Lamees Saleh Sharf Eldin is a Cairo-based photographer and visual storyteller whose work explores themes of community, grief, the enduring human spirit in the face of change, and broader social issues in Egypt. She began her career amid the January 25th Revolution in 2011, using photography to express both the visible and invisible scars of social upheaval in her country. With a foundation in psychology and sociology,
she approaches photography as a space for empathy, bearing witness, and social reflection.
Her images are carefully crafted, showing a deep sensitivity to personal artifacts, archival fragments, and the unseen bonds linking people and places. Through her lens, Lamees reveals subtle, often overlooked stories that offer profound insights into identity and community.
In 2022, Sharf Eldin joined the Danish School of Media and Journalism (DMJX) program in Cairo and received the Arab Documentary Photography Program grant from Magnum Foundation, AFAC, and Prince Claus Fund. She was shortlisted for the Contemporary African Photography (CAP) Prize in 2023, exhibited at the 2024 Copenhagen Photo Festival and at the 2025 Lagos Photo Festival.
2026 Tasweer project Award, Qatar, winner.
2024 Joop Swart Masterclass, Nominated.
2023 CAP Prize, International Prize for Contemporary African, shortlisted.
2022 Phmuseum Women Grant, finalist.
2022 Arab Documentary Photography Program, grantee.
2021 DMJX, Danish School of Media and Journalism, grantee.
2014 National Geographic EGYPT, Silver medal, winner.
Awards & Nominations
2025 lagos photo biennale, Nigeria.
2025 Amman Photo Festival, Jordan.
2024 Copenhagen Photo Festival, Denmark.
2023 Fujifilm Egypt, Cairo, Egypt.
2022 Framing Life With DMJX, Cairo, Egypt.
2021 Photopia Cairo Photo Week, Egypt.
2020 El Sawy Culturewheel, Egypt.
2016 Egypt Photo Summit, Egypt.
2015 Tahrir Lounge Exhibition, Egypt.
2014 Egypt Photo Summit, Egypt.
Selected Exhibitions
Talks
2026 Danish school of media and photojournalism (DMJX) workshops in Cairo, Guest speaker.
Documentry films
Photographer
2014 Makahy Ateka, Aljazeera documentary channel.