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Young photographers dispel negative stereotypes with experimental images of Brazzaville's urban landscapes

They are young. They are skilled. They are fed up with the dark narrative international media keep reporting on their region. Génération Elili, which means the generation of the image in Lingala language, is a photographer collective born a few years ago in Brazzaville with the desire to see Congolese taking part in the building of their history. From urban jungles to deep forests, from disused shipyards to decaying railways they tell new stories and prove that creative photography is possible anywhere.

Documenting the city

Looking at Génération Elili's work in their gallery of Bacongo, a vibrant neighbourhood of Brazzaville, or browsing their occasional exhibitions in town, one is struck by the diversity of techniques and approaches. Urban documentary photography takes a fair share of the attention. Works such as Baudouin Mouanda's, a founding member of the collective, evoke the life of students at night. "Streets are a second home for them" says Mouanda. "There they can hang out together, meet new people and dream of rosy futures."

Some use photography to shed light on social problems. With her Coupé-Coupé series, Khelly Manou de Mahoungou documents the phenomenon of low-cost meat that is increasingly popular in the streets of Brazzaville and Kinshasa, in neighbouring DRC. To get around rising food prices, growing numbers of Congolese buy their meat from informal eateries, where quality control never occurs. A plate of "coupé-coupé" costs about the sixth of a kilo of fresh meat, and the choice is swiftly made.

Others prefer not to tell particular stories. They show the city as it comes to them: enormous, sprawling, ebullient craters where the lives of millions collide in the never-ending traffic jams. Add to this cocktail the absence of street lighting at night and you obtain the perfect hunting ground for photographers with a liking for urban landscape. Émilie Wattelier, a French woman based in Brazzaville, finds beauty in these dark atmospheres. "An African city on the equator line… The night falls early and at once… In this shade, one passes by ghostly silhouettes… At night, all the places are the same…" she writes as a label for her work.

Finding new ways

Others are experimental. In Elsewhere – a view from Elsewhere, Richard Goma superimposes parallel universes: nature and cities. The result is troubling, images of garbage surmounting pristine canopies or cars lost in dense forests. "My work is a call to urban planners: they should consider the benefits of nature in their work. Flora is essential to fight against erosion or to give oxygen to our cities" he says. Goma's work suggests a nagging problem: in Congo as in other parts of the world, massive urbanisation and poor urban planning have devastating effects on human health and the environment.

In a complete different aesthetic, Francis Kodia presents a reflection on shipwrecks. There, among rusted carcasses or in humid containers, he meets a strange fauna: tramps looking for a temporary shelter, welders trying to fix what can be fixed, scrap merchants having just found their new El Dorado. Through the poetry of his work, Kodia wants to raise awareness. "The shipyard has destroyed our landscape" he explains. "And one must not forget that these shipwrecks massively pollute the river with significant leaks of oil and chemicals."

Finally, Génération Elili counts daydreamers in its ranks. Arnaud Makalou, the artistic director of the collective, just finished a work where he uses railways as a mean to wander about in the country. "Railways link extremities together. Few people are aware of it, but railways are built for humanity to send itself messages." Along Congolese decayed rail lines, Makalou encounters the country's people – ageing seasonal workers, voluptuous women, mischievous boys – and discovers incredible landscapes.

Passing on creativity

Promoting contemporary artistic creation in their country has become a cornerstone of Génération Elili's activities. Over the years, the collective has significantly matured. Today, it counts about 20 active members who have developed several partnerships and captured the attention of some big names of world photography. Hector Mediavilla and Philippe Guionie, two major contemporary documentary photographers, and Philippe Moison, renowned for his portraits, have all supported the collective by giving master-classes.

In a Congolese society often cast by external commentators as docile and passive, Elili aims to plant a seed that will keep growing. "Everything started from emulation. Years ago, five of us had the chance to attend photography classes sponsored by a cooperation program. After this training, they started to teach others and the collective was born" says Arnaud Makalou. "Today we want to repeat that story. We work with orphans, teaching them the techniques of photography, encouraging them to show their own perception of reality. It is not only about technical skills. We want them to be artistically aware."

Hadrien Diez is a freelance cultural journalist based in Nairobi

• Congo Brazzaville
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Photography
• Africa
• Art

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A photographic highlight selected by the picture desk. Bill Brandt was one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. He was born on this day in 1904 in Germany, and moved to Britain in 1933 where he began to document British society. His documentary work, portraiture and studies of nudes exemplified what he himself termed 'a sense of wonder', to make people see the world anew. This portrait was commissioned by Picture Post.

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We love the work of LA-based street photographer Eric Kim, and we're big fans of his regularly-updated blog. In this 2-page article, originally published on his website, Eric explains how the work of famed street photographer William Klein has taught him valuable lessons that inform his own outlook, and his photography. Click through to read more. 

A smartphone is typically the one camera you always carry with you but its tiny sensors often struggle in low light which makes a tripod a useful accessory. The Joby Grip Tight Micro Stand is a combined mini-tripod and phone holder that is foldable and so small that it fits in any pocket or can even be used as a key fob which makes it an ideal companion for your smartphone. We've tried it out for you.

Wacom Europe has released the Cintiq 22HD Touch, an interactive pen display graphics tablet that features a 1920 x 1080 LED monitor and offers 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. The Photoshop-compatible display comes with a tilting, rotating stand and customizable menu options. Priced at £1899.99, the Cintiq 22HD will be available at the end of this month.

