Curves and Moments

Taken on the OM5 and the Lumix 14mm f2.5 lens.

On a tight work trip to Baku, I managed to steal just a few hours to explore and photograph one of the city’s most iconic spaces — the Heydar Aliyev Center. Designed by the late Zaha Hadid, the structure is a living testament to fluid architecture, where form isn’t fixed but constantly in motion depending on where you stand.

This particular image was taken inside the building — a space that feels more like stepping into a sculpture than entering a conventional interior. I was drawn instantly to the soft, curving lines that sweep across the ceiling and down the walls, guiding the eye in a hypnotic wave from one end of the frame to the other.

The architecture almost commands silence, and I found myself quietly waiting. For several minutes, the space was empty. I knew I didn’t want to rush the shot. The curves needed context, a human moment. Eventually, two girls stepped in to take their own photo — unknowingly adding the scale, softness, and sense of life I was hoping for. One posed, the other raised her phone. The moment was brief, perfectly framed, and felt more collaborative than candid.

That’s the strange and beautiful thing about working in public spaces with limited time: you’re part photographer, part observer, and part opportunist. You don’t choreograph; you anticipate. And when the elements line up — light, shape, subject — you just press the shutter and let the image do the talking.