Urgently seeking an American photographer to shoot a wedding in Cairo!

Jenn Arkell

CALLING ALL AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHERS (ideally based on the east coast or in the southern USA)... I am an American living in London and my British friend is getting hitched on 25 September of this year in Cairo (she is half Egyptian).  She has a reportage style in mind for her photography, but as Egypt is a little behind the times in many ways, ALL of the top Egyptian wedding photographers she has been to see have portfolios that look like they're from the 80s - very posed and formal, very camp!  She is looking for the exact opposite and is therefore willing to fly a photographer to and from Cairo (on dates of their choosing so if they wish to extend their stay they can) to shoot her Saturday wedding.  She will also pay for two nights of accommodation in the city.  In return, she would like a full day of wedding photography and a CD of polished, print-ready, finished images of her wedding day.  If there are any photographers who would love to visit Cairo and capture a completely unique wedding, with genuinely beautiful couple (message me for photos of Fred & Sherifa) in a stunning Egyptian venue, please message me!  The bride's plea is below:With the groom being half Swedish and half Venezuelan (but brought up in Portugal) and myself an Egyptian/Ukrainian hybrid (but born and brought up in the UK) it was certain that there was always going to be an international vibe to our wedding.  We wanted to have an East meets West type affair where we could pick and choose the best bits of all worlds.  Cairo, which is still home to most of my family and is where I spent all my summers when I was a child, seemed like the perfect destination. So we are hoping to mix what we feel are the best bits of a western wedding (the white dress, the flowers, the embarrassing best man speech etc) with some distinctly Egyptian touches.  Our venue is a palm-filled garden on the banks of the Nile and I am having a traditional “Zaffa” which is where the bride is led to her groom by a bellydancer and a small troupe of musicians. We are having a Bedouin chill out tent filled with shisha’s and cushions for post dinner relaxation and of course, the most important part of any Arab wedding, dinner under the stars and a truly vast quantity of food!    We are keeping things simple but elegant as the outdoor venue does not need much decorating and incorporating local touches like handblown glass on the tables and papyrus place settings.  The day kicks off at 5/5.30pm at the Garden, where we will have a short ceremony followed by drinks, dinner and dancing.In terms of sourcing vendors for the day we are keeping everything local, the one exception being the photographer.  Wedding photography in Egypt is not a priority for most brides and consequently the standard of the photography is very low.  Their style is uniformly very posed and soft focus, and the resulting photos are of a very uncomfortable stiff looking couple in photos that do not capture any of the joy or fun of the occasion.  Photographs are very important to us and we want to have a record that captures the mood of the day, with reportage style photography (alongside a few formal shots to keep the families happy!) and this is something that we are simply not able to get in Cairo.One of the main reasons we have chosen Cairo for our wedding is because it is a place that I have always wanted to showcase to my friends, it really is an exceptional destination. Not discounting the must see attractions such as the Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza (30mins taxi ride from central Cairo), there is so much else to see and do; Islamic old Cairo is packed with some of the most beautiful and ancient mosques in the world (my personal favourite is Ibn Touloun mosque which I believe is one of the most photogenic places on the planet, as is Gayer Anderson house next door where The Spy Who Loved Me was filmed).  Ditto Coptic Cairo for ancient churches and monasteries.  The Citadel, the City of the Dead, the incredible bazaar of Khan El Khalili are all must see’s.  Take a look at www.edlund.and.smiyan.co.uk/" target="_blank">www.edlund.and.smiyan.co.uk and tab to “Cairo and Beyond” for some of our favourite places to visit.  I have also attached a few photos that we have taken on our trips to Cairo over the years.Once in Cairo, eating, drinking and getting around is very cheap.  Cairo caters very well for tourists and there are numerous hotels at all price ranges. The Metro is remarkably efficient (although most tourists take cabs as they are numerous and cheap), though I would recommend walking around, there is something interesting around most corners!

violingirl1993

I would recommendwww.threedaughtersandawedding.com/">Three Daughters and a Wedding for the photographer. This photographer is really amazing and really understands how your wedding day should be.  He is based in North Carolina, but willing to travel anywhere.

