In Luca Zanier's view, people of influence come and go, but places of power endure. And so the Zurich-based photographer has been taking pictures of those places, negotiating access to inner sanctums at such institutions as the French national labor union, the CGT (but failing so far at FIFA, the international governing body of soccer). “I try to put the camera in the seat of the most powerful person in the room,” Zanier says. “That way, when you’re looking at the photograph, you’re the boss.” At the United Nations in New York City, he put his camera behind the second rank of seats at the Security Council. The staff members who occupy them, he says, are the powers behind the delegates who sit at the table.

1 of 7 The General Confederation of Labour, France The General Confederation of Labour (CGT) in France originally inspired Luca Zanier to think about corridors of power. Zanier was attracted to the building’s architecture and bright colors. 1 of 7