Dr. YANNIS KONTOS
Photography Lecturer - Professional Photographer Jeddah, Saudi Arabia +966 (0) 556597029 | +30 6932 639299 (WhatsApp) [email protected] www.yanniskontos.com – www.anaxphotos.com
EDUCATIONAL DEGREES
2011 PhD in Photography University of Wales, UK
2006 Master of Arts in Photographic Journalism University of Westminster, UK
2001 BA in Photography Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Greece
1994 BA in Physical Education and Sport Science Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
PROFESSIONAL DEGREES
2001 World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass Rotterdam, Netherlands Entrance after international competition
EMPLOYMENT
Teaching Experience
Current University of Business & Technology Jeddah College of Advertisement, (JCA) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Lecturer of Photography
2013 – 2017 Deree College - The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece Lecturer on the Honors Program
• Designed and delivered an undergraduate Honors programme course, “Documentary Photography“
1 • Established course syllabi • Teaching combined the classroom setting with weekly fieldwork sessions
2009 – 2010 Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Greece Dept. of Photography - School of Graphic Arts and Art Studies • Designed and delivered an undergraduate course, “Photographic Essay”
2007 – 2009 Leica Academy of Photography, Athens, Greece Course Coordinator & Tutor of Photography
As coordinator I was responsible for
• Revising the academic programme for the 2 year Professional Diploma in Photojournalism. • Instituting a series of Masterclasses • Hiring tutors • Monitoring tutors’ performance • Establishing course syllabi • Running professional development days • Editing & curating the “Graduate Exhibition Week”
Professional Photography - Agencies
2002 – Present POLARIS IMAGES PHOTO AGENCY, USA • High level professional experience at the global editorial market • Extensive documentation of wars and conflicts in long term assignments globally • Assignments for major publications (i.e. Time, Newsweek, Stern, The Sunday Times Magazine etc.) • Hundreds of publications in the world's most well-known newspapers and magazines • International awards and distinctions • Long term research project and personal documentary book about North Korea • Grant experience from institutions and NGOs • International individual and group exhibitions • Multinational and Multicultural experience
2000 – 2002 GAMMA PRESS AGENCY, FRANCE
1997 – 2000 SYGMA PHOTO AGENCY, FRANCE
Professional Experience - Private Business
2017 – Present ANAX PHOTOS – OWNER & DIRECTOR • Providing Premium Quality Commercial Photography Services • Multinational and Multicultural Corporate Experience for over 26 years
2 • Specialized in Advertising, Creative, Corporate, Yachting, Event, Real Estate, Architecture, Hospitality and Tourism industries • 26 years of Marketing Experience • Collaboration with Health and Wellness Institutions • Publishing and Graphic Design Experience
2012 – 2017 VID VISUAL IDENTITY – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR • Athens-based full-service Creative Production Company • Specialized in crafting Visual Phenomena and Digital Content • Premium Quality Corporate Videography and Photography Services
AWARDS & DISTINCTIONS - SELECTION
2006 World Press Photo - Contemporary Issues Singles 1st Prize 2007 Marco Luchetta Press Award, Miran Hrovatin Award 1st Prize 2006 Pictures of the year - Magazine Feature Picture 1st Prize 2006 Médicos del Mundo, 10th Luis Valtueña Award 1st Prize
2006 N.P.P.A. The Best of Photojournalism - International News Picture Story Honorable Mention 2006 DAYS JAPAN International Photojournalism Awards Readers’ Prize 2006 Botsis Journalism Awards Honorable mention 2006 Spider Awards Black & White - Photojournalism Merit of Excellence 2005 Fujifilm European Press Photographer of the Year - Europe 1st Prize 2004 Fujifilm European Press Photographer of the Year - Features 1st Prize 2003 Pictures of the year - Feature Picture 3rd Prize 2003 Grazia Neri, Yann Geffroy Award 1st Prize 2002 UNICEF Photo of the Year Award Honorable mention 2001 Pictures of the year – Portrait 3rd Prize 2001 UNICEF Photo of the Year Award Honorable mention 2001 Pictures of the year - Issue Reporting Picture story Award of Excellence 2001 N.P.P.A. The Best of Photojournalism - Feature Picture Story 1st Prize 2000 Life magazine’s Alfred Eisenstaedt Awards - News Category 1st Honor 1999 Pictures of the year - News Picture Story Award of Excellence 1999 Pictures of the year, Global News Award of Excellence
3 PUBLICATIONS 2011 Beyond Photojournalism: Constraints and Contradictions in Hostile Environments. (PhD Research) University of Wales 2007 Red Utopia - Photographs from North Korea Kastaniotis Publishing 2007 Possible / Impossible: Aporias Kastaniotis Publishing 2007 A Better City Cartiere del Garda 2007 Kanun: A Child’s Play Ashley & Holmes 2004 World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass - The First Decade World Press Photo 2002 Greek Photojournalists, Arming the memory Kochlias Publishing 2002 War News and War against News Livanis Publishing
INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS – SELECTION
