Laura El Tantawy

Laura El Tantawy is a British/Egyptian documentary photographer, book maker, and educator whose work explores the human condition through themes of home, belonging, environmental and social justice. Drawing on her transatlantic background, she combines moving images, sound, and personal narratives with a lyrical approach to reality.

Born in the UK to Egyptian parents, Laura’s multicultural background influences her artistic journey. She began as a newspaper photographer in the US before becoming a freelance documentary photographer in 2005, creating her seminal work ‘In the Shadow of the Pyramids in Cairo’.

Laure is the first Egyptian to win the prestigious W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund Award, and was also nominated for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize in 2016. She has received the Prix Virginia and PhMuseum awards. Her work has been exhibited globally and featured in The New Yorker, National Geographic, Time, and Le Monde.

As an independent visual creator, Laura pushes the boundaries of traditional storytelling, aiming to inspire change through socially engaged and thought-provoking visual narratives. She often collaborates with like-minded individuals, institutions, and organisations committed to responsible and transformative storytelling.

World Press Photo Involvement:
2025 Joop Swart Masterclass mentor

Laura El Tantawy on Social Media:
Instagram: @laura_el_tantawy