For Compference19, we’ve curated a number of dynamic speakers from different walks of life. Each of these immensely talented individuals brings a unique perspective to the table. We’re confident that our speakers will inspire you to broaden your vision, reignite your creative spirit and boost your interpersonal communication skills.
Therefore, we’re excited to introduce another one of our Compference19 keynote speakers: Platon.
Capturing the Spirit of His Subjects
For acclaimed photographer Platon, taking someone’s portrait is both an intimate collaboration and a visual interview – both in front of and behind the camera. Regardless of who he’s photographing – world leaders, celebrities, members of the military, civil rights leaders or human rights champions, Platon strives to answer the same universal question. “Who is this person?”
An extraordinary communicator and storyteller, Platon brings some of the most poignant and mesmerizing stories behind the photos that lead audiences on a roller coaster of emotions – from laugher to tears.
International Influence
Platon’s photographic portraits have appeared in some of the world’s most influential and widely read magazines, including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ and The Sunday Times. Through a unique relationship he developed with Time magazine, he produced more than 25 cover photos.
In 2007, he photographed then-Russian Premier, Vladimir Putin, for the cover of Time’s Person of the Year edition. Subsequently, winning first prize at the World Press Photo Contest. In 2008, he became the staff photographer for The New Yorker, where he produced a series of large-scale photo essays, including President Obama’s inauguration, other world leaders, the civil rights movement, and the emergence of civil society in Russia, which earned him a Peabody Award.
In 2009, Platon teamed up with the Human Rights Watch to help them celebrate those who fight for equality and justice in countries suppressed by political forces. His projects highlight human rights defenders from Burma as well as leaders of the Egyptian revolution.
In 2011, he published Power, an unprecedented anthology of 120 intimate portraits of world leaders from across the political spectrum, including Barack Obama, Muammar Gaddafi, Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Tony Blair and Silvio Berlusconi. Shot over a three year period at the United Nations, this work offers a profound portrait of global power. With unique candor and insight, these photographs offer an intimate glimpse of the personalities behind the public faces of the world’s most powerful decision makers.
Get Inspired
Whether you’re working to promote equity in your workplace, or charged with influencing decision makers, we hope that Platon’s stories will inspire you to look at life through a different lens. Register for Compference19 today.
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