I Travel Around The World And Photograph Payphones Before They Are Gone

I collect photos of phone booths all over the world. From Kyrgyzstan to Italy. From America to Sri Lanka. Wherever I travel I'm always on the lookout for them, because before you know it they will be gone. And to me that's a shame.

Not long from now, the moments we used payphones will be a distant memory. We don't need them anymore, so they are being removed. It makes perfect sense. But the more I thought about it the more nostalgic I became. At times I still long for the days we weren't in touch with each other ALL THE TIME.

I used to be a lot more patient back then. Not having a phone at your disposal means you have to wait a lot more. I guess phonebooths remind me of that feeling: I don't always have to share everything with everyone straight away because it's more fun to tell someone special in person. And it's okay to wait for people without a device to constantly entertain you because those few minutes of just standing somewhere are actually quite relaxing.

Some phonebooths can be a bit smelly, other ones are turned into tiny libraries and some of them are completely neglected and falling apart. But each and every one of them has served us well. Always listening to our stories. Patiently. Without being in a rush. Their time might be running out, but until then I will keep eternalizing them.

I was right on time with this photo. A few weeks later the phonebooth was removed.