About Olivier Laban-Mattei

Olivier Laban-Mattei (born in 1977) grew up in Paris where he studied geography and sociology. He became a self-taught photographer after beeing influenced by the photos of the Vietnam war. He started working in Corsica, his mother's island, in 1999 as a press photographer in a local press agency. In 2000, he started for AFP, first as a stringer in Corsica before going back to Paris in 2005 to become a staff.
Since June 2010, he works as a freelancer for international press and also for NEUS agency (www.neusphotos.com).

Olivier Laban-Mattei spends his time between Paris and countries hit by the war or by natural disaters (Iraq, Gaza strip, Georgia, Burma, Haiti...), and works on personnal projects.

Awards :

2006, 1st prize / Paris-Match award
2007, Bendrihem's 1st prize for the best European political photo
2009, World Press Photo, 3rd prize story in General News category
2009, Special award from the Jury of the international festival of photojournalism of Gijon
2010, Pictures of the year international (POYi), 2nd Prize
2010, Pictures of the year international (POYi), Award of excellence
2010, Special award from the Jury of Days Japan
2010, World Press Photo, 2nd Prize story in Spot News category
2010, Fotoweek DC, 3rd Prize - Series-Photojournalism/Social Documentary
2010, Bayeux-Calvados award for war correspondents, 2nd prize
2010, 1st prize / Paris-Match award
2011, World Press Photo, 1st prize story in General News category
2011, Best of Photojournalism 2011 (BOP-NPPA), 1st prize in "Natural Disaster" category