Eclectic Arts Network - hazelthompson

Hazel Thompson 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.

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

Awards

2009 - PX3 Policital Photojournalism Award Winner - 2nd - Jihad Blogger
2009 - PX3 Other Photojournalism Award Winner - 3rd - Measure of a Woman
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