With kangaroos and bushland just beyond her home, Mel Brackstone doesn't have to go far to find subjects for her photographs. An Australia native, Mel has spent her life in Brisbane having only to bear six weeks of Winter.

From times of great joy to years of difficult challenges, photography has been an important part of the life of Robert Jones.

As a small boy growing up in the drab, gray landscape of a Soviet apartment block, Mitchell Kanashkevich was forced to use his imagination to amuse himself. He drew, he invented characters and he dreamed of traveling to distant lands. Though he has now lived in Australia for 15 years, Mitchell is still constantly dreaming of travel to other countries.

From the island nation of Bahrain, Jacqueline Kent uses her camera to "capture moments in people's lives."

Manny Librodo has always been an avid people watcher so once he became interested in photography it was only natural that he would desire to capture the expressions and emotions of the individuals he found so captivating.

It was just five years ago that long time Philadelphia resident, Robert Mann, got his first home PC and internet connection. Since he didn't do much with his machine besides take surveys, play solitaire and surf, he got himself a little Polaroid. And, he says, "I was hooked...because of my fascination with the instance of production of an image from a camera to a computer screen."

I have been casually shooting 35mm since 1987, but didn't seriously get into photography until I got my first digital camera in 1998. The instant feedback and ability to control all aspects of image editing were very appealing.

"Remain open, something beautiful is happening" - That's the motto of photographer Annette Pierce. In just four short years, this Canadian mother of 3 has gone from photo novice to being named the 2005 Photographer of the Year in her home country.

Though Viveca Venegas has had a camera in hand since the age of 13, she didn't become seriously interested in digital photography until 2003 when her son left to serve in the Iraq war. "My faith in God and my camera saved me from constant pain. I started to look at nature with hopes and dreams that I would show my son Ivanjo my photos when he came back," she says.