Artist's Statement
A couple of things you should know about me:
First, I am a hopeless romantic. I don’t care if that movie is predictable, as long as true love prevails! So don’t be surprised if I'm carrying a tissue around for those truly tender moments during my family photography or couple's portrait sessions or for when my client finally sees themselves for the beautiful human they've always been.
Photography is my life. It has been, is, and forever will be my passion. It has taken over my life in the most amazing and incredible way.
I have discovered that creating photographs of people that they love is my superpower!
During my photography journey, I've come to realize how much many people dislike being in front of the camera. I have photographed countless people who initially dreaded being photographed because they believed they weren't photogenic. They are my favorite clients!
I believe every single person can look not just amazing, but STUNNING and FIERCE, all while looking like themselves, and it is my greatest honor to be able to do exactly that for my clients.
I truly believe that each and every person deserves to feel beautiful, empowered, and confident. Every person deserves a portrait history and to be celebrated just for being themselves. Every person deserves to be able to decorate their home with love, and each and every person deserves to leave a legacy that their loved ones can enjoy for many generations to come.
Irene's Story
The first time Irene found herself holding a camera was in Niger, in the heart of Africa, during a Peace Corps volunteer journey that started in 1995. Perhaps instinctively, her father offered to buy her a camera as a going away gift, as she prepared to set off for West Africa. Not understanding what lay before her, she declined the gift - oblivious that this camera would one day be her gateway to creative freedom.
Soon after arriving (and encouraged by the boundless beauty and culture of Niger), however, she changed her mind, and the camera arrived. So while it wasn't exactly love at first sight, Irene quickly found herself unable to put the camera down, and her camera lens soon became a portal - a way to show everyone not just what she saw in front of her, but how she saw the world around her.
Niger was unlike anything Irene had ever seen or experienced before - the colors, the culture... She found herself falling in love with her surroundings and wanted to capture everything. It was pure, unadulterated joy, and she quickly noticed she was losing track of time, while at the same time finding her true self.
Irene returned to Maryland after 3.5 years in the Peace Corps, and continued to work in international development. In 2005, she took a 2-year job in South Sudan, where she would live in a tent. This cultural experience once again precipitated her re-commitment to photography.
Once back home in 2007, Irene noticed that she now saw the world in a new light, literally. She would find herself tilting her head and thinking about the highlights and shadows of a scene. She was learning how to bend light and lines, slowly sculpting and encapsulating moments in time. And within a month after returning, she had launched her photography business.
Three years later in 2010, as Irene operated her photography business on weekends and evenings, while continuing to work in international development during the day... Irene was sitting at her desk job... exhausted and drained when she realized, this wasn't the life she wanted to live. Was this all there was to life? Could she build a life with just her camera? So she got up from her desk and handed in her resignation. Just like that!
She walked out of that office, with a new lease on life and with a wave of relief passing over her as she realized she'd just found her true calling. Photography had given her a sense of purpose and unknowingly had given her life precisely what it needed.
And while the road to owning a business wasn't easy... in fact, as Irene puts it herself, "It was scary!"... she knew she had to keep her head up high and took it one step at a time. Even when Irene was diagnosed with breast cancer some years later, Irene knew it was important to look beyond the bumps and continued to move forward.
Fast forward to 2022, Irene Abdou Photography is now a thriving boutique studio serving Washington DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Alongside her team, Irene now gets to wake up every day doing exactly what she loves... photographing and empowering those around her.
Irene is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Women Business Owners of Montgomery County and current member of the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce.
Also view Irene’s cultural & humanitarian photography and her fine art photography archive.
Irene is an avid racquetball player, ballroom dancer, skiier, and cat lover. She lives with her two cats in Clarksburg, MD.
Irene also operates Irene's Photo Workshops, teaching private photography classes and custom photography workshops for organizations. Her signature beginner's photography class, "The 7 Keys to Extraordinary Photography," is now completely online.
In the Media
My enthusiasm for photography tends to rub off on the people I’m photographing. One of my clients once said that she giggled as she noticed how thrilled I was, and that my happiness was so genuine that it became infectious, helping to create magic in the photographs I created for them.
EXPERIENCE THE PERCOLATING EFFECTS OF MY PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY.
Thank you and next steps...