A city’s identity can be greatly shaped and presented by photography, which frequently captures the spirit of urban life through captivating visual narratives. Photographers can contribute to the real and perceived identities of cities by showcasing famous monuments, street scenes, and the wide range of people found there. However, this form of media can also perpetuate stereotypes by emphasizing certain features of a city—like its glamour, poverty, or peculiarities—while ignoring others. Pictures have the power to affect how people perceive a city and how its citizens feel, with photography continuing to be a vital medium in the conversation about urban identity.

What was the best picture you ever took of your city?

In this photo series, the Sicilian photographer wants to challenge the stereotypes of Milan as this fashionable and fancy city, by showing the side of it that is usually hidden in the media, the side he realized he identifies with and misses when he moved out of the Italian city. By romanticizing a subculture that is usually seen as distasteful and full of debauchery, Canals is able to find beauty, and a new way to connect with Milan through his pictures.