African Photo Magazine, 1st Issue!

APRIL 2015 

ISSUE #1 

Local Perspectives. African Insights. 

Photographer 

Showcase 

Africa’s Photo History 

+ 

GIVEAWAYS!! 

Photography Tips 

Video Tutorials 

Africa’s 

Vanishing 

Photo 

Studios 

Creative’s 

Corner 

Local Perspectives. African Insights.

A message from the 

Cabinet Secretary 

CS Anne Waiguru, O.G.W, Cabinet Secretary, 

Ministry of Devolution and Planning 

The Jubilee Government is committed 

to the empowerment and advancement of youth in this 

country. Indeed, it is a logical fallacy to think that our 

country can sustain the current development trend 

or continue to transform itself from a developing 

country to a middle income country and beyond 

without consistent, focused empowerment of our 

youth. As part of Government’s commitment to Youth 

empowerment and development, the government 

is continually seeking to remove the barriers that 

stand in the way of our youth’s ability to realize their 

full potential. Some of these barriers are: access to 

capital; insufficient training & a lack of capacity for 

enterprise notwithstanding the plethora of great 

ideas and innovations generated by youth; and limited 

opportunities to engage in formal markets. 

To this end, the Ministry of Devolution and Planning 

seeks innovative ways to address these challenges by 

increasing access to capital through funds such as the 

UWEZO FUND, the Youth Enterprise Development 

Fund and Women’s Enterprise Fund; creating added 

opportunities to engage in the formal market by 

reserving 30% of public procurement for youth, women 

and persons with disabilities through AGPO; by 

making it easier to gain the necessary documentation 

to register a business through the Huduma one-stopshop 

service centers; and by seeking partnerships with 

the private sector to augment the training, engagement 

and placement of young people into formal markets. 

I am exceedingly pleased to see ventures like this 

that seek to harness the potential of youth through 

talent identification, professional capacity building and 

training, and business and professional mentoring in 

the arts. Photography, as an art, is a great avenue for 

our youth to tap into their energies and talents, and 

to develop reflective skills and harness their prowess 

at ICTs manipulation. This will help out our youth to 

tell beautiful and provocative visual stories, visually 

document the individual and collective journeys of 

our nation, and portray the magnificent beauty of our 

people, our landscapes, fauna and flora. This magazine 

and the pilot photography and visual arts enterprise 

class will help young people with a passion for 

photography to maximize on their talents in a gainful 

manner. 

I would like to congratulate The House of Fotography 

for conceptualizing and implementing a great idea 

to help young people join the ranks of great photoentrepreneurs. 

This venture speaks to the power of 

collaboration and partnership to do great. This is the 

key catalyst for youth empowerment in Kenya, and the 

NYS has chosen as its carrion call: to be true to who 

we are as individuals, professionals and be true to our 

nation by maximizing on what is good and helping 

empower each other. 

CS Anne Waiguru 

O.G.W, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Devolution and Planning 


Africa’s 

Photography 

History 

23 

10 

Tutorial 

Videos 

20 

Creative’s 

Corner 

16 


Tips 

WIN 

SWAG 

Page 26 

24 

My life as an intern 

22 

The Rise Of Camera 

Phones And How It Affects 

Professional Photographers 

AFRICANPHOTOMAGAZINE 4

Publishers: 

House of Fotography 

Editor: 

Sharon Mitchener 

Africa’s 

Vanishing 

Photo 

Studios 

8 

Layout Designer: 

Christina N. Mugambi 

nkirotemugambi.com 

Editorial Offices: 

House of Fotography 

P.O. Box 25190-00603 Nairobi, Kenya 

Tel: (+254) 702.680.797 | 714.745.924 

hello@fotohouse.co.ke 

A SPECIAL THANKS 

TO THE FOLLOWING: 

The Ministry of Devolution and Planning for 

their immense support in this inaugral issue 

Photographer 

Showcase 

12 

Osborne Macharia, Humzer Taison and 

David Mwangi for their creative contributions 

to the magazines theme ‘Food & Drinks’ 

Our foreign-based collaborators, Mark Myerson 

and Adrien Tache for their enthusiatic support 

Simon Rwigi for his insighful article about 

his internship with House of Fotography 

Our video partners, Jemedari Media 

for their invaluable contribution to the 

production of educational videos 

Most importantly, our Almighty God 

for all His good works. 

