Debra Friedman travelled the island taking random shots of Bermuda teens last year.

An exhibit at Masterworks was all she had on her mind but months later, the photographs have found their way into a book.

Wilderness and Wonderland, Photographing Teenage Bermuda features roughly 50 portraits taken as young people go about their day-to-day lives.

The author thinks interest will extend beyond the island.

“I found the faces of Bermuda teens exquisite,” she said. “I found these remarkable looking kids with gorgeous eyes. Those faces and the gorgeous unusually open light of Bermuda made for a wonderful visual marriage.

“Anyone interested in photography and the genre of portraiture will, I hope, find it accessible. I have Tom Butterfield writing about Masterworks but I also have Paul Roth, a writer and gallery director of some renown in the world of fine art photography, writing about the work.”

The book will be launched at Toronto’s Contact Photography Festival in May. Ms Friedman is working with Masterworks to arrange a launch here, around the same time.

The Canadian photographer returned to the island this month to get permission to publish the pictures. The teens she managed to track down were excited to be part of the project.

“At that age kids are relatively self-centred and love to get their image out there,” she said. “They are pretty comfortable with seeing themselves.

“Luckily, in Bermuda everyone knows everyone so [finding them] wasn’t as hard as I thought. There are still a few outstanding though, such as one of a boy I photographed twice, once at Dellwood Middle School and the second time buying sandwiches from a neighbourhood shop.”

Ms Friedman has done similar projects in Toronto and Chicago although this is her first book.

“Right now, I am doing some work at the other end of the spectrum photographing seniors and caregivers,” she said.