John Bolloten is a documentary photographer based in Bradford, UK. His work primarily focuses on documenting people and subcultures that exist on the margins of society.

Although, he has worked and continues to work on a number of different projects, it is his five years of work with heroin and crack users that he is best known for.

His book “Nothing To See Here” (2017) opened a window into Bradford’s gritty underbelly of drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness and vice.

A second book, “Love Story” (2019) was a very intimate reportage into the lives of Gary and Maree, a drug-using couple.

A book, “This is Not a Life, It’s Just an Existence”, which covers all his work with drug users and will feature eighteen life stories is due to be published in 2024.John's book "Tbilisi Raw" from 2023, went deep inside the Georgian underground with a rare and intimate insight into the secretive world of football hooligans and skinheads.

Other books by John include “Bradford Street” (2014), “Belgrade” (2015), “Shabash” (2016), “Field of Broken Dreams” (2018), “Gladiators” (2020), “Margins” (2021), "North Guerillas" (2022), "Words are Weapons" (2023) and "Margins 2" (2024).

John is currently working on a number of long-term projects including bare knuckle fighting, illicit drugs, and Sunday league football.

This talk is hosted by Leeds Photographic Society, the world's oldest organised photographic society founded in 1852. The society is a friendly group of enthusiasts, from beginners to professional photographers and welcomes new members of all skill levels. See our website for more information.