When Jen Bekman opened her gallery on Spring Street in 2003, she had two objectives: To bring greater recognition to emerging artists, and to make collecting art accessible to everyone. When looking for space, she decided on an area that was already a popular shopping district for young urbanites -- and her small, neatly designed gallery is a place to shop for affordable art between lunch and weekend errands. She also realized that one way of bringing emerging photographers to her attention was to start a competition whose winners would be exhibited in the gallery.

Hey, Hot Shot!, as the contest/exhibition is known, has just entered its fourth year. The exhibition of the current crop opens tomorrow night, with work by five young photographers from as far away as New Zealand. The photographers had this to say about their approach to their work and process:

Three from Hey, Hot Shot! the 2008 First Edition, by (left to right): Derek Hendersen, Kate Orne, Colleen Plumb. Courtesy Jen Bekman Gallery.

Juliane Eirich, currently resides in Munich, Germany and Seoul, South Korea
"Most of my work is photographed at night. Night photography is slow and calm, but at the same time the very precise process that suits my way of working. I like the way I can focus at night, since there is less distraction - both visually and acoustically - than during the day. The artificial light and color atmosphere that can be found at night appeals to me and matches my understanding of beauty."

Derek Hendersen, currently resides in Auckland, New Zealand
"My photography is about what people don't see even when it's right in front of them. Making the mundane sublime. Having empathy with others and the environment. I am fascinated by the pursuit of happiness and how people live their lives. I believe happiness in life is about balance, moderation, and living in harmony with the environment."

Roc Herms Pont, currently resides in Barcelona, Spain
"Close to photojournalism, with a strong graphic design background, I started using photography to capture and remember what I found interesting though my eyes. People, places, details. I use photography to share my view of the world, to express myself."

Kate Orne, currently resides in New York City
"Since 2005 I have photographed the sex-workers and their families in Pakistan - being the first photographer to document this shunned community. This body of work examines the uneasy peace between Islamic fundamentalism and profanity in the brothels. Repressive fundamentalist Muslim laws not only shun these women's existence but in some areas make their actions punishable by death. However, in their brothels the women are the breadwinners. This underlying dualism surfaces in portraits of the women sitting proudly on the same beds where they not only service their customers but share with their husbands and children."

Colleen Plumb, currently resides in Chicago, Illinois
"I began this project looking at 'fake nature,' wondering what substitutions for nature can satisfy in people. Looking deeper I began photographing live animals and how they can be a link for us to a world far from the reality and pace of contemporary life, as well as provide an intangible link to a deeper world of instinct and rawness. With this series I hope to incite contemplation about the lives of animals and generate a dialog about resource usage."

Hey! Hot Shot! the 2008 First Edition, opens Friday evening, August 8, at 6:00 pm and is on view at Jen Bekman Gallery, 6 Spring Street, New York, NY through August 23, 2008. For information, please visit the website or call 212-219-0166.