If You Leave is proud to present the 2015 IYL Showcase
An exhibition revealing a multitude of talent in contemporary photography, presented in various locations throughout East London and Berlin.
The showcase was initiated with the unification of 20 selected photographers with a launch event at Hatch London on December 3rd, and following this, the works are being shown at various locations throughout London, December 05 - 15 and Berlin December 18 - 29.
In collaboration with editors, curators and creatives behind a selection of favourite magazines, online platforms and institutions we have managed a diverse body of international co-curators, that helped IYL develop a fine cut selection for the final collection.
The following are this year's 20 finalists...

Amanda Elledge is an American photographer currently based in Lille, France. She first started taking photographs as a form of escapism to cope with the mundanity of daily life, but what started as a hobby quickly became an obsession. She now uses photography as a form of self-expression, a documentation and validation of her everyday life. She often uses layers in her work, perhaps a sort of symbolism to how complex life really is, a reminder that nothing is quite how it seems.
Arielle Manesh is a photographer based in Tel Aviv and Los Angeles.
“This photo was part of a comission for C-heads. I had been wanting to shoot in my favorite donut shop for a while because the color palette and morning light is just so perfect in there. Since so much of my work plays with color, I knew it would be the perfect spot to shoot a beautiful redhead. I met Brynn Jones from Photogenics and we cruised over to Echo Park and made a donut deal. Two dozen donuts for an hour of shooting.” Not a bad deal at all.
Benedetta Falugi is an independent photographer based in Tuscany, Italy. She initially approached photography in a rather casual way, once a passion was realised she continued to study photography through various workshops and as an autodidact. Corresponding with her independent studies Benedetta began a personal project attempting to research ‘places of the heart and people living there’.
Her work made in analogue, on film, has been published in several online and printed magazines and shown in various exhibitions.
With a particular focus on minimal forms, Brooklyn based photographer Daniel Oglander’s work stems from a close and personal relationship he has with collecting. This ranges from random meanings attached to objects that are found to historical narratives embedded in primitive artifacts.
His work has been recently featured in Twelv Magazine and Tomorrow Magazine amongst others.
Elsa Bleda was born in Aix-les Bains in France and grew up in Istanbul, this has allowed her to explore the Mediterranean terrain and nourished her transcultural identity. She is currently living in South Africa and working as an art director, photographer and actress.
Her works have been exhibited in Austria and South Africa and featured in various magazines such as Oldmag, Lamono Magazine, One Small Seed and more.
Based in Copenhagen, Esben Bøg-Jensen started taking photographs when he was a young child, 22 years ago, and has continued to do so since. Practiced mainly as a hobby, photography is a tool, allowing Esben to maintain a visual diary of his everyday life, his surroundings and the people he encounters.
His work has been featured in Collarbone Magazine and Petty Thieves Three among others.
Esthaem is a photographic artist based in Linz, Austria. His work currently focuses on the themes of identity, intimacy and sexuality, through a delicate depiction of the body as a performative tool in its interaction with confined space. His photographs are a narrative of fragile connections that aims to redefine common notions of intimacy.
Esthaem is a graduate in graphic design and photography from the University of Art and Design Linz.
With a particular focus on street life and capturing strangers in ephemeral and personal moments, Gustavo Minas’ work is based on the cities he has inhabited.
Minas does not consider himself a classical street photographer; being more interested in following the steps of prior photographers who used public spaces and daily life to explore the possibilities of colour and light. His work mixes street photography and personal experiences and has been exhibited in solo and group shows in Brazil, UK and US. He lives and works in Brasília.
Beginning her photographic career through Instagram, Julia Genet has been guest curator on numerous ‘takeovers’ including Of The Afternoon. Following her studies in film, Julia now focuses on her career as a photographer.
Currently based in Paris, her work represents subtle intimacy, poetic and at times a timeless depiction of her surroundings.
A self-taught photographer, Julia Wengenroth is currently based in Western Germany. She has a particular interest in portraiture, specialising in self-portraits and landscape photography, which she tends to combine through subtle experimentation.
Her work has been featured online by MYP-Magazine and Kwerfeldein.
