Farrah Skeiky is an Arab American photographer and creative director based in Washington, DC. Her work is representative of the DC area itself: a confluence of culture and counter-culture with a focus on heritage, identity, and community. She collaborates with artists, artisans, and organizers to tell thoughtful and striking visual stories.

In 2020, she self-published a photo book called Present Tense: DC Punk and DIY Right Now, which documents a thrilling moment in DC’s storied punk tradition. Her work has been exhibited in Transformer Gallery and Spring/Break Art Show, and is permanently displayed inside DC’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. She was a semi-finalist of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2025 cycle and an American Photography 41 Selected Winner.

Farrah takes a playful yet refined approach to food, hospitality, and lifestyle imagery. Her portraiture has been described as relaxed, honest, and personality-driven. She’s lived past lives as a musician, publicist, and social media strategist, which means she understands the importance of effective visual storytelling from a variety of perspectives.

Her work has been commissioned by publications such as The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Rolling Stone, and NPR, and has appeared in cookbooks including Maman and Me: Recipes from Our Iranian American Family (2023), and American Soul (2025).

Currently, Farrah’s personal work is exploring grief at the intersection of cultural identity, gender, and community. She believes in the power of photography as a healing tool; one that can break stigmas, cultural taboos, and harmful cycles. She loves finding moments of intimacy and connection in unexpected places.

select clients

Food & Wine, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, PAPER Magazine, Dolcezza Gelato, Great Jones, Kwame Onwuachi’s Family Reunion, Resy, San Pellegrino, Union Market, 9:30 Club, Fender Guitars, Spotify, Sub Pop Records, Allies for Trans Equality, Care of Chan, DC Public Library, National Museum for Women in the Arts, Shout Your Abortion, The Smithsonian

  • Shortlist, Abbey Road Music Photography Awards (2025)

    Haus Award, haus of bambi (2025)

    Selected Winner, American Photography 41 (2025)

    Semi-Finalist, Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution (2025)

    Chosen Winner, American Photography 39 (2023)

    Second Place, Best Photography Services, Washington City Paper Best of DC (2021)

  • solo/collaborative

    2025 - Divine Currents (Siren Arts, Asbury Park, NJ)

    2022 - harDCore: past/present/punk with Leslie Clague and Cynthia Connolly (Spring/Break Art Fair, Los Angeles, CA)

    2021 - Giving Black Women Their Flowers, with Tayo Kuku Jr. (Union Market, Washington, DC)

    2020 - Present Tense (Transformer Gallery, Washington, DC)

    group exhibitions

    2025 - Umbrella Photo Fair (Washington, DC)

    2024 - My Shot: A Photo Exhibition (The Punk Rock Museum, Las Vegas, NV)

    2023 - Survive, Glamorously with Cassidy DuHon and Koto Langa (Ron David Studio, Washington, DC)

    2022 - Transformer 20 exhibition and auction (GW Corcoran, Washington, DC)

    2021 - Stop Motion @ Umbrella Art Fair (Washington, DC)

    2020 - SEEN: 20 years of Baltimore music photography (Maryland Art Place, Baltimore, MD)

    2019 - Transformer 16th Annual Silent Auction and (Corcoran Gallery, Washington, DC)

    2019 - To The Front: Los Angeles (Alliesworldwide, Los Angeles, CA)

    2019 - Stop Motion Vol. 6 (American Ice Co., Washington, DC)

    2018 - ExposedDC Fotowalk (Crystal City Underground, VA)

    2018 - To The Front: Nashville (Main Street Gallery, Nashville, TN)

    2016 - Noise Body Music (VisArts, Rockville, MD)

    2016 - Damaged City Group Art Show (Open Studio DC, Washington, DC)

    2015 - Contrario Collective Group Show (52 O Street Studio, Washington, DC)

  • 2023 - Survive Glamorously: Images of Drag in the District. Featuring works by Cassidy DuHon, Koto Langa, Keylimehi, and Farrah Skeiky. Curated by Haus of Bambi and Farrah Skeiky

    2021 - Framebridge Union Market Store gallery wall. Permanent. See it here.

    2018-2020 - Public Art Banner Program at The Line Hotel. Temporary/seasonal installations.

  • APA | DC - 30 Minutes with Farrah Skeiky

    The Phoblographer - “Farrah Skeiky Photographs Big Differences in the Modern Punk Scene”

    The Washington Post - “The Line Hotel’s creative/culture manager Farrah Skeiky shares her favorite spots in DC”

    The Week - “6 books that inspired Hanif Abdurraquib’s work”

    The First Ever Podcast with Jeremy Bolm - “Farrah Skeiky: Having The Audacity”

    AdHoc - “21 Bipoc Photographers + Videographers to commission your band portraits, music videos, and more!”

    No Echo - “Photographer Spotlight: Farrah Skeiky”

    • my dog bruno

    • making stop motions

    • recipes that require a very serious flip from pot to platter

    • the work of hanif aburraqib

    • practicing for hot ones like they’re going to call me to be on the show some day

covers, campaigns, and other hits

  • Vince Staples for Converse's "Love, Chuck" Campaign (2025)

  • Maman and Me (2023)

  • Featured in Kim Gordon's "No Icon" (Rizzoli, 2020)

  • Washington Post 2022 Fall Dining Guide

  • Ekiben Brand Content

  • New Noise Magazine #38 Cover Collaboration with Marissa Paternoster (2018)

  • Pastries with Paola YouTube series for Food & Wine (2021)

  • Praise "All In a Dream" Album and Merch photography (2022)

  • Content for the CDC's Stop HIV Together Campaign

  • Hardcore Research Essay Anthology (2023)

  • Michael's Desserts Cookbook Cover (2021)

  • In These Times April 2021 Cover Story

  • Whisked Crispy Cookie Packaging