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Waleed Shah Studio

@waleedshahstudio

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Photography by @waleedshah
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Art disguised as a magazine cover 🔖.

Magazine Cover ~
Photography by @waleedshah

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Sharing a live recording of a music set that was created for an evening exploring the Papyrus of Ani. www.SoundCloud.com/bakharosami/the-temple-of-ani-live-set

Rather than approaching it as a concert, I approached it as a temple.

The set follows the architecture of an ancient Egyptian temple—not musically, but experientially.

As you move through it, you symbolically walk through four spaces:

OUTER COURT

You arrive carrying the noise of the day, your thoughts, expectations, memories, plans. This is the world outside.

HYPOSTYLE HALL

The music becomes spacious and contemplative. In the temples this was a place of purification. Let this be a moment to return to your breath and allow the mind to settle into the present.

HOLY

The rhythm begins.

This is the place of offering.

Your offering doesn’t need to be ceremonial—it can simply be your full presence. Dance. Write. Paint. Sit quietly. Close your eyes. Whatever arises naturally, let it become your offering.

HOLY OF HOLIES

The final movement.

The pulse softens.

The music becomes heavier, slower, almost architectural.

If you’ve walked with intention, perhaps this becomes a place of stillness, clarity, or simply deep listening.

The final piece is Black Moon, from our album The Book Of.

May it receive you gently.

I wish you a beautiful journey.

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It was so nice to look at the open kitchen at @taparellerestaurant last night and see the @nyuadartscenter book positioned beautifully on the top shelf.

(Want a copy? Become a member)

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Waleed Shah (@waleedshah) is a UAE-based Fujifilm X-Photographer, visual storyteller, and educator whose work explores identity, human connection, and the stories that shape us. Known for his striking portraiture and thoughtful long-term projects, he uses photography as a tool for conversation, reflection, and social impact.⁠
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Born and raised in the UAE, Waleed began his professional journey as a Chemical Engineer before following his passion for photography. Since then, he has worked with leading brands, cultural institutions, local creatives, and international artists, earning recognition as an Official Fujifilm X-Photographer for the Middle East.⁠
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His acclaimed project Rock Your Ugly challenged toxic beauty standards through a series of powerful portraits and personal stories, later becoming a globally published book. Through subsequent projects including Magazine Cover and Mowjood, Waleed continued to spotlight real people and question societal norms, work that ultimately led to his TED Talk, Toxic Beauty Standards.⁠
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Today, Waleed continues to push the boundaries of storytelling across photography, emerging technologies, and community-driven projects, always returning to the people and narratives at the heart of his work.⁠
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You can view his work at the inaugural “Made You Look!” exhibition at Gulf Photo Plus (@gulfphotoplus), featuring UAE-based Fujifilm X-Photographers and Creators whose images stop you in your tracks.⁠
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Alongside participating artists:⁠
Altamash Javed (@aljvd) · Amin Idris (@amin.idri1s) · Beno Saradzic (@benosaradzic) · Bjorn Moerman (@bjornmoerman) · Catalin Marin (@momentaryawe) · Natalie Naccache (@natnacphotos) · Nino Bacalso (@mrjbacalso) · Ola Allouz (@olaallouz) · Preet Uday (@visualsbypreet) · Stephan Geyer (@stephangeyer) · Vartan Kelechian (@vartankelechian) · Waleed Shah (@waleedshah)⁠
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On view at Warehouse 36, @gulfphotoplus, @alserkalavenue 📸

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I’ve often struggled with being bold, worried about what others might think. I’ve often shrunk my full self and energy either thinking it’s not yet good enough whilst awaiting perfection..or worried about intimidating others! I’ve often got lost in the noises of my head and my own mental loops➰ unable to clearly hear how the different sides of me are calling to be expressed.

And since Oct 7, 2023 the fire of creative self expression has dimmed out within me..yet this is a huge part of who I am…my existence and mental resistance. Ana Mawjoodeh🔥

✨I wanted this moment to be a catalyst that lights that fire within and let me tell you it wasn’t easy. From letting go of inhibitions and performance..to finding myself stuck in loops within loops of seeking validation and peer pressure..to dealing with self acceptance to finally getting back to the challenge of hearing my voice and what I truly want amongst the clutter..that boiled down to just listening to my heart and being in that silence.

Thank you Waleed for this beautiful journey and the reminder that not all trips give us flowers and roses and it’s those kinda trips that teach us the exact lessons we need to remember for life. And now I have powerful visuals to cement that! 🙏

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The story behind these vests.
.

My name is Nada, the founder of Turath Boutique. We’re creating a place where unique, fashionable, and wearable traditional pieces from around the world can be appreciated and loved. Only the highest-quality handmade treasures, crafted with detail and love.
.

These vests found me in the middle of an Iranian exhibition in September 2025. I met the sweetest designer from Iran, who makes all of these pieces herself. I found myself buying one and wearing it on the spot. Many of my friends asked me where I got it from.

Then an opportunity came through @thesamafestival , where @nadine_trad gave me her last stall at the festival. I had only three weeks to get the vests to the event.

Allah is the Best of Planners.

I spoke to the designer (she doesn’t speak a word of English, and I don’t know Farsi), but thanks to ChatGPT’s translation abilities, we were able to do business. I sent everything upfront, not knowing for sure if she would come through, but I trusted her and the sincerity in her eyes when we met. The stock arrived one day before the event.
.

I asked my friend @waleedshahstudio and my yogiiii friend @yoginillotus to prepare themselves for a photoshoot. I told them it might happen—it might not—but I’d pay for their time regardless. We booked the shoot a day before the event and created this page on the day of the event itself.

