Tag Archives: Photography

New African photography: Adeola Olagunju

African photography is on the rise. Following decades of photographic misrepresentation by observers from outside the continent, African photographers are now showing the world what they see through their lens. This is Africa spotlights them in a series of interviews.

Predestination, our fate and ultimate destination, those are some of the subjects that keep going through Nigerian photographer Adeola Olagunju’s head. “How does our head determine where our feet go?”, she asked herself philosophically when working on one of her most recent series, called Paths & Patterns. “The route we chose gets determined by aspects like our tradition, family and society. But it’s our feet that take us everywhere and show the memories of these trips in their color, wrinkles, scars and spots.” She consciously began to keenly observe the feet of people she met and shared experiences with. Amazed to perceive what our bodies communicate without our knowledge, she decided to photograph them.

Pleasure & Conscience

Scars &Thought

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Image creation

For Olagunju photography is simply a means to an end; a viable medium of expression that helps her promulgate the essence of her artistic ideas. She doesn’t merely shoot what she sees or registers a certain event, but tries to express what she sees as her own truth. “Art is fluid and I therefore affiliate more with the description of artist than being tagged as photographer. The process before and after shooting an image is just as important as the actual moment I capture it. My content emanates from within when I consciously engage in the process of image creation. I believe this enables me to recognize and acknowledge my image when I see it.” She wants to keep her work open for the audience’s perception, not imposing her own expression or emphasizing on something specific that she expects the people to see.

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Resurgence

Take another series of Olagunju for example: Evolve. In this she stars herself, using her body and personal experiences to create poetic images. “It’s a highly introspective and experimental project, something very close to me”, she explains. “Just like my other series, Resurgence, I which I also use self portraits. It’s a manifesto of photographic performances which showcase the unacceptability and high level of socio-religion and political decadence in Africa. It’s what I consider the reality of Nigeria and the African continent at large.” This series reflects her forthrightness and crusade for resurgence from mental shackles. It focusses on the quest for reawakening and awareness of our sense of identity that is – according to Olagunju – is being threatened and likewise paying attention to the form and signs of possible resistance. “We find ourselves in a world that takes its cue from negative and dark ideas, which spreads like a virus ultimately becoming a strand hold for oppression and slavery. Resurgence forms a subtle presentation of still performances that questions and provokes thoughts.”

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Improvement

Although Lagos resident Olagunju – who has a degree in Fine and Applied Arts from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology – is critical, she does see an undeniable development in photography in her country. She thinks it’s even more of a commercial success than other arts. “I strongly think the art of photography needs more growth and strength in both content and language though. The limitation I see is the inability of local photographers to evolve from a certain genre to explore other possibilities.” Because this, she believes, will help break new vistas and improve the quality and diversity of photography in Nigeria.

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100 years of photographic misrepresentation

Africa is on a quest to reclaim the continent from over 100 years of photographic misrepresentation by outside observers. Local photographers are looking for a balance in a continent portrayed by it’s extremes. Charles Okereke is one of them and just like professor James Michira has an outspoken opinion about a case close to his heart. 

“Let me start of by saying that most photographic series, reports or documentaries about Africa are in fact not truthful or presenting clear-cut facts. No, they are either captured in a sensational way or depictions of partial, one-sided half-truths with a mostly political aim. It’s these misrepresentations as barometers that form the basis for subsequent viewpoints which situations were weighed upon.” Nigerian photographer Charles Okereke could write a whole essay about how his country and continent have been misrepresented by outside observers of the past century. “These barometers have deeply dug their talons into the fabric of our nation as notions which have become rigidly accepted. There is no objective photographic examination which could call forth a fresher regeneration of a true concept of our continent.”

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Challenges

Of course the experiences of foreign photographers is not at all the same as their African counterparts. To be situated in one’s own country is to be grounded in all happenings, being able to give a firsthand report and understand the issues that otherwise come as a second, third or fourth hand report. This situation is slowly shifting as many foreign photographers now settle in the continent, but that wasn’t the case over the past decade. They would encounter obstacles and barriers – which Charles rather called ‘challenges’ – of which it is unavoidable that they would sometime be considered man-made either through ‘ignorance’ or ‘certain sentiments which may seem to be one-sidedly tribalistic in certain respects’, as Charles explains. “These festoons of colonial indoctrination still have their roots deeply embedded in the strata of our modern day society.”

Western image

In James Michira’s 2002 paper ‘Images of Africa in the Western Media’ he provides a crude seven point summary of the western image of Africa:

Africa as homogenous entity;
‘The dark continent’;
‘The wild jungle’;
Hunger, famine and starvation;
Endemic violence, conflict and civil war;
Political instability, flagrant corruption and incompetent leadership;
HIV/AIDS.