The overwhelming majority of photographers, even those who derive income from their images, practice the craft alongside their primary gig. And celebrities are no different. While they certainly have fewer budget constraints than the rest of us and easy access to fellow A-listers, there are quite a few with real talent who take their photography seriously. Here's a look at a few of them. (via PhotographyTalk.com)

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'The building was knocked down the next day. The supervisor let us do it – provided we cast his wife'

It was the summer of 1960, and one morning I glanced out of the window of my studio in Manhattan and noticed that a row of brownstones opposite were being prepared for demolition. Looking at the design of the empty windows, an idea struck me: put a woman wearing colourful clothes in each of the openings.

I sent over someone from my staff to talk to the demolition supervisor. He agreed to let us go ahead – provided we used his wife in the photograph. We could shoot the next day during their lunch hour, he said. After that, the building would be gone.

So, with 24 hours to pull it off, we called up all our contacts to find models and locate a Rolls-Royce to sit on the sidewalk in front. I had a good reputation, as I was working for Time and Life magazines, so it was quite easy to convince people.

The next morning I was in the studio, on East 58th Street between First and Second Avenue, and had the feeling that it wasn't going to work out. Then my assistant came in and said: "Ormond, you'd better get the camera up on the fire escape. There are people filling up the windows and more coming in taxis." All of a sudden it was happening.

There were models, socialites, my wife (second floor, far right), the supervisor's wife (third floor, third from left), all wearing their best dresses [see footnote]. I moved them around to spread out the colours and told them to pose as if they were giving someone a kiss. As I was photographing, I noticed some of them were on the windowsills. As these were made of cement and sometimes break off, I shouted at them through a bullhorn to stay within the frames.

The noon sun was overhead and the light shone between the streets. Miraculously, the police didn't come by and stop us – and, within an hour, I'd got my shot.

I have a big print of it up on my wall. I still smile whenever I look at it, even after all these years. Not bad.

CV

Born: 1925, New York City.

Studied: New York School of Modern Photography.

Influences: Alfred Eisenstaedt, along with the photographers of Life and Paris Match magazines.

High point: "When Life offered me a staff job ..."

Low point: "... and I turned them down over the salary."

Top tip: "Do something else – it's too difficult being a photographer now."

• The following footnote was added on 3 May 2012: The references to floors in this article are in US English; in the photograph, Ormond's wife was on what would usually be known as the first floor in British English, and the supervisor's wife on the second floor.

• Photography

Sarah Phillips
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The notorious post-Profumo shot, now on show at the National Portrait Gallery, has long inspired artists to take a pop at sexism

An iconic nude has just gone on view at the National Portrait Gallery. Lewis Morley's photograph of Christine Keeler is included in a display to mark the 50th anniversary of the Profumo affair, the Tory sex scandal that rocked – or perhaps it is fairer to say delighted – 1963 Britain.

The display reveals that Morley photographed Keeler as publicity and screen-testing for a film about the events that led to the resignation of John Profumo, secretary of state for war in Harold Macmillan's government. She was obliged to be photographed naked by her contract with the film company, so Morley devised the famous shot in which she straddles a modernist chair and gazes smokily at the onlooker. It is a brilliant tease and still very sexy.

Joe Orton struck the pose for his own portrait, at once mocking its seduction and using it to allude to his own rebellious identity as a gay writer. A less famous quotation is in a lost painting by Pauline Boty, which is revisited at the NPG through photographs of Boty with her work. Boty, the most celebrated woman in the pop art movement of early 60s Britain, created several paintings about the Profumo affair, including one in which she copies the classic photograph of Keeler. It is now mysteriously missing.

Looking at pictures of Boty, who died from cancer in 1966, alongside the incandescent image of Keeler raises questions about women, art, beauty and the 1960s. Boty was herself regarded as a beauty, and it is no coincidence that visual documentation of her art often seems to portray her with it. Meanwhile, Keeler was in a tradition of unrespectable women in the public eye that goes back to Restoration royal mistresses such as Nell Gwyn. Compare her with Charles II's lover for yourself at the National Portrait Gallery.

So then: was the art of the pop era good or bad for women? Becoming an icon gave Keeler a career that still continues. Meanwhile, Boty was treated in the media of the time as a swinging London star who just happened to paint. She herself portrayed Keeler, so she must have found her notorious image subversive and fascinating. All this added to the heady mix of liberation and oppression that by 1970 would lead to the publication of The Female Eunuch – and the rise of a new feminist movement.

• Photography
• Painting
• Art
• National Portrait Gallery
• Exhibitions
• Christine Keeler
• John Profumo

Jonathan Jones
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Two editions in and Howler has earned itself a reputation as being the most visually distinctive soccer publication in North America

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A photographic highlight selected by the picture desk

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Reuters photographer Jorge Cabrera travels to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, the most violent city in the world

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Zeiss has announced more detail on two forthcoming lenses for Sony NEX and Fujifilm X-mount APS-C cameras -  the 12mm F2.8 and 32mm F1.8 lenses it unveiled at Photokina last year. The announcement came via the Zeiss blog, which went into detail on how they came to the name for the new series, 'Touit.' Pronounced like the English 'do it,' the new lenses are named after a Latin American band-tailed parrot, which Zeiss describes as 'small and agile,' much like mirrorless cameras are meant to be. Click for more on the new lenses.

The mobile food photography phenomenon has been cooking up alongside our affinity for our always-with-us smartphones. Foodies flock to tap, snap and share the trendiest new treats on the culinary circuit, their camera phones now making it possible to document nearly every morsel. But what apps are best for snapping and sharing food photography? We take a look at connect.dpreview.com. 

Canon has released a firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark III with significant benefits for both stills and video shooters. Firmware version 1.2.1 allows uncompressed video output over the HDMI port as well as cross-type autofocus when working with a maximum aperture of F8. Click through for more details about the latest firmware and for the download link.

From pesky meerkats to ominous storms, the Guardian's award-winning picture team rounds up the most eye-catching images of the day

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