The views expressed in this magazine should only 

be ascribed to the authors concerned and do not 

necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. 

The printing of an advertisement in this 

magazine does not necessarily mean that the 

publishers endorse the companies or 

organizations, product or service. 

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine 

may be reproduced by any means without 

permission in writing from the publishers. 

Local Perspectives. African Insights. 

© 2015

Letter 

from the 

Editor 

African photography, interestingly, began its 

journey not too long after the invention of the art 

form in Europe in the mid-1800’s. What, however, 

made photography in Africa so unique was that 

the early practitioners were not African and 

neither was the subject matter being produced, 

done for the local African audience. The earliest 

forms of photography documented the early 

Christian missionaries’ travels across swathes of 

the Continent and their work in bringing the Bible 

and “civilization” to the natives. Therefore, “how 

Europe thought about Africa in the late nineteenth 

century was, to some extent at least, determined 

by the images which were reproduced by these 

missionaries” [sic] Dr T.Jack Thompson. 

This ideological difference between photography 

produced in Africa and photography produced in 

the rest of the world, has resulted in photography 

being produced that does not represent the 

authenticity of the African, the aspirations of the 

African, the hope of the African, the soul of the 

African, in all its beautiful black, brown and white 

shades. African photography typically centers 

on war, famine, poverty, political upheaval, and 

the absurd. On a good day, the photography will 

showcase animals and landscapes and where to 

holiday. Sadly, this is what the foreign masses still 

want to see, nay, expect to see, and this is what 

they are fed. However, in the last decade or so, 

the sleeping giant has awoken! There is a new 

wind sweeping the Continent, and the world of 

photography is not being left behind. Our African 

brothers and sisters are taking the reigns over what 

they consider to be their voice, their face, their 

lives. African photographers are now behind the 

lens and telling their own story! 

This magazine seeks to capture this new voice and 

share it with the world! Welcome to the inaugural 

issue of the African Photo Magazine! 

The Editor, 


For the last several years, French photographer 

Adrien Tache has travelled around Africa, 

photographing local portrait studios and talking 

to the owners who are struggling to keep their 

businesses afloat. 

These business owners have made a living by 

shooting headshots, passport photos, weddings, 

birthdays, and other ceremonies important enough 

to be preserved on film. 

Sadly, as with most photo studios today, these 

businesses have felt the economic strain brought 

forth by digital imaging. 

There’s not always a need for a professional 

photographer when digital cameras are now so 

cheap and easy to use. “Nowadays, digital 

photography is used (almost) all around the world. 

But these photographers are still equipped with old 

silver-based cameras; equipment dating from the 

70s and 80s.” 

A Fascinating 

Look Into Africa’s 

Vanishing 

Photo Studios 

“I met them everywhere: Mauritania, Guinea 

Conakry, Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso.” Many of 

them have no formal training. Most are self-taught 

photographers who have started their businesses 

from the ground up. 

One photographer told Adrien, “We never had any 

photography training in our lives, we only learnt how 

to use our camera by ourselves. Once everyone gets 

their own camera, they won’t need us anymore.” 

Adrien goes on: “Feeling that I was between two 

pages of African photography history, I wanted to 

immortalize them with their third eye, inside their 

kitschy studios or outside, during wedding 

or ceremonies.” 

“These photos are my way of showing the realities of 

a business, a way of life, an era that is almost over.” 


“...these photographers are still equipped 

with old silver-based cameras; equipment 

dating from the 70s and 80s.” 

