Susana Raab is a young, Washington, D.C.-based photographer with insight and wit.

I first noticed her work, haunting and evocative color Holga images, in the New York Times Magazine.

    Her photo essay about fast food in America, Consumed, is both fun and alarming at the same time.

    Check out her web site: www.susanaraab.com

    She is truly a photographer to watch.

    Primarily a color photographer, Raab shares some of her B&W medium format work with bwphotopro.com, and comments on each image, below. All the photos were made with a Mamiya 7 2-1/4 x 2-3/4” (6x7cm) rangefinder camera, with a 65mm lens and Tri-X film. (All photographs, below, Copyright Susana Raab. All rights reserved, no reproduction of any kind is permitted without the written consent of photographer.):

BELOW: Coney Island, New York

Taken after working at the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating contest for another project, Consumed, about fast food in the U.S.  This scene was like a visual pastoral respite from the frenzy of food-fighters I had witnessed earlier in the day.

BELOW: Chinese New Year Parade, Washington, DC 

Beautiful found moment where a woman in a flashy fur stopped to admire the pelt of the Easter Bunny on the streets of Washington, DC's Chinatown during the annual Chinese New Year parade.

BELOW: Halloween Metro Ride, Washington, DC

I love dispelling the idea that Washington is completely staid and conservative.  It is staid, but there are many other sides to the city as well. Witness these young hipsters availing themselves of the public transport en route to a raucous halloween night of festivities.

BELOW: Roller-Cross, Portsmouth, Ohio

I was hired by Jesse Jackson to photograph him during a bus tour of Appalachia.  During a stop in Portsmouth, Ohio, the videographer said casually, "I didn't know Jesus had wheels."  I looked up, saw this man heading towards a bank of porta-potties (a common trope in my work, as well) and I started running to get this picture.

BELOW: Christmas Day, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

I was fortunate enough to spend Christmas in Mexico with my family several years ago.  I was fascinated by the shadows of the decorations strung across the colonial buildings and shot about two rolls of film on the interplay of shadows and people. This image, for me, was the most succesful.

BELOW: Birds, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Again, I love the play of shadows, movement, people, and situation.  Just working the street and what was going on in it, inspired by the beautiful surroundings.  I find it relaxing to just take beautiful pictures as a sort of psychic relief from my more issue-driven work.