Reason for this portrayal can be traced back by the general lack of knowledge about the continent, the fact that most never visited and the most important factor: photographic misrepresentation. “They possess these images courtesy of the Western media through it’s (mis)representation of Africa”, writes James. “The African continent is depicted as ‘dependent, crisis driven’: hopeless or pitiable. Without exception, the images have been negative and then sensationalize the ‘dark’ side of Africa. Ever since colonial times, such images of Africa have persisted in the West and they still permeate the perspectives taken by the powerful Western media”, explains James. Photography plays a big role is this, painting a biased, subjective presentation of inaccurate, fallacious images of propaganda about the continent.

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Starvation in the jungle

As an example of Africa as the ‘Wild Jungle’, James asks the question when a drought that threatens millions of lives become news that fits the front page of The New York Times? The answer: When animals die. “In 1992, the New York Times, while covering the drought and starvation that ravaged multiple Southern African countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and South Africa, published five substantial stories in eight days. Three of the stories were very prominently displayed and they were about the elephants, the rhino and other endangered species while the other two shorter ones appearing deep in the inside pages were on the African people themselves.” Next to that is the fact that most Western media for years only published images of Africa featuring famine and starvation, therefore being the once the permeated the most consistent and persistent. Moving images of poor, emaciated and malnourished children who sorrily look stare into the camera. No matter which country they’re from, they tell the same story – no distinction in Africa as a homogenous entity.

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When not covering misery, photographers focussed on various forms of violence “ranging from “tribal” clashes, armed conflicts, and civil wars to genocide”. Those images have a high premium in Western media and usually make the headlines. James: “While it may be difficult to achieve total objectivity in photography, it is not lost to many observers that reports in the Western media about war and conflicts in Africa are often crisis-driven in such a way as to imply that Africans are naturally savage, warlike, violent and steeped in primordial tribal feuds.” Just add a portion of political instability to that mix and photograph a few corrupt dictators, coups and military rulers to paint a completely disturbed image.

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Factors

Is there a simple reason why this photographic misrepresentation has been going on for so long? “Misinformation about Africa has become a growth industry in the West”, Ama Biney, a lecturer in West African studies at Middlesex University and Birkbeck College, University of London in the United Kingdom, says. But why? “Commercialization, monopolies, foreign policy and schools”, James adds. In case of the first it’s because media corporations need to make profit for their shareholders, therefore commercializing the portrayal of Africa. Images of starving babies sell, just like violence and despair; not quality, professional, objective and balanced reporting. The second reason is explained by the fact that Western corporate giants own media outlets, read: what is photographed in Africa. They determine about what is being reported. By ‘foreign policy’ is meant ‘western interests’ in Africa. Minear, Scott and Rienner put it like this in their book ‘The News Media, Civil War and Humanitarian Action’: “Pictures of starving children, not policy objectives, got us (the United States) into Somalia in 1992. Pictures of US casualties, not the completion of our objectives, led us to exit Somalia.” James adds: “When terrorists attacked Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, the US and Western media in general gave it abundant coverage because US ‘interests abroad’ were targeted.” Last but not least, schools, because, so explains James “Unlike the average African high school student who studies not just African but European history, American history, among other world histories, the average American student either is not exposed to the history and geography of Africa or is exposed to materials that contain inaccurate information.”

Proper representation

According to Charles the limitation is the lack of broadening points and opportunities not created, which could have expanded the photographic scope. “It is noteworthy that in our environment many of the basic instruments of photography have been highly neglected, especially when it comes to representing our own continent. These are relegated as been unimportant or not viable commercially, but should be the guard which as complementary factors adds to a nation’s development and her presentation of visual history. There is an urgent need for the development of these aspects if Africa is to achieve a proper and fair photographic representation of itself.”

For James it doesn’t matter if the photographic misrepresentation of the African continent is a result of biased, unbalanced and subjective reporting, or is a consequence of a new way of perceiving reality where few corporate giants are creating commercialized representations of the continent in order to maintain their own businesses and ideological agendas. “The issue here, it seems, is that these representations are always focused on the negative, the awkward, the weird and the absurd, the wild and the exotic. The fact remains, however, that these images are not all that Africa is about and, moreover, some of those images are not unique to Africa.”

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Both agree that all effort must be undertaken to change these misrepresentations however. Photographers need to uphold the professional ethics of journalism that call for the highest possible level of objectivity, neutrality and balance in reporting, “even as they operate in the cut-throat atmosphere of Western competitive media.” And there is a chance for African photographers to show a different continent as well. Not depending on Western media, but to establish their own outlets. This way they can show their own image, or in the words of Patrice Lumumba: “Africa will write its own history, and it will be a history of glory and dignity.”