SubhanAllah, I was merely a participant.

You see, these vests are magical, and the whole experience taught me to believe in the goodness of others, especially when art and beauty are involved.

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala is my Savior, and it is He who saves me every time.

Alhamdulillah.

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I arrived to this experience with @waleedshah not expecting anything at all.
Honestly, I was clueless.

But I was excited. Deeply excited.
And I felt strongly that I was about to go through something unfamiliar… something I hadn’t allowed myself to experience in a very long time.

Waleed said something during the shoot that stayed with me:
“This is a story no one will know the details of. People will only see the final result.”

Behind these photographs were tears and laughter.
Awkwardness. Shyness. Stiffness… and then letting go.
There was fear and bravery existing at the same time.
There was intimidation, sadness, anger, vulnerability.

During the process, I was scared. Really scared.
But I also knew I wanted to overcome that fear.

I was rusty.

I wanted to see myself truthfully.
I wanted to meet the real me again.

And somewhere in between the movement, the silence, the discomfort, and the release… layers started falling away.

But healing is strange like that.
Sometimes the layers never fully disappear.
Sometimes they lift temporarily, like bedsheets being pulled away, only to return when the body feels the need to protect itself again.

I stretched a lot during this process.
I felt heaviness sitting on my shoulders.
Then slowly, my body started moving on its own.
And for once, I listened to it. I trusted it.

I remember thinking:
“You feel awkward. You feel exposed. But you’re already here… so let go.”

And somehow, after everything, the realization became so simple.
What we teach our children is often who we truly are.

I teach my daughter to hug herself.
To hold herself gently when life feels heavy.
To come back to herself with softness instead of shame.

And during this experience, I realized that this is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children…
the ability to hold themselves with love.

These photos are not just portraits to me.
They feel like moments of meeting myself again.

Thank you @waleedshah for the quiet kind of presence, for seeing beyond poses. For being patient enough to hold a safe space for all the uncomfortable in-between moments too.

#mawjood #photography #art #motherhood

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There’s a version of survival nobody talks about.

The kind where you leave your country, walk into construction sites filled with hundreds of men, where 50 degree heat is normal and quietly understand that softness will be mistaken for weakness before i even introduce yourself.

So you adapt.. (Read more in comments)

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‎في زاوية هادئة من هذا العالم، عاش إنسان لم يكن يعرف إلى أين يسير.
كل يوم يمر، يشبه الذي قبله، حتى نسي كيف يشعر، وكيف يتنفس.
‎ذات مساء، جلس تحت شجرة قديمة، وسألها:
“لماذا أنا هنا؟”
‎لم تجبه الشجرة، لكنها أسقطت ورقة، سقطت أمامه بهدوء.
رفعها، فتأمل شكلها، خطوطها، مسارها من غصن إلى تراب.
‎حينها فهم.
‎ليس كل جواب يُقال،
وليس كل معنى يُمنح.
بعض المعاني تُكتشف حين تتوقف، وتنظر، وتبدأ بالبحث.
‎منذ ذلك اليوم، لم يعد يبحث عن الطريق...
بل صار هو الطريق.
‎ابحث عن معنى وجودك، لكي تجد لوجودك معنى.

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This photoshoot with Waleed was unexpected. What I thought would just be pictures somehow turned into a journey I didn’t know I needed. There’s something about being in front of a lens that strips everything down, the noise, the pretending, the constant need to be strong for everyone else and for the first time in a while, I looked at myself instead of everything around me. I realized how tired I’ve been from carrying things silently. How much of myself I’ve given away trying to be there for everyone else and how little peace I’ve allowed myself to ask for. But I also saw strength. The kind that survives quietly. The kind that keeps going even when nobody notices how heavy things feel. Maybe choosing yourself isn’t selfish. Maybe asking for peace and quiet isn’t weakness. 
Maybe it’s necessary.
This too shall pass.

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When journaling pain and loss becomes a book, it turns into a journey toward the healing of the soul. Its pages hold reflections between the certainty of the heart and the doubt of the mind. Its cover becomes a vision of hope in the darkest moments. Through the photographer @waleedshah ‘s lens, the soul of the book found its visual voice.

عندما يتحول تدوين الألم والفقد إلى كتاب، فإنه يصبح رحلة نحو شفاء الروح. وتحمل صفحاته تأملات بين يقين القلب وشكّ العقل. أما غلافه، فيغدو رؤيةً للأمل في أكثر اللحظات ظلمة. ومن خلال عدسة المصوّر @waleedshah وجدت روح الكتاب صوتها البصري.

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Since I was a little girl, I was fascinated by the corporate look. Mostly inspired by my older sister Mayss, getting ready for work every morning leaving the house looking like she’s off to rule the world, and a collection of MSN and BBM display pictures of neatly dressed women in skirts and heels. The Devil Wears Prada kind. All carefully saved for the day “I’d be old enough to actually use them”.

Fast forward to 31, and at least a decade into the “professional” world…I still find myself drawn to it. The idea of looking neat, polished, and serious in a photo I can put out into the world.
Curious, considering I spend most of my time on God’s wide open lands of sets, far from anything resembling a corner office.

But a photo, especially one made with a lens you genuinely trust..doesn’t have to be about looking your best, or most professional, or most beautiful. Sometimes it’s about showing the real you, the fun you, the unhinged you. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, you get all of it at once.

Turns out that’s more satisfying than anything my younger self had saved on an SD card.

Result 👆🏽🥂

My name is Sally Mourad, I’m a producer, a creative and operations wizard…and I don’t need to look my best.. I just need to feel my best…to do what I do best.

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