cocaine production in peru by sebastian liste for de volkskrant

In April 2015 Sebastian Liste travelled to Peru for this online feature in de Volkskrant to document coca production in the VRAEM region (Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro River Valley), in the upper mountainous part of the Amazon, where Andean people have traditionally chewed coca leaves for its stimulant effect. The government of Peru purchases 8% of coca production to distribute legally on a controlled national market. As the largest producer of cocaine globally, the rest of the product is distributed outside Peru on the black market. See more of Sebastian's work on the coca production in Peru here.

sebastián liste's work from mexico for man of the world

Sebastián Liste photographs from Mexico were recently published in the issue n.13 of Man of The World magazine.

noor at fotografia europea 2015

NOOR Group Photo, May 2015. From left: Asim Rafiqui, Pep Bonet, Kadir van Lohuizen, Benedicte Kurzen, Sebastian Liste, Jon Lowenstein, Francesco Zizola, Andrea Bruce, Nina Berman, Stanley Greene, Alixandra Fazzina.

As HOST program guests of the Italian festival Fotografia Europea 2015, NOOR photographers visited the beautiful town of Reggio Emilia to lead workshops, present a screening and discussion evening, and open their group exhibition, "A NOOR journal on the changing planet, 2009-2015."

The exhibition, curated by Laura Serani, brings together years of work on climate change and environmental issues around the globe and is on view at the Chiostri di San Pietro until 26 July.

In the days leading up to the festival's official opening, NOOR photographers Stanley Greene, Jon Lowenstein, Sebastian Liste, Andrea Bruce, and Asim Rafiqui guided practical and theoretical workshops in documentary photography. To see a video of the work participants shot during the workshop see here.

Stanley, Jon, Sebastian and Andrea's workshop participants worked on a shooting assignment covering local food and wine production in the region. One group visited a Parmigiano-Reggiano maturation room in Reggio Emilia.

The festival HOST program (a project by aBcM) came to a close with NOOR Night, featuring an evening of screenings and discussions with NOOR photographers and moderated by Lars Boering, Director of the World Press Photo. The topic of the evening was "Change: How to Achieve It." 

Following the festival, NOOR members stayed in Reggio Emilia where they held their 8th Annual General Meeting. At the Annual General Meeting, NOOR photographers and staff evaluate agency and foundation activities, and plan how to continue NOOR’s mission in coming years.

All photos by Francesca Pradella 

noor exhibition and noor night at fotografia europea

Photo © Yuri Kozyrev

An exhibition of NOOR photographers' work will be presented at Fotografia Europea in a group show titled, "A NOOR JOURNAL ON THE CHANGING PLANET, 2009 – 2015."

The exhibition curated by Laura Serani features work from Consequences, NOOR's group project on climate change from 2009, as well as a body of new work, Solutions, documenting positive measures that have been taken to curb global warming.

This wide-ranging group project underscores the urgent action required to combat these dramatic situations emerging around the issue of climate change. Presented for the first time in Copenhagen in December 2009 during the United Nations Climate Summit, Consequences has continued to develop into various chapters with the production of the new series, Solutions, which sets out to identify technologies and initiatives aimed at limiting the effects of global warming.

Photo © Pep Bonet

The exhibit on show at this year’s Fotografia Europea Festival is a synthesis of the two phases of the NOOR project, Consequences and Solutions, offering a comprehensive vision of climate change issues faced globally, and of the positive reactions that have been implemented.

Learn more about the exhibition here.

Also happening at Fotografia Europea: NOOR Night!

Saturday, May 16th, 2015, 21:30 | Cloisters of San Pietro, Reggio Emilia, Italy

Lars Boering, the new Director of World Press Photo, will moderate an evening of NOOR screenings and discussions on the topic, "Change: How to Achieve It."

The exhibition and the NOOR Night are part of the HOST program, curated by aBcM.

For more info, visit the festival website, here.

noor lunch talks with nina berman, francesco zizola, pep bonet, alixandra fazzina & benedicte kurzen at fotografia europea, italy

© Francesco Zizola | NOOR

On Saturday 16 May 2015, as part of the Fotografia Europea festival, NOOR will host 'NOOR Lunch Talks.' Enjoy stimulating, intimate discussion and a delicious meal together. The following photographers will be the topics listed below:

Nina Berman on 'Photography and Social Media'

Francesco Zizola on 'Ethics and Photojournalism'

Pep Bonet on 'Moving into Moving Images', about the power of mixed media

Alixandra Fazzina and Benedicte Kurzen on 'Women; Two Sides of the Camera'. Alixandra and Benedicte will discuss the role of women both behind the camera and as subjects in conflict.

