Fresh, inspiring, insightful, thought-provoking: here is an overview and introduction to 161 of the most exciting contemporary photographers from cultures around the world. This book celebrates excellence in the visual language of photography in all genres: documentary, fine art, photojournalism, portrait, street photography, abstract, landscape, architecture, nature, alternative process, experimental, poetic, personal, and more. From the already world-famous, to brand new discoveries and emerging talents, anyone who is serious about the current state of photography around the globe will be delighted and surprised to discover the rich variety of photographers and their imagery presented in these pages. Who are the people practicing this profound universal language with “fluency” in our image-saturated world today? This book attempts to answer that question. The editors of this volume believe it takes the critical eyes of curators and experts in the field to discover and celebrate true excellence, finding those images that stand out from the crowd and deserve our considered attention. In addition to appearing in the pages of this book, all of these photographers have been featured in exhibitions and shows at large-scale international photo festivals and events around the world in the past year, including London, Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Berlin, New York, San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo.