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Sculptress of Light Irene IreneAbdou com IG ireneabdou FB ireneabdouportraitsweddings 301 892 3789 www IreneAbdou com Clarksburg MD 20871
Irene Abdou Photography SCULPTRESS OF LIGHT 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 er 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 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 ed th ea br I r ai e th me ca be hy ap gr Photo IRENE ABDOU 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 www ireneabdou com
Irene Abdou Photography SCULPTRESS OF LIGHT Irene s Story Continued 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 Dinka cattle camp near Akot South Sudan Three years later in 2010 as Irene operated Photo by Irene Abdou 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 www ireneabdou com
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 because 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 www ireneabdou com
Mission Mission Statement To remind every person that they hold a rare and unique fierceness unlike any other and that it should be celebrated in a portrait legacy they can cherish for generations We help to encapsulate a moment in time when a person s spirit and vitality transcends from inspiration to digital image to tangible artwork Vision Statement A world that sees celebrates and empowers the beauty strength and courage in each and every individual and family one portrait at a time www ireneabdou com
Core Values Integrity We not only pride ourselves in being transparent and forthcoming in every aspect of our studio operations but also hold ourselves to the utmost standards for both our employees and our clients Respect We firmly believe that every person deserves the same level of respect recognition and consideration and therefore hold this as one of our most important core values Every person is equal in deserving a portrait history in being able to decorate their home with love and in leaving a portrait legacy Diversity and Inclusion We wholeheartedly believe that each and every individual holds beauty fierceness and other unique qualities that should be celebrated as that is where the true strength and power of our civilization lies Diversity is the one thing that we all have in common Quality We are committed to providing high quality services products and delivering results in a timely and professional manner In addition we strive for the continuous growth innovation and evolution of our photography techniques as well as work processes Collaboration We maintain at the forefront that the portraits we create are not for us but for YOU From the moment that we first connect we maintain constant and open communication to ensure that your vision your needs and your experience meet your utmost standards Fun What is life without a little fun We want you to enjoy your portrait experience with us Even if this is for something as simple as a single business headshot we always find time for some amazing laughs www ireneabdou com
Meet the Team Irene Abdou Photographer Founder Sculptress of Light Carol Gonzalez Studio Coordinator www ireneabdou com
Featured In Irene began to work professionally as a photographer in 2007 and has taken DC by storm Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center www ireneabdou com
Current Projects 50 OVER 50 FABULOUS Throughout time society has placed women in a box They tell us what we have to look like sound like and even how we should age I don t know about you but we feel cramped in this box and we re breaking free One of the goals of our 50 Over 50 Fabulous Project is to disrupt society and its expectations of what being 50 really means Women 50 are STRONG FIERCE BEAUTIFUL forces of nature and it s time we celebrate that With the 50 over 50 Fabulous Project we want to remind women that it s their unique beauty fearlessness and authenticity that make them so alluring and captivating Each woman has her own inspiring journey and it is an honor to be even a small part of that Each round of the project culminates in an art exhibit celebration featuring one portrait of each woman because they deserve nothing but the best The exhibit gala for the Inaugural Round will take place on July 17 2022 at Blackwall Barn Lodge This event will be something that most women will never experience in their entire lives so we are pulling out all the stops And finally we will also publish a lookbook of the portraits with quotes from the women www ireneabdou com
www ireneabdou com
Current Projects d ue in t n Co CONFIDENT GIRLS EMPOWERED WOMEN Young women start to feel the pressure of society at such an early age Growing into womanhood today comes with its own set of challenges It s never been easy to be a teenager but now we are throwing social media into the mix There s such an enormous pressure to look good fit in and be liked and this is crushing girls self esteem We designed the Confident Girls Empowered Women project to celebrate and embrace the beauty and diversity in these future leaders of the world We want to show these girls that perfect doesn t exist and there isn t such a thing as photogenic When we look through the camera we see resilient fearless and determined young women and we want to help them see that too Our hope is for these girls to take this experience with them and be reminded that they are the only ones that hold the power to control their path in life and that they can confidently do that while embracing their uniqueness Similar to our 50 Over 50 Fabulous Project the Confident Girls Empowered Women project will culminate with one portrait of each teen tween girl being featured in an art exhibit style event along with a printed lookbook www ireneabdou com
Services MATERNITY NEWBORN Bringing life into the world is one of the most beautiful and special moments in a family s life and that s exactly how we treat it We commit to guiding you through every step of the photography process while at the same time capturing the unique vision you dream of Newborn photography sessions are always an adventure and we are so honored to be part of every little one s journey into the world CHILDREN FAMILY We believe that every home deserves to be decorated with love and memories that you will cherish for generations to come Whether you dream of traditional family portraits or envision something completely out of the box we are so excited to bring your vision to life SENIOR PORTRAITS When you think of senior portraits do you remember standing in a giant line in the school gym as you dread sitting on the little wobbly stool Graduating high school is a momentous once in a lifetime occasion and we aim to mark this amazing time the way it was meant to be Every senior that walks through our door gets a personalized experience specifically tailored to who they are These are new adults marching into the world and through our senior portrait sessions we empower them to show their personality to all www ireneabdou com
ore M Services BOUDOIR While boudoir photography is risque it s not about being nude Rather it s about celebrating YOU your beauty sensuality and sexuality Sexuality is multi dimensional and can mean different things to different people and that should be celebrated The goal of our boudoir photography sessions is for you to come out feeling and seeing yourself as the sexy fierce and sensual human being that you are DATING PERSONAL BRANDING In a world where literally everything is digital now first impressions are ever so important Whether it be for an online dating profile or for personal branding our aim for these dating branding photography sessions is to incorporate your personality in an engaging and distinctive way We want you to be able to tell your story so that it captivates your audience just the way you want HEADSHOT MINI MARATHONS We know that you re a busy boss but we also know that you have a need for high quality professional headshots that don t look stuffy Our answer Headshot Mini Marathons Our headshot mini marathons are perfectly designed for the busy boss on the go who also wants to experience a day of glam and feel like the rock star you are The marathons include professional hairstyling and makeup artistry for women multiple wardrobe changes a selection of backdrops and environmental set ups and immediate selection and review of the images Our headshot mini marathons are perfect for when you have your eye on that promotion are changing careers are looking to upgrade your image or simply just want to celebrate you ONLINE PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS FOR BEGINNERS Frustrated in your photography journey We ve got the answer for you Our online photography class for beginners is live Learn how to take creative control of your camera Master the technical fundamentals and develop your artistic eye Your camera might seem as complex as a 747 right now but master the 7 Keys to Extraordinary Photography and skyrocket yourself to the next level Experience the joy of creating such amazing images EVERY TIME you pick up the camera that you can t stop looking at them www ireneabdou com
Let s Connect Interested in working together Get in touch today to discuss the specifics of your project and how Irene Abdou Photography can help IreneAbdouPortraitsWeddings IreneAbdou linkedin com in ireneabdouphotography IreneAbdou com Irene IreneAbdou com 301 892 3789