Each applicant will be able to choose the photographer they would like to have the lunch with, and all efforts will be made to accommodate their choice. The lunches will take place at Ristorante Enoteca Il Pozzo.

When: Saturday 16 May 2015

12:30 - 14:30 lunch + talk

14:30 - 15:30 possibility for a short portfolio review

Cost: €85 (including food & festival pass, exclusive of €15 administration costs).

The lunches with Nina Berman, Francesco Zizola and Pep Bonet will each admit 6 to 8 people.

The lunch with Alixandra Fazzina and Benedicte Kurzen will admit 12 to 14 people.

Deadline for registration: Tuesday 28 April 2015 EXTENDED! NEW DEADLINE: 5 May 2015 (before midnight C.E.T.)

HOW TO SIGN UP?

1. Please download, fill out, and sign the registration form.

This can be sent via email to: info@abcmprogetti.net

2. Please make an advance payment of 100 EUR via PayPal

or bank transfer to:

Bank Account holder Stichting Noor Foundation

IBAN code: NL37 INGB 0004288015

BIC/SWIFT: INGBNL2A

Please clearly indicate with the payment your name and what it concerns, so we can track the payment. Please send a receipt of the payment together with the registration form.

Deadline for registration: Tuesday 28 April 2015 EXTENDED! NEW DEADLINE: 5 May 2015 (before midnight C.E.T.)

Participants for the lunches will be provided with necessary information in the form of welcome packs prior to the event and with a free pass for the festival.

FEES AND POLICY

Tuition for the lunches does not include flights, accommodations or meals. All on-the-ground expenses are the responsibility of the student.

Once you submit your application, you will be notified within 2 business days after the submissions deadline.

All fees must be paid within three days from acceptance. Students will then be emailed a full welcome package with suggestions for accommodations as well as a guide to Reggio Emilia.

Please note

- NOOR reserves the right to change or alter the program advertised.

- If a participant decides to cancel for whatever reason, it must be confirmed in writing:

. NOOR will reimburse all the registration costs except for €15 administration fee, if the participant informs NOOR of cancellation the day they receive the notification of confirmation for the lunch. Beyond this time limit, NOOR will charge the following:

. 50% of the cost if cancelled between 6 and 12 days before the lunch commences.

. 100% of the cost if cancelled less than 5 days before the lunch commences.

. All lunches that are commenced but not completed through the fault of either the contractor/or participant need to be paid in full.

- NOOR is not responsible for reimbursement of travel expenses in case a lunch is cancelled. We recommend that you buy refundable air tickets and/or travel insurance.

- A €100 application fee is required for each application. If accepted, this balance will be applied to the final tuition. If the student is not accepted, a refund of the application fee will be granted (minus €15 administration costs).

For any questions, or for more information, please contact Valeria Ribaldi.

rethinking the photo project, a workshop with asim rafiqui

On Saturday 16 May 2015, as part of the Fotografia Europea festival, NOOR is hosting a one day theoretical workshop under the guidance of Asim Rafiqui.

 

 © Asim Rafiqui | NOOR

Participants will explore how to discover story ideas in their own seemingly ordinary surroundings and how to produce photography projects and use digital media to create individual and unique works that go beyond the news cycle or the editorial publishing restrictions. The goal is to help participants rethink story ideas, understand the new possibilities of self-publishing, and begin to create multi-layered and complex projects that look towards audiences beyond the editorial and magazine markets. 

This is a project workshop, and not a photography aesthetics / camera use workshop.

We will focus on:

- discussing and developing participant story ideas

- project concept development

- project / story frameworks

- project research

- digital / online project layout and design

- digital tools and techniques for self-publishing works

When: Saturday 16 May between 10:00 to 18:00 CET.

Cost: €150 (exclusive of €15 administration costs, includes festival pass)

Admits: 5-6 people

Deadline to apply: Tuesday 28 April 2015 EXTENDED! NEW DEADLINE: 5 May 2015 (before midnight C.E.T.)

