NOOR photo agency
 | |
| Cooperative | |
| Industry | Photography |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Claudia Hinterseer, Pep Bonet, Stanley Greene, Yuri Kozyrev, Kadir van Lohuizen, Francesco Zizola, Jan Grarup, Samantha Appleton, Philip Blenkinsop and Jodi Bieber |
| Headquarters | Amsterdam |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Photojournalism, photo agency, foundation |
| Website | noorimages.com |
NOOR is an international photo agency and foundation represented and co-owned by ten photographers and its managing director. Its cooperative model is in the tradition of Magnum Photos. It is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, with photographers based worldwide. It is known for producing independent visual reports that stimulate positive social change, and impact views on human rights and other issues of global concern.
History
NOOR Images was launched in 2007 at Visa pour l’Image by managing director Claudia Hinterseer and member photographers Pep Bonet, Stanley Greene, Yuri Kozyrev, Kadir van Lohuizen, Francesco Zizola and former members Jan Grarup, Samantha Appleton, Philip Blenkinsop and Jodi Bieber. The agency was later enriched by the arrival of new members: Jon Lowenstein in 2008, Nina Berman in 2009, Alixandra Fazzina in 2010, and Andrea Bruce in 2011. As of November 2012, Evelien Kunst is the new managing director of the agency.
In March 2009 the NOOR Foundation launched its first masterclass in documentary photography in Lagos, inviting 15 African photojournalists hailing from seven different countries. The group gathered in Lagos to team up with three NOOR photographers. Since then, the NOOR Foundation has organized workshops, masterclasses, seminars, lectures and other educational activities, in St Petersburg (2010), Bucharest (2011) Cairo (2011), Cape Town (2012), Tunis (2013) and an ongoing, six-month project ‘visual storytelling in an open society’ always based in Cairo. NOOR works in close collaboration with educational organizations and professional photographers, all experienced teachers and lecturers in documentary photography.
Climate Change by NOOR
Climate Change by NOOR is a long-term group project that focuses on two issues. The first, ‘Consequences by NOOR’ is an eyewitness record of the devastating effects of climate change around the globe. Produced in the autumn of 2009, these visual reportages show not ‘what might happen’ in the future but what is happening right now, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the issues at stake.
NOOR continued the project in autumn 2010, with 'Solutions' a visual project investigating what is and what can be done to slow down or reverse climate change. This focuses on human stories about alternative power sources, renewable energies, and attempts to alleviate, adjust or cope with the rise of global temperatures, the biggest challenge our world has ever faced.
Urban Survivors by NOOR
In 2011 NOOR partnered with Doctors Without Borders to raise an awareness campaign on the living conditions in the urban settlements around the world. The project has been executed in Bangladesh, Guatemala, Haiti, Kenya, Pakistan, Honduras and South Africa by seven NOOR photographers with the aim of casting a light on the challenges that overpopulation is setting up for the future.
The project resulted in the Urban Survivors web documentary made by Darjeeling Productions featuring photo-films – the website was nominated for the 2012 Webby Awards – and a traveling photo exhibition.
The New Brazil by NOOR
The New Brazil is a group project by NOOR photographers focusing on the fast development that Brazil is experiencing in recent years. Through a multifaceted approach, NOOR photographers put a spotlight on this growing and complex modern society, creating an eyewitness record of the many faces of the world’s fifth largest country, both geographically and in population count, and the seventh – and fastest growing – economic power on the planet.
The New Brazil has been produced by NOOR photographers in 2012 and consists of 8 different features.
Member list
| Name | Nationality | Status | Active years | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley Greene |  USA |
Active (Founding Member) | 2007– | ||
| Kadir van Lohuizen |  NED |
Active (Founding Member) | 2007– | ||
| Pep Bonet |  Majorca |
Active (Founding Member) | 2007– | ||
| Yuri Kozyrev |  RUS |
Active (Founding Member) | 2007– | ||
| Francesco Zizola |  Italy |
Active (Founding Member) | 2007– | ||
| Jon Lowenstein | USA |
Active (Full Member) | 2008– | ||
| Nina Berman | USA |
Active (Full Member) | 2009– | ||
| Alixandra Fazzina |  UK |
Active (Full Member) | 2010– | ||
| Andrea Bruce | USA |
Active (Full Member) | 2011– | ||
| Jan Grarup |  DEN |
Withdrawn | 2007–2012 | ||
| Philip Blenkinsop |  Australia+ UK |
Withdrawn | 2007–2012 | ||
| Samantha Appleton | USA |
Withdrawn | 2007–2010 | ||
| Jodi Bieber |  South Africa |
Withdrawn | 2007–2008 | ||
| Bénédicte Kurzen |  France |
Active (Associative Member) | 2013– |
External links
References
1. Visa pour l'Image: http://www.visapourlimage.com
2. NOOR Official Home Page: http://www.noorimages.com
4. http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/search?page=search&docid=4c35c6a79&query=alixandra%20fazzina Accessed through UNHCR on 1 May 2013.
5. http://www.photoq.nl/agenda/consequiences-noor-2/ Accessed through PhotoQ on 1 May 2013.
6. http://www.lemonde.fr/web/recherche_breve/1,13-0,37-1167096,0.html Accessed through Le Monde on 1 May 2013.
7. http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/interview/2106139/interview-stanley-greene-getty-images-grants Accessed through BJP on 1 May 2013.
8. http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/interview/2107770/revolution-road-interview-yuri-kozyrev Accessed through BJP on 1 May 2013.
9. http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2078956/danish-photographer-wins-leica-oskar-barnack-award Accessed through BJP on 1 May 2013.
10. http://www.polkamagazine.com/14/le-mur/le-cri-des-exiles/386 Accessed through Polka Magazine on 1 May 2013.
11. http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2069974/cairo-conference-planned-noor Accessed through Polka Magazine on 1 May 2013.
12. http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/new-tools-to-tell-an-ancient-story/ Accessed through Lens New York Times on 1 May 2013.
13. http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,597182227001_2014097,00.html Accessed through Time Magazine on 1 May 2013.
14. http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/08/10/7337331-photojournalist-haunted-by-documenting-african-famine Accessed through Photoblog on 2 May 2013.
15. http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2008/09/07/01011-20080907FILWWW00001-festival-de-photojournalisme-les-visas-d-or.php Accessed through Le Figaro on 2 May 2013.
16. http://www.lemonde.fr/cgi-bin/ACHATS/acheter.cgi?offre=ARCHIVES&type_item=ART_ARCH_30J&objet_id=1003940 Accessed through Le Monde on 2 May 2013.
17. http://www.photoq.nl/articles/nieuws/actueel/2007/09/07/noor-verovert-perpignan/ Accessed through Photoq on 2 May 2013.
18. http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2056415_2248556,00.html Accessed through Time Magazine on 2 May 2013.
19. http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2029078/noor-partners-nikon-free-workshops Accessed through BJP on 2 May 2013.
20. http://www.elespectador.com/impreso/cultura/gente/articulo-291875-el-lente-migraciones-america Accessed through El Espectador on 2 May 2013.