When it comes to visual inspiration for photographers, attending exhibitions is probably the best bet, alongside general streetlife and people watching. However, most art exhibitions showcase work by already iconic and celebrated artists. The beauty with exciting new and emergent talents is that they’re relatively unknown and we all know that feeling when we stumble across an underground and undiscovered artist whose subverting convention…
Here are some of our top picks of emerging artists who will be sure to inspire your art.
Based in Paris, Marie’s work is high French fashion at its most fun. Playing with silhouettes and colours, Popin’s preference is a strong flash that unifies her subject with their backdrop. She is also a professional retoucher and her understanding of colour and shadows transform a photo into an iconic image.
Photography and videography duo Big Bubba is based half out of London and the other out of New York. Its two founders are London born and specialise in diverse content from vintage inspired 35mm portraits to fish eyed, ultra bright ad specs. Recent work includes Jaz Karis’ latest music video and a commercial for Not Thongs.
Jennifer McCord is a London portrait and lifestyle photographer who’s spent the last six years photographing some of the biggest names in music and entertainment, both on and off stage, whilst honing her distinctive style. She’s known for her impactful work for brands like Sony, Universal, Flight of the Conchords and also has a heap of festival clients. All her digital work is done on Nikon cameras (D850 + (D750, while her favourites when shooting on film are a Hasselblad 500cm and an old Polaroid land camera.
A Brit and second-generation immigrant born and bred in London, Nico Froehlich champions diversity and inclusivity, focusing on social realism and working-class life. He combines long-form personal projects with brand work for big names like BrewDog, Kingpins, Mozilla, The Philharmonia, Somerset House and Switzerland Tourism.
“If I was to describe my style currently, I would use language like collaborative, considered and authentic,” he says. “For my personal work, I mostly use a Pentax 67 and either a 105mm or 75mm lens.”
Sensuality in pixel form, Barcelona-born Clara specialises in portraits of femininity through different gendered frameworks. Focusing on primary colours and a minimal palette (think Almodovar) Casas enables the viewer to see a part of the body in a way they never imagined. From elderly couples kissing to bodybuilding voguers, Casas’ work is both sweet and strong.
