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GENERATION

IN 2014, WE ASKED 60 YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD TO SHOW AND TELL US ABOUT THEIR GENERATION. WE SET THEM THE CHALLENGE OF PHOTOGRAPHING THEIR LIVES AND DESCRIBING WHY THE IMAGES ARE IMPORTANT TO THEM AND ILLUMINATING TO US.

THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND STORIES THEY PRODUCED ARE BEAUTIFUL, INSPIRING, AND INFORMATIVE – JUST LIKE THE BEST RESEARCH SHOULD BE.

THE GENERATION EDGE PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT REINFORCESTHE SOUND’S BELIEF THAT INSIGHT IS ART.

ENJOY. 

TARA, Vancouver

The trees in this picture represent anyone’s life. Many branches going

off in different directions; Just depends which path you'll take.

TARA, Vancouver

Even on cloudy days things can be beautiful.

You just need to open your eyes and look around you.

JUNE, Vancouver

I always like to keep my future full of options so I

leave it unplanned, like a puzzle on a sidewalk.

I often feel like I'm stuck somewhere in between being a child and an adult. When you're a

teenager you can get a part-time job and save enough money to go somewhere, but your

school will still call your parents when you're 2 minutes late to class. There are so many mixed

messages about what you should be doing and how it should be done. I would love to make

decisions without this idea that being "too young" is a restriction.   

CHLOE, Toronto

CHLOE, Toronto

Pictures of cats, lattes, best friends, street lights, sunsets. We're

noticing the simple things and sharing how happy it makes us.

SARAH, Toronto

QUEENSWAY PARK

This generation tends to be labelled as technology-obsessed and

entitled. Without even an understanding of the intricate pros and cons

to growing up in this modern world, many are quick to jump to

conclusions. Through this photo taken at a common hangout place,

Queensway Park, I tried to capture a very true, unbiased moment of

people in my life. I hope this can bring some understanding to the

complexity of each person that makes up our generation.

SARAH, Toronto

LEAH

Mirrors have become outdated - with front-facing

phone screens we can find every imperfection on

our face, fix our hair, retouch our makeup, and even

take a quick selfie. Taken early in the morning, Leah

checks herself out in her phone screen. Funny

enough, the same technology she is using to

maintain her appearance is used to Photoshop

unachievable beauty standards, share these beauty

standards, stare at these beauty standards, and

swallow these beauty standards.

SARAH, Toronto

SNAP

A common occurrence in our generation's

classrooms, a Snapchat selfie. Snapchat

might be the only platform where photos

aren't used to capture moments, but to share

them with others. Therefore, when I took a

photo of two girls taking a Snapchat photo, I

eliminated its "temporariness" and created a

permanence. I captured the moment that

had been meant only for sharing.

SARAH, Toronto

HAIRCUT

This photo features my friend, Elizabeth. A bit after they had gotten their hair cut, a

teacher had asked them if it was "a statement." There seems to be a constant search

for a purpose in our generation's actions. The notion that we want to do something

just for the sake of doing it doesn't seem to make sense to others. Sometimes nothing

more than intuition is purposeful enough.

EXHAUSTION

We agonize over contemplating choices that will

affect our education and future; it's perfectly normal

to feel overwhelmed and need a break.

KEVIN, Toronto

KEVIN, Toronto

COMMUTE

Public transit is my generation's main means of

transportation. For the past 7 years, I have spent 10

hours a week commuting to school.

JESUS, New York

FACELESS MAN

I took this photo in a photography program from school, this is definitely my favorite picture because of the creepy look. People always tell me is a creepy photo but very cool, that's why I love this photo it's creepy and cool!

JESUS, New York

SCARY GIRL

This photo was taken during the Halloween photo shoot, I just love how this picture came up, a girl in the middle of the road looking so scary. This picture reminds me of the old scary legends that grandma used to tell me.

ZOMBIE BEAR

Making others afraid can be a defense mechanism to

one’s own insecurities. My generation is skilled in hiding

our feelings and pretending to be something we’re not.

KAYLA, Chicago

KAYLA, Chicago

FIGHT CLUB

This is a depiction of the anger that my

generation feels. Waking up with bruises and

blood all over you is like waking up five years

from now older and uncertain.

MIKAYLA, Chicago

HOT SPOTS

I took this photo because I

have a strong appreciation

for street art and I am

attracted to areas where

there is a lot of street art. This

photograph represents inner

city kids who are often

demonized in the mainstream

media. This photo embodies

them and how they are trying

to reach for the light and to

be seen in a positive way. 

HOUSE DANCE

I love going to house style dance battles

because of the contagious energy and

positive vibes. The whole room was filled

with excitement.

MIKAYLA, Chicago

LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS

My best friend from Illinois was dating her boyfriend Zach who lives

in New York. After a few months, they finally met face to face.

MIKAYLA, Chicago

EWAN, London

ABSORBED

The internet's a sharp knife, infinitely useful

and infinitely dangerous at the same time.

BERNICE, London

I took this picture to show how I think everyone in the world have similarities. The image

is a combination of three images in which everyone is on the move. Everyone has a

place they want to be in their lives. Just remember that only you as an individual can

truly decide where you want to go. That's what I like the most about my generation, we

are strong headed individuals who know what we want and how to get it.

TAMI, London

MAGAZINE

As a teenage girl I often find that I compare myself to

models in magazines; it’s becoming a struggle for many

of my age, as portrayed here.

TAMI, London

ALONE

A lot of my generation sadly suffer with mental

illnesses, although a person may appear happy,

inside their heads they feel alone.

ANYA, Mumbai

ROARING COMPASSION

Competition doesn’t hold negative connotations, as it’s everywhere. We’re so accustomed to having to

fight for our rightful place that we stopped looking at it as fighting. There is a wonderful amalgamation of

compassion and competition within us. The tiger shows the strong determination, but the white parts of

the girl prove that compassion cannot be overruled by the generation’s increasingly competitive nature.

ANYA, Mumbai

URBAN EMOTIONS

We are the technology generation.

However, while we may be the last to

read actual books rather than Kindles

and E-books, we might also have been

the last to play dress up and ‘house’.

While technology has imposed itself onto

us, we still hold onto our humanity

through it. This image shows the concrete

nature of technology slowly becoming a

part of the essence of our humanity.

However, our generation got saved from

getting sucked into its grasp completely,

thus we still can be seen in its vividness.

INTIMATE...ARE WE?

In today’s day and age, intimacy is often brought down to the level of social media. We’re so comfortable sitting behind computer screens and text messages that we now have become habituated to hiding behind them when we’re afraid to face any level of personal connection. We communicate with Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Facebook so we can express our emotions with emoticons and end the conversation with the infamous ‘k’. Friendships are made, relationships ended, secrets revealed - all through keyboards and touch screens. So does social media help us connect across globes but disconnect from the human connection?

ANYA, Mumbai

QUIVERING TONSILS

Rebellion. We have grown up in a world with an increasing amount of ambiguity in its morality. We demand

answers to the injustice and try to challenge all bigotry. We grew up to be accepting of all kinds of people of

all cultures, sexual orientations, and religions. I find pride in the fact that most of my generation helps in wiping

out any racism, sexism, and injustice, which have previously challenged the human condition. We’ve refused

to carry out old traditions of blind acceptance and have chosen our own decisions. 

ANYA, Mumbai

KARTHIK, Mumbai

Free as a bird- sport unleashes the child in you,

even if you already are one!

LEARN MORE AT

www.GENERATIONEDGE.com

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