ARE TEENAGERS THE NEWEST SURREALIST PHOTOGRAPHERS?

Have you been keeping up with what is going on in the art world? Possibly not. Possibly yes. Either way have any of you noticed the new trend of young teenagers becoming famous over their surreal photographs? Maybe it is because they are learning more Photoshop in school than cursive, maybe it's because TV Shows are now a lot more creative and surreal than ever, or maybe the internet is just allowing us to see their success a lot easier.

Two photographers, both 15, have been brought to my attention recently: David Uzochukwu and Zev Hoover. One has an eye for deeply moving and emotion photography and the other has great talents at seeing things as fantasy and surreal. We will start with David Uzochukwu, a Belgium-based photographer who has been taking photographs since he was 10 (so 5 years).

Uzochukwu is able to put a moving story and meaning behind such simple images. He doesn't push things too far and slam you over the head with the meaning, but he does slam you over the head with the emotional reaction you will get from looking at his pieces. He has said "I love to tell stories and to convey certain feelings and emotions in an image. What really intrigues me is that photography—like all other art forms—can be so universal that you can be touched by a picture that someone else has created. Furthermore you can make the images in your head become reality. This amazes me again and again."

 

 Another 15 year old photographer, Zev Hoover attains a different sort of surrealistic photography. Hoover has been taking photographs since he was 8 (so for 7 years) and he is based out of Massachusetts. The fantasy elements of his photos really feel like you are reading a classic fairytale. The soft images are very skillfully edited to seem strangely realistic.

Hoover describes, "What's really cool about shooting my pictures is that it's a totally different world: Kids sitting on acorns; rafts made of popsicle sticks; floating down a stream on a playing card. I like putting my eye near the ground because you see a totally different world when you are thinking from the point of view of something smaller than you."

Both of these talents kids were on Flickr's 20 Under 20 List, which I suggest checking out because of amazingly talented, skilled, and mature these kids are. But don't let it get you down that you weren't a recognized photographer before the age of 20, keep letting your passion for art push you into the life you desire.

David Uzochukwu: http://www.daviduzochukwu.com/

Zev Hoover: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fiddleoak/

Flickr's 20 Under 20: https://www.flickr.com/20under20