ReGeneration - 50 Photographers of Tomorrow. 2005-2025

This photography book differs from any other photography book I have read as it is attempting to achieve two objectives - one, to investigate the new generation of emerging photographers and to discover their mediums and inspirations and two, to predict the new generation of substantial photographers whom will have the talent and ideas to be established and recognised as professional photographers in 25 years time.

The book intrigued me as to how the editors could predict the future of photography, why 25 years and how the judges came to their decisions on choosing the photographers.

The preface wrote by William A Ewing, Director of The Musee de l'Elysee in Lausanne states he was inspired to produce the book by the title of a famous painting by Paul Gauguin - Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going? these questions inspired questions of his own about what the new century would bring in the world of photography.

"What are young photographers up to these days? Whose influence are they heeding, consciously or unconsciously? Are they conformist or contentious? Idealist or realist? Escapist or engaged? Are we on the cusp of a new movement, a revolt, a new dawn, or still at the tail-end of a chapter, wallowing in the so-called decadent phase? Are emerging photographers leaning towards classical approaches to photography or inclined towards those of contemporary art? Are they remaining loyal to film and chemistry or abandoning camp in droves for pixels and photoshop?

Regeneration: 50 Photographers of Tomorrow, 2005-2025 was conceived as a kind of time-and-space probe, it sets out to discover answers to these intriguing questions".

William A Ewing, P8

Submissions were made from sixty schools worldwide which were chosen by the Musee de l'Elysee's educational staff, they were then shortlisted by a judging panel. Th finalists were chosen from the quality of their work and the intelligence behind their work, resulting in an unique collection of varied styles, subject matter and medium.

The time frame 2005-2025 was chosen as William A Ewing believes that a professional photographer needs 20 - 25 years to develop and mature into an established photographer with a strong portfolio. It will be interesting to see whether his predictions will actually transpire into professional photographers and whether it will actually take 20 years to do so.

 Mauren Brodbeck

Mauren Brodbeck was born in Switzerland and attended the Art Centre College of Design, she photographs buildings that are ordinary parts of the urban landscape then transforms them within there environment by using blocks of colour.

I especially like the way the blocks of colour against the urban backgrounds create a totally new image, although quite a simple technique the choice of which parts of the image to change into colour have been really thought about by the photographer to gain the best impact.

Marcello Mariana

Italian photographer, Marcello Mariana has taken these extraordinary pictures of an ordinary elevate to attempt to gain an element of space and sky in a confined restricted environment. I like the perspective of these photographs, although they are obviously lifts, the angle and details creates a totally different image.

Johann Ryno De Wet

These landscape photographs taken by South African photographer Johann Ryno De Wet have an almost surrealist look about them, he uses analogue photography techniques with digital manipulation to create landscape images which are from his imagination rather than the landscape which is actually shot.