Adrien Tache 

A young Photographer from Southern France, photography has been Adrien’s passion 

since he was a teenager, especially during his trips to Asia. But when Adrien experienced 

the moving photography school “Atelier Nomade” in West Africa, his relationship with 

photography changed tremendously and became more social and humanist. Adrien has 

had various Gallery exhibitions in France; Visa Off 2013, Perpignan; Bièvres International 

Photography Exhibition (2013/2014); Portrait(S) 2013, Vichy; International Photography 

Exhibition (2013/2014), Bièvres; and Africajarc Festival. 

adrien.tache@hotmail.fr | www.adrientache.com 


Our walk 

through Africa’s 

photography 

history 


The very worn inscription on the front of the 

daguerrotype reads: Native woman from Sofala, 

Monomotapa, aged 30 years. Although still 

young this woman’s hair is almost entirely white. 

Dr. T. Jack Thompson visited the Centre of African 

Studies, University of Edinburgh, in May 2003 

where he shared his research project on the history 

of photography in Africa. Below are fascinating 

excerpts from Images of Africa: Photography in the 

Nineteenth Century:. 

The beginnings of photography are usually dated 

to 1839 when Daguerre in France, and Fox Talbot 

in England announced different techniques for 

producing what today we would call photographic 

images. 

Daguerre’s technique (which became known as the 

Daguerreotype) at first produced higher quality 

images; but it had the disadvantage of being able 

to produce only one unique image from each 

exposure. Fox Talbot’s technique (known as the 

calotype) used a paper negative, and could be 

reproduced several times. Within a few months 

of its invention photography had reached Africa 

mostly, at first, in the form of the daguerrotype. 

Although photography itself was invented in 1839, 

it was not until the late 1880s, with the perfection 

of the half-tone process, that photographs were 

able to be reproduced directly in published 

books. Up until that time, one of two things 

happened. Either very small print runs of books 

The ‘Ma Robert’, Dr Livingstone’s ship on the 

second Zambesi expedition of 1858, 

photographed on the Zambesi by Sir John Kirk. 

were produced into which individual photographic 

prints were stuck with glue or more commonly, often, 

however, they were based on, and copied from original 

photographs. The photographs could be copied on to 

lithographic plates, from which skilled engravers could 

produce extremely accurate lithographs. 

The earliest surviving photographs from Africa 

are mostly of Egyptian monuments. At this period 

exposures needed to be several minutes long, and 

almost all photographs were taken out of doors. The 

earliest surviving photograph of a black African is a 

daguerrotype of a female chief from Mozambique, 

taken by the French photographer Thiesson in 1845, 

and now in the Eastman Museum of Photography in 

Rochester, New York. 

The march into Africa was slowed in the midnineteenth 

century as photographic equipment 

was very heavy and cumbersome to carry around. 

In addition exposures were long (compared to 

modern times) and the process of developing and 

fixing photographs (most commonly at this time the 

wet collodion process) was difficult – especially in 

the interior of Africa. This meant that while studio 

photography, and photography in the major urban 

areas of Africa developed from the 1850s onwards, 

the use of photography beyond these controlled 

environments developed much more slowly. 

It is however most interesting to note that 

photography was used in this era to record the 

activities of European explorers, missionaries, armies 

and administrators. It is believed that Livingstone’s 

Zambesi expedition from 1858 to1863 was the first 

major African expedition in sub-Saharan Africa to 

employ an official photographer. 

This early introduction of photography into the 

Continent primarily by the missionary proved to be as 

much of a blessing as it was a curse and deeply framed 

photography of all things African, creating stereotypes 

of Africa in the eyes of the world. 

To be continued 


Photographer’s 

SHOW 

CA S E 

Three photographers share their unique perspective in 

interpreting the theme for this issue “food and drinks.” 


THE BRIEF: 

Redds Vodka is a drink 

thats hardly had any 

visual presence in the 

country so this shoot 

was all experimental. 

When it comes down to 

You vs The Night then 

you need a drink that 

will keep you going. 

OSBORNE MACHARIA 

Self taught Commercial/Advertising photographer and director born and based in Nairobi 

with a degree in Architecture. He has been shooting for the last 6yrs and has been 

privileged to shoot for some of the top local and international brands including Guinness, 

Mercedes, Tusker, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Samsung just to name a few. Osborne has also 

been featured in industry respected publication Lurzer’s Archive in ‘200 Best Digital 

Artists Worldwide 2015/16’ as well as the Hasselblad iPad App and website. He’s also a 

member of African Photography Network which is an invite only network. He’s work has 

been exhibited in Addis, London and Rome at different art and photography exhibitions. 

artbishop@k63studio.com | www.k63studio.com 


THE BRIEF 

The advertising industry 

in this part of the world 

is very constrained 

as most clients hold 

the belief that the 

audience leans more 

towards the traditional 

and conservative. We 

therefore wanted to 

attempt a shoot that 

pushes the margins of 

the envelope just a little 

more, showing creativity 

can be achieved out of 

the very ordinary. 