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Life is about beauty

African photography is on the rise. Following decades of photographic misrepresentation by observers from outside the continent, African photographers are now showing the world what they see through their lens. This is Africa spotlights them in a series of interviews.

4.Red alert [2009]

“I have always recognized photography as a means of evoking a powerful language which words cannot convey. I’m therefore interested in the medium as a form of self-expression.” Nigerian photographer and multimedia artist Charles Okereke moved to the capital of his home country right after his graduation from the University of Port-Harcourt just for that reason. “Lagos is recognized as the active, artistic and creative hub of Nigeria”, he explains. “I actually didn’t want to concern myself with reportage or documentary photography, but had a deep sense of the state of the environment in a mega city like Lagos and felt that I had the responsibility to use photography in a constructive way to make a positive contribution.” Until this day that’s what Charles is concerned with: creative conscious images that avoid the cliché of environmental photography that elevate the concerns to a dimension which is too ‘artistic’ in it’s representation. “So I opted for a use of metaphors as a personal way of expression.”

Black Star [2009]

Evil Signs [2011]

Making impact

It wasn’t an easy step for Charles though. He studied visual arts – majored in sculpturing – and his internship with a publication company gave him the opportunity to work in a darkroom in which he developed a sense for well-defined images. “Which complement a quality print publication and can be used as a veritable tool for mass awareness and information dissemination. Together with a few colleagues, among which Uche James Iroha, we started using photography in a different context by using our own bodies as subjects while exploring the technicalities of analogue photography.” Right after his graduation however, he ventured into designing metal, wood and fiberglass sculptures and furniture, but although economically lucrative, it did not challenge his creative input. “Hence my move to Lagos.” In this city he aims to identify himself as a Nigerian artist with one purpose: to make an impact on society using photography as a circular platform. Motivated by the consciousness of the needs of his environment and the responsibility to the overall development of his country.

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Charles Okereke - Self Portrait

Collective responsibility

Charles does not believe in the notion of representing his continent and country in a derogatory fashion, because life for him is about beauty. Even though it’s a hard environment to live and work in – “what is easily achieved in more developed countries can take years to accomplish in Africa, especially Nigeria” – he wants to transpose how outsiders view his country. “This is not an individual effort, but a collective responsibility. We have to create awareness, because there’s a lot of unconsciousness among the majority of people. I would like my work to be seen as an expression for a valid and candid representation of my country and Africa as a whole.”

There are a lot of colleagues that Charles admires for already doing so, like Uche Okpa Iroha with his Nlele Institute, Uche James Iroha with Photo Garage and Emeka Okereke’s Invisible Borders. He also mentions Photofest from Aida Munuleh as pushing the frontiers of photography, Ananias Leki Dago and Senegals Koyo Kouoh Raw Material Company for promoting emerging artists.

Paradise Utopia [2011]

Collective responsibility

Within this representation however, Charles does not back away from critiquing it’s own leaders and the west. According to him Africa has been the dump site for foreign waste; multinationals committing atrocities and destroying the productivity of a continent in which this far exceeds it’s consumption. “This creates ripple consequences which could be termed socio-political in their effect. Just like saying there is a rising economy in our continent when infrastructure and basic necessities haven’t even been provided to the majority yet. It’s a misrepresentation, a falsehood peddled by capitalists seeking investors to create a false hope in the place of despair. Rather, saying there is a rising economy is a delusion and for me as a photographer issues that I aim to expunge.” Using photography as a platform Charles also wants to seek conscientious leadership amongst the youth, because that has been the bane for the new generation of Nigerians. Together with other arts, photography has shown to be the only activity that has raised the standard and value of contemporary youths in the country and luckily there had been a fast acceptance of the media. “Yet more effort is needed in a thorough and proper education of the use of it as a veritable tool in appropriating and disseminating factual information which does not distort reality.”

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Stimulating

“With my photography I try to create awareness by elevating the mundane, the ordinary and the discarded from the common place to a valuable state which thereby incites a discourse. Shooting the usual with an unusual approach which defamiliarizes the known to an artistic level which in its duality instructs and at the same time enchants.” The future for Charles is now and now is the time to create this future. For this reason he started the Alexander Academy of Art, Design and Alternative Methods, training young, talented Nigerians and other Africans in arts-related subjects and design. “They are the future and guiding them encourages me to put more effort in realizing my own objectives as well.”

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‚My photographs don’t belong in a drawer’

African photography is on the rise. Following decades of photographic misrepresentation by observers from outside the continent, African photographers are now showing the world what they see through their lens. This is Africa spotlights them in a series of interviews. 

