Salma El Zamel is an emerging producer and documentary photographer based in Canada. She draws inspiration from her Egyptian Turkic ethnic heritage and unique upbringing that has been rooted in travel and immigration. She is interested in capturing the exoteric of overlooked activities in daily life and what they reflect of people’s identities and social values.

Salma is particularly interested in the continued colonial experiences of the Global South. As of now, her projects have focused on the performances expressed in sacred and spiritual spaces, and in urban/rural comparisons, and ghettoized communities. She is curious about how aestheticism is expressed in such places and what they tell us about modernization, quality of life, healing, and survival. She conducted fieldwork in Egypt, post the 2011 revolution, Turkey, and Canada.

After receiving her Honours BA in Political Science from McMaster University, Canada, she went on to further her academics while engaging with grassroots and marginalized communities in NGOs. Salma holds an MA degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Ibn Haldun University, Turkey.

Salma’s approach to storytelling is through mixing academic research with visual editing to engage the public and inform. She believes her creative passion stems out of a moral responsibility to inspire thought and action, and raise awareness.

More of her work below.