Kellen Mohr is a photographer from Washington, USA. Intrigued by unusual interactions between light and matter, he aims to catalogue moods and experiences with friends in the settings of nature. Describing the closeness of mountains and forests as a source of joy, his images seem to flow naturally from these experiences.
Using predominantly analogue cameras, Kellen outlines how using film rather than digital removes the instant gratification nature of photography while simultaneously maintaining these unique experiences.
Kübra Sağin, born in Istanbul in 1993, found companionship in analogue photography at an early age when she received her first point-and-shoot camera as a gift from her parents. As an English Literature graduate, she aims to combine her passion for syntax and semantics with film cameras to create visually romantic stories revolving predominately around women, shades of pastel and natural light.
Kübra has been featured in C-41 Magazine, The 405 and Fubiz to name a few.
Lauren Withrow was born and raised in a small country town in Texas and is now based in Brooklyn. Heavily influenced by film, her work explores the relationship of a subject within its surroundings. Pulling from memories of her youth in Texas, Withrow’s photographs evoke a timeless and melancholic feeling of fleeting moments.
Her work has been featured in multiple gallery shows in New York and London, and has been featured in Teen Vogue, Boys by Girls, Yen Magazine, etc...
Lorenzo Scudiero is an Italian photographer whose portrayal of youth culture in his hometown attempts to both unite and define the past and present while revealing the beauty in both. By capturing his surroundings through the lens he is able to take hold of his memories, allowing them to take shape from the coloured pixels on a screen to something real and tangible.
His work has been featured in Photographica and PLATEFORM magazine.
Based in Vienna, Martin Valentin Fuchs has always been fascinated by the aesthetic aspects of life, and describes how, when he received his first camera at age 14, he was finally capable of capturing these unusual and beautiful moments.
Trying to capture the reality in a simple but aesthetic way, Martin’s work mainly consists of portraits, in which he attempts to create an extraordinary or absurd mood by the use of extreme lighting situations.
Matthieu Soudet describes himself as “a child of photography”. Living and working in Paris, Matthieu started taking pictures when he was 9 years old in his hometown of Normandy. He began with capturing his immediate surroundings; nature, and after winning several prizes while still a teenager; he bought his first camera. He has been creating dream-like portraits ever since.
Although Matthieu changed his focus from nature to staged portraits, nature still plays an important role in his most recent work.
Nina Raasch is a young German photographer based in Berlin, where she is currently in her third year studying photography at Lette-Verein. Her work ranges from abstract analogue photography to digital portraiture, however, she views every image captures as somewhat of a self portrait.
She was a part of this year’s Close Up! photography contest which culminated in a Show at C/O Berlin as part of the 2015 Berlinale.
Born and based in Malmö, Sweden, Rickard Grönkvist is a freelancer covering photography, illustration and graphic design. His involvement in the photographic world began at a young age, and since then he has worked across both commercial and cultural.
With a particular interest in documentary, Rickard aims to shift his practice towards more fact-based photography projects and exhibitions.
Scott McFadyen is a Canadian photographer and musician currently living in Vancouver. To date his subject matter is diverse, although mainly consisting of landscapes and portraits. His images are generally quiet depictions of in-between moments.
There is a tangible connection between his practice and the slow and continuous natural processes of his surrounding environment. The growth of the forest, the turning of the tide, the polishing of rivers and canyons filled from melting snow pack.
WITH THE HELP OF THE IYL VIRTUAL GALLERY APP YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEARCH FOR LOCATION, ARTIST AND INFORMATION. AS WAS THE CASE WITH THE PREVIOUS EDITION, IMAGES AND PAGES THAT DISPLAY A SMALL ICON, CONNECT TO ARTIST PORTFOLIOS OR EXTERNAL LINKS THAT CAN BE SCANNED
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Dazed and Confused press..
-> dazeddigital.com/photography/article/28718/1/20-of-photography-s-up-and-coming-band-together-for-one-show
Julia Wegenrot at Botany
IYL Showcase featured on Huck magazine
@ifyouleavestagram photos are up in @mint_vintage Come and check at our store :) #mintvintage #iylshowcase #london #photography
IYL Showcase featured on BOOOOOOOM
Scott McFayden at Tokyobike in Shoreditch - London

Dec 7th, 5:57AM