Waleed Shah
Photographer | Creative Thinker | Entrepreneur
Hi there. So you’ve made it this far and want to know a little about me. You’re probably expecting some really well-thought-out tagline about how I can bring your vision to life at a reasonable budget, right? Well, that doesn’t do much, so let me tell you my story.
I live in the United Arab Emirates, born and raised here actually. The first thing everyone asks is usually where I’m from and I never answer that on our first date. I might tell you over a cup of coffee later though. I’m a Chemical Engineer by education, started my career working in the oil industry, and slowly discovered my love for photography. I’ve had the opportunity to work with the finest establishments in the industry, talented local artists and international legends passing through the UAE, and some of the coolest brands out there. I hate to name drop in conversation so there’s a client list on my home page. My journey got recognized by Fujifilm Middle East and I am honored to call myself an Official Fuji-X-Photographer.
I’ve started a series titled “Rock Your Ugly – A middle finger to toxic beauty standards”, which explores the intersection between physical and mental health through a series of portraits and stories. The series is now a globally published book. After that, I went on to make fun of societal norms with a project titled “Magazine Cover“. I then went on to shoot portraits of freelancers and entrepreneurs to help them navigate the economic downturn post-COVID Pandemic under a project titled “Mowjood“. This work with real people and their stories landed me a Ted Talk titled “Toxic Beauty Standards”.
Lately, I’ve entered the Crypto and NFT space. It’s been a journey of knowledge gaining and sharing and I’ve made it part of my ethos to educate my community on the importance of blockchain. I’ve started interviewing notable people in the space through a project called FRENS which is minted on Etheruem and have started an art project called We Breathe which speaks about using bodies in the commercial world.
That’s me in a nutshell. I do urge you to get in touch with me regardless of how big or small your project is or even if you’ve just got an idea that you want to kick around. I’d love to talk.
Phone: +971 50 6142063
Email: waleed@waleedshah.ae
Availability
Work With Me
EXHIBITIONS
09/22 We Breathe – MONOLITH Gallery – Online
09/22 We Breathe – OasisX – NFT LB – Beirut
09/22 Magazine Cover – NFT Arabia – Cairo
09/22 We Breathe – Thorium Gallery – Spatial Metaverse
06/22 Magazine Cover – Off NFT NYC – Spatial Metaverse
06/22 Magazine Cover – FAM3 NYC – New York City
02/22 Magazine Cover – Metacon – Dubai
11/21 Mowjood – Moto – Dubai
10/20 Mowjood – One life – Dubai
09/19 Rock Your Ugly – Moto – Dubai
02/19 Rock Your Ugly – One Life – Dubai
PRESS
These are general interviews. For project-specific ones got to Rock Your Ugly, Mowjood, or Magazine Cover.
TEDx
Lovin’ Dubai
Bucke Up with Big Hass
The Human Condition Round 2
The Human Condition with Dia Hassan
RESET talks with Omar Al Duri
The Fujifilm GFX100s
Podcast with CREATE
Emma Brain on Vuuzle
Kun: The Journey to BE with Reem Shaheen
Beauty Unlocked
The Load In
Millenial Mirrors
The Dukkan Show
TESTIMONIALS
Working with Waleed is always a great experience. He has a lot of knowledge about natural light, and his use of locations is examplar. But most importantly, he is not afraid of trying new things. We always share ideas, methods, and work together towards getting a better result. There is no bad weather with him. He is always up for a new challenge.
Thiago Neves
Creative Lead – OneTeam FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automotive)
It was great working with Waleed. He was able to connect with the subject and reflect the emotions of the moment through his creative photography.
YAS ISLAND
Marketing Team
Waleed is a photographer who understands the requirements of the brand but adds his creativity to it and fully dedicates himself to the job. Very professional, fun and easy to work with and 100% reliable.
