Photography—the cheap man’s answer to painting. Well, that was certainly how it was perceived in the 1800s when the cost of having your portrait commissioned was significantly cheaper if you went for a daguerreotype instead of an oil painting. As photography gained popularity in the 1900s, the availability of rolls of film made the medium cheaper and faster and resulted in smaller cameras. Nowadays we’re shooting on our phones, taking selfies, and adding filters with apps. Sometimes it feels like anyone can be a professional photographer, now that the equipment is so readily available. But despite Kim Kardashian’s eagerly awaited book on the art of taking a selfie, being a legitimate photographer actually requires a bit more of an effort than that.
Here, we have collected 30 photographers whose careers you should keep track of. Some have postgraduate degrees in photography while others are self-taught, but all have an eye for what makes an incredible image. With that said, here are 30 Photographers Under 30 to Watch.