Nadia Lee Cohen and Scarlett Carlos Clarke Launch Enigmatic New Photo Book ‘Podunk’

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Summary

  • Photographers Nadia Lee Cohen and Scarlett Carlos Clarke have teamed up to create a new photo book called Podunk, which is being published by IDEA Books.

  • This project is a series of 128 black-and-white photographs, all shot on Super 8 film in a secluded town in the Mojave Desert. It delves into the ideas of strong female leadership, unusual portrayals of women, and the complexities of family relationships.

  • The book celebrated its official launch at Dover Street Market Ginza in Tokyo

Photographers Nadia Lee Cohen and Scarlett Carlos Clarke, who have been friends for years, are sharing their latest project, a photo book called Podunk. Published by IDEA Books, the book is both unsettling and strange, exploring the unusual and dreamlike aspects of being a woman, ideas about femininity, and the experience of motherhood. Before the book officially came out last month, the two artists talked about the challenges of shooting in the desert and their decision to use traditional film instead of digital cameras.

The photo series Podunk, named after a slang term for a small, out-of-the-way town, was shot in Lancaster, California, a remote desert location. Unlike his usually colorful style, photographer Carlos Clarke used stills taken directly from Super 8 film for this project. He told Dazed magazine that the impromptu shoot in the freezing desert had a strong, almost feminine energy. As Cohen described it, the photos resembled a black and white art film, and notably, there were no men present during the shoot.

The idea to launch the book in Japan came from a surprising source: film. Cohen noticed similarities between the unedited footage from Podunk and Onibaba, a famous Japanese movie about women struggling to survive while the men are at war. This strong theme of female strength became central to the book, making Tokyo a fitting place to officially release it.

After nearly ten years of friendship, these two creatives share a strong trust that deeply impacts their work. This close connection allowed them to move away from the pressures of typical commercial photography. By working with a very small team and embracing the unique, sometimes unpredictable quality of Super 8 film, they were able to create a genuine and natural look – a refreshing contrast to the overly polished, high-definition images common on social media today.

Nadia Lee Cohen and Scarlett Carlos Clarke’s new photo book, Podunk, is now available from IDEA Books. The book was launched globally with a special event at Dover Street Market Ginza last month.

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2026-04-11 07:26