How To Spot A Talented Emerging Photographer 

Are you on the hunt for an emerging photographer to follow their rise to success in the contemporary art world? Here are our top three tips on discovering emerging photographers before other art aficionados, where to find these artists and a couple of photographers to watch in the next few years. We will also review a few frequently asked questions about this topic, such as how to spot an award-winning photograph. 

How to Look for in Emerging Photographers

1. Representation

Firstly, the best way to find emerging photographers is to see which artists the top galleries in London and other major cities around the world are recruiting. Galleries do extensive research before signing on a new artist to their books, as they put their reputation on the line every time they acquire a new artist. Therefore, you can trust them to have done their due diligence before signing an unknown photographer. 

Follow contemporary art houses like Imitate Modern to be among the first to discover emerging photographers in the early stages of their careers. 

2. Awards

Look out for the winners of emerging photography awards such as the Emerging Photographer Fund. You can follow the entrants of this fund each year and see how they progress with the help of the $10,000 grant for winning the competition or see how the other entrants rise to the challenge of supporting their work without additional funds. 

3. Art You Love

Finally, look for art you have a connection with and would proudly display in your home. If you love it, then chances are it will connect with other art enthusiasts too, and you may have discovered your new top photographer. 

Although some people shy away from using their intuition to help them discover up-and-coming artists, we believe that using your gut feeling and emotional connection to a piece is a valuable tool in finding new artists that you and others will love. 

Where to Discover the Best New Photographers

Suppose you are consciously searching for your next big find. In that case, bookmark Imitate Modern’s contemporary artists’ gallery so you can be the first to know when we are introducing a new photographer to our listings. Naturally, we only represent the best photographers who our experts truly believe can give our collection something innovative and bring a fresh perspective to the gallery. 

Top Emerging Photographers To Watch

• Nana Del Riego

As you may know from our previous diary entries, we champion Nana Del Riego as one of our top up-and-coming artists. Having grown up in Cuba, Nana’s unique use of colour and her perspective on the world set her aside from other artists and helped her stand out. 

• Daniel Sachon

British artist and creative director Daniel Sachon is a name to watch in the next few years. As a young person in his mid-twenties, Sachon is head and shoulders above his peers regarding his knowledge, work ethic and achievements. 

You can see more work by Daniel Sachon on the Imitate Modern website, on Daniel’s website or his personal Instagram @DSachon. 

FAQ

How to find celebrated photographers 

To discover the best emerging photographers, you may also need to know more about some household name photographers in the business. 

Read our previous article ‘5 world-famous photographers you should know about’ to uncover the top globally recognised photographers. You can also read about the artists represented at Imitate Modern, including Tyler Shields, Annie Leibovitz, David Bailey, and David LaChapelle. 

Who are the best female photographers at Imitate Modern? 

Although over half (52.6%) of all professional photographers are female, we feel as though these women don’t get enough recognition for their work. 

A search for ‘top photographers’ on Google puts Annie Leibovitz right at the top. However, Leibovitz is followed by male after male photographers on this list. Apart from just a handful of female photographers, including Imogen Cunningham and Dorothea Lange, Google lists rows upon rows of only male photographers. 

To find more women in this field of art, read our previous post on ‘female photographers to watch in 2022’ or visit our gallery and discover all the artists represented by Imitate Modern. 

What magazines or publications should you follow?

You can read the previous issues of Emerging Photographer Magazine online today. Learning what the experts had highlighted as what to look for in an upcoming photographer and seeing their work can help you understand what to look for when selecting which emerging photographer’s work to purchase for your next investment or interior design project. 

What makes an award-winning photograph? 

We have already discussed looking for award-winning photographers, but what if you can spot an award-winning artist before they win? Knowing how to spot a winning photograph can help you find new emerging photographers before other art enthusiasts.  

Look for photographs that go beyond traditional artistic norms or create a strong sense of emotion in the viewer. 

If it’s something you haven’t seen before and you feel a deep sense of connection and longingness to learn more about the story behind the photograph, you may be on to a winner. 

Summary

It is always tricky to discover top photographers before they hit the big news outlets, and their work skyrockets in value. However, if you know what to look for and invest in an artist’s work that you genuinely love, you can’t go far wrong. 

Find out more about the contemporary artists represented by Imitate Modern on our website. 

We represent creators of artsy photography, sensual photography, emotional photography, political photography, and more. Alternatively, you can also follow Imitate Modern on Instagram to get notified when we bring a new artist on the books or have a new piece in the shop.