Yannis Kontos was born in Ioannina, Greece in 1971.
He received a BA degree in Photography at the Faculty of Graphic Design and Applied Arts of Athens' Technological Educational Institute in 2001 and a BA degree in Physical Education at the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 1995.
He began shooting as a freelance for the Sygma Photo News and Gamma Presse Images. Since its creation in 2002, he is actively involved with Polaris Images producing photojournalism and feature work, covering major stories worldwide.
Recent assignments include coverage of the Iraqi conflict, the Athens Olympics, North Korea, Sierra Leone, the US-Mexican border, the Kosovo war in 1999, the October 2000 revolution in Yugoslavia till the fall of Milosevic, the devastating earthquake in Turkey in 1999, the pyramid crisis in Albania in 1997, the conflict in Macedonia in 2001, the G8 anti-globalization protests in Genoa in 2001, the crisis in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the tensions over the disputed Kashmir, the funeral of Pope John Paul II, the London attacks in July 2005, South Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Japan, Western Sahara and Iran.
His photographs have been published in: Time, Newsweek, Life, The New York Times, Stern, Der Spiegel, Paris Match, L’Express, Le Monde, The Sunday Times Μagazine, The Observer, Panorama, La Republica, El Pais and other well known publications around the globe.
Kontos is the only Greek photographer who was selected among the best 12 photographers of his generation in the world and graduated from World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass in Rotterdam, The Netherlands in 2001.
He is currently studying at the University of Westminster in London for an MA in Photojournalism.
Passionately dedicated to his profession, he is committed to further improving his in-depth coverage of events as a photojournalist.