Christopher Anderson, 1970, Canada/USA, is an all rounded photographer who is well-known for his documentary / photo-journalistic work. He has traveled extensively to conflict zones throughout the world as Israel, Afghanistan and Haiti. He photographed these conflicts from a personal point of view. In 2009 he released the book Capitolio, a cinematic journey into Caracas, Venezuela. "He notates the country's current incongruities, where the violent and the sensual intermingle chaotically." (Magnum Photos) A recent body of work is called Son. He photographed his wife, his son and his father who was ill with cancer. Due to the birth of his son and several other happenings Christopher has decided to step away from war photography. Son is a very intimate and emotional project, touching themes as the cycle of life. It is a project that defines the real reasons for our existence and our drive as human beings. Christopher joined Magnum Photos in 2005 and became a full member in 2010.
More from Christopher Anderson:
www.christopherandersonphoto.com

"Kim Phuc was pictured in a world-famous and iconic photograph from the Vietnam war, running naked from an airborne attack, horribly burned with napalm, in June of 1972. Since then, Kim has found peace, and a message she can offer, borne of her suffering. She runs The Kim Foundation International, and she acts as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNESCO. She has transformed into a viable, visible symbol of peace and hope. Hers is an important story of resilience, courage, and forgiveness."

The story of Kim Phuc has a happier ending. She survived her burns, and is still alive today.

Hellen van Meene, 1972, The Netherlands, is a portrait photographer who studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. Most of her portrait images are of young teenage girls. She is widely known for her exceptional use of light and the sometimes awkward yet fragile poses. She works with girls that have no experience being a model and guides them in how they need to pose. She only uses natural light in order to keep fully concentrated on her models. She has traveled to Japan, England, Latvia and Russia amongst other countries for her portraits. In contrast with her earlier work, where she would ask girls in her surrounding and have time to create a strong image, she asked complete strangers in the streets to be photographed while she was traveling in search of the right teenagers. The portrait sessions were often finished within ten minutes. Hellen has been exhibited extensively throughout the world, been in numerous publications and released several photography books.
More from Hellen van Meene:
www.hellenvanmeene.com/photos

Stephen Dupont, 1967, Australia, is a photojournalist and portrait photographer who focuses on fragile cultures and marginalized people. He has released several monographs amongst which are also three handmade limited edition books. His exhibition Afghanistan: The Perils of Freedom 1993-2009 is a fifteen year retrospective on all of his journeys to Afghanistan. It shows the various stages the country has gone through, the resilience of the Afghan people and the growth of the photographer himself. Stephen puts a lot of respect into his photography, showing the human dignity of his subjects. Raskols is a series of portraits shot in 2004 which shows a gang member community, better known as the Raskols of Papua New Guinea. Dupont does not limit himself, he uses polaroid, medium format and 35mm camera's.
More from Stephen Dupont:
www.stephendupont.com

Justin Maxon, 1983, USA, is a documentary photographer who focuses on long-term projects that examine the complexities of human struggle. In his ongoing project Streets is Raw he concentrates on the highly impoverished Tenderloin district in San Francisco where he photographs and documents the various issues, drug addiction, mental health issues and the threat of disease and death, that the people are facing in this region.
Justin has received numerous awards as the first prize in the 2007 World Press Photo Daily Life singles category and he was named one of the PDN's 30 emerging photographers to watch.
More from Justin Maxon:
www.justinmaxon.com