Metrography was founded in 2010 by Iraqi photographer Kamaran Najm and American photojournalist Sebastian Meyer, with the objective of establishing an independent photojournalism industry in Iraq that breaks down ethnic, cultural, and religious barriers, fosters peer-to-peer collaboration and learning and celebrates Iraq’s diversity and history. Over the years, Metrography has gained worldwide recognition and the work of its photographers has been exhibited internationally and published on some of the most renowned media outlets.
About Metrography
Our Story
Kamaran Najm
Founder
Kamaran Najm was an Iraqi photographer and founder of Metrography, the first Iraqi photo agency. During his career Kamaran worked for leading international wire agencies such as Reuters and the Associated Press. He also photographed for The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, The Times of London, The Financial Times magazine, and numerous other newspapers and magazines. His awards include the prestigious World Press Photo MENA Masterclass.
Sebastian Meyer
Co-founder
Sebastian Meyer is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker, and a recipient of multiple grants from The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. His editorial photographs have been published in TIME Magazine, Fortune Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine, The FT Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, among many others. Meyer has made films for National Geographic, PBS Newshour, Channel 4 News, CNN, VOA, and HBO. In 2009 Meyer co-founded Metrography, the first Iraqi photo agency, with Kamaran Najm.
Mission
To establish a thriving photography and photojournalism industry in Iraq that breaks down ethnic, cultural, and religious barriers; fosters peer-to-peer collaboration and learning; and celebrates Iraq’s diversity and history by telling its story through professional photography, videography, and multimedia productions. The agency will invest in ongoing training for its photographer network to ensure a sustainable photography industry in the KRI and Iraq. Metrography also will exceed client expectations, providing a level of service and quality that is unmatched in Iraq, honoring client deadlines and budgets, while implementing a financially viable business model that secures the agency’s future.
Vision
As Iraq’s first photography agency and as individuals, we value honesty, integrity, transparency, teamwork, personal excellence, continual learning, mutual respect, and an appreciation for fair, objective, and ethical journalism. We are committed to our photographers, clients, and partners, and to advancing balanced and ethical journalism in the KRI and Iraq. We hold ourselves accountable to our photographers, staff, clients, partners, and the entire KRI and Iraqi community by honoring our commitments, providing exceptional photography and customer service, and striving for the highest quality.
