© Yann Mingard & Alban Kalkulya / Panos Pictures
I´ve long been an avid admirer of Panos Pictures. Both the breadth and quality of the photography they champion, as well their steadfast commitment to the most important social issues of our times is unparalleled.
As part of their ambitious new development plans, Panos recently launched a new look agency, building on its reputation and commitment to global social photography and positioning itself as a leader in visual communications. As it prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2011, Panos has invested in a series of innovations aimed at securing the continued growth of the agency and providing a superior service to its photographers and clients.
A key development is the creation of Panos Profile, a fluid collective of around 20 photographers at any one time, allowing the agency to represent these photographers more comprehensively during key moments in their careers. Panos Network will represent the wider group of professional photographers working on assignments and stories around the world.
Joining the agency as director of Panos Profile is Francesca Sears, former director of Magnum Photos in London. She says, "Panos Profile represents some of the best of what the agency has to offer – a dedication to quality, independence and ingenuity. It is an opportunity to work more closely with our photographers, building their profiles as authors in their own right but at the same time communicating our strengths as a photographic brand to new and wider audiences."
Peruvian photographer Moises Saman, one of the first cohort of Profile photographers, writes "For me, being part of the Profile group will bring a sense of community and a positive influence to our creative process within the agency as a whole. I look forward to seeing current projects by other photographers and drawing inspiration from the diversity of their work."
Other changes at the agency are showcased in the newly launched website. As well as the archive, the site is a platform for the hundreds of photo stories, exhibitions, multimedia, video and long term documentary work produced by Panos photographers.
"With this new site we wish to clearly identify what Panos stands for and promote our full range of visual communications services," says agency director Adrian Evans. "It is designed to reinforce our commitment to our clients, providing them with the very best photography and production values, pursuing stories beyond the media agenda."
The revamped site has improved functionality, with easy to view photographer portfolios and story slideshows, news feeds, interactive multimedia, and a live location map allowing clients to keep track of the whereabouts of Panos photographers.
Take a quick tour of what the new website has to offer:
Cheryl Newman, Photography Director of the Telegraph Magazine is impressed with the changes at the agency. She remarks: "For many years I had respected Panos and the work their photographers’ were making but did not know them so much as individual authors. The new website feels a lot more personalised by photographer and their work. I’m looking forward to understanding what they are working on and developing a closer relationship."
Tomas van Houtryve, this year’s POYi photographer of the Year says "The site now provides me with new ways to make my subjects' voices heard, and it underscores the agency's very distinctive approach to global issues."
With 6 POYi awards and 4 NPPA Best of Photojournalism Awards this year alone, and over 20 World Press Photo Awards in recent years, the success of Panos photographers reflects the agency’s global reach and commitment to stories and ideas in many areas of the world that remain under-reported. On a daily basis, the Network photographers undertake assignments for a wide range of clients including international media, and NGOs working on both single issues and global campaigns, as well as selective corporate clients.
1000 Words wishes them continued success far into the future.
