We asked Egyptian photographer El-Sayed El-Saadany, our Contributor of the Month, about his artistic journey in the world of photography. He said:
"My name is El-Sayed El-Metwally El-Saadany, I’m 25 years old، from Gharbia Governorate. I graduated from Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Arabic Language. My photography journey began in 2023 when I started taking pictures of my friends at university using my phone. That’s when I began learning the basics of photography online.
In the beginning, I photographed everything، architecture, street scenes, nature, and products، until I discovered my true passion in street and documentary photography. In 2024, I got my first camera and I’m still learning to this day.
I was awarded third place in the Zayed Award for Creativity, fourth place in the Journalists’ Syndicate competition in the university students’ category in 2024, and third place in the Life Street competition in the photo story category in 2025.
El-Sayed El-Saadany has a deep passion for documentary photography a passion that clearly shines through in the images he shares, each one reflecting time, effort, and identity.
In the village of "Oshiem" in Fayoum Governorate one of the few places that still preserve their ancient handmade crafts and continue to live in their echo he captured a powerful scene: a local pottery maker carrying a clay jar on his shoulder. This frame, as seen through the eyes of a photographer, holds more than just an image it carries a message.
The jar, formed from clay and shaped into art, becomes a symbol of heritage passed down through generations. Behind the young man stands an old, crumbling pottery kiln a silent witness to a bygone era. In contrast, the presence of movement in the image the youth, the action symbolizes continuity and resilience, a quiet determination to keep ancestral crafts alive.
To El-Saadany, this frame speaks of places untouched by the noise of the city, places that still strive to protect their identity, heritage, and cultural memory, even as time pushes them toward decay and disappearance.
He sees his photograph not merely as a documentary image, but as a living testimony a visual tribute to daily struggle, to the beauty of simplicity that we often overlook in the rush of everyday life. It is through the lens that such moments are preserved, allowing us to pause and truly see.
"My name is El-Sayed El-Metwally El-Saadany, I’m 25 years old، from Gharbia Governorate. I graduated from Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Arabic Language. My photography journey began in 2023 when I started taking pictures of my friends at university using my phone. That’s when I began learning the basics of photography online.
In the beginning, I photographed everything، architecture, street scenes, nature, and products، until I discovered my true passion in street and documentary photography. In 2024, I got my first camera and I’m still learning to this day.
I was awarded third place in the Zayed Award for Creativity, fourth place in the Journalists’ Syndicate competition in the university students’ category in 2024, and third place in the Life Street competition in the photo story category in 2025.
El-Sayed El-Saadany has a deep passion for documentary photography a passion that clearly shines through in the images he shares, each one reflecting time, effort, and identity.
In the village of "Oshiem" in Fayoum Governorate one of the few places that still preserve their ancient handmade crafts and continue to live in their echo he captured a powerful scene: a local pottery maker carrying a clay jar on his shoulder. This frame, as seen through the eyes of a photographer, holds more than just an image it carries a message.
The jar, formed from clay and shaped into art, becomes a symbol of heritage passed down through generations. Behind the young man stands an old, crumbling pottery kiln a silent witness to a bygone era. In contrast, the presence of movement in the image the youth, the action symbolizes continuity and resilience, a quiet determination to keep ancestral crafts alive.
To El-Saadany, this frame speaks of places untouched by the noise of the city, places that still strive to protect their identity, heritage, and cultural memory, even as time pushes them toward decay and disappearance.
He sees his photograph not merely as a documentary image, but as a living testimony a visual tribute to daily struggle, to the beauty of simplicity that we often overlook in the rush of everyday life. It is through the lens that such moments are preserved, allowing us to pause and truly see.
