Internationally acclaimed photographer Platon presents at Flint Center
“All right. It’s going to be bumpy. So get ready,” award-winning photographer Platon Antoniou remarked as he began his presentation at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts on Friday at 8 p.m.
Platon was one of seven speakers in the 47th Annual Celebrity Forum Speakers Series that takes place from Oct. 2014 to May 2015. Last month’s speaker was Anderson Cooper.
Platon has worked to provide pictures for Esquire, The New Yorker, TIME Magazine, GQ, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone and countless other publications. He is perhaps most notably known for his portrait of Vladimir Putin as Person of the Year on TIME Magazine in 2007, for which he won the 2008 World Press Photo Award for Portraits.
Platon published two books on his photography, “Platon’s Republic” and “Power: Portraits of World Leaders,” and he is the founder of a non-profit organization to support human rights called The People’s Portfolio.
Throughout his presentation, Platon regaled the audience with the stories behind some of his famous celebrity portraits including Barack Obama, George Clooney, Prince, David Beckham, Muhammad Ali, Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Hoffman.
“It’s time to roll the dice. It’s time to place all bets on myself, for better or worse,” Platon said as he described the moment behind his controversial cover portrait of Bill Clinton on Esquire.
Platon discussed his work in photographing world leaders such as Hugo Chavez and Muammar Gaddafi and controversial figures such as Edward Snowden. He went on to speak about his photography with those fighting for freedom and human rights.
He shared anecdotes about his various projects including his journey in taking pictures of world leaders at the United Nations, a car chase in Burma when he was photographing Burmese opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi, and his experiences photographing soldiers and military families. Platon explored the lessons that he had learned throughout his adventures all over the world.
“It’s not what I see that counts,” he said. “It’s what you see that counts.”
Platon ended the presentation with a question and answer session with the audience.
The next speaker in the Celebrity Forum Speakers Series will be Walter Isaacson on March 25, 26, and 27. Isaacson is most notably known for his biography of Steve Jobs, and he has served as the CEO of CNN and as the managing editor of TIME magazine.
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