MPB Meets: Portrait & Documentary Photographer Alia Youssef

This week, we speak with award-winning portrait and documentary photographer Alia Youssef. Featured in publications including CBC Arts, VICE News and Elle Canada, Alia Youssef has also collaborated with brands—like Dove and Getty Images—to create work seen by millions of people in locations including Times Square, New York, and Piccadilly Circus, London. Keep reading the full interview to find out more about Alia Youssef’s photography project focussing on Muslim women, as well as her background, influences and camera choices.

MPB: Can you tell us about your background in photography?

AY: At 14, I picked up my family’s point-and-shoot camera and immediately fell in love with taking photos. From then on, I photographed my family, friends, and pretty much anyone who wanted to step in front of my lens. From early on, I began being hired for photoshoots as well as pursuing photography as an art form. Eventually, I decided I wanted to grow more as a photographer and went to Ryerson University for a BFA in Photography and an MFA in Documentary Media. During these programs, I began The Sisters Project and Generations, two projects that have influenced my path greatly.

MPB: Can you tell us about The Sisters Project?

AY: The Sisters Project is a photography series that shares the photographs and stories of Muslim women from across Canada. The photographs are taken in a place that is meaningful to each woman I photograph—it could be her workplace, a place she pursues a hobby, a location that she loves, or her home. There’s a blog at thesistersproject.ca and an Instagram handle @the.sisters.project, where a short bio accompanies each woman’s photograph that speaks to their work, passions, interests, challenges, and thoughts on a variety of issues. 

From December 2016 to September 2019, I photographed and interviewed over 160 women from twelve cities and eight provinces. I was aiming to complicate the one-dimensional image and stereotypes imposed on Muslim women, while also creating a space for connection and sisterhood within the community and outside of it online.

MPB: Has Islam impacted the way you approach photography?

AY: I’m very interested in complicating narratives and representations in my work. Growing up, it had always been clear to me that Muslim women and communities were largely misrepresented and portrayed in a one-dimensional way. I wanted to complicate those representations by showcasing the perspectives of Muslim women and communities across Canada, which led me to work on The Sisters Project and Generations.

MPB: What kit do you use?

AY: For the most part, I shoot with a Canon EOS 6D Mark II and a 50mm f/1.2. I occasionally use my 35mm f/1.4 L USM as well. I would love to add more lenses to my kit eventually—especially a 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM and an 85mm f/1.2 L—but, as of right now, my kit works well for what I do! I also love to shoot medium-format film, so I own a Pentax 67 with a 90mm lens.

MPB: What are some of your photographic influences?

AY: There are so many photographers who inspire me on a regular basis. For my most recent project, Generations, I looked to Rania Matar and Sian Davey as most of their work are portraits taken on film. When looking for inspiration before a portrait shoot, I might look at the work of Celeste Sloman and Luisa Dorr. As I venture into more documentary work, I look to fellow Canadian documentary photographers Amber Bracken and Pat Kane who I am lucky enough to be mentored by.

MPB: Is there anything you’d like to achieve that you haven’t already? 

AY: There are so many publications and companies that I hope to one day photograph for. I am interested in such a wide variety of topics that I haven’t delved into yet, so I am looking forward to working on many more projects and finding interesting ways to showcase and exhibit them in the future. I am excited about what’s to come!

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