Career
After completing photography courses in the United States, he held his first photo exhibition titled "Visit with People Around Us" at Tehran University in 1976. A few years later he became employed by Paris based Sigma Photo News Agency and worked for them for four years. In 1980 he was ranked one of the "15 Best Photographers of the Year" by Time Magazine, and his photos could be seen in French, German, and American magazines.
Kalari moved back to Iran and from 1982 to 1984 worked as the supervisor of the Tehran National television Photography Unit and taught photojournalism at Tehran University as a guest professor
He has shot more than 65 films since then including some of the most critically acclaimed and talked about movies in Iran and internationally. Kalari directorial debut is Abr-O Aftaab (1997) on which he was also the writer and cinematographer.
Kalari was selected as a Jury Panelist for Poland Film Festival both in 1999 and 2000. In 2001, Nant Festival in Paris held a tribute to his work as a photographer and exhibited his photographs.
Later, a gallery of his photos shot during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 was opened to the public, and a photo book of his work from that era was published.
Kalari has had workshops in different cities of Iran and teaches cinematography as he continues to shoot.