Karen Weibrecht
Audi Middle East
Working with Waleed Shah has been nothing but PROFESSIONAL. I believe booking a photographer like Waleed who for sure will give you great results but I think what makes him unique is his ability to “UNDERSTAND” your event, your conference, your project and be able to snap those pictures based on that which automatically leads to amazing results. His ability to snap a “moment” , a “Vibe” is so important and I think this is why he’s one of the best photographers in the region, not to mention his “SUPER FAST” delivery that is “On the spot”. Very easy to work with, professional and over-all a kick ass dude! Thank You
Hassane “Big Hass” Dennaoui
Radio Host/Blogger/Host of Buckle Up Show
Waleed Shah is the best performance photographer in the business!
SHARON LEVY
Living Performing Arts Producer and Presenter – New York City
Been booking Waleed for over a year and a half for all our weekly events at Stereo Arcade. He’s by the far the most professional photographer we ever worked with. The photos he takes are just unbelievable. He’s talented, always on time and great fun to work with.
SAMANTHA HAMADEH
Marketing Manager – Stereo Arcade
House of comms would like to extend it’s appreciation to Waleed for the excellent and professional service we received whilst shooting the Emarat Brand campaign. It was a great collaborative journey and his passion and creativity were fantastic. Overall, it was a great experience and we would highly recommend Waleed for his skills and flexibility.
Carl Geriner
House of Comms
Waleed is one of the first names I reach out to when we have job which needs creativity, passion and professionalism. He’s a pleasure to work with and we can trust the results
SHAUN WARNER
Red Bull
Had an amazing experience working with Waleed. He is talented, hard-working and most importantly extremely communicative and reliable. 5 stars!
BENJAMIN VON WONG
Internation Epic Photographer
Waleed’s work ethic is commendable. Being able to shoot and deliver every other day is insane.
Aqib Anwar
Photographer @gibsterg
Waleed you are an awesome person in many many ways! It’s just amazing how many people you inspire and along with it your so grounded, focused, fun and so professional!
Lisa Lazarus
MA Models
Waleed makes the camera sing. Watching him do his work is poetry in motion. He has captured me in the most compromising situations while holding onto great composition, lighting and sharpness. He has the eye of Sauron, that sees things that our regular vision will never be able to grasp. A king in his own right, who can capture portraits, concerts, products, landscapes, you name it, with great style and effortlessness.
ZAIN KHAN FOUNDER
Sound Gaarden
Your lifestyle pictures captured the electric atmosphere at our reception for our Special Olympians and their Families. The athletes enjoyment was palpable and the highpoints of the evening were all featured. We also appreciate your dedication to providing a quick turnaround for the final products. Finally, may we thank you for the easy and regular communication in the weeks leading up to our event. Thanks to your excellent work, both our staff and our guests had a memorable night. We will not hesitate to recommend you or to consider using your services for our future events.
Masud Husain
Embassador of Canada to the UAE
Working with Waleed was an absolute pleasure. So easy, so fun, and the images came out so beautifully. Thank you for making our vision come to life in such a magical way.
Emaan Abbas
Founder – Ketish: A HUDA BEAUTY Company
Waleed Shah’s photography captures the spirit of performances at The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi with the eye of a true artist. His work goes far beyond merely documenting the event, and brings a unique artistic perspective that results in iconic images
BILL BRAGIN
Executive Artistic Director – New York University Abu Dhabi
I had the pleasure of being photographed by this gentleman a few times during the the times I’ve performed here in Dubai. I use the word “pleasure” because Waleed has an unusual knack for capturing the true nature of his subject while somehow knowing what the subject wants to see in him/herself in a photograph. Such talent is not only attributed to mere intuition. It is a gift and a clear sign of self/general awareness; a quality that I find is paramount to the success and well being of any human being on this earth.
JAY ABO
Singer/Songwriter
Waleed Shah’s photography is more than outstanding. He has worked with us at some of the biggest events in the region, and the quality he delivers deserves high praise, and is why we only use his services for all of our performances.
GARY TIERNEY
Managing Director – The Boxtones
Waleed’s attention to detail is second to none, but perhaps more impressive is his ability to fully embody a project. He is frighteningly creative, and has a unique ability to bring out the best in whatever he points his lens towards.
Hasan Malik
Singer/Songwriter