In Photos: Photographer Captures Stunning Portraits from her Travels Around Egypt

Rania Shereen is an Egyptian photographer who enjoys capturing beautifully constructed photos through her unique perspective, from the rawness of simple Egyptian rural life to the joyous – and oftentimes extravagant – festivities of weddings.

“I don’t exactly know how I got into photography, but I guess I always liked it,” explains Shereen. “In high school, I got my first camera and started exploring with it as a hobby… I have been doing it professionally for the past three years or so.”

Shereen is widely known for her wedding photography, as she seems to perfectly capture the rollercoaster of emotions of both the bride and groom, as well as the attendees. 

The young photographer manages to somehow go beyond the lens, and have her photos reflect the essence and soul of her subjects. This collection of photos Shereen has taken throughout her travels across Egypt are a particularly great portrayal of this ability. 

Shereen herself claims to enjoy portrait photography more than anything else, and she especially gets drawn towards faces that “make [her] look twice,” especially the faces of strangers. 

When it comes to this series of portraits Shereen says, “the farther you are from the capital, the more authentic features you stumble upon.” As is evident in the rigid lines of her subjects’ faces or the mostly stark expressions that seem to carry layers of stories, these everyday Egyptian individuals are as authentic as they come. 

“I really want to do documentary photography and work on a full project highlighting a certain issue, culture, personal stories, etc.,” says Shereen. The depiction of these Egyptians who we don’t often come across in our everyday lives in the capital is a sure way of paving her way to further documenting the varied richness life has to offer.