Article by: Maya Mohamed Abdelaziz
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Fadi Victor, 21, is an uprising photographer and content creator on
instagram. With more than 5000 followers on his page, Victor is growing more and more every
day for the mesmerizing photos and stories of Egypt that he provides. He is an Applied Arts
student at the GUC, and wants to major in graphic design. He photographs different hidden
spots in Egypt, to show the world that it has so much more to offer. His ways in fact succeeded,
and he was the reason for people from all over the world to visit, or at least, want to visit Egypt.
When did you first start noticing your passion for photography?
My dad was the main reason for me to take interest in photography. He wasn‟t a professional,
but he always carried around a film camera to take pictures of us. I developed more interest in 5th
or 6th grade; where we had this activity related to photography. I used to have the very first
digital camera back then but after that I bought a semi-professional one. Since then I became
obsessed with photography.
Who encouraged you to follow your dreams?
My biggest supporter is my family; they supported me morally and financially. Shooting
equipment is really expensive, so them being willing to buy a child that type of expensive
equipment isn‟t something every parent would do. It was a very difficult decision for them
because they didn‟t know whether they were investing in something worthwhile, or was it just a
fleeting passion. But they trusted me and saw potential in me.
Do you want to focus on just photography or would you like to become a director or
filmmaker?
I came a long way in photography and it was my passion until my last year in high school. After
that, I started having more passion towards filmmaking. When I entered college, I realized that
I‟m actually a mix of everything. I remember a quote that said that „Cinema is 25 frames per
second‟ which is a lot similar to photography actually, same rules applied. So my life right now
is actually a mix of everything, I try to merge all of them in one creation to tell a story. So I am
really focusing on doing all of them together.
What made you start your page on instagram?
I had this account for a very long time but I never thought of posting any of my work on it, until
very recently when I saw that people are starting to share their passions online. It was a trendy
thing so I started doing it.
Did people ever criticized or belittled your work?
Of course, but I actually see it as a very helpful way to improve my work, because anything I do
isn‟t only for me, a huge part of it is also for the people, and I want to know their opinion, what
they felt, and what can I do to improve my upcoming work. So it‟s a very helpful thing but only
if they criticize in way that can me grow and improve my work not just to belittle and joke about
it.
Were you self-taught or did you take any courses or workshops in photography & editing?
I learnt everything through internet, reading about the subject, and practice of course. I never
took any courses or workshops. I also used to ask professionals and they would help me. As well
as college, of course. It helps me a lot, it doesn‟t really teach me techniques but it widens my
brain and gives me creative ideas that help me in my work.
Did you want to be something else when you were younger?
I never knew what I wanted to be when I was younger but I used to tell people I want to be a
police officer or a pilot. Until I reached middle school and I started acknowledging my dreams
and passions for photography.
Did you ever meet a fan in the streets?
It actually happened a few times and I was over the moon, I didn‟t believe that people actually
recognized me and wanted to take a picture with me, especially because I‟m not that famous. But
what actually makes me even happier is when I‟m shooting somewhere and people approach me
and ask me what I‟m doing, so I introduce myself and I show them my page and they become a
fan at that moment, that makes me happier because they know me for who I am not what I do.
Why did you choose to shoot places in Egypt?
There are actually a few reasons why I chose to shoot places in Egypt:
- Because I like underrated stuff, and Egypt is the most underrated place I have ever seen.
- Because Egypt has wonderful places that no one, not even Google knows about, you have to
discover these places yourself, and that‟s something that pushes me to explore and find out
more. - Because those underrated places never get the recognition they deserve, there‟s no promotion
or marketing for those places. - Lastly because we need more tourism in our country, especially that lately there are many
influencers that say that Egypt‟s not a safe place to visit. We need to promote how Egypt
really is, as we depend on tourism economically.
How do you feel when foreigners tell you that your work made them visit or want to visit
Egypt?
It‟s an incredible feeling especially since it hasn‟t been too long since I‟ve started posting about
Egypt. They give me a huge push and I start to feel like my goals are starting to come true.
What’s your goal?
To be happy, satisfied and for the people around me to also be living happily.
How would you like to be remembered?
I would like people to remember me in a good way. It would be enough for me if someone
remembered me as the one who shared a piece of information with them or taught them
something.
What’s the biggest disappointment that faces you?
The biggest disappointment the faces me and a lot of other content creators is how much we put
a lot of effort and work in creating good work and it gets very few views, unlike any other
worthless content that gets so many views and it may even go viral. It‟s like people don‟t even
want to see good content. It‟s very disappointing.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
Nothing, because everything that happened made me who I am today.
Can you describe yourself in 3 words?
Human, Filmmaker, and Discoverer.
Do you have a certain message you want to share with the world?
I want to share my favorite 3 quotes: “Stay Humble”, “Everything happens for a reason”, “Hard
work puts you where good luck finds you”.