(from his website.)
"It's your wedding day, one of joy, laughter, tears and realizing dreams come true! A celebration you want to remember forever. And since no two brides are alike and each and every wedding is special, we will endeavor to create a photographic journey that is custom to you and your unique celebration. We customize each wedding for your vision and interests for your unbelievable day. If you are like my daughters- yes three, hey, even my four sons, you have dreamed of this day since you were a little girl (or boy.) Let's talk about your wedding plans and begin the creative process together!"

kwynn

I'm not saying this is a scam, but are your friends aware of the legal implications of taking a photographer to a foreign country and paying for their services?

Add in to the fact that the couple is not American citizens (from what I gather from your post) and this gets infinitely more complicated.

Look for photographers that specialize in international travel.

What is your budget?

Your friends should book very quickly because securing a work permit/visa can take awhile. I am not at all familiar with Egyptian law, but most countries do not take kindly to work being imported that could be done by a local citizen.

Why not take a British photographer if your friend is living in London?

Upon further reading, I see that your friend is seeking to not pay the photographer, correct? Simply pay for accommodations and then receive photos in return? Make sure that the contract stipulates that the photographer is acting as a guest and not a paid professional to avoid running afoul of local laws.

Check out this amazing Egyptian photog:

http://www.kaldasianarts.com/blog/

HTH!

Jenn Arkell

No, this is really not a scam!!  She is also looking within the UK to possibly source a photographer, but as most Brits have been on holiday to Egypt in some capacity, it isn't such a draw for them and she simply can't afford to pay for flights, accommodation and a British photographer's fees - but can afford to fly a photographer internationally from the USA.  Fred (my friend's other half) is a lawyer here in London and Sherifa is Egyptian & very aware of Egyptian law (or lack thereof) - the contract would be very carefully worded to state that round trip airfare and accommodation would be paid for in full.  The Egyptian photographer you recommended above looks brilliant, but I can't see his costs?  I will email him as well as the photographer from North Carolina.  Thank you so much for your help and keep the recommendations coming!  Any up-and-coming photographers out there who are interested? 

dcnzwedding

I know what you mean with all this photographers. I have seen like 5 of them with big names but they have like 10 freelancer working for them and i dont like that.


One of the photographers in NYC to see in my list is from Venezuela, her name is elena henry ( www.elenahenry.com).

I dont know if she is available but visit her website and contact her. her number is (212) 833-5320

irisleaf

I highly recommend Iris Leaf Photography, check out there work at www.irisleafphotography.moonfruit.com

They are reasonably priced and they might be willing to cut you a deal since you are flying them to Ciaro.

Check them out!

Tikki 77

I may be interested. In general, it sounds great.  I would of course need to look into things deeply.
  My website is www.ShaneIrwinPhotography.com

You can contact me through my site if you like my style. I'm located in Nashville, TN.  I have a valid passport and spent 4 months traveling overseas in '09.  (Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia, and Hawaii.

sdump1

@tmccabe13.

you been advertising about kmdcreations on all of your posts. One would think you are kmdcreations themselves.  A vendor posing as a bride is just sad not to mention not allowed.

http://www.theknot.com/profiles/tmccabe13/community/forumposts/Index

morainemom

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_photos-video_urgently-seeking-american-photographer-shoot-wedding-cairo?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:30Discussion:510610c8-9a30-416f-988b-4f7df400690fPost:8f4d70ae-c958-4d9f-a059-48247b664e54">Re: Urgently seeking an American photographer to shoot a wedding in Cairo!</a>:
[QUOTE]A super cool company that travels internationally is kmdcreations.  The most beautiful photos i've ever seen.  We loved them!  Good luck with everything!
Posted by tmccabe13[/QUOTE]

Were we looking at the same photos?  Because I definitely was NOT impressed with the overexposed, overpriced photos from the site you listed on a previous post.

You have 19 posts and they are ALL about kmdcreations.  I smell a vendor...

Punk*Mommy

I am telling you that this is a scam, people. I've seen a million and one emails just like this.