about thinking visually

This week in Hilversum, the Netherlands the RNW-NOOR Academy kicked off with a three-day training on visual storytelling for a select group of editors working for Radio Netherlands Worldwide (RNW). The 14 participants represent different regional editorial departments of RNW being the Arab, Africa, Latin America and China Desks. Amongst the participants were also social media editors and web designers from the ‘Themes & Projects’ department.

The group, together with NOOR photographer Kadir van Lohuizen and photography consultant and photo editor Claudia Hinterseer, learned how to select and develop visual stories from existing photographic material.

 “It’s great to see the enthusiasm amongst the participants. Everyone seems eager to explore new ways of visual storytelling on their respective online platforms and get inspired by Kadir and other great photographers’ work,” said Claudia Hinterseer. “It’s very interesting to discuss topics like image quality and resources, ethical and copyright issues, and sequencing with this varied and energized group.”

Claudia Hinterseer gave an introduction to picture editing and led a hands-on session where the participants had to prepare an online thematic slideshow from scratch, using the themes and resources available to RNW, in order to make the exercise as realistic as possible.

 “It’s almost like making a movie,” said Kadir van Lohuizen about working on long-term multimedia projects. “The difference between making a movie and being a photographer is that you have to do everything yourself, the research, the planning, the shooting, etc.”

Kadir van Lohuizen showed and talked about his extensive project Via PanAm and allowed the group to edit a part of his story, which lead to interesting discussions about different opinions and ways of editing a story.

Kadir also reflected on how nowadays he uses video as part of the process: “For me with video it is the sequence that makes it strong. With stills it is the decisive moment that makes it strong. I use video more to support my stills.”

 

“The NOOR photography workshop really opened my eyes to great tools and ways to build a photo story,” commented Issa Shaker video editor at the Arab Desk.

Catarina Gomez, social media editor at the Themes & Projects department, found the workshop very refreshing:  “Photo editing is not only about illustrating your written story, it's about thinking visually how to tell your story. I never thought it was possible to tell a story with just still images.”

As part of the RNW-NOOR Academy, Jon Lowenstein and Sebastian Liste will conduct a training in Mexico City from October 20-24 for 10 young visual storytellers from Latin America. After the initial 5 day workshop the group will be mentored for three months by the NOOR photographers.

sebastian liste inside the venezuelan prison published in paris match

Vista Hermosa is one of Venezuela’s most notorious prisons. As violence plagued the
country, the prison population grew and clashes between prisoners and guards became common. Rather than improving conditions, prison authorities have allowed them to descend into near-chaos. Inside, the inmates live and die in a world of their own making. In Venezuelan prisons, inmates are in control.

sebastian liste exhibition at visa pour l'image

Sebastián Liste presented his work "On the Inside: Venezuelan prisons under inmate control" in an exhibition tour at Visa pour l'Image.

Vista Hermosa is a notorious prison in Venezuela. With violence plaguing the country, there are more and more prisoners, and more clashes between prisoners and guards. The authorities have made no attempt to improve conditions, and have let the situation degenerate into near chaos. National Guards patrol outside the walls, while the inmates live and die in a world of their own making on the inside.

Sebastián explained, "For several months I met with people that would take me directly to the leaders who control the prisons. These people control all movement in the prison and their consent was totally necessary to enter their realm and achieve my goal: to introduce myself for several days into the daily life of this strange prison led by the prisoners. I was aware of the danger of the situation but it was the only way of documenting this hidden reality."

The exhibition runs from the 30th of August until the 14th of September in the Couvent des Minimes in Perpignan (France).

Hear Sebastián talk about the project here in a video, which includes fellow photojournalist Jorge Silva's project also covering Venezuela.

Photos © Lena Prieto

sebastián liste and asim rafiqui join NOOR

Per 1 July 2014 Sebastián Liste and Asim Rafiqui join NOOR as associate members, with the aim to become full members and to expand the roster of NOOR’s accomplished and award-winning photographers. The coming twelve months will be used to explore the mutual relationship and reassure from both sides this beneficial collaboration.

