Your eyes are your first and most important lens.

Hello, I'm Mais.

People & Moments — that's what my passion for photography is all about.

For me, taking photographs is about making genuine human connections. I enjoy interacting with people, and my camera becomes a tool — a way to capture their emotions while also expressing something of my own.

I love looking for natural and spontaneous moments. When I'm photographing an event, I'm not only watching what is happening at the centre of it. I'm also looking at the audience, the atmosphere, the setup and all the little interactions that make the event what it is.

I'm always hunting for that right moment — something genuine that might only last for a second.

Where it all started

My relationship with photography started early, growing up in Damascus.

My father was a director of photography, and I remember watching his passion for his work. One of my strongest memories is the day he transformed the guest bathroom in our Damascus apartment into a darkroom.

Looking back, that was a milestone in my life.

My dad became my toughest and most insightful photography coach. Through him, photography slowly became part of who I am, and in 2006 I started working professionally as a photographer.

Another important moment came when I was working for SOS Children's Villages in Syria and was asked to photograph the children. That experience stayed with me and strengthened my connection with photography and with people.

A new chapter

In 2017, I moved to the Netherlands.

The war in Syria had driven me away from my home and from many people I loved. But I brought my photography with me.

Photography became a wonderful way to connect with people and with the new environment I found myself in. It helped me discover, meet and connect with people in a new place, and in its own way became part of my journey of integration.

Today, I continue my photographic journey from Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, near Amsterdam.

I photograph cultural and corporate events, music events and portraits for companies and individuals. I also enjoy working with families, NGOs, cultural institutions and private clients.

What photography means to me

I don't think photography is only about having a good camera or knowing the right settings.

For me, it starts with looking.

Your eyes are your first and most important lens. The camera is how you translate what you see into a photograph.

That's also why I enjoy sharing photography with children. I see learning photography a little like learning to write: first you learn the letters and how to hold the pen. With photography, you learn to look, to understand what catches your attention, and then to use the camera to express what you see.

Whether I'm photographing an event, a portrait or a moment in everyday life, I want my photographs to create a connection.

I want people to feel something when they look at them — to connect with the emotions and feelings in the moment.

That is what photography continues to be for me.

People & Moments.