Born and raised in Winter Park, Florida, Thompson always loved to photograph her surroundings as a child and took every opportunity to learn more about her chosen passion while growing up. Also interested in business, Merrell majored in economics at Vanderbilt University but knew she also wanted to utilize her creativity. She shares a distinct memory from the first day of college, “we were asked to write down exactly what we wanted in life and I wrote that I’d like to be a photographer entrepreneur.” As with many of us, life soon gathered its own momentum and Thompson married, had three children and worked at NBC, with photography taking a bit of a back seat. “I did begin doing child portraits when I had my own kids, but honestly, it wasn’t really my thing!” Thompson confesses. Having an inherent love of both adventure and nature, Thompson spent every family trip taking pictures and continuing to hone her photographic style and skills. Although she settled in Atlanta in 2001, Thompson had spent her childhood summers in the stunning mountains of Cashiers, NC, and continues this tradition with her own family. A major leap in her photography journey came with the arrival of drones. “I was so inspired by this new perspective that I’d never seen before,” says Thompson with her signature enthusiasm.

“I’m trying to share the emotion of a particular moment in my work. I want people to feel what I felt when I took the shot - when I looked into the eyes of that ram, or was able to swim along side the whale,” shares Thompson, whose striking images have many stories to tell. Most of Thompson’s photos come from her travels and reflect her interests. Unusual angles and startling perspectives are her specialty. Nature and animals are among the repeating themes alongside powerful cityscapes, underwater sea life and starry night skies. The black and white and color photos are a stark reminder of the miraculous and beautiful diversity of our planet and all of its many life forms. Thompson’s work can be found at her galleries in Atlanta at “The Works” on the Westside of Atlanta, and in Cashiers on HWY 107 near the crossroads.