Africa might be a colourful continent, through the eyes of Sabelo Mlangeni (1980) from South Africa it’s a world in black and white. It emphasises the essence of the subjects he photographs. With his images he reflects on his countries past, while at the same time looking forward into the future and how life has changed. ‚History forms an important part of my work’, he explains, ‚especially in my own country where it’s just two decades ago that Apartheid was abolished.’ Sabelo focusses on a lot of subjects that have not been portrayed in his country nor the whole African continent yet, leading the pack.

Identity, 2011

Stripes, 2011

LGBTI

Take one of his latest series for example: ‚Black Men in Dress’, a series of portraits shot at the Johannesburg and Soweto Pride. ‚This yearly event is a celebration for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and interest (LGBTI) community. Most communities have what we call ‚uSis’bhuti’, a term used to describe a boy who behaves like a girl. We all grew up knowing this, but never acknowledged it. So I asked myself questions like: Why then do we hate these boys when they have grown up to be men who dress as women? Why do we turn and call them names, pretending that we’ve never seen it? These are some of the issues I try to bring to the foreground in this series.’

Izibuko, 2011

East Rand girls, 2011

Unnatural

Sabelo came up with the idea for ‚Black Men in Dress’ while shooting his preceding series ‚Limbali’, about reed dances in KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland. This being a traditional event where maidens bring reeds to rebuild the queens mother’s home and pay allegiance to her, it’s a rite of passage that forges commonality in a community. Although it’s perhaps better known as the king’s opportunity to choose a new wife. ‚I travelled through Africa looking at how weddings and the associated ceremonies are celebrated and wanted to aim that at the LGBTI community. It’s part of our community and we should not deny it being so. We tend to act like these people don’t exist, but they’re everywhere around us. The same goes for cross dressing; we see it, but don’t know how to react to it because it’s unnatural to us. That’s very interesting to me, because it engages the viewer and confronts them with a part of Africa that’s usually under lit.’

Zaza, Soweto Pride, 2011

Collaboration

Photography is the perfect medium for Sabelo to explore these subjects, with which he started in 2003 with his series ‚Country Girls’. He researched what goes around behind the scenes of a rural community, focussing on gay life. ‚Back then gay couples weren’t allowed to get married officially, but in small towns and rural areas it already happened. I decided to follow these events and tried to capture the progress in their situation. That’s why this project took several years.’ The people he portrayed were not used to photographers to stay for a longer time; they usually just come and go. But for Sabelo it turned into a collaborations that allowed his to spend more time with them in Mpumalanga. And they could open up to him, also because he grew up in Driefontein and therefore is an insider to their community. ‚It’s a matter of trust, especially with these kind of subjects. You need to create a relationship.’

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Migration

Although the areas he shot the series are rough and poor, Sabelo manages to show the glamour present in the form of drag queens, hairstylists and beauty pageant contestants, who are still often perceived as un-African or un-Christian Afterwards He released a book about his work in 2010, besides another book called ‚Men Only’ and a catalogue containing his series ‚At Home’ and ‚Ghost Towns’. For the first he focussed on rural areas where the breadwinners have migrated away in search of work, leaving behind only the young and old. The lather concentrates on small towns that have been abandoned due to immigration towards the country’s urban areas. ‚The kind of photographs that I make doesn’t belong to a drawer, but should be seen by a wider audience that appreciates a diverse view. It’s not mainstream and I don’t want to lead the viewer, but give them a chance to interpret my images in their own way.’

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Invisible

As a photographer Sabelo admits to create his own truth, but that goes for all his colleagues as well. He tries to find answers to the questions he asked himself through his images. He tries to inform his viewers about a certain theme or subject that in his perspective needs to reach a broader audience, something he felt strongly when shooting ‚Invisible Woman’ back in 2007. A series in which history is very much present: ‚it’s about the fact that African woman weren’t allowed into the city during Apartheid, so you didn’t see them. Now, these woman are the ones cleaning the streets at night and when we wake up in the morning their gone. Again their are invisible, but now their are actually there, just not when others are around. They’re ghosts and I want to get people to wonder who they are with my photography.’

It’s something Sabelo very much like to do abroad – especially in Europe – in the future and bring his African photography style to other countries and continents. ‚But my approach to people and situations will always be the same: with integrity.’

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Masters of Our Identity

African photography is on the rise. From street to art photography, conceptual and documentary to fashion photography, homegrown photographers (not only in the Francophone-African countries) are increasingly stepping up to show their world what they see when they look through the lens, following decades of photographic misrepresentation, or reduction, by observers from outside the continent.

