The Cover Issue 2025

By Aleksandr Karjaka
COVER STORYLetter from the EditorPhotography
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From Issue 108 — 2025 Cover Issue

The Quest for the Cover. One does not simply just slap a photo on a cover and add text. A KARJAKA cover is forged from the eternal springs of the inner soul of subject being captured, and the crew so privileged to witness. A moment in time.

To quote Karly:

a moment.
a moment when a viewer stops, ponders, wonders.

a moment that’s brief but can last a lifetime in one head.

a moment to capture a powerful statement, image, feel, culture.

a moment aiming for timeliness

This is our Quest. Timeliness. Timelessness. The Truth. That is KARJAKA.

This isn’t our magazine, this is your magazine, today. Each design cover, cover edition layout, and article takes tens of hours to prepare. Karly and me, we bicker and fight over which image is going to make the cut. Justin, jabs me with layout ideas, web problems, and where to go next. Ludovic laments over light and time and wishing for more. Sarah pipes up with what the kids are saying in style. Steph pushes us get punchier locations, and aggressive colors. Fred, Tony and the boys at Fotocare keeping us covered with gear, and sick solutions to solve all situations. Chuck reaches from beyond and retouches the soul. My crew of misfit assistants and editors, too many to count, culling and keeping me humble on what works and what doesn’t, what’s KARJAKA and what’s not. Finally Juan and Rob framing it all up. And You?

We do this for you. We labor here tirelessly through late nights, and text messaging squabbles to make something that makes a difference, searching for the truth, truth in art. To tell your stories authentically true, and have you be authentically you is our gift to you. You are our family and deserve as much and more.

KARJAKA builds with our family. It’s the holiday season, and KARJAKA is the gift that keeps on giving for decades. 2026 is around the corner and there are so many more stories to be told. Gift yourself, the family and your business the photos of a lifetime, a column to share the story, and a custom print, framed gloriously by KARJAKA.

Want to see KARJAKA thrive in 2026, become a corporate sponsor or advertiser and see your photos and more in quarterly printings!

KARJAKA: Sanctitas per Artem

Happy Holidays!

Aleksandr Karjaka
Aleksandr Karjakahttp://karjaka.com
Aleksandr Karjaka came to New York for the music, but stayed for the visuals. As a classically trained musician, he’s had the honor of performing with some of the greatest musicians, and artistic houses, in the world. Often quoted as "Listening through his eyes." he's photographed the lives and stories of thousands of artists of all fields over the years. Here are their KARJAKA portraits.

Check This Out

Letter from the Editor

The Mustard Packet & Saltine Diet

Aleksandr Karjaka -
I'm 23, student teaching and preparing Masters audition prep in East Lansing Michigan. Having scraped together rent and gas, I was living on a prayer. Coffee to get me through the mornings at the High School, the afternoons were spent at the Middle School making it work. My mentor Dave opens the Teacher's Lounge door and catches me with saltines and mustard packets in hand.
Letter from the Editor

Grocery Store Standoff

Aleksandr Karjaka -
It's Friday night and the grocery store is abuzz. Couples bickering with each other on what to eat, Grandma looking at the Heinz ketchup label trying to decide what's the best ounce option to price ratio, lonely bachelors wandering the isles wondering why they came down that particular isle in the first place, and me, deciding what cereal to pick up. Designed like a Las Vegas style casino, I try not to get lost in the dimly lit glam that is C-Town. I'm strategic. Cereal, almond milk, register, home.
Fashion

Something to Smile About

Aleksandr Karjaka -
If you haven't figured it out, I'm genuinely interested in people. Portrait photographers by nature are makeshift anthropologists, psychologist, sociologist and various other "-gists" all wrapped into one. Me? I'm more interested in who someone is on a global level. That's part of the secret of what shows up in my photographs.

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Karjaka Magazine

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Aleksandr Karjaka
Aleksandr Karjaka
Aleksandr Karjaka came to New York for the music, but stayed for the visuals. As a classically trained musician, he’s had the honor of performing with some of the greatest musicians, and artistic houses, in the world. Often quoted as "Listening through his eyes." he's photographed the lives and stories of thousands of artists of all fields over the years. Here are their KARJAKA portraits.

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