Pep Bonet

Photographer Pep Bonet publishes his photobook: Hellbangers

Discover all about Botswana’s underground metal culture


Photographer Pep Bonet has been following Overthrust, a heavy metal band from Botswana, Africa, and shows us a growing, exciting and thoroughly organic heavy metal community. Ten years ago, one group existed. Today there are more than ten – and their fans are growing every year.

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Hellbangers is an affirmation that at its core shows the strength and power of the metal community in Africa, and how it connects around the world. The love and devotion to the music that these wonderful maniacs show scream out to us with absolute conviction – we are all united by the essence of the metal heart and spirit of the Hellbangers!”

— Rob Halford (Judas Priest)

The inhabitants of Botswana portrayed in this book are tattood, wear loudly and proudly leather jackets, leather trousers and play heavy death metal music. Imagine the DIY ingenuity of their ‘costume creation’ involving harvested animal skulls and other natural elements.

With names like Demon and Gunsmoke, it would be easy though to think they are thugs, but “We try to be exemples. Rock is a wild thing, but also something for the heart”, says Gunsmoke, the heavy metal head. Here too, the lyrics of the songs are very critical towards societies, just like their western peers. Metal in Botswana is rebellious movement against authorities. This is the story of what looks at first to be an unlikely union, yet one which powerfully illustrates how music, how heavy metal music, has become a positively unifying force in an unlikely part of the world.


About the book

Now for sale in the NOOR Shop!

PRE-SALE OFFER WHEN YOU ORDER BEFORE JULY 31ST 2021:

Signed book + original photograph (numbered, signed and stamped) for €199 + VAT and shipping costs

Only 50 units available

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The first Nikon-NOOR Masterclasses have started!

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The first round of the Nikon-NOOR Academy mastercalsses have started on the 18th of February!

Andrea Bruce, Pep Bonet and Heba Khamis will be teaching the first 15 participants of the Nikon-NOOR masterclasses until the 26th of February.

Nikon-NOOR Academy | Announcing the Participants for the 2021 Masterclass

We are delighted to announce the participants selected for the 2021 Nikon-NOOR Academy Masterclasses, which will take place in February and March.

The tutors of this year’s academy are Andrea Bruce, Heba Khamis, Pep Bonet, Sanne De Wilde, Jon Lowenstein, Francesco Zizola, Olga Kravets, Yuri Kozyrev and Kadir van Lohuizen.

We would sincerely like to thank all the people who sent forward their applications and congratulate the photographers who will participate in the masterclasses.

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To power the Nikon-NOOR Academy Masterclass applications, we teamed up with our partner Picter, an online platform hosting contests, call for applications as well as tools for professional image-makers simply their workflow.



Mass Tourism in Mallorca affected by COVID-19

 © Pep Bonet / NOOR

© Pep Bonet / NOOR

As the Spanish island begins to welcome back tourists after the pandemic, some locals are looking for more sustainable avenues of income. For National GeographicPep Bonet documented his hometown impacted by the current reduction in tourists. 

“The beauty of Mallorca is now in front of us,” says Pep Bonet, who used infrared imagery to highlight the ethereal quality of the island in its present state.

The Kid, The Fox and the Skull - Short fiction film by Pep Bonet

Pep Bonet released his latest short fiction film "The Kid, The Fox and the Skull". His poetic and uniquely intimate experimental short film was created with his son during the COVID-19 confinement.

The fiction film is a personal exploration on how death threatens us in these difficult times and offers insight into the fears and thoughts of a nine year old boy.

Pep Bonet | Talk on Lüderitz Speed Challenge's Youtube channel

On Lüderitz Speed Challenge's youtube channel, Pep Bonet shares an insight of his experience and objectives for this year's speed windsurfing challenge, as well as the documentary he's making on the sport.

© Pep Bonet / NOOR

© Pep Bonet / NOOR

Nikon-NOOR Academy | Announcing the participants for the 2019 Masterclass in Austria

We are delighted to announce the participants selected for the 2019 Nikon-NOOR Academy, which will take place in Vienna, Austria.

The tutors for this masterclass are Sanne De WildeBénédicte Kurzen and Pep Bonet

We would sincerely like to thank all the people who sent forward their applications and congratulate the photographers who will participate to the masterclasses.

Vanessa Szopory

Naomi Frank

Dalmonia Rognean

Salih Basheer

Florian Sulzer

Mattia Martoriati

Sabina Candusso

Filippo Taddei

Ruben Hamelink

Nadezhda Ermakova

Monika Jia Rui Scherer

Carolina Rapezzi

Ingrid Halvorsen

Hanna Kristin Hjardar

Sam Murray


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To power the Nikon-NOOR Academy Masterclass applications, we teamed up with our partner Picter, an online platform hosting contests, call for applications as well as tools for professional image-makers simply their workflow.

NOOR dedicates September to our Environment

For more than a decade, NOOR Authors have documented our growing climate crisis caused by fossil fuel production and material consumption along with the political forces enabling this planetary catastrophe. Through our work we have also pointed to solutions to help ensure sustainable human presence on this planet. The need for action is urgent.

As world leaders meet in New York City next month and climate actions are planned world wide, we will dedicate the month of September to sharing stories on the environment from our archive and works in progress. Please follow these stories on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

We encourage our media partners, researchers, and our community to do the same.

Nikon-NOOR Academy | Applications open for the 2019 Masterclasses in Austria and Spain

Nikon Europe and the NOOR Foundation are delighted to announce that applications for the 2019 series of Nikon-NOOR Academy Masterclass in Spain and Austria are now open!

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The Nikon-NOOR Academy Masterclass in Vienna, Austria, will take place from October 14 to October 17, and the Nikon-NOOR Academy in Barcelona, Spain from November 11 to November 14.

During each of the four-day trainings, 15 selected participants will work together with three NOOR authors as their tutors, to share experiences, work on portfolios, improve editing skills and learn how to create more impactful visual stories. 

NOOR and the NOOR Foundation are committed to encouraging aspiring photojournalists and documentary photographers. Masterclasses are provided free of charge for all participants, made possible with the continued support of Nikon Europe.

Nikon-NOOR Academy Masterclass in Zurich © Jon Lowenstein / NOOR

Nikon-NOOR Academy Masterclass in Zurich © Jon Lowenstein / NOOR

All masterclasses are open to young and emerging visual storytellers from all nationalities and locations within Europe.  We highly encourage visual storytellers from Austria and Spain to apply to their local country’s masterclass. There are no age restrictions, however the masterclass is more suited for emerging photographers at a early/mid career stage. Applicants are required a basic knowledge of English as the masterclass will take place in English. To apply to the Nikon-NOOR Academy, please apply through our Picter Call For Applications page (links below).


Please contact us at education@noorimages.com for any questions regarding the masterclass or to promote the Nikon-NOOR Academy.


Location: Vienna, Austria
Fee: Free of Charge
Tutors: Sanne De Wilde, Pep Bonet, and Andrea Bruce
Dates: 14 - 17 October 2019
Deadline to apply: Sunday, September 8th 2019, 23:59 CET


Location: Barcelona, Spain
Fee: Free of Charge
Tutors: Tanya Habjouqa, Sebastian Liste and Jon Lowenstein
Dates: 11 - 14 November 2019
Deadline to apply: Sunday, September 8th 2019, 23:59 CET


 
 

To power the Nikon-NOOR Academy Masterclass applications, we teamed up with our partner Picter, an online platform hosting contests, call for applications as well as tools for professional image-makers simply their workflow. Find out more about their platform here.