‚Fashion and street culture are a dynamic everyday method of expressing oneself to the world in the form of clothing’, according to South African photographer Anthony Bila. As founder of the picture blog ‚The Expressionist’ he focusses on showing his country on a day to day basis. ‚I’d like to think of myself as a creator who uses photography to express my thoughts, opinions and feelings to the world. Since especially for the youth of South Africa fashion and a personal style have become an important way to show who you are and what you stand for without ever having to say a word, he wants to capture it’s evolution as it happens. The autodidact goes into townships (for his series ‚The Township Diaries’) to include a cultural aspect in his work. ‚A personal project in which I went deeper to show the fascinating aspects of a continent that deserves a more balanced photographic coverage then currently present in international media. I’m tired of the misconceptions and prejudices about my continent. and even though clothing can be worn as an illusion – a projection of who we would like to be instead of who we are – when I contemplated this I wanted to conceptualise this in a more authentic representation of my country and continent.’

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While his daily work mainly consists of street/fashion photography – ‚simply because it chronicles personal styles as I see it’ – he also has ongoing projects for which he revisits certain themes in his work. In general, with all his photographs, he want to show the possibilities and potential of (South) Africa. ‚In contrast to what is mainly shown about our continent, we are youthful, creative, intelligent, talented and have a lot to offer to offer the world. I want to capture those beautiful and hopeful aspects, even though South Africa is a complex country to work in. We are anything but lost and can tell our own story in our own way’, Bila emphasises. His country and continent are a place full of possibilities according to him and by putting both in a new perspective, he tries to offer a fresh, new and honest look. With the hope of encouraging people to visit South Africa themselves and see the places and people that he captures, their is even a marketing aspect to be found in his work. ‚There is something uniquely South African to my images that I cordially invite people to experience for themselves.’

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By showing the ‚young, liberated SA of the future’ Bila wants to bring Africa to the world and the world to Africa. For him photographing his people doesn’t actually feel like work, but merely like self-expression. He usually works alone for the sake of speed and convenience, making it possible for him to move around relatively unnoticed. ‚That way I can capture moments and images others are not able to. Trying to do so is exciting and because of our diversity in people and cultures it forces me to be creative.’ South Africans have an indomitable spirit, says Bila, and posses a conviction to prove themselves. In his opinion a good photographer has got to have a good understanding of human beings and their nature. ‚If your subjects are comfortable, their ease translates in the image and works as a window to see who they are. Being self-taught all my photographs are shot purely instinctual; I see the image in my mind and capture it.’

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Through his photography Bila has the opportunity to capture real moments and real people in a real context. By representing different people from different walks of life he honestly represents the Africa trough his own eyes. ‚I simply have to answer to myself and show my own perspective, without caring for what other think’, he explains. ‚Through social media I can share my view with a lot more people, just like al lot of other young photographers in the country do. Internet has made photography accessible to everybody and in combination with advancing technology and a growing subculture it’s understandable that photography has grown in stature, relevance and importance in South Africa and the continent.’ Having said that, there are still barriers to entry for professional photographers in South Africa, especially younger photographers, and more specifically, black photographers in South Africa, according to Bila. ‚The plight for female photographers, especially those of colour is even more dire.’ He feels there is a lot more in terms of developing new young and talented photographers, male and female in the country. ‚The limitations are there and likely will always be there, but I do believe thanks to the internet and social media, we can showcase our potential, bypass agencies and agents and get to see the work young photographers are capable of producing.’

Even though the photography scene in South Africa is of world standard, there is still a lack of skill when it comes to sharing and developing, which hinders the further proliferation of the industry from the continent to the world. ‚The scene in South Africa has gained incredible momentum and there are superbly talented young talents emerging all the time, but just like in the rest of Africa, they face similar challenges.’ Bila is positive about the future though, making plans to work extensively in Europe to bring his African perspectives into an international context. He thinks that South African photographers are the next big thing on the international stage. ‚I believe the more other Africans and foreigners alike see our work, increasingly they’ll believe that we are the masters of our own identity.’

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Photographing Burundi

African photography is on the rise. From street to art photography, conceptual and documentary to fashion photography, homegrown photographers (not only in the Francophone-African countries) are increasingly stepping up to show their world what they see when they look through the lens, following decades of photographic misrepresentation, or reduction, by observers from outside the continent.

You could call it a luxury problem, but when Arnaud Gwaga Mugisha talks about one of his “hardest struggles” he’s actually referring to the the fact that as a student abroad he had a very difficult time finding beautiful images of his home country to brag with. “Burundi might be poor, but its landscapes are magnificent and its inhabitants are truly loving people,” says the photographer from Bujumbura, Burundi’s capital.

