Derek Ridgers is a British photographer and artist who has been documenting the British music and fashion scenes since the late 1970s. He is best known for his iconic black and white portraits of punk, new wave, goth, and skinhead subcultures.
Ridgers was born in London in 1952. He studied photography at the London College of Printing from 1972 to 1975, where he developed an interest in portraiture. After graduating, he began working as a freelance photographer for various magazines including The Face, i-D, NME, and Time Out.
Throughout his career, Ridgers has captured some of the most iconic images of British youth culture. His work has been featured in numerous books and exhibitions around the world. In addition to his photography work, Ridgers has also written several books about his experiences photographing youth culture in Britain.
Ridgers continues to document British youth culture today with his ongoing series “The Last of England” which focuses on the changing face of British youth culture over time. He currently lives and works in London.