Seven of the best emerging photographers to follow in 2022

By definition, though, the most exciting new and emergent talents aren't yet that well known. So we've teamed up with MPB, the leading online platform for sourcing used photography and videography equipment, to uncover some true gems.

It's a topic that's close to the hearts of everyone at MPB. Headquartered in the creative communities of Brighton, Brooklyn and Berlin, the organisation is staffed by camera experts and seasoned photographers and videographers, all of whom know their distinctive fields inside-out. And they've found us a diverse range of new photography talent that truly bring the wow factor.

Read on to discover these top talents, find out what drives them, and what cameras and other equipment they use. Plus, if you'd like to emulate our up-and-coming shooters yourself, we've included links to buy all the kit featured at super-low prices.

1. Karah Mew

Based in Portsmouth, Karah Mew is an award-winning documentary photographer. Telling real-life stories through gorgeous photography, she's an expert in capturing both the emotion of her subjects and the tiny but important details. Describing herself as "a collector of personal visual moments and printed love letters", she works closely to document the changing dynamics within the family unit through environmental and self-portraiture. She currently shoots with a Fuji X-T2 with 16mm f/1.4 lens, and the Fujifilm X100f.

2. Angus Scott aka Gussi

Angus Scott, known professionally as Gussi, is a Melbourne-based photographer who explores land and culture based on musings on identity and place. Working with both stills and video, his work is informed by familial narratives, national myths and connection to landscape and oscillates between poetic and observational forms of documentary storytelling.

"My photography tends to be organic and textural, utilising scale to draw the viewer in and out of an environment or idea," he tells us. "I generally pair groups of images with small pieces of writing, hopefully allowing for interpretive pathways to be taken through the work as a whole." He's currently using a combination of digital and film cameras, including a Sony Alpha A7Rii, a Pentax 67. His most commonly used lenses are the Canon 17-40mm on the Sony and the Pentax 105mm.

3. Jennifer McCord

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.

"I would describe my work as emotive and intimate," she says. "I'm always looking for a feeling when I shoot." 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 that's very temperamental".

"When it comes to lenses," she adds, "my Sigma Art 50mm 1.4 is my ride-or-die lens. But I also have a Nikkor 24-70mm 2.8, which is a workhorse and then a Nikkor 70-200 2.8 and Nikkor 14-24mm 2.8 for when I need them; mostly for festivals and live shows."

4. Nico Froehlich

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."

5. Jodie Bateman

A fine art photographer born and raised in south London, Jodie Bateman converted to Islam in 2017 and has since shifted her work to question stereotypes around being a Muslim living in the Western world. She's particularly interested in how Muslim women have been poorly represented, especially because of their choice to cover up and their dress style.

"I'm very influenced by paintings in how my images present themselves in the result; their ascetic," she says. "And I like to use my work as a voice for certain issues." As for the kit, "I last used a Hasselblad 501c, I think an 80mm lens and tripod, shutter release cable and softbox lights. I'm currently not using anything until I can get new kit."

6. Anna Neubauer

Anna Neubauer is a children's and fine art portrait photographer and visual artist from Austria, currently based in London. Her work is centred on people with visible differences, as she believes the less diversity people see in their everyday lives, the more disconcerting they might find it. "With my images, I like to capture moments with tension, inspiration, and emotion without actually using words," she says. "Whatever it makes you feel like, it's entirely up to you. I would describe my style as a bit hazy, sometimes dreamy, or a bit surreal."

She tells us she doesn't actually own a lot of equipment. "I've been shooting with my Canon EOS 5D Mark II, a 50mm and a 28-200mm lens for a long time," she says. "I mostly shoot with natural light, but I also own a softbox and some LED lights, which I occasionally use."

7. Elliott Verdier

A documentary photographer based in Paris, Elliott Verdier, is strongly influenced by a classical photojournalism culture. His clients include The New York Times, Vogue Italia, the British Journal of Photography, the Financial Times and M&C Saatchi.

"My photography is documentary but aims to be subjective," he says. "I'll always be driven by a sense of melancholy in themes I am sensitive about, such as collective memory, resilience and generational transmission." Kit-wise, he mainly uses an analogue large format camera. "It's a Sinar F1," he says, "which is supposed to be used in a studio but is robust enough to use on my travels."