Soraya Abbas : Vivid Light
An instinctive photographer and insatiable traveler, Soraya Abbas composes her visual universe like a sensitive score, where each image resonates with intimate vibration. Since childhood, she framed the world with her hands, as if to capture fleeting moments a foundational gesture that has continuously guided her gaze. Her work, nourished by influences such as Helen Levitt, Emma Hardy, Vivian Maier, and André Kertész, as well as the timeless elegance of Audrey Hepburn, unfolds at the intersection of humanity and aesthetics.
For her, photography is not merely the art of memory: it is a way to reveal what escapes notice, to question both the absurd and the beautiful, and to give form to the fragility and strength of human beings. She does not seek frozen perfection but a subtle balance between light and shadow, chaos and harmony, sudden brilliance and enduring impression. Her approach is profoundly human: her images vibrate, speaking to the heart before they convince the eye.
Her vision embraces both the intimate and the collective: from moving portraits of her daughters to street scenes captured in India, from iconic obsessions like Steve McCurry’s portrait of Sharbat Gula to the flashes of insight from her own travels, Soraya Abbas explores photography as a space for dialogue between self and world. In an era saturated with images, her work reminds us that the act of photographing remains, above all, a gesture of life.
Instagram : @sorayaabbas
Your first photographic trigger?
Soraya Abbas : When I was little, I used to mime with my hands the act of framing a scene or a landscape to capture the present moment. That never left me.
The image-maker who inspired you?
Soraya Abbas : The photographers Helen Levitt and Emma Hardy, Vivian Maier, Garry Winogrand, André Kertész, and the actress Audrey Hepburn.
The image you would have liked to create if you had been given the chance?
Soraya Abbas : All the world’s heads of state lined up, turned with their backs to the camera. Just to remind them of their mission: humans at the service of humans.
The one that moved you the most?
Soraya Abbas : I won’t be the most objective here… the photos of my two daughters. Unconditionally.
The one that made you the angriest?
Soraya Abbas : The photo taken by Franck Fournier of the little Colombian girl Omayra, dying live before the photographer’s eyes. My anger was tied to the horror of that scene.
A key image in your personal pantheon?
Soraya Abbas : A photo taken in India in 2023, of a mother and her daughter in front of a temple. The colors, the light, the movement, and their bond.
A photographic memory from your childhood?
Soraya Abbas : A photo of a poppy field, taken without a camera—just with my hands—but engraved in my memory.
The image that obsesses you?
Soraya Abbas : Steve McCurry’s portrait of the Afghan girl Sharbat Gula. I would have loved to take that photo and capture that gaze.
What makes a successful image?
Soraya Abbas : From my point of view, a successful image speaks with the heart you feel it, it vibrates. Light or its absence, precision or artistic blur, a perfect balance of harmony and chaos.
The person you would like to photograph if you had the opportunity?
Soraya Abbas : Winona Ryder for her sweet madness. Patti Smith for her humanity.
The photographer you would like—or would have liked—to be portrayed by?
Soraya Abbas : Richard Avedon, Robert Mapplethorpe.
An essential photography book?
Soraya Abbas: The Family of Man by Edward Steichen.
Your childhood camera?
Soraya Abbas : A disposable Kodak with the impatience, the joy, and sometimes the disappointment of discovering the results.
The one you use today?
Soraya Abbas : During the shooting of a feature film this summer, I used a Ricoh GR3 for behind-the-scenes photos. What I loved was its discretion, and the results are truly surprising.
Your favorite drug?
Soraya Abbas : To travel.
The best way for you to disconnect?
Soraya Abbas : Facing the sea, and swimming in it.
What is your personal relationship with images?
Soraya Abbas : I think of them, and then I forget…
What do you see when you look at your reflection in the mirror?
Soraya Abbas : Another me.
Your greatest quality?
Soraya Abbas : My playfulness.
Your last folly?
Soraya Abbas : The next one. I’m still hesitating.
An image to illustrate a new banknote?
Soraya Abbas : An illustrious unknown surrounded by a sun, so that every individual on this planet could have their face on a banknote. The sun would simply remind us how small we are in the immensity of the universe.
What’s your view on social media?
Soraya Abbas : I lived without it, and I could live without it again. It allows me to share my work (Instagram), but it’s time-consuming, which makes it necessary to unplug often.
What is the last photo you took?
Soraya Abbas : Well… a wrap-up photo from the shooting of Berlin Berlin by Olivier Van Hoofstadt (to be released in 2026). And more recently, the Mediterranean Sea…
Color or B&W?
Soraya Abbas : Color—with its shades and gradients. Though I love black and white for portraits.
Daylight or studio light?
Soraya Abbas : Daylight, without hesitation. I love the variations and richness of natural light.
In your view, the most photogenic city?
Soraya Abbas : Paris, of course—I fell in love with it years ago… but also many Italian cities. Siena is magnificent. I still have plenty of cities to discover, and it’s always magical when you experience that encounter with a city—its alleys, its architecture, its sounds, smells, and colors.
If God existed, would you ask Him/Her to pose for you, or would you take a selfie with Him/Her?
Soraya Abbas : I would humbly ask to photograph Him/Her, to capture their gaze so I could dive into it and connect with all of Humanity.
If I could organize your ideal dinner, who would be at the table?
Soraya Abbas : I would love to share this idyllic and impossible moment with: Audrey Hepburn, of course, Cary Grant, George Clooney, Dean Martin, Meryl Streep, Einstein, Gisèle Halimi, Ella Fitzgerald, Patti Smith, David Bowie, Prince, Rachid Taha, France Gall, Olivier Van Hoofstadt, Didier Bourdon, Coluche, Jacques Brel, Benjamin Cléry, Delphine Baril, Fred Testot, and anyone who’d like to join this crazy gathering.
The image that represents for you the current state of the world?
Soraya Abbas : The Raft of the Medusa? Or a photo by Martin Parr on the absurdity of the world.
If you had to start all over again?
Soraya Abbas : I’d try to do better, without doubting myself, but always keeping that freedom of choice.
The final word?
Soraya Abbas : Many. Thank you Carole. Infinitely. Thank you, Life.
