Sameer Al-Doumy is an international award-winning Syrian-French photojournalist born in 1998 in Douma. His career began at the age of 13, documenting the Syrian peaceful uprising in 2011. When his hometown fell under a tight siege by Syrian government forces in 2012, the escalating violence and heavy bombardment prevented him from completing his formal education.

Turning to activism and documentation, Sameer spent three years recording human rights violations in Douma through video. During this period, his passion for journalism grew. In 2014, he began teaching himself the technical art of photography via online tutorials, refining his skills through self-training under the most challenging conditions.

By late 2014, Sameer began his professional career as a freelance photographer for Agence France-Presse (AFP). Since then, he has received numerous prestigious international awards for his work documenting conflict, humanitarian crises, and daily life.

Awards & Recognitions

2016 – 1st Place, Spot News Stories, World Press Photo

2016 – 3rd Place, War/Conflict, International Photography Awards (IPA)

2016 – 5th Place, Single News, Istanbul Photo Awards

2018 – Silver Prize, Feature Story, Prix de la Photographie (PX3)

2018 – 3rd Place, General News, International Photography Awards (IPA)

2018 – Shortlist, Alfred Fried Photography Award

2018 – Shortlist, Xposure International Photography Contest

2019 – Winner, Photography 4 Humanity Global Prize

2019 – 1st Place & Special Prize "For Humanitarian Photography," Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest

2019 – Felix Schoeller Photo Award

2020 – 1st Prize Winner, The Independent Photographer

2021 – 1st Prize Winner, General (Color), HIPA International Photography Award

2022 – ICRC Humanitarian Visa d’Or Award

2022 – Varenne Photography Prize, Young Journalist Category (Prix Varenne)

2024 – Grand Prize Varenne - Canon Photo Award (Grand Prix Varenne)

2024 – Young Photographer Award, Istanbul Photo Awards

2024 – Finalist, Young Reporter Category, Prix Bayeux Calvados-Normandie

2025 – 2nd Place, Single Daily Life, Istanbul Photo Awards

Sameer is driven by a profound belief in the power of visual storytelling to show the truth, amplify the voices of the vulnerable, and document injustice. For him, photography is more than a profession; it is a tool for achieving justice and sharing reality, a conviction that provided him the strength to work through the harshest of conditions and continues to fuel his quest today.

In mid-2018, Sameer arrived in France as a refugee. He currently works as the Chief Photographer for the AFP Lille bureau, covering the North of France with a primary focus on the migration crisis.