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 herselffalling in love with her surroundings and wanted to capture everything. It was pure, unadulterated joy, andshe quickly noticed she was losing track of time, while at the same time finding her true self.

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.