Sophie Gerrard is an award winning documentary photographer from Scotland specialising in environmental and contemporary social issues.
Born in Edinburgh in 1978, I graduated from The Manchester University in 1999 with a BSc Honours degree in Environmental Sciences. After working as an environmental consultant, I returned to Edinburgh and studied BA photography at Edinburgh College of Art. My passion for documenting environmental and social issues lead to a MA in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography from London College of Communication in 2006.
My photographic work has been exhibited widely in the UK and internationally including London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Paris, Arles, Mumbai and Delhi. My work is held in a number of collections including The National Galleries of Scotland, the Couttes Bank private collection and the Sir Elton John private Collection. I have been awarded with a Jerwood Photography Award a The Magenta Foundation Award, have been nominated for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass and the Prix Pictet Award 4 years in a row.
In October 2012 I co-founded Document Scotland, www.documentscotland.com, a collective of internationally acclaimed photographers dedicated to chronicling the social, cultural and economic life in Scotland. I am a visiting lecturer at Napier University in Edinburgh, I was recently commissioned by The Photographers’ Gallery in to contribute to The World in London Olympics 2012 project www.theworldinlondon.org.uk and my new work was featured by Photomonitor as portfolio artist of the month. My work has been published in several books including “New Light” by The Jerwood Foundation, and “Compassion, Commitment, Community” published by The Savitri Waney Charitable Trust.
Clients and publications include Guardian Weekend Magazine, Telegraph Saturday Magazine, Financial Times Weekend Magazine, The Independent on Sunday, The Observer Magazine, Scotland on Sunday, The BBC, Philosophie Magazine (France), Down to Earth Magazine (India), Portfolio Magazine, Foto8, Geographical Magazine, British Journal of Photography, Canteen Magazine, Uncertain States, Harpers Magazine, Yvi Magazine, Greenpeace International, Christian Aid, The Savitri Waney Charitable Trust, Royal Society of Medicine, EdelGive Trust, Uncertain States and The Big Issue.
I am currently based in London and Edinburgh and am represented by The Photographers' Gallery in London.