Platon is one of the world’s most celebrated portrait photographers, having photographed more world leaders than anyone in history - including six American presidents. He has created more than 30 covers for TIME, including the 2008 Person of the Year cover that won World Press Photo 1st Prize, and the 2024 Person of the Year cover. In 2008, Platon became a staff photographer at The New Yorker, where his long-form photo essays earned a Peabody Award and two National Magazine Awards. He has published five books spanning subjects from the power of world leaders to the dignity of those who serve in the U.S. military. In 2013, Platon founded The People’s Portfolio, a non-profit that uses the power of portraiture to celebrate emerging leaders of human and civil rights, break down barriers, and rally public support for justice worldwide. His life and process are profiled in Netflix’s Abstract: The Art of Design. Platon’s films include My Body Is Not a Weapon, featuring survivors of wartime sexual violence and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Denis Mukwege, and Portrait of a Stranger, created with the United Nations to honor refugee voices. In 2020, the Smithsonian acquired his archive of prominent African American civil rights and cultural leaders. Platon headlined TED Vancouver in 2022, urging audiences to choose curiosity over judgment. His newest book, The Defenders (May 2024), created with The People’s Portfolio, celebrates human-rights activists across the globe.