Ahlan, Nice to Meet You
We're Anthony and Alexandra, siblings from Ottawa and the photographers behind From Al Sham.
Although we share a family, a hometown, and Lebanese roots, our lives have taken us through very different experiences.
We grew up in a Lebanese-Canadian environment while also being surrounded by a diverse mix of cultures, religions, communities, and perspectives. That experience taught us early on that identity can be deeply personal while still being something that connects us to the people around us.
As we grew older, we both became increasingly connected to our Lebanese heritage. At the same time, our individual interests continued to shape the way we approached creativity and everyday life.
Anthony found his path through photography, videography, storytelling, hospitality, and creating experiences.
Alexandra found hers through painting, drawing, modelling, visual arts, and an interest in understanding people.
Those paths were different, but creativity was always there.Today, those perspectives come together behind From Al Sham.
Different Paths. Shared Roots.
Our story begins long before From Al Sham.
As Lebanese siblings born and raised in Ottawa, culture and community have always been part of our lives. At the same time, growing up within a diverse city introduced us to people from different backgrounds, faiths, traditions, and ways of life.
Over time, those experiences helped shape the way we see photography.
We believe culture should be celebrated, not simplified.
We believe family stories deserve to be remembered.
And we believe that the people and traditions that shape our lives deserve to be seen with curiosity, respect, and care.
Our Lebanese heritage remains an important part of who we are, but From Al Sham is ultimately inspired by something larger: the connections between people, generations, cultures, and the places we call home.
Meet the Team
Meet Anthony
Lead Photographer, Creative Director & Editor
Born and raised in Ottawa, Anthony is the photographer, creative lead, and storyteller behind From Al Sham.
His path into photography began through a wider love for visual storytelling. With backgrounds in Culinary and Hospitality, along with Video Production and Broadcasting, Anthony developed an appreciation for both the creative process and the experience surrounding it. Storytelling, directing, creating, and connecting with people have remained central to his work throughout every stage of his journey.
Photography eventually became his primary creative language. What began through experimentation, personal projects, and a love for creating imagery grew into a deeper appreciation for the moments, people, and stories behind every photograph.
Outside of photography, Anthony enjoys cooking and baking, exploring the city, trying new restaurants, spending time with family, attending local events, kayaking, and continuing to build his understanding of Arabic.
As a Lebanese-Canadian who grew up in Ottawa within both his own community and a multicultural environment, Anthony became increasingly connected to his heritage later in life. That journey continues to shape From Al Sham and the way he approaches photography today.
For Anthony, photography is more than simply documenting what happened. It is about creating an experience, helping people feel comfortable, preserving meaningful moments, and capturing the people, relationships, culture, and stories that make those moments worth remembering.
Our Team
Beyond the Lens
Lead Photographer, Creative Director & Editor
Photography was not where my creative journey began, but it eventually became the place where everything came together.
My background in video production taught me how to think about movement, storytelling, and the moments that connect one scene to the next. Hospitality taught me the importance of creating an experience and making people feel welcome. Over time, photography became the space where those ideas could exist together.
In 2020, I began experimenting with photography more seriously.
I photographed friends, explored Ottawa at night, created personal projects, experimented with concepts, and spent countless hours teaching myself how to better understand light, composition, editing, and direction.
There was no single moment where photography suddenly became my path.
It grew through curiosity.
Through experimentation.
Through creating something, looking back at it, and wanting to create something better.
Over the years, that curiosity led me through urban photography, conceptual work, fashion, portraits, lifestyle, couples, families, and cultural storytelling.
Every experience helped shape the way I work today.
I still believe there is always something new to learn, another perspective to discover, and another story waiting to be told.
That is the love of the craft for me.
Our Team
Meet Alexandra
Photographer & Videographer
Photography has always felt like a natural way for me to hold onto the moments that might otherwise pass by.
I've always been drawn to the details, emotions, and candid moments that make a memory feel real. Sometimes it is a look, a gesture, a quiet moment, or something happening just outside the centre of attention.
The arts have followed me throughout my life. From painting and drawing to modelling and photography, creativity has always been a way for me to express myself and find beauty in the world around me. For me, creating is more than simply making something beautiful. It is about noticing, feeling, and giving something a life of its own.
My background in Psychology has also shaped my interest in people and the way we connect with one another.
And having spent time in front of the camera myself, I understand how it can feel to be photographed. That experience has given me another perspective when working with the people who step in front of our cameras.
I deeply cherish my Lebanese culture and heritage, particularly the sense of community, connection, hospitality, and togetherness that has always been part of it.
Today, photography allows me to bring those interests together through the people, emotions, and stories we have the opportunity to capture.
Our Team
A New Set of Eyes
Photographer & Videographer
Joining From Al Sham gave me the opportunity to explore photography more seriously while bringing my own creative perspective into something we could build together.
My brother has been a major inspiration throughout that journey. Seeing the dedication, creativity, and care he puts into his work encouraged me to look at photography differently and eventually explore it for myself.
While we share many influences, we don't see every moment in exactly the same way.
That is what makes working together meaningful.
Two photographers can stand in the same room and notice completely different things.
One person may be focused on the larger moment unfolding.
The other may notice the expression, gesture, reaction, or detail happening quietly within it.
Together, those perspectives allow us to tell a fuller story.
For me, a meaningful photograph captures something genuine—a person, a feeling, or a moment—and gives it a life beyond the day it was created.
A New Perspective
Welcome to Egypt
In 2025, we travelled to Egypt together to attend a family wedding.
For Anthony, the experience offered an opportunity to photograph many of the moments surrounding the celebration, including pre-wedding moments, bridal portraits, and a post-wedding engagement session. Both of us saw the experience was about more than photography.
Being surrounded by family, hospitality, celebration, and tradition offered a different perspective on the role photographs can play in our lives.
We were reminded that some of the most meaningful images are not simply the ones that look beautiful.
They are the ones that hold onto a feeling.
The people gathered together.
The traditions being carried forward.
The moments between generations.
The details that may one day mean more than we realize.
Egypt helped bring many of the ideas behind From Al Sham into clearer focus.
Photography could be more than simply creating portraits.
It could help preserve identity, connection, family history, and the traditions that make a moment belong to the people living it.
One Experience,
Better Together
Working together does not mean doing the same thing twice.
It means bringing two perspectives into the same story.
Anthony brings years of experience in photography, visual storytelling, direction, and creating experiences that help people feel comfortable in front of the camera.
Alexandra brings a creative background rooted in visual arts, an eye for emotion and detail, and a perspective shaped by both creativity and an understanding of people.
Together, we balance direction with observation - the larger moments with the quieter ones - planned photographs with the moments that happen naturally.
We are still growing, learning, and evolving as photographers.
But at the centre of everything we create is the same goal:
To photograph people and their stories in a way that feels genuine to them.
The Story Continues
From Al Sham
From Al Sham represents where our experiences, creativity, heritage, and love of storytelling have brought us.
Inspired by our Lebanese roots and the wider spirit of Al-Sham, the name reflects a connection to heritage while leaving space for the people, families, cultures, and stories we have the opportunity to photograph.
Our work is inspired by the idea of home.
Not only the place we come from, but the people who make us feel connected to it.
The families who gather.
The traditions passed between generations.
The celebrations that bring communities together.
The relationships that shape our lives.
And the memories that deserve to live beyond the day they happened.
From Beirut to Damascus, Jerusalem to Amman, and beyond, From Al Sham is inspired by heritage without being limited by borders.
Because every family has a story worth preserving.
Every culture deserves to be celebrated.
And every meaningful moment has the potential to become part of someone's legacy.
This is our story.
And we're excited to help tell yours.