Ed Gold

Ed Gold (born London, June 1969) is a British documentary photographer who lives off the grid, and explores and documents communities of people who live in remote areas.

He was born in London in June 1969, and went to boarding schools.[1][2] He grew up in Essex and Istanbul before later moving to Wales.[3] He never formally studied photography.[4] He holds a B/TEC National Diploma in Graphic Design from the Colchester Institute, a BA Hons in Design from the Colchester Institute, and an MA in Interactive Multimedia from Central Saint Martins.[5] While he was in graduate school he was homeless, and after he graduated he worked at odd jobs and as a laborer, and during that time he started teaching himself photography.[6] He was working as security guard in 2002 when he quit in order to become a full time photographer.[6] He has since chosen to forego a home base to live among the communities he documents.[2][4]

He freelances for organizations such as the BBC, with which he frequently works on photography projects.[7] In March 2017 he became a brand ambassador for Snugpak.[8]

When Gold documents a particular group of people, he embeds himself within their community for long durations, sometimes for up to two and a half years.[2][4]

Some of the off-grid societies in which he has lived and worked include Welsh Patagonia,[4][9] [10][11] the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (2 Para), both at their base in Colchester and on the ground in Afghanistan,[12][13][14] residents of Galena, Alaska, who live near the Arctic Circle,[15] and the Atchley family, who live in a remote area of Alaska with no contact with the outside world apart from when they visit town once a year.[16][17]

Gold has also spent time living amongst the Iñupiat people in Wales, Alaska,[18][19][20] has documented Harley-Davidson enthusiasts at the House of Harley in Anchorage[21] and the US Army at the Northern Warfare Training Center in Alaska[22]

His books include:

• "Patagonia: Byd Arall / Otro Mundo / Another World". Publisher: Gomer Press, Llandysul, UK 2012. ISBN 978 1848514379
• "Wales: Portrait of an Alaska Village". Publisher: VP & D House, Anchorage, USA 2014. ISBN 978 0990742807
• "Welsh Patagonia". Publisher: Fox Ash Press, Lawford, UK 2016. ISBN 0 954845935