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Though he already had a management degree, he decided three years ago to head in a different direction. “I fooled myself into wanting to become someone I actually wasn’t. After dating a photographer, I had the courage to tell myself that it was OK to have spend four years studying and end up doing something completely different afterwards, so I picked up a camera. I should add that support from friends and family made me want to pursue the field of photography as well.” Things fell into place when he started to receive encouraging comments from strangers via social media and from viewers close to home.

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“What I did was develop a segment I knew I could run a business in: commercials photography [i.e. advertising]. So after another study – in which I specialised in photographing hotels, currently a booming business here – I teamed up with graphic and web designers to found a creative firm. We focus on commercial work with the intention of reaching other nations, and by doing so change perceptions of Burundi.”

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Mugisha chooses and shoots his landscapes, portraits and cultural events carefully to show the “outstanding and captivating” features of his country. His company also works in neighbouring Rwanda, and is preparing for fierce competition in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, countries further in the game. “To achieve my goals I will have to partner with locals and let them run the creative section while I stay behind the camera. That way I can set myself apart, and vice versa.”

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“In all honestly, says Mugisha, “I’m not a photojournalist; I’m a marketeer.” According to him, the continent needs some serious rebranding – “away from hunger and need for charity.” He made a pledge to himself to never photograph anything bad in Africa; to do so would only be counterproductive. “When the people of a country love their place I can trust them to market it as such. Therefore, I always reflect on why I take an image and often find myself asking questions like ‘Will the diaspora love this shot?’” Giving Burundians the chance to see themselves portrayed differently by one of their own is Mugisha’s goal. And with more Burundians having access to internet and using social media, it’s easier than ever for him to reach more and more of them.

Fishermen

Yet photography is still a new domain in Burundi, and one not often associated with professionalism. Mugisha has to endure questions from people asking about his “hobby” and why he isn’t getting a “serious job.” “There is a certain limitation in earning a living as a photographer in one of the poorest countries in the world. As photographers in Africa, I think we need to take ourselves a little more seriously as well. Specialise and develop in specific fields. I’m a commercials photographer but to earn a living I shoot weddings as well. I should just focus on that one thing: rebranding Burundi.” Every photographer has his or her audience and where non-Africans mainly shoot for westerners, Mugisha’s audience is primarily local. “Of course I aim for an international market, too: they should see that Africans can smile, dress well and live in a breathtaking place. And luckily I can cover everything there is to see in this great variety of landscapes and people, because Burundi is only a small country, but it’s full of beauty.”

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Changing the negatively-biased view of the black-African image

African photography is on the rise. From street to art photography, conceptual and documentary to fashion photography, homegrown photographers (not only in the Francophone-African countries) are increasingly stepping up to show their world what they see when they look through the lens, following decades of photographic misrepresentation, or reduction, by observers from outside the continent.

When Neo Ntsoma started her career as a photojournalist back in 1998, there were only a handful of black female professional photographers in South Africa, herself included. The profession was largely the preserve of white males. “Like the other black upstarts, I had to work hard to prove myself to a sophisticated market not known for giving too many second chances.” The absence of black female photographers was mainly a hangover from the apartheid years. It was not safe for any photographer to take images that carried any political message – and this danger applied particularly to women. “Many photographers were regularly locked up, while others went into exile. As a result, my generation of women was left without any role models.”

A TRUE REFLECTION of OUR past timesÉ

Fifteen years later however, Ntsoma is the first female recipient of the CNN African Journalist Award for photography and the National Geographic All Roads Photography Award, and her photographs have appeared in major publications around the world. She is living proof that where there’s a will, there’s a way. ”For nine consecutive years of the CNN competition only male photographers were recipients, until my name was called out. That was especially uplifting because I was under so much pressure to achieve something great at the time, seeing as there were no black women in the field who had achieved anything that spectacular.” Her determination to change the industry was realised that evening of the awards. It was only the beginning of even bigger opportunities for Ntsoma, and she knew it wasn’t going to be easy. “But I was prepared for the challenge.”

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She yearned to prove to South Africa and the world that African women could excel at professions that had solely been associated with men. “I made it my responsibility to build a solid legacy for future generations. There was always a constant reminder that what I was doing or striving for was much bigger than me. I was rewriting our history as black (African) women photographers and changing perceptions of how the world viewed us.” According to Ntsoma, black women have always found themselves in front of the lens, rather than behind it. Frequently portrayed as victims of patriarchy, tradition, violence and poverty in apartheid South Africa, she doesn’t think women from her mother’s generation could have become photographers if they’d wanted to.

