Reza Deghati

Reza Deghati ( born 1952 in Tabriz, Iran) is an Iranian - French photojournalist. He works under the name Reza (Persian رضا ).

Career

Deghati was born in Tabriz, Iran, and studied architecture at the University of Tehran. He began his career with the photographic documentation of the political development of Iran. Through his critical stance, he spent several years in prison in 1981 and went into exile. Deghati is today a French citizen and lives in Paris.

Work

Reza is known worldwide as a highly respected photojournalist and has contributed in many prestigious international magazines published ( Newsweek, Time Magazine, National Geographic Magazine, GEO). In his work, he traveled to several countries and published articles on the Bosphorus, the Great Wall of China, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Sarajevo, the Central Asian steppes and the Empty Quarter in Arabia. He always represents the situation of the local population in the center and documented social ills.

Besides his work as a photojournalist, he gives lectures and workshops at universities, as in Stanford, Washington, Southern California, at the Sorbonne in Paris, Beijing and Istanbul.

He lectures, among others, UNESCO and the National Geographic Society.

In 1991, Reza and his brother the Webistan Photo Agency, which represents Reza, but other photographers.

1990/91 Reza was a consultant for the United Nations in Afghanistan as part of humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. The impressions gained in 2001 led to the founding of AINA, an organization with the goal of " growth of civilization through actions in the education ( especially for children and women), Information and Communication" (" [ AINA ] Contributes to the emergence of civil society through actions in the area of education ( particularly focusing on women and children), information and communication. ").

Awards (selection)

1983 and 1986 reached Reza second place in the selection of the "World Press Photo ".

In 1996 he received the Prize of Hope UNICEF for its use in Rwandan refugee camps.

In November 2005, Reza was given the title " Chevalier de l' Ordre du Mérite ", the French Certificate of Merit by the President of France, Jacques Chirac awarded.

Since May 2009 he is honorary doctorate from the American University of Paris ( AUP).