TEDDY MITCHENER 

Is a self-taught photographer having picked up his first camera as far back as 1991 

as a young man growing up in the USA. His father, Willie Brown, was an amateur 

photographer and ignited the spark that burst forth into flame a scant 5 years ago. 

Now a fully fledged professional photographer, Teddy earns his living in Kenya 

primarily as a commercial photographer in the advertising industry (shooting for brands 

such as GE, Safaricom, Airtel, Toyota, Total, CO-OP Bank, etc), and as an Industrial 

photographer on some of the largest projects in the region, such as Two Rivers 

Development, Kengen’s Olkaria, and Actis’ Garden City. With a recently built-up studio 

space, Teddy is also expanding into the portraiture genre, as well as developing a keen 

interest in destination wedding assignments. 

hello@fotohouse.co.ke | www.fotohouse.co.ke 


THE BRIEF: 

In this picture titled 

“About Last Night,” 

Humzer envisioned a 

loving couple having a 

romantic dinner, leading 

to the creation of life 

nine months later. 

HUMZER TAISON 

With a passion for visual storytelling, Humzer wants his images to tell a story. 

He aspires to create photography that transcends the barriers of language to 

communicate what words cannot fully express. He appreciates simplicity, interesting 

compositions, and the range of emotions that pictures evoke. On 11 Oct 2013, he held 

his first camera and has not looked back since. He desires to take pictures everyday 

and to learn from those captured moments that last forever. 

humzertaison@gmail.com | facebook.com/humzer.tyson 



Tips 

Bending the Light 

STEP 

01 

Once you have selected the desired shoot location, 

place your shoot subject in line with the background 

and then meter for that background. (note: a 

light meter is often used to determine the proper 

exposure for a photograph) 

STEP 

02 

Once the background has been metered, introduce 

your Reflector to help bring in back lighting or side 

lighting to your subject. To achieve strong light, bring 

the Reflector closer or distance it for a softer hint 

of light, opting for the silver/gold side for more light 

saturations. Take a test shot to make sure you are 

happy with the Reflector position, note position then 

remove so as to test Flash in step 03 below. 

STEP 

03 

Next, bring out your Flash and set it in ETTL mode 

(note: this is usage of preflash to calculate the 

necessary flash power required before the shot 

is taken). Be sure to position the Flash directly 

opposite of the Reflector’s position. Take a test shot 

to make sure you are happy with the Flash position, 

then reintroduce Reflector into position. 

STEP 

04 

Incorporate both Flash and Reflector. Flash should be 

at least 1 ½-2 Stops brighter than the light coming in 

from the Reflector. With your subject and the props/ 

peripherals well placed, you are ready for your shot! 


Learning how to manipulate your light sources, be they natural or artificial is truly the climbing of Mt Everest 

for many a photographer. However, once mastered and used in combination, the resulting image comes to life! 

In this brief tutorial, we will take you through a walkthrough of how to achieve this in very simple steps. 

STEP 

05 

Finished shot with 

minor photoshop 

enhancements for 

lighting levels and 

colour saturations. 

Photographer: 

Teddy Mitchener 

Photographer Assistant: 

Simon Rwigi 


Making of a concept shoot 

STEP 

01 

This may appear to be stating the obvious but 

make sure peanut skins are clean (to avoid having 

to photoshop to clean up dirt) and not overly dry 

(piercing the holes for the hands and feet may lead 

the nuts to crumble if they are dry and brittle) 

STEP 

02 

Using Q-tips/Ear buds, cut to size for hands and 

feet and stick into holes pierced for the same, using 

regular liquid glue. Try and position the hands and 

feet at different angles for batches of peanuts so 

you can create a peanut crowd of different heights 

and postures. 