Now, almost two decades into democracy, a lot of photographers still struggle to find platforms to showcase their work in South Africa. “I believe that more should be done to develop the field in my country like other art mediums such as music, dance and theatre. Photography is still a relatively new profession within the black community, and understandably so given our colonial history. There’s nothing more frustrating than wanting to study towards a profession that’s not fully understood by your community, let alone by your own family.” Ntsoma doesn’t want to have to go overseas to exhibit her work, or to get funding to pursue a photography career – “We need those opportunities at home.”

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But how did Ntsoma decide on Photojourmalism? “It turned out to be more of a calling than I could ever have imagined, with memories of my childhood playing a big role. That really sparked my interest in photography. It felt like I had to capture images of my people and my country to add to the riches of the past and help tell and explain the story of our time, now and, perhaps, for generations to come.” She joined The Star, one of South Africa’s biggest daily newspapers, as staff photographer in 2000, and was determined to earn respect as a photographer by making her work match the quality of shots by already respected photographers, like the members of The Bang Bang Club.

“Johannesburg had earned its place as one of the most dangerous cities in the world and I was right in the middle of it all. This ran contrary to the reason I became a photojournalist in the first place – not seeing enough vibrant images of black South African life; I so much wanted to capture this and share it with the world.” Now, having earned her place in the field, nationally and international, she photographs to reclaim the dignity and pride of Africans, “to prove that we are not inferior, as the history books would have us believe. What people see of Africa needs to change.”

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Ntsoma is hopeful that her images will play a part in changing the negatively-biased view of the black/African image the Western schools curriculum has for many years forced upon young people. That goal comes with it’s usual obstacles though, because despite all she has achieved Ntsoma still doesn’t have any gallery representation in South Africa. Most most don’t represent photojournalists for simple reason that it is not regarded as an art form. “Unlike in other parts of the world, the work of photojournalists in South Africa is only associated with newspapers and NGOs. Although I have exhibited my work in most parts of the world, I have only had three exhibitions here, the last being in 2006.” Like many others in her field, she still has to battle to convince the local market that her work is worth it. “I know many South African photographers with amazing work in their archives, but these works are never going to see the light of day.”

Needless to say, it’s a challenge to survive financially as an independent photographer in South Africa. And if this weren’t a big enough problem, there’s also the influx of foreign photographers sent by international photo agencies to come and document the lives of South Africans and tell their stories to the world. “Like we lack the skill to do so ourselves. As long as we allow this to continue, we will forever feel that Africa is misrepresented and mis-imaged in the western media. We do welcome collaborations and skills exchanges, but what we don’t tolerate is for them to take from us and not give anything back in return.” The image of Africa should be shown in all its diversity, not from one point of view and it’s this diversity that Ntsoma tries to capture.

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“My aim is to reverse the negative stereotypes of Africa and Africans. Next to that, unlike in other African states, commercial photography in South Africa is still very much controlled and dominated by white people. In places like Nigeria and Kenya, you find black/African females shooting advertorial campaigns and really taking the world of fashion and advertising by storm. Lately there have been a good number of black girls venturing into photography as a profession, but only a handful have managed to make a significant mark.” According to Ntsoma many end up dropping out to pursue other interests because of the lack of emotional and financial support from their families. “A black woman with a camera is still a rare thing in South African townships, and it will probably take a lot of convincing to prove that – just like our brothers – we too are capable.”

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Telling the truth about Africa with photography

African photography is on the rise. From street to art photography, conceptual and documentary to fashion photography, homegrown photographers (not only in the Francophone-African countries) are increasingly stepping up to show their world what they see when they look through the lens, following decades of photographic misrepresentation, or reduction, by observers from outside the continent.

If only he knew what he exactly wanted to show, his life would be a lot easier. But for Ghanaian photographer Nana Kofi Acquah, Africa is a never-ending journey of discovery.

“My aim is to show the beauty of Africa, and so far I’ve just been sharing my experiences with my viewers. I see myself therefore more as a storyteller who uses his camera as a medium.” Acquah grew up in his grandmother’s pub in Elmina, Ghana, just two hundred metres away from São Jorge da Mina, the first slave castle built in sub-Sahara Africa. “It [the pub] was the hotspot for every kind of gossip and the place where I learned to develop a keen ear. To date, I think one of my best gifts is my ability to listen and even to hear what is not being vocalised.”

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Using this gift Acquah works all over Africa, though he speaks only three of the thousands of languages spoken on the continent. So he’d be the first person to admit that he only scratches the surface. “People tend to think that because I am African, I know the continent better. They think I am more in tune with the cultures, but this is far from the truth. When you consider the fact that each language represents a way of seeing and embodies diverse belief systems and ideologies, you discover that whatever I do now is only the tip of iceberg.” It’s the unknown however that motivates him. The fact that he might see or hear something new tomorrow.

