Thaddeus Pope

Thaddeus Pope is a photographer, videographer and website/print designer with a passion for human-centred visual storytelling. Originally from the UK, Thaddeus is now based in Japan where his current photographic practice focuses primarily on Japanese culture, with a particular interest in the role of ritual and tradition in contemporary Japanese life.

As the Director of Visual Communications at IAFOR, Thaddeus has worked as the principal photographer and website/print designer for more than 70 international events in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East, including events organised with the Government of Japan, The Wall Street Journal, J. Walter Thompson, Merrill Lynch, The American Chamber of Commerce Japan (ACCJ), University College London (UCL), Virginia Tech, Association for Asian Studies (AAS), Osaka University, University of Hawaii and the University of Barcelona. His photography has appeared in Newsweek (Japan), Eye Magazine, APF Magazine and The Japan Times, among others. He has also worked as the Director of Photography on fundraising video projects for several NGOs, including the HOPE International Development Agency, and the Pamulaan Center for Indigenous Peoples Education in the Philippines.

In January 2015, Thaddeus became the Founding Creative Director of the IAFOR Documentary Photography Award – an international photography competition that promotes and assists the professional development of emerging documentary photographers and photojournalists. To date, award recipients have received prizes with a total combined value of more than $20,000, along with mentoring and scholarship opportunities. The award has benefitted since the outset from the expertise of an outstanding panel of internationally renowned photographers, including Dr Paul Lowe as the Founding Judge, and Ed Kashi, Simon Roberts, Simon Norfolk, Emma Bowkett, Monica Allende, Jocelyn Bain Hogg, Maria Teresa Salvati, Ziyah Gafic, Poulomi Basu and Jenny Matthews as Guest Judges. Now in its fifth year, the award is widely recognised by those in the industry and has been supported by World Press Photo, British Journal of Photography, Metro Imaging, Think Tank Photo, University of the Arts London, RMIT University and MediaStorm. 

Thaddeus is an alumnus of the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, graduating in 2007 with a BA (Hons) in Photography. He is licensed to drive in both the UK and Japan, and is a certified PADI Advanced Open Water Diver.

https://thadpope.com/