About the Authors
Matthew Karanian is a professional photographer, writer, and attorney. He holds law degrees from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC and from McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California, and he practiced law in the US for more than ten years before turning his focus to international work in Armenia and the surrounding region.

Matthew’s photojournalism has been featured in numerous international magazines, including in CNN Traveller (UK), Photo Life (Canada), and Frommer’s Budget Travel (US). He has photographed many high-profile subjects, including President William Clinton and Armenian President Robert Kocharian in the Oval Office of the White House, as well as Vice President Al Gore at the US Department of State. Matthew also served as President Kocharian’s official photographer during the president’s trip to Washington, DC.

Matthew has also served as Director of the Legal Research Center at the American University of Armenia and as Associate Dean of the law program there. Matthew has lectured on Armenian law and politics at venues throughout the US.

Robert Kurkjian is a professional photographer and research scientist. Robert’s photography has been featured in magazines throughout the world, as well as in books and in commercial usage. His photography business, Kurkjian Images, maintains a stock portfolio of images from around the world.

Robert holds a Ph D in geochemistry from the University of California and he has worked for many years as an international environmental consultant, both in Armenia and elsewhere. Robert has also served as Director of the Environmental Conservation and Research Center of the American University of Armenia and as a member of the faculty. Robert has lectured on environmental issues that affect Armenia at conferences and events in the US and in Armenia. He has taught photography to high school students and he has also lectured internationally on ecotourism in Armenia.

The photography and writing of Robert Kurkjian and Matthew Karanian has been featured in the acclaimed photography book Out of Stone, and in the photography-based guidebook Edge of Time: Traveling in Armenia and Karabagh. Their images have also been shown on several PBS-TV documentaries and their work in Armenia has been featured on National Public Radio (NPR). Their photographs also appeared in the First Edition of The Stone Garden Guide: Armenia and Karabagh, which was the Award Finalist for Best Travel Guide in 2005 by the Independent Publishers Association.

Robert and Matthew are principals of the photography and publishing company Stone Garden Productions, and they operate the world’s largest online gallery of Armenian photography at www.ArmenianPhotography.com.