Thomas Patterson is a photojournalist, producer, writer, visual editor, archivist, and creative consultant who focuses on people and communities in transition. Based in Portland, Oregon, he specializes in multimedia projects for editorial, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world—and in helping visual storytellers collaborate more effectively with the organizations that hire them.

By day, Thomas serves as the global archives lead and photo editor at Partners In Health, a social justice NGO that provides healthcare and conducts research in some of the world's most vulnerable communities. He is also studying Media and Medicine at Harvard Medical School’s Institute of Global Health and Social Medicine, works as an instructor and story coach with Momenta Workshops, and consults with individual photography and editing clients across the globe. Closer to home, he founded OregonFocus.org, an online hub for the state’s photo community, and is a member of the Portland Art Museum’s Photography Council.

Earlier in his career, Thomas spent more than a decade on the photo staff of the Statesman Journal, earned a master’s degree in Multimedia Journalism, and completed a Graduate Teaching Fellowship at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication. He later served as photo editor and content specialist at the humanitarian organization Mercy Corps, and as a creative producer/director at Blue Chalk Media. He has served on the board of directors for Blue Earth Alliance, contributed regularly to Photo District News (PDN), and wrote a recurring column on photo editing for NGO Storytelling.

His photography, writing, and video work have received numerous national and regional honors from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists, Gannett Company, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. He contributed photography and video to the USA TODAY project Ghost Factories: Poison in the Ground, which received the Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award for Investigative Multimedia, the Gerald Loeb Award for Online Journalism, the National Press Club Award for Online Journalism, the Barlett & Steele Award for Investigative Journalism, and the Associated Press Media Editors Digital Storytelling and Reporting Award.

See Thomas’ work at https://www.yourpaltom.com.