AMA - Cole Thompson

If you’re not an NPN member yet, you can join our free tier to ask questions in the AMA or to get the full benefits of what we offer; you can join here.

We are thrilled to have @Cole_Thompson join us in August; prepare your questions for Cole! The AMA will start on August 27th from 10:00 am Eastern time (02:00 pm UTC/GMT) for 24 hours only.

You can learn more about Cole and his work at: https://colethompsonphotography.com/

To ensure you don’t miss out on this engaging event, add it to your calendar. Simply find the button with three dots located next to the event title and select the ‘add to calendar’ option. An email notification will be sent your way as soon as the event commences. Remember, you are welcome to post your question anytime during the 24-hour window.

Cole´s Bio

At 14 years of age, he knew he was destined to be a fine art photographer. While hiking in Rochester, NY, he stumbled across the ruin of an old home that George Eastman had once owned. This piqued his interest, and he read Eastman’s biography. He was fascinated with photography, and before he had completed the book, before he had even taken a photograph or seen a print develop in the darkroom, he knew that he was going to be a photographer. For the next 10 years, photography was his complete existence. If he wasn’t taking pictures or working in the darkroom, he read every book and looked at every image he could find. There was nothing in his life but photography.

Even at this early age, he found himself drawn to a particular style of image, one that would cause a physical reaction in him. They were dark images that Adams, Weston, Bullock, and others created. He knew that he was destined to create such images. He is often asked, “Why black and white?” He thinks it’s because he grew up in a black-and-white world. Television, movies, and the news were all in black and white. His heroes were in black and white, and even the nation was segregated into black and white. His images are an extension of the world in which he grew up.

For him, color records the image, but black and white captures the feelings that lie beneath the surface.

His art has appeared in many exhibitions and publications and has received numerous awards. And yet his resume does not list those accomplishments. Why?

In the past, he considered those accolades as the evidence of his success, but he now thinks differently. His success is no longer measured by the length of his resume, but rather by how he feels about the art that he creates. While he does enjoy exhibiting, seeing his work published, and meeting people who appreciate his art, this is an extra benefit of creating, but not success itself.

Cole believes that the best success is achieved internally, not externally.

Some have asked about his qualifications given his non-traditional resume, and he answers: “My images are my qualifications, nothing else matters.”