STEP 

03 

Using manila paper, design and cut out the iconic 

shapes of buildings/landscapes you want to 

represent the city/town you plan to feature. Make 

sure these are easily recognizable and a few are all 

that is needed. 

STEP 

04 

To create the necessary depth of field, ensure you 

are working with a long enough surface. This will help 

your image have a 3-dimentional feel to it. 


The beauty about conceptual photography is that it is such a hands-on experience. The photographer is wholly engaged and 

involved in creating the subject matter of which he or she intends to shoot. 

For this first issue, when the food and drinks theme was set, we racked our brains trying to figure out a piece that would 

speak volumes on what a conceptual, contemporary food shoot would like and feel like to us. We wanted to produce a work 

that would test our skills in terms of creativity, lighting techniques and equally important, be visually engaging. 

In this tutorial, we will take you through a walkthrough of how we executed our concept. 

STEP 

05 

To add a little colour and variety to the picture, 

consider adding elements of scenery or other 

fixtures as you see fit. We cut out a few green trees 

to give a colour and height contrast to the peanuts. 

STEP 

06 

Place all the elements on the shooting plane, 

keeping in mind the different height elements, with 

the tallest being at the back. Examine the scene at 

eye level to ensure there is adequate spacing of the 

different elements….remember the depth of field you 

are trying to achieve! 

STEP 

07 

Now, we are trying to create a sunset using colour 

filters. For our purposes, we attached a red film filter 

over the overhead studio light, which we angled to 

face our “scene”. We then placed a screen (any thin 

white material will do as well) between the filtered 

light and the “scene”. The purpose of the screen 

is to give your “scene” a nice smooth background/ 

backdrop and to eliminate any photo-shopping to 

create a background. 

STEP 

08 

Start shooting, changing light settings and camera 

aperture settings to be able to finally get the “scene” 

right. For our purposes, we used a light setting of 2 

stops with a grid for the studio light and a camera 

aperture setting of F/8 which enhances depth of 

field; shutter speed of 1/200 s and ISO 50 to allow 

for a darker setting but less grain. 


STEP 

09 

This is the final unedited picture 

produced that we now take into 

photoshop to polish off. If steps 01-08 

are followed diligently, post-production 

editing is minimal. In photoshop, all that 

was required to achieve the final was 

(i) cropping (ii) tweaking of lighting 

levels (iii) reduction of noise levels 

STEP 

10 

Place captions as desired. Finished! 

Photographer: 

Teddy Mitchener 

Photographer Assistant: 

Simon Rwigi 

VIDEO 

Tutorials 

These are the first of many FREE tutorials we will 

be posting online (via the magazine’s YouTube 

channel) primarily to educate on photography 

techniques and the business elements of a 

photography operation. These educational videos 

are the pre-amble to the photography school we 

will be starting towards the latter part of the year. 

