Weddings in Iran are a grand affair, steeped in religion and tradition. Contrary to popular belief, Iranian wedding costumes resemble western ones where the man is dressed in a smart suit and the bride in a white wedding gown, confetti is showered all around the couple as well. In this wedding story, the marriage between a Persian woman and a Qashqai nomad man is documented. The wedding make up process gives an insight into the segregation of male and female under Sharia law in Iran. The wedding reception is held at the groom's hometown of Firooz Abad, Fars Province where many Qashqai nomads reside. One can see the vibrant costumes and dances of the Qashqai women alongside a live band in this happy reunion.
A largely self taught photographer, Zann began her first serious foray into photojournalism after the tsunami in January 2005. In less than a year of building her portfolio while travelling, she joined World Picture News in December 2005 and Gaia in 2008.
Her works have been published in TIME magazine, â??Chocâ??, IKONO, Le Monde, Lâ??expresso, Geo Italia, AOL, UNFPA, Asian Geographic and various magazines and newspapers in the UK, USA, Czech Republic, Singapore and Malaysia. She has also taken part in the group exhibition â??Eye of the Cityâ?? (2002-2004) and Noorderlicht 2006: Another Asia in the Netherlands for her work on â??CAMBODIAN GLUE KIDSâ??. As one of the official photographers for the Singapore Season, her works were exhibited in Shanghai and Beijing in Oct 2007. In 2009, her work on â??Qashqai Nomads of Iranâ?? was exhibited at Gallery 2902.
As an emerging photographer, Zann has also received Honourable Mentions for the UNICEF photographer of the Year 2006, the International Photography Award (1 for 2006 and 9 for IPA 2009) and the PX3 Prix De La Photographie Paris 2007 for her works on Iran and Cambodia. Zann also clinched the Humanity Photo Awards UNESCO 2006. She is also one of the top 5 finalists for the Care International Humanitaire Award 2007 and her work was exhibited in Visa Pour Lâ??image 2007,Perpignan. In the 2009 New York Photo Festival, Zannâ??s work on Iran and Cambodia were shown.
Zann contributes to the United Nations on humanitarian and environmental issues. In 2007, she became the field editor/photographer for ASIAN GEOGRAPHIC http://www.asiangeo.com
covering the Middle East and Asia.
