Edward Thompson Bio

Edward Thompson (B. 1980, Wales) is a British documentary photographer. His photographic work has focused on various subjects over the years covering environmental issues, socio-political movements, subcultures, everyday life.

He had a life changing experience with an early apprenticeship with the Russian photographer Sergey Chilikov, whom he met at the Arles Photography Festival in 2001. That summer Ed stayed with Sergey in Paris and learnt the value of shooting everyday life, eating fried fat and drinking red wine. Sergeys friend Gueorgui Pinkhassov told him how photographing the everyday can allow you to touch at something great. And it did.

Since then his documentary photo-essays have been published in international magazines including National Geographic Magazine, Newsweek Japan, Greenpeace Magazine, The Guardian Weekend Magazine, BBC, CNN and The Sunday Times Magazine. His work has been exhibited at The Saatchi Gallery, Christies, Somerset House and Four Corners Gallery (London) and shown as part of photography festivals in Arles (France), Tampere (Finland), Zingst (Germany) & London (U.K)

In 2023 he self-published the photography book When In The Lone Star State. In 2022 he self-published the photography book In-A-Gadda-Da-England. In 2016 he published The Unseen: An Atlas of Infrared Plates with Schilt Publishing. In 2012 he self-published Occupy London. You can see these photo books in the collections and archives of the National Art Library in the V&A Museum, The Bishopsgate Institute, The Museum of London, The British Library and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.