Sebastián Liste (Spain, 1985) is a documentary photographer and sociologist devoted to documenting contemporary issues and the profound cultural changes in Latin America and the Mediterranean. Currently, he divides his time between Brazil and Spain.

Asim Rafiqui (Sweden/Pakistan, 1966) is an independent photojournalist who has reported from Haiti, Japan, India, Pakistan, USA, Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine, Sweden and Ukraine, among other places.

On joining NOOR Sebastián said, “We, as a photojournalists, confront a transformed media environment thanks to the new digital platforms. I'm excited about those new horizons and I really want to be part of NOOR in this crucial moment of transforming the landscape for socially engaged, visual storytellers.”

Asim shared, "Joining NOOR is for me an act of tremendous optimism because I believe in the work we do - the ideas we argue, the issues we document and the challenges we raise through photography. Our work is a critical part of the civil societies and democracies we either belong to or are working to strengthen. Being part of an agency that believes in the same values can only make my own work stronger and clearer."

About taking on Asim, NOOR photographer Nina Berman explained, “The group was really taken by Asim's ability not just as a photographer, but as a writer and investigator. His Pakistani Justice Project is stellar work that left a deep impression on the group. He is also a generous collaborator and kind person. We are so excited to have him with us, especially on our group projects.”

On Sebastián’s joining the agency, NOOR photographer Pep Bonet said, "I have known Sebas for some years now. I'm very excited that he will join the NOOR family.” Fellow NOOR member Andrea Bruce added, “Sebastian's intimate and passionate long-term work in Latin America drew us to him immediately. We are excited to bring his enthusiasm and energy to the agency.”

SEBASTIAN LISTE

Sebastián Liste’s work has been exhibited internationally in numerous shows and festivals including Visa Pour l´Image, Look3, Lumix Festival for Young Photojournalism, Noorderlicht Photo Festival, Angkor Photo Festival, The New York Photo Festival, Speos Gallery and Host Gallery.

In 2010, while pursuing his Masters degree in Photojournalism at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Sebastián won the Ian Parry Scholarship for his long term project Urban Quilombo. In 2011 he was selected to participate in the 18th World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass in Amsterdam. The same year he was named one of the 30 photographers to watch at PDN 30 and received a Citation at the Olivier Rebbot Award.

Sebastián’s numerous industry accolades include a Lucie Award, the Rémi Ochlik Award at Visa pour l´Image and the Community Awareness Award at Pictures of the Year International. In addition, Sebastián received a Magnum Emegency Fund Grant, the Getty Editorial Grant to develop a new project in the Brazilian Amazon, a Spanish Fotopres Grant and the Alexia Foundation Grant to continue developing his ongoing project about crime, punishment and security in Latin America.

A selection of Sebastián’s work and a full biography can be viewed on the NOOR website. Sebastián’s archive will be integrated into NOOR’s online archive in the coming weeks.

ASIM RAFIQUI

Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, Asim Rafiqui moved to New York in 1984 to study engineering at Columbia University and has since lived, at various times, in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Lahore, London, Munich, Bangkok, Stockholm and most recently, Kigali, Rwanda. 

Asim was recently the recipient of an Open Society Fellowship and has since 2012 been using a variety of media to present a more nuanced and personal perspective on the issue of access to justice in Pakistan. Previously, Asim was a Fulbright Fellow to India, where he worked on a project that looked at India’s heritage of cultural and religious pluralism and syncretism. For this project he was also a recipient of an Aftermath Grant. Asim also received a Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting grant to document the impact of the Israeli closure of the Gaza Strip on its residents. He authors the photography blog The Spinning Head.

A selection of his work and a full biography can be viewed on the NOOR website. Asim’s archive will be integrated into NOOR’s online archive in the coming weeks.

For additional information or for publications, please contact NOOR at office@noorimages.com or +31(0) 20.616.4040.