When Joseph Nicéphore Niépce showed the world its first photograph in the 1820s people were astonished by the image, a simple rooftop scene in Burgundy. They were amazed at this recreation of reality – the snapshot of a place in time. Even today, so many years on, the humble photograph can still shock and inspire. Of course, digital technology has breathed new life into the medium, making photography more accessible but also vastly expanding the bounds of what can be achieved. The fertile imagination has never had a more adaptable ally, capable of creating extraordinary fantasy worlds or dark, twisted interpretations of reality. Equally, the ability of more traditional photographers from Beijing to New York to compose challenging, rationale–defying images, often without the use of digital manipulation, continues to inspire.
