About Eric Deine

Eric Deine is a self-taught freelance photographer based in Dubai, UAE. He first picked up a camera in 2010 in Norway when a friend handed him a Canon 5D Mark II and asked him to shoot an event after the original photographer cancelled. That night Eric stayed up for 8 hours watching YouTube tutorials on how to use the camera, studio lighting, and composition. The next morning he delivered a set of images that stunned everyone in the room. Photography found him and he never looked back.

Originally from Cameroon, Eric left his home country in 2018 during a civil war that made daily life dangerous. He arrived in Dubai with almost nothing. His first home was a bed space shared with 12 other people. He edited photos on a laptop balanced on his bunk bed, sitting next to the toilet door. When the plumbing clogged and they poured acid to clear it, everyone left the room except Eric. He stayed, eyes burning, editing client photos because he had deadlines to meet and nowhere else to go.

Those early months in Dubai tested everything. He shot for free to build a portfolio because nobody in the city knew his name. He lost his camera in the back of a taxi and had to track the driver down through RTA using CCTV footage from a restaurant. He and his wife were homeless multiple times, once sharing a single jacket on a park bench in the middle of Dubai winter, swapping it back and forth till morning to stay warm. He went on a strict salad diet for weeks to save enough money for rent on their first proper apartment.

None of that stopped him. Eric kept shooting, kept learning, kept showing up. He studied lighting, client relations, color grading, and business strategy through books like $100M Offers by Alex Hormozi and Influence by Robert Cialdini. His wife, a trained makeup artist who went on to work at Sephora and now runs Alysian House, coached him through the moments when he didn’t believe in himself. She has been his number one supporter from day one.

Today Eric Deine is recognized as one of Dubai’s leading celebrity and portrait photographers. His work has taken him to the blue carpet at the Atlantis The Royale grand opening in 2023, where he was the only Black photographer on the carpet covering an event that featured Beyonce, Jason Derulo, and Liam Payne. He has attended Steve Harvey’s golf classic in Abu Dhabi twice, invited by Lesa Milan of the Real Housewives of Dubai.

Eric regularly photographs Chanel Ayan, Lesa Milan, and Caroline Brooks from the Real Housewives of Dubai cast. He has covered events for high-profile clients across the UAE, from corporate product launches to private celebrity sessions. His work has been featured on New York Times Square digital billboards.

His gear reflects years of refining what works in Dubai’s unique conditions. Eric shoots with a Sony A7R IV paired with a Sigma 35mm f1.2 for low-light events and editorial portraits, an 85mm f1.8 for tight headshots and candid moments, and a Sony G Master 16-35mm f2.8 for wide environmental portraits showcasing Dubai’s architecture. For video he uses a DJI Ronin RS3 Pro with Raven Eye, Hollyland wireless microphones, and edits in DaVinci Resolve Studio. His retouching workflow runs through Capture One, Adobe Photoshop, and Evoto AI.

Eric’s philosophy is simple: the photographer matters more than the gear. He proved that by creating professional-level work on a 2008 Canon 5D Mark II for over a decade before upgrading. What sets his work apart is his ability to read natural light in Dubai’s glass-and-marble cityscape, his calm demeanor around high-profile subjects, and his commitment to delivering edited galleries within 24 to 48 hours for events.

Beyond celebrity work, Eric shoots weddings across cultures (Indian, Nigerian, Arab, Filipino), personal branding sessions for entrepreneurs and executives, and portrait photography for families visiting Dubai. He offers three signature packages: Silver (AED 2,900), Gold (AED 4,200), and Platinum (AED 5,450), each designed to give clients a full creative experience from consultation to final delivery.

Eric now lives in Ajman with his wife and three boys in a villa with a rooftop. He teaches photography through his Content On The Go Workshop and shares his knowledge freely because he believes the creative industry grows when people lift each other up. His Instagram was hacked in July 2021, forcing him to rebuild his following from zero. He did it by posting 12 to 15 times a day for four straight weeks using his archive of past work and booked clients for six months straight.

From a bed space with acid fumes to the blue carpet at Atlantis. From sharing one jacket on a park bench to shooting Steve Harvey and the Real Housewives of Dubai. Eric Deine’s story is proof that when you match your dream with action, the results follow. If you can think it, you can do it.