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His work is a combination of documentary and commercial photography.  Having been initiated into photography via the commercial side, he found his passion for storytelling leading him towards documentary, and noticed that no matter how hard he tried, his pictures always looked “a bit glossy”. “I saw that as a weakness for a long time, till I realised that no matter how hard I tried, I can never run away from the fact that it’s part of me and my past.

This past life came to an end seven years ago when Kofi dropped everything after five successful years in advertising to pursue a full-time career in photography. After starting off as a copywriter and accidentally picking up a camera because they needed to take pictures for design layouts, he kept on improving. Upon reaching the point where in his job as creative director at advertising agency TBWA the clients often preferred his pictures to those of his professional colleagues, he knew his competence in photography could make him a career in photography. “Years before that I worked as a radio presenter and even though the fame was nice, I got bored at some point. I felt the visual part of me was dying – my childhood dream was to become a painter – and changed to advertising. Now felt I had to make another change, even though the timing was bad with a family to support and not much money in the bank. The early days were tough but perseverance always pays off.”

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Luckily Acquah persevered, because when he made the change he became a joke in many circles. “Most educated Africans – and Ghanaians in particular – believe that the only mark of good education and intelligence is when one works as a lawyer, banker, doctor, engineer, pilot or professor for example. They don’t realise that if well-educated folk don’t take on the responsibility of telling Africa’s stories, we will always be at the mercy of those who tell our stories for us. With digital cameras becoming affordable, I am seeing a lot more young people taking up photography and this is the beginning of the journey to correct Africa’s image after over a hundred years of photographic misinterpretation.”

Yet the photographer doesn’t want to go out to “educate” or “change opinions”. He thinks it’s dangerous to work with this mindset and a very presumptuous idea. “It assumes that one knows what’s best for another and unfortunately much of what has been created on Africa was done by people who were intent on showing us the way; totally disregarding their own blindness.” For that reason he tries to stay as neutral as possible. As much as he would like to always paint Ghana and Africa in a positive light, there is also the fact there is a lot that happens on the continent that isn’t positive. “I see it as a gross injustice towards the victims if people like me turn a blind eye to their stressful situations. It’s about showing a truthful image, contrary to the fact that western media has over centuries focused so much on Africa’s negatives. People now think that’s all there is, when the reality is all the rot won’t even account for five percent of what Africa is.”

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From his hometown of Kokrobite, a tiny village outside the capital Accra on the coast, he works all across Africa for corporations like FIFA, Nike and BASF, NGOs like UNESCO, WaterAid and CARE, and magazines/newspapers like Geo France, The Guardian and The Financial Times. Ghana is his hub, and from there he’s travelled to Cameroon, Uganda, Angola, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Ivory Coast and Liberia. Travelling so much for work has its difficulties and challenges, the three main ones being access, cost and culture. “Gaining access to certain parts of the continent is just difficult. You can think of this in terms of going to remote villages and towns, but even traveling from one African country to another can be difficult. Travelling within Africa can be extremely expensive, and when one finds himself where the story is, then there is the cultural and languages barrier to cross. At the end of the day, however, nothing inspires me like this continent because of all the diversity it offers.”

And there are more positive sides, because the continent’s rising economy brings more prosperity to photography enthusiasts in Africa; for Acquah that means more people asking to buy prints. “And a lot of young people can now afford some good cameras so we are also getting a lot of new photographers every day. Next to that, fortunately because of the internet, there is also a rapid growth in competence within the photography community. The internet really takes away every excuse we used to have for when we performed poorly in any endeavour.” Of course it helps that photographers like Acquah spread their message and photography via the Instagram group ,everydayafrica’, for example.

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And we mustn’t forget the bridge the internet creates between African and non-African photographers. “Before, I think that most foreigners came with preconceived notions and went around looking for images that fit their prejudice. Fortunately, that attitude is gradually changing: I see a lot more effort by non-African photographers to change the rhetoric. The difference between my work and that of non-African photographers is something the viewer perceives more than I do, however, I don’t compare myself to anyone – foreign or national.” That leads Acquah to another observation: “Ghanaians don’t collaborate.” It’s a cultural problem, in his opinion, of which he also is guilty. “We keep our ideas and opportunities to ourselves and only invite our colleagues to our exhibitions and ask them to like our published work on social media. If we never become as strong a force, as say the Nigerians, this will be what did us in – self-centredness.” Words his colleagues throughout the continent should probably pay heed to.

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