Hazel Thompson Freelance Photojournalist

Hazel Thompson (D.O.B 1978) is a British multi award winning photojournalist based in London. After beginning her photographic career in 1997 with a local newspaper in South London, Hazel now works freelance on assignments worldwide for leading international publications such as the New York Times, the Observer Magazine, Le Monde 2, Politiken, and many others. She is Director and Chief Photographer for True Image Media Ltd., in London, and a founding member of Scarlet, a creative change media agency based in Los Angeles. Hazel is also a speaker and workshop facilitator for international conferences and festivals and has been chosen as a participant of the Photojournalism Think Tank at the University of Oxford’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.

Hazel's passion is to photograph social and humanitarian subjects; with injustice towards women and children, as well as identity within religion, being amongst her central themes.

Working closely with NGOs she often tackles sensitive and sometimes controversial subjects. In 2005 Hazel was a key part in the Global campaign & report on 'Kids Behind Bars' (as seen on ITN & CNN) where, posing undercover as an aid worker, she was able to capture exclusive images of children illegally imprisoned inside Filipino jails. Most recently her essay on the UK's teenage runaways- 'Home & Away' evolved from a piece for the Observer Magazine into a three part news series for Channel FIVE news, where Hazel reported and presented the story on camera in addition to her still images being used to illustrate the issue.

Hazel was also selected by The British Council to represent the best of British Photojournalism as an arts ambassador to Uzbekistan. This relationship evolved into a more recent commission for Hazel to document the role of women in Qatar and Bahrain as part of a international project called "My Father’s House", an exhibition that will tour the region for the next three years.

Hazel is available for assignments worldwide.

Publications/ Clients Include:

• Time
• Days Japan
• The New York Times
• The Sunday Times Magazine
• International Herald Tribune
• FIVE news
• Le Monde 2
• The Observer Magazine
• HQ Australia
• Elle
• Jubilee Campaign
• Global Angels
• The Children's Society
• The Sunday Telegraph

Publications:

• 2007 - Named a Hero of photography by American Photo
• 2007 - 3rd Days Japan International Photojournalism Awards - Readers Prize - Kids Behind Bars
• 2006 - CARE International Award for Humanitarian Reportage - Visa pour l'image / Perpignan
• 2006 - Le Prix Special du 60th Anniversaire de CARE - 'Kids Behind Bars'
• 2006 - Photo District News (PDN) Annual 2006- Winner - 'Kids Behind Bars'
• 2006 - Picture Editors Award - Special Award - 'Kids Behind Bars'
• 2005 - The Observer Hodge Award Winner - 1st - 'Kids Behind Bars'
• 2004 - The Observer Hodge Award Prize Winner - 3rd - For 'Hidden Legacy'
• 2003 - The Sunday Times Ian Parry Award - Highly Commended - 'Innocents Delivered'
• 2002 - The Sunday Times Ian Parry Award - Highly Commended - 'Modern Crusaders'
• 2001 - The Observer Hodge Award - Highly Commended - 'Bikers for God'

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