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Irene Abdou brings over ten years of international experience photographing people and places with a photojournalistic, yet artistic and creative, style. While originally from Maryland, she lived overseas in Africa for more than five years, where her passion for photography bloomed. Her first foray into a developing country was in the 1990s as a Peace Corps Volunteer. She lived in a small village and later a small town in the West African country of Niger for 3 1/2 years (learning two West African languages in the process, adding to her existing French and English)...it was an eye-opening experience that she was constantly moved to capture through photography. Since then, she has photographed sixteen countries in Africa and Asia, recently returning from two years in war-torn South Sudan, where she and her husband lived in a tent for the entire two years.

Irene's travel and documentary photography reflect her personal growth and experiences living and working for the past twelve years in some of the poorest countries in the world. She has lived without electricity or running water - or even a telephone - in countries where 1 in 4 children die before the age of 5. Yet, these are people, who, despite the hardships they endure day after day, remain proud and passionate about their country and culture. Through her Africa travel photography, she aims to photograph the passion, beauty, and spirit of the African people…and the soul of the African continent...and in the process, to demonstrate that, despite our geographic and cultural differences, people all over the world share the same hope…the hope for a better tomorrow.

Irene also enjoys portrait, event, and wedding photography. While this may seem very different from her travel work, her documentary style and ability to capture personalities and emotions connect the two. And while special moments may be fleeting, Irene loves how she can help to preserve these memories for generations to come. In fact, photography is the perfect job for her because, while hard work, her devotion to photography and quest for the ever-more-perfect picture are never-ending.

If you asked Irene four things about herself, she would say that:

• She is experienced at getting the job done on time, on budget, and in keeping with your photographic vision. She is thorough and dedicated to capturing the finest details of your special day.
• She is flexible to telling your story the way that you want it told, within the realm of her documentary style.
• She is committed to quality. It’s not enough for her to take a photo and print it. She devotes significant time and energy to both post-processing and printing of images, in order to ensure the highest final image and print quality. She will not give you images that are not the best they can be.
• She makes photos that vibrate with energy. She makes pictures that burst with passion. She makes images that explode with emotion. She makes photos with soul.

Not satisfied with limiting herself to people portraits, Irene has also accumulated a large collection of wildlife,architecture, nature, and macro photography images. The truth of the matter is that no matter the circumstances, Irene looks everywhere for potential photographic art opportunities.

Not surprisingly, Irene’s photography has been recognized and/or published by the Reuters news agency, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, EOS Magazine, Parish Gallery in Georgetown, Gallery Serengeti, the Metropolitan Center of the Visual Arts, the Washington School of Photography, and several international health organizations. Irene was recently named as a selected artist in Agora Gallery, New York's 2008 Chelsea International Fine Art Competition. Described as strikingly beautiful, haunting, thought-provoking, and having "the eye that makes the ordinary simply extraordinary," Irene demonstrates a special talent for capturing the spirit of humanity and the essence of our world.

Irene's current kit includes a Canon EOS 5D and EOS 30D, with Canon 24-105mm IS, 18-55mm, 70-300mm IS, 15mm fisheye, and 100mm macro lenses. While she started out shooting film in 1995, she switched exclusively to digital in 2005. She usually shoots in the RAW format, in order to ensure the best possible photographic quality. She does all pre-print post-processing herself with loving care in her digital darkroom, using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to process the RAW files, Adobe Photoshop CS2 for editing, and Photomatrix for high dynamic range (HDR) imaging and tone mapping.

A member of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), and the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), Irene is available for portrait photography and wedding photography services, as well as corporate photography, event photography, and assignment photography in Africa, Asia, and all over the world.