Mr. Toni Obeid – Photographer, adventurer and mountain climber from Lebanon

 

By Mrs. Hoda Zohrob – Special

 

In a world often clamoring for attention with the artificial and fleeting, the lens of Tony Obeid offers a different perspective toward the divine artistry woven into the fabric of the natural world. 

A 40-year-old photographer, adventurer, and mountain climber since the age of 11.   

He attained fame in Lebanon and abroad.

His depictions of Lebanon’s plains, mountains, and sky are exquisite paintings that glorify the Creator and highlight the beauty of Lebanon.

“At the age of 16, I discovered that I love mountain photography.

I document all my adventures when camping alone with my dog in the high and isolated mountains during snowstorms.  I take photos, record videos, and register temperature degrees, which is sometimes -30 Celsius in Qornet Sawda, the highest peak in northern Lebanon.  I walk 25 km daily in the mountains and once a week a continuous distance of 60 km.  I discovered all the mountains and towns of Lebanon through my hiking trips from the north to the south.  I am a lover of nature and photography, so I spend most of my time hiking and taking pictures.

Photography is an addiction and a passion for me; despite shooting for extended periods, I never feel tired.”.

 

• How do you develop your unique perspective as a photographer? What shapes and influences your creative vision?

First of all, working as a photographer and a videographer for several international media agencies is a personal challenge.

When taking pictures and filming, to avoid repetition of any of my shots, I constantly work to improve my understanding of the angle of view.  My artwork must grab the attention of the viewers.

Nature is a source of inspiration for me, facing it makes me understand that no matter how skilled and professional I am, I am still a beginner. Even the most advanced camera can’t reveal the Creator’s magnificence.

If we were to compare what the eye sees to what the camera perceives, the result would be a huge difference!

Therefore, I work hard to truthfully reveal the beauty of what I photograph and film, and thus, you notice my passion for nature through my work.  After all, defying the frost and tempests patiently for long hours in order to capture amazing scenes of lightning, meteors, or any other scenes, requires quick wit and great patience.

 

 

• Can you discuss a specific technical challenge you face and how you overcome it?

Weather and children’s photography are a big challenge. It may be shocking to some people and incomprehensive, but in fact both are challenging to capture.

Patience is the only key to overcome it!

The biggest challenge while filming a documentary about nature is the weather! High and low temperatures negatively affect the camera, as well as winds and vibrations, especially at night.  To capture unrepeatable scenes of meteors, stars, lightning, and children, I have to think quickly and act wisely.  Children’s photography is also difficult because children cannot be controlled same as the nature.

Thus, patience, positivity, hope for the best, and developing one’s wit and reaction, contribute to the rapid and noticeable development of my photography.

 

 

 

• Photography is often about storytelling.  How do you approach the narrative aspect in your images, and what stories do you aim to tell?

The narrative aspect of my photos is the objectivity.

Through my photos, I try to explain that simplicity and detachment are the essence of life. Hence, I encourage my followers to dive and meditate on the photos I post for them on my pages that are mostly photos about nature, despite all the worries and complexities of life.  Simplicity and detachment are the medicine for the soul and happiness.

I try to “brainwash” my followers in a positive way through my photos, spread hope and positivity in their hearts and make them understand the value of nature and appreciate it.  I also urge them to protect the wildlife even by simple means within their abilities and have sympathy toward wild animals even if they fear them.

 

• Where do you find inspiration outside of photography? Are there particular artists, experiences, or cultures that significantly influence your work?

Frankly, I am not inspired or influenced by any photographer, or any civilization, or any human.  Honestly, I am only influenced by God’s power through nature. Every photographer must have extraordinary confidence in himself and not be influenced by anyone; his shots should not be a repetition of others’ shots. Therefore, a photographer must develop himself and his photographic methods to express own inner self.

 

• How has your style evolved over the years, and what key experiences have shaped that evolution?

My style has developed fast without me noticing it, due to my passion for photography and my perseverance in inventing photographic techniques and ideas. As I said before, a photographer must be very confident in himself, love his work, and convey the idea to the audience in a simple and clear way.  What shaped the development of my work is experiencing the fast factors of nature, such as meteors and lightning, which appear clearly in most of my photos. Such natural factors force me to keep up with them with extreme speed and precision to catch accurate color and lighting on time. Therefore, I consider speed in such an environment a main factor in my development.

 

• What strategies do you use to build and maintain strong relationships with your clients, and how do you ensure that their visions align with yours?

I always try to build up mutual trust with my clients and help them reveal their needs to tailor or find the perfect photography field.  After all, honesty and clarity are needed indeed.  Photography, in fact, is subject to several factors, and cameras, no matter how advanced they are, cannot compete with the human eye. Therefore, to satisfy my clients, I always try to convince them to come up with logical and creative ideas and give me the appropriate time and matching visions so I come up with the best satisfying results.

 

• We are certain that your fans are so many, how do you ensure their empathy and understanding of your works?

 

Honestly, I love it when people interact with me, especially when I meet them in person.

By publishing my photos on my pages and Father Elie Khneisser’s weather page, I gained a huge audience in Lebanon and abroad.

When I come across people in areas, I want to photograph; they recognize me and some start to give their opinions frankly and criticism which is most of the time constructive.  Actually, they make me feel happy as their opinions help me challenge myself and present new ideas. The way people interact and remember old photos of mine makes me glad that I was able to touch their emotions and memories.

 

• Can you share a personal project that has been particularly meaningful to you, and what message you learned from it?

Each photography project is special and has a special impact on me. The only message I learned from all my photography projects is how to extant authentic images to the public without any addition or subtraction. Therefore, I do not photograph any project that is subject to distortion and confusion.

 

• How do you think the photography industry has changed with the growth of social media and digital technology, and how do you adapt to these changes?

The photography industry has transformed dramatically due to social media and digital technology.

Photography was limited to professionals with good equipment. Now anyone with a smartphone can take high-quality images and share them instantly.

For a professional, it’s the occasion to show how to focus on storytelling and unique perspectives rather than just technical perfection.

Usually, social media’s influence on trends is set by magazines and industry professionals, but now viral content, influencers, and algorithms dictate what’s popular. To be adapted is just to maintain a unique style.

The editing software was manual and time-consuming.  Now AI-powered tools (e.g., Adobe Sensei, Luminar AI) can enhance images in seconds. It is a must to understand all these, but, in my opinion, it is more important to maintain personal creative control and stay authentic to the public without exerting any addition or subtraction to any work.

 

• What advice would you give to aspiring photographers trying to carve out their niche in such a competitive field?

Simply trust and compete with yourself and with your ability to grow, and don’t set your sights on competing with other photographers. Every person has his style and vision, and this is not subject to competition and comparison. Simply enjoy photography!

 

• Looking ahead, what are your goals for your photography career in the next five to ten years, and how do you plan to achieve them?

Frankly, I have achieved my dreams and goals in the field of photography after working with the most important international TV stations.  I started photography at the age of 16 and now I am 40.  I no longer plan anything other than enjoying photography and keeping up with technological development.