Martin Parr's celebrated photographs bridge the divide between art and documentary photography. His studies of the idiosyncrasies of mass culture and consumerism around the world, his innovative imagery, and his prolific output have placed him firmly at the forefront of contemporary art. Parr is a member of the international photo agency Magnum Photos, and has recently extended his interest to film-making. He is an avid collector and maker of photobooks. His own photobooks include The Last Resort (1986), Common Sense (1999) and Boring Postcards (Phaidon Press, 1999). The extensive and only monograph on his work, Martin Parr by Val Williams, is published by Phaidon Press.

Gerry Badger is a critic, curator and photographer. His published books include Collecting Photography (2002) and John Gossage: Berlin in the Time of the Wall (2005) as well as books on Eugène Atget and Chris Killip (both published by Phaidon Press, 2001). He has curated a number of exhibitions, including 'The Photographer as Printmaker' for the Arts Council of Great Britain (1981) and 'Through the Looking Glass: Post-war British Photography' (1989) for the Barbican Arts Centre, London.