Thomas Prior

Thomas Prior’s feel for the decisive moment, for the vantage point that reveals a sliver of a place’s soul, is grounded in years of on-the-job experience. His work is instinctively documentary in style, but led by the possibilities for storytelling and visual impact framed within a single shot. Thomas is constantly driven to look and look again, retaining the visual acuity of the first-time visitor.

Personal projects follow his interest in dangerous recreation and his eye for the offbeat. Seeking out the absurd or incongruous detail, Thomas reveals the unexpected beauty and humor in everyday life. He has photographed the community that thrives in Willets Point, New York; a pyrotechnics festival in Mexico; marginal communities in Rwanda. What unites his work and enables an easy relationship with his subjects is an inquisitive interest in and passionate enthusiasm for what’s going on around him.