does not exist. Take Palermo, for example: a few men are standing in front of a street vendor by a church façade, examining the goods on a table in colourful buckets. What on earth could it be? A kiosk in front of a high-rise building, probably in the early hours of the morning, is almost engulfed by a tree, which spreads its crown over it as if it were about to swallow it whole.
Peter Bialobrzeski, Norderney Diary, 95 pages, Hartmann Books, Stuttgart 2025 → jetzt bestellen
City Diaries
In 2013, Peter Bialobrzeski embarked on a long-term project with a global scope: he set out to explore 50 cities and 50 books for the “City Diaries” series published by Hartmann Books. The questions guiding his urban explorations were: Can the image of cities – one based on preconceptions and clichéd media portrayals – be translated into real images? Where do the cultural differences between cities actually lie? What sets them apart in the age of globalisation?
© Peter Bialobrzeski
Small format
Bialobzeski has already travelled from George Town to Sarajevo. Unna and Kuching have also been published as small photo books by Hartmann Books. The City Diaries should be seen as a large-scale project that is becoming ever bigger and more impressive. Even though the books themselves remain modest in size. Perhaps that is the trick to it.
Peter Bialobrzeski, New York Diary, 96 pages, Hartmann Books, Stuttgart 2025 → jetzt bestellen
Notes and music
Short notes, each covering a single day, serve as an introduction to the travel diaries. These are brief notes by the photographer – don’t worry, no rambling prose. “Everywhere you go in the city, Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ is blaring from the loudspeakers...” reads the entry for 16 December 2024 in the Palermo Diary. If you look closely at the photos, you can hear the music – clearly and softly, because it’s coming from a bar one street over.
© Peter Bialobrzeski
Peter Bialobrzeski,
City Diaries,
Hartmann Books,
20,6 cm / 13,8 cm / 0,9 cm ( B/H/T ), Stuttgart
