Photography has the power to capture a fraction of a moment into a lifelong time capsule sealed into a single image. A story that a photographer chooses to tell, to either capture or evoke emotions from a viewer.
We live in a visual world dominated by social platforms to communicate an array of messages that users choose to say about themselves and their lives. The difference of beautiful photography comes in when the right timing, perfect play on colour, and surroundings burst with creativity to tell a complex story from beginning to end through a single shot.
Lebanese photographer Sophia Khalifeh has recently compiled a list of artistic photographers, who she believes are changing the perspective towards female photographers within the region and why their artistic skills are worthy to be on the lookout for.
“As women working in a field not dominated by our gender, we are often ranked within our gender and not as individual artists. When compiling this list, I chose women with strong visual narratives, who have built something that inspires me. I ask: What makes these photographers stand out visually? How do they explore their voices creatively?”
– Sophia Khalifeh
Top 5 artistic photographers in the MENA Region
Hayat Osamah
“What I look for in a subject are things or people that are mirroring something in me in a way. I aim to create a space for people to be vulnerable and to go beyond border and tap into their potential”
Sarah Lasheen
“At this point in my career, I’m inspired by the harmony of colours and exploring what feelings endless colour combinations convey and invoke. I am also inspired by textures and lines – I love to create symmetry and contrast in my work.”
“Finding my voice creatively is the space I give myself to express, but also, the space I give to the person or subject to express themselves/itself. It’s a shared process.
Yasmina Hilal
“I tend to focus on the process rather than the product. My work revolves a lot around making mistakes and finding the beauty in them. All about experimenting and taking my time with finding new ways to create images.”
“My source of inspiration comes from being born and raised in Lebanon, a country that really revolves around uncertainty and constant hardships.”
Mashael Alsaie
“The act of ‘collecting’ has always been a part of my practice- from words to muses, references, memorabilia, and objects. It is also hard to draw a line between my practice and my everyday. A lot exists outside of the images I capture that isn’t necessarily shown, such as writing, drawing, and working with other mediums.”
“Making art is as much research-oriented as it is a self-reflective process for me.”
Sophia Khalifeh
“Connecting to my intuition is one of the most important parts of making my most authentic work. Trusting my gut through a lens, and feeling the energy from my subject at just the right moment to capture is linked to the very essence of me. Learning to believe that your vision is valuable is a big part of allowing your work to grow”.
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