The Ice Project A35, Athens, 2016
North Korea: Red Utopia RE-culture 4, Patras, 2016
Aporias & North Korea: Red Utopia Photometria Photo Festival, Municipal Art Gallery, Ioannina, 2011
North Korea: Red Utopia Couvent des Minimes, Visa Pour l’image, Perpignan, 2007
North Korea: Red Utopia Frissiras Museum, Athens, 2007
Possible / Impossible: Aporias Frissiras Museum, Athens, 2007
US/Mexico Border Crossing Canon Exhibition Hall, Visa Pour l’image, Perpignan, 2006
Yannis Kontos: Photojournalist Kythera Photographic Encounters, Kythera, 2005 Photosynkyria, Thessaloniki, 2005 12th International Month of Photography, Athens, 2005 Foundation for Thracian Art and Tradition, Xanthi, 2005
Kabul Photographers Photosynkyria, Thessaloniki, 2004
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GROUP EXHIBITIONS – SELECTION
Visions from Europe Museo della Fotografia Pino Settanni, Matera, 2019
Break the Chain, Stop Human Trafficking Technopolis, Athens, 2016
Another life: Human flows / Unknown Odysseys Museum of Photography, Thessaloniki, 2016
Sea Change, A photo documentary about young Europeans House of Literature, Oslo, 2015 Literarisches Colloquium, Berlin, 2015 Kapittel festival, Stavanger, 2015 Literatuhaus, Vienna, 2015
Culture under Attack Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO, The Hague, 2014
Ioannina 1913-2013, A Historical Walk Rizarios Foundation, Municipal Art Gallery, Ioannina, 2013
25 Years After Benaki Museum, Athens, 2011
Changing Social Landscape: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 1950-2008 Daegu Culture and Arts Center, Daegu Photo Biennale, South Korea, 2008
Child Soldier War Photo Limited, Dubrovnik, 2008
World Press Photo Exhibition World Press Photo, international itinerant exhibition in 100 cities, 2006
Fresh Ground #2 Thanassis Frissiras Gallery, Athens, 2006
The Human Condition: After Effects Nathan Cummings Foundation, New York, 2003
5 My Brother’s Image Museum of Photography, Photosynkyria, Thessaloniki, 2002
Identity 8th Joop Swart Masterclass exhibition, Nederlands Foto Institute, Rotterdam, 2001
Kurdistan: In the Shadow of History Bellevue Art Museum, Washington, 2000 PhotoESPANA, Madrid, 2000
The Chronicle of Destruction Photosynkyria, Thessaloniki, 2000.
PROJECTS
Matera European Photography / Visions from Europe - A European project about the city of Matera - European capital of culture 2019 - by Students and Teachers from 28 Countries, Matera, Italy
Sea Change - A European project about documenting the lives of young Europeans, sponsored by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oslo, Norway
Solidarity Now - An International Collaborative Funding Initiative, established by the Open Society Foundations (OSF), New York, USA
OneGreece.org - An International Fundraising and Awareness Campaign, powered by The Hellenic Initiative (THI), New York, USA
ART COLLECTIONS
Frissiras Museum, Athens
Museum of Photography, Thessaloniki
War Photo Ltd Museum, Dubrovnik
LECTURES
2014 The Documentary Project: The Photographer as Storyteller The International Center of Photography, New York
2011 Kostas Balafas: Last Goodbye Discussion Panel, Benaki Museum, Athens
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2010 Photojournalism today Discussion Panel with Director of Visa pour l'Image: Jean-Francois Leroy & Yannis Behrakis: Reuters, French Institute, Athens
2008 Yannis Kontos, presenting his work Keimyung University, Daegu, South Korea
2008 Photoreportage & Magazines today Apeiron Photos Workshop, Benaki Museum, Athens
2007 In the picture with Yannis Kontos - Red Utopia: Photographs from North Korea Frontline Club, London
2006 Provocative Images in War Forum of European Journalism Students (FEJS), Athens
2005 Photojournalism, The story behind the picture Parent’s school Open University of Katerini
2005 Yannis Kontos presenting his work School of Art Sciences, University of Ioannina
2004 Yannis Kontos, about work and life Kythera Photographic Encounters
2001 Photojournalism, In the era of the Digital Image Athens' Technological Educational Institute
ADDITIONAL STUDIES
2010 Multimedia Workshop, Foreign Press Association, Athens.
2003 Biochemical Warfare Workshop, Armed Forces’ School of Special Warfare, Athens
2001 Hostile Environments & HSE-Approved Emergency First Aid Training Course, Centurion Risk Assessment Services, England
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Hellenic Republic Ministry of Information & Mass Media Foreign Correspondent / Polaris Images
The Foreign Press Association of Greece Correspondent / Polaris Images
7 Union of Press Photographers of Greece Active Member since 1997
COMPUTER SKILLS
Operating Systems Advanced Knowledge: Apple Computers, iOS & Mac OS X Microsoft Windows: Efficiency
Image, Graphic Design & Video Software Advanced Knowledge: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Bridge, Adobe Lightroom, Apple Aperture, Apple iMovie, Portrait Pro Studio, Portrait Pro Body Studio
General Software: Advanced Knowledge: MS Office, Wordpress, Web Design, Networking, Intranet, Web 2 Technologies, Cloud Services
Multimedia & Social Media: Advanced Knowledge
FOREIGN LANGUAGES English – Excellent (C2)
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