HOW TO SUBMIT?

1. Please download, fill out, and sign the registration form.

This can be sent via email to: info@abcmprogetti.net

2. Please make an advance payment of 100 EUR via PayPal

or bank transfer to:

Bank Account holder Stichting Noor Foundation

IBAN code: NL37 INGB 0004288015

BIC/SWIFT: INGBNL2A

Please clearly indicate with the payment your name and what it concerns, so we can track the payment. Please send a receipt of the payment together with the registration form.

3. For the workshop you are required to have:

- Basic experience in documentary photography or photojournalism;

- A high level of motivation;

- English language skills (the workshop is in English);

- A good technical understanding of your camera equipment, a working knowledge of the media environment and basic image management skills.

To apply you need to send a PDF file not exceeding 6 MB including:

A CV including your contact information and a written text explaining your work and projects.

A portfolio of max. 30 images with text introductions and captions (please show your story telling skills by presenting at least one picture story of 8 images).

Please send your application with all the above requested documents (registration form, payment receipt, portfolio) to : info@abcmprogetti.net

Deadline: Tuesday 28 April 2015 EXTENDED! NEW DEADLINE: 5 May 2015 (before midnight C.E.T.)

If sending a PDF creates a problem, we accept links and word documents or alternative formats. For more information contact info@abcmprogetti.net.

Selected participants will be provided with necessary information in the form of welcome packs prior to the event and with a free pass for the festival.

FEES AND POLICY

Tuitions for the workshops and the lunches does not include flights, accommodations or meals. All on-the-ground expenses are the responsibility of the student.

Once you submit your application, you will be notified within 2 business days after the submissions deadline.

All fees must be paid within three days from acceptance. Students will then be emailed a full welcome package with suggestions for accommodations as well as a guide to Reggio Emilia.

Please note

- NOOR reserves the right to change or alter the program advertised.

- If a participant decides to cancel for whatever reason, it must be confirmed in writing:

. NOOR will reimburse all the registration costs except for €15 administration fee, if the participant informs NOOR of cancellation the day they receive the notification of acceptance to the workshop. Beyond this time limit, NOOR will charge the following:

. 50% of the cost if cancelled between 6 and 12 days before the workshop commences.

. 100% of the cost if cancelled less than 5 days before the workshop commences.

. All workshops that are commenced but not completed through the fault of either the contractor/or participant need to be paid in full.

- NOOR is not responsible for reimbursement of travel expenses in case a workshop is cancelled. We recommend that you buy refundable air tickets and/or travel insurance.

- A €100 application fee is required for each application. If accepted, this balance will be applied to the final tuition. If the student is not accepted, a refund of the application fee will be granted (minus €15 administration costs).

For any questions, or for more information, please contact Valeria Ribaldi.

workshop with stanley greene, jon lowenstein, sebastian liste & andrea bruce

From Thursday 14 May until Saturday 16 May 2015, as part of the Fotografia Europea festival, in in Reggio Emilia, Italy, NOOR will host a three day practical workshop under the guidance of Stanley Greene, Jon Lowenstein, Sebastian Liste and Andrea Bruce. Deadline for applications is Tuesday 28 April 2015 EXTENDED! NEW DEADLINE: 5 May 2015 (before midnight C.E.T.).

 
 

This hands-on workshop will include portfolio reviews, as well as practical and theoretical discussions on how to develop stories. One day of the workshop will be dedicated for shooting and another day will be dedicated to editing the work. The results of the workshop will be screened at the festival on Saturday night during the NOOR Night at Chiostri di San Pietro, the main venue of the Festival.

Participants will work in four groups of maximum 6 participants per group. Each group will be guided by one of the photographers. Each applicant will be able to choose the photographer they would like to work with, and all efforts will be made to accommodate their choice.

Over the three day workshop, each of the four NOOR photographers will give a presentation of their work, followed by a Q&A and discussion. These presentations can be attended by all participants, regardless of which group they are in.

Participants should bring a camera and computer. Due to the fast pace of the workshop, NOOR highly recommends that participants produce and edit their work digitally.

When: Thursday 14 until Saturday 16 May 2015 between 10:00 to 18:00 CET.