Photography Business 


This Educational Tutorial segment is proudly sponsored by the 

MANDATES OF THE FUND 

The Fund is one of the flagship 

projects of the social pillar of Vision 

2030 and was designed to address 

the challenges of youth owned 

enterprises 

• Providing loans to youth owned 

enterprises 

• Attracting and facilitating 

investment in infrastructure such 

as business or industrial parks, 

markets or business incubators 

that will be beneficial to youth 

enterprises 

• Supporting youth enterprises 

to develop linkages with large 

enterprises 

• Facilitating marketing of products 

and services of youth enterprises 

both in the domestic and the 

international markets 

• Providing business development 

services to youth enterprises 

• Facilitating employment of youth 

in the international labour market 

PRODUCTS 

• The Constituency Youth Enterprise Scheme (C-YES) - This component finances 

projects of registered youth groups. The maximum amount lent through this 

component is Kshs. 500,000 

• The Easy Youth Enterprise Scheme (E-YES) - This component finances projects 

of individuals who belong to groups that have completed repayment of the 

C-YES loan to a maximum of Kshs. 100,000 

• Vuka Loan - Business expansion loan for individuals, companies, groups and 

partnerships from Kshs. 100,000 to 2 million 

• The Take 254 loan - Film loan product to provide financing to youth interested 

in film making from Kshs. 500,000 Ksh. 25 million 

• LPO loans and bid bonds - Financing for 30% affirmative Access to Government 

Procurement Opportunities Programme (AGPO), targeting the youth, women 

and persons living with disability. Youth who win government tenders can 

access Bid Bonds and LPO financing of up to Kshs. 20 million 

• Sharia compliant loans - The Fund, working with the relevant stakeholders, has 

made its loans sharia compliant in order to encourage Muslim youth to borrow 

• I’ve got ten minutes…do you? - Mentorship programme targeting young people 

from 13 – 35 years 

• iTempo - Through this initiative we hope to identify, train and empower 2.7 

million youth within a period of 3 years, by training trainers in every county who 

will cascade to constituency level. The training will focus on self-belief, selfmotivation, 

entrepreneurship and leadership 

• One Mic Spoken Word Contest - Competition targeting youth in the music, 

theater and film industry 

Food On Location: Part 1 Food On Location: Part 2 


My experience working as an intern at the House of Fotography 

has been fascinating, and I am convinced it will mould me as I 

advance into my career in photography. 

The first thing I realized when I started is how little I knew about 

photography. It had never occurred to me that photography was such 

a wide field of practice. I now realize the worth of training 

under a professional as in time I will be able to decide for 

myself exactly what type of photographer I want to be. 

An important aspect I have come to really 

appreciate during my time here, is the ability to 

multi-task and “think on my feet.” On an active 

shoot set, expected brief concepts may change 

due to on-the-ground scenarios changing 

therefore needing improvisation. As I started 

out, I would at times find myself completely 

unaware of all that was happening on the set, 

but with time I am coming to learn how to 

anticipate what the head photographer needs 

before he asks. 

Additionally, I have come to know the value in 

asking the right questions at the appropriate time, 

thereby gaining insight on any issues I do not fully 

understand. I have learned its OK not to know much but its 

not OK to stay silent about it. I have learned that this internship 

will only have real value if I am responsible for ensuring I learn all I can 

from the professionals around me. 

My life as an intern 

Lastly, and this is key, punctuality, professionalism, honesty, respect and 

open communication are the bedrock for a successful internship experience! 

Find Out How To 

WIN 

THIS BAG 

{ AND 

OTHER 

SWAG 

DETAILS ON 

PAGE 26 

{ 


CREATIVE’S 

CORNER 

VALENTINE’S DAY 

PRINT AD 

DAVID MWANGI 

is currently a Creative Director 

at Shekele Communications 

Limited. He has spent about 

fifteen years learning the 

ropes and building brands in 

the advertising industry while 

working with agencies like 

Leo Burnett (Access), Ogilvy & 

Mather and Young & Rubicam. 

--------------- 

david.mwangi@shekele.co.ke 

CHALLENGE: Lovers all over the world and in Kenya send gifts to each other on Valentines 

day. Chocolate is probably one of the most preferred gifts during this period of 

time. We wanted lovers in Kenya to send their loved one’s Cadbury’s Chocolate 

despite stiff competition from other brands both local and international. 

EXECUTION: We wanted the visual to remind the target what the day was about and the joy 

Cadbury would add to the occasion. The print advert never ran. The general 

feeling was that this was a bit risqué and could end up sending the wrong 

message about the brand. 


Image by Kenyan Photographer, Humzer Taison, 

captured with a 5 megapixel Samsung Phone 

The Rise 

Of Camera 

Phones 

And How 

It Affects 

Professional 

Photographers 

In bygone days, when large wooden boxes, wet glass plates and an indepth 

knowledge of chemistry were the tools of the photographer’s trade, 

photography was a difficult skill. 

As cameras took the form we see them in today, using film and becoming 

more compact and affordable, photography slowly became more 

accessible, initially as a hobby,and then as a profession. Even then, 

however, becoming a professional was hard – learning by trial and error 

when every shot costs money is an expensive business. 

In the last decade or so, however, the digital age has created a boom in 

the number of skilled photographers out there, and as technology moves 

forward, