Omnia Arfin
Documentary Photographer
African Photojournalism Database
Toronto, ON, Canada
Omnia Arfin was born in Egypt, grew up in Saudi Arabia, and then emigrated to Canada—a life that has given her the chance to meet people of different cultures and religions, and enhance her desire to tell stories about them. Omnia is concerned about issues related to the beauty and women objectifying in this materialistic world, also the human and social rights.
In 2012, Arfin was selected by Al-Liquindoi photojournalism workshop, Contemporary Image Collective and NOOR Images program, a six-month training opportunity for documentary photographers and photojournalists in Egypt, mentored by Nina Berman, Rula Halawani and Sheryl Mendez. She also was selected by World Press Photo in 2013 for the intensive project ”Stories of Change Beyond the Arab Spring” for North African visual storytellers, mentored by Donald Weber and Magdalena Herrera, which was held in Tunis and Morocco. Her work has published in LENS - The New York Times, Panorama-Mada Masr, Almasry Alyoum Newspaper and Huna Sotak ( Netherland Radio ).
2012 - Press Syndicate – Photojournalists department., 2012 - The 5th photography competition of the EU, 2012 - The8th Sawy Cultural Wheel PhotographyCompetition
- Advertising
- Arts
- Editorial
- Environment
- Interior
- Interview
- Portrait
- Reporting
- Video capture
- Video editing
Differently Enabled
Omnia Arfin
In addition to the normal daily challenges, 12 million people with special needs face difficulties at home, at work, in education, and getting from one place to another.
The national media has the habit of covering the darker aspects of their lives and creating an image that many people, with special needs, tend to resent.
There is a number of organized groups, rallying for their rights and trying to make sure that laws in favor of their rights are actually implemented on the ground. By documenting the lives of different individuals with “disabilities”, Omnia hopes to challenge some of the misconceptions and stereotypes held by the wider community. She explores the positive side of their lives, portraying each person, not as someone with special needs, rather as someone with special abilities.
