Raphael Rapior is a German-born portrait photographer who became passionate about photography when he was nine, capturing the beauty of the hills and towers of San Gimignano, Italy. His work sharpens the stark contrast through composition of shadow and light; and his camera captures the depth of expressions and stories of his subjects. Raphael's sensitivity grew out of the experience of learning through the eyes of his younger, mentally- handicapped brother’s needs and feelings. There began his appreciation for facial expressions and the stories that they reveal. Managing bars, financed his passion and offered him his first set of subjects and exhibition space. His journey to international photography continued by traveling the world, experiencing a variety of cultures in Asia, Europe and South America in five years time. This allowed him to focus on unrehearsed moments of pure emotion, often capturing his subjects in no more than a minute.