Zoe Strauss was given a camera on her 30th birthday. Her insightful and telling photographs prove that practice is one thing, but natural talent is quite another. Lady has a gift. Philadelphia-based Strauss began by taking photographs in her home town's marginalised areas. But her images are far from an outsider's perspective – this certainly isn't 'poverty porn' – she is deeply connected with her surroundings and the people of Philly (Strauss was the first member of her family to graduate from high school) and she depicts them in the most sensitive, human and subtle ways. Strauss has said "When I started shooting, it was as if somewhere hidden in my head I had been waiting for this" and her images do nothing but illustrate the story. More at zoestrauss.blogspot.com.