Cost: €300 (exclusive of €15 administration costs, includes festival pass)

Admits: 20-24 people (5 to 6 per group)

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 28 April 2015 EXTENDED! NEW DEADLINE: 5 May 2015 (before midnight C.E.T.)

HOW TO SUBMIT?

1. Please download, fill out, and sign the registration form.

This can be sent via email to: info@abcmprogetti.net

2. Please make an advance payment of 100 EUR via PayPal

or bank transfer to:

Bank Account holder Stichting Noor Foundation

IBAN code: NL37 INGB 0004288015

BIC/SWIFT: INGBNL2A

Please clearly indicate with the payment your name and what it concerns, so we can track the payment. Please send a receipt of the payment together with the registration form.

3. For the 3 day workshop with Stanley Greene, Jon Lowenstein, Sebastian Liste and Andrea Bruce you are required to have:

- Basic experience in documentary photography or photojournalism;

- A high level of motivation;

- English language skills (the workshop is in English);

- A good technical understanding of your camera equipment, a working knowledge of the media environment and basic image management skills.

To apply you need to send a PDF file not exceeding 6 MB including:

A CV including your contact information and a written text explaining your work and projects.

A portfolio of max. 30 images with text introductions and captions (please show your storytelling skills by presenting at least one picture story of 8 images).

Please send your application with all the above requested documents (registration form, payment receipt, portfolio) to : info@abcmprogetti.net

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 28 April 2015 EXTENDED! NEW DEADLINE: 5 May 2015 (before midnight C.E.T.)

If sending a PDF creates a problem, we accept links and word documents or alternative formats. For more information contact info@abcmprogetti.net.

Selected participants will be provided with necessary information in the form of welcome packs prior to the event and a free pass for the festival.

FEES AND POLICY

Tuitions for the workshops and the lunches does not include flights, accommodations or meals. All on-the-ground expenses are the responsibility of the student.

Once you submit your application, you will be notified within 2 business days after the submissions deadline.

All fees must be paid within three days from acceptance. Students will then be emailed a full welcome package with suggestions for accommodations as well as a guide to Reggio Emilia.

Please note

- NOOR reserves the right to change or alter the program advertised.

- If a participant decides to cancel for whatever reason, it must be confirmed in writing:

. NOOR will reimburse all the registration costs except for €15 administration fee, if the participant informs NOOR of cancellation the day they receive the notification of acceptance to the workshop. Beyond this time limit, NOOR will charge the following:

. 50% of the cost if cancelled between 6 and 12 days before the workshop commences.

. 100% of the cost if cancelled less than 5 days before the workshop commences.

. All workshops that are commenced but not completed through the fault of either the contractor/or participant need to be paid in full.

- NOOR is not responsible for reimbursement of travel expenses in case a workshop is cancelled. We recommend that you buy refundable air tickets and/or travel insurance.

- A €100 application fee is required for each application. If accepted, this balance will be applied to the final tuition. If the student is not accepted, a refund of the application fee will be granted (minus €15 administration costs).

For any questions, or for more information, please contact Valeria Ribaldi.

noor-nikon belgrade masterclass: on storytelling & editing

Matic Zorman (Slovenia) shares his work with Majlend Bramo (Albania). Photo: Kamerades

Editing and visual storytelling were central to the NOOR-Nikon Masterclass in Belgrade. Before meeting together, all fifteen participants shot and edited an assignment on the theme ‘Remains.’ This work went under the microscope for serious editing by both peers and the tutors throughout the week. The NOOR photographers also shared their own experiences, struggles and strategies for putting together good edits for different purposes.

After each participant had a one-on-one portfolio review with each tutor, we sat down for a little recap. Andrea, Stanley and Kadir gave the participants feedback that they needed to work on their sequencing and push deeper into the story. Andrea told the participants, “A story has to be about more than just a topic, it also needs to be about an emotion. Make sure you use your tools to portray a feeling, not just the subject.”

Kadir added, “When you work as a documentary photographer, you are also an author, editor and producer.” He explained that a lot of photographers focus their time and effort on shooting and don’t pay enough attention to sequencing and captioning. As much as possible, Kadir spends about equal time shooting as he does prepping the files and putting together the story selection and sequence. He encouraged the participants to “Challenge your viewer – for instance, maybe you don’t want to use an establishing shot to start your sequence.”

Over our days together in Belgrade, all of the NOOR photographers pulled back the curtain on their practice to show participants what kinds of preparations they do, questions they ask themselves and challenges they face. For instance, Kadir also took the participants through an a-z, shooting to publication process for a recent story. He discussed working with the NGO on the ground, how the access and lighting conditions shaped his shooting approach, then walked us through the different selects he made for the NGO partner, versus his select as for pitching the story for the editorial market – eventually showing us what was published.

Stanley showed an unpublished recent series of work, which he was frank about his struggle with the edit and sharing the work. He encouraged participants to “Share your work with your trusted colleagues. If you stay to close to your work you can stagnate. Along with being a support system, your colleagues can help give you fresh perspective.”

- Asmara Pelupessy, Associate Editor, NOOR

kurdistan landscapes by andrea bruce in internazionale

Images from Andrea Bruce's series 'Landscapes of Success: Kurdistan's Oil' were featured in Internazionale in April, 2015. Kurds believe that, after the eventual end of the conflict with the Islamic State mililtants, international buyers will need Kurdish crude and will support their nationalist aspirations. Compared to the rest of Iraq, Kurdistan is a landscape of success due to their oil revenue and distance from conflict in the past 10 years.

highlights from noor-nikon masterclass in belgrade: on working in the field

Throughout the workshop week, NOOR photographers and the Masterclass participants tackled the learning goals laid out in the first day through one on one portfolio reviews, group editing sessions, diverse presentations and lots of great discussions that continued through all hours of the days and nights. Some highlights compiled by NOOR’s Associate Editor, Asmara Pelupessy:

Masterclass participants and NOOR team outside of our home base for the week - the workshop venue UK Parobrod.

ON ASSIGNMENT

NOOR photographer Andrea Bruce presented some of the work she shot on assignment for The New York Times.

To become a regular contributor for a major publication such as The New York Times, Andrea recommended to the participants that they should:

- Be reliable

- Be low maintenance, don’t make things complicated

- Don’t complain

- Be a team player, work together with the reporter

- Bring something to the table with their photography that goes beyond the obvious, beyond what is offered by wire services

Reacting also to some of the challenges the participants faced shooting their ‘Remains’ stories for the Masterclass – NOOR photographer Kadir van Lohuizen emphasized, “Not having enough time for an assignment is never an excuse. An editor doesn’t care.”

Andrea pointed out that you can utilize shorter assignments to create a larger project or body of work - “Just because an assignment is quick doesn’t mean you can’t go back to it on your own or with another paper. You can make use of the fact that this gives you a start on a story, or you can use the work to apply for grant funding to do more follow-up work.”

LOGISTICS

Before landing in a new country or city for a story, Andrea prepares all her logistics so they are ready by the time she arrives – fixer, translator, transportation, etc. She suggested that participants might hire a fixer for a half day at first to see if they make a good team and emphasized that photographers must take the responsibility to protect the safety of their fixers and translators.

WAIT IT OUT

When it comes to shooting, Andrea said, “I can’t stress enough to get up before sunrise.” To catch good light she usually shoots at the beginning and end of the day and works with the writer on interviews during the middle of the day. She encouraged the participants to “wait it out - stay longer than you want to in order to wait for good photos, especially if the light is good.”

COVERING CONFLICT

Knowing the experience of the Masterclass tutors, throughout the week, participants had a lot of questions about covering conflict. After NOOR photographer Stanley Greene’s presentation of some of his most impactful stories this topic took center stage.

On the practical side – though seemingly mundane Stanley emphasized the absolutely essential - “Never try to do a story unless you understand your equipment up and down.” Andrea reiterated, “Learn the basics of how to work your camera and do a story now, before going to the field. Its extremely dangerous if you are working in a conflict zone and you struggle with your equipment or get wrapped up in logistics - you can lose awareness of your surroundings.” She also shared that she wished she saw more women covering conflict. "Sometimes I feel very alone. As a female photojournalist we have unique access to cover the other half of the story - women.”

While NOOR’s photographers have committed themselves to cover untold stories, they do not romanticize war photography. As Kadir wrapped it up, “There is not a single image worth dying for.” Through the Masterclass, Andrea, Stanley and Kadir talked about how they work to broaden our view on conflict by capturing daily, civilian life as it continues through war and also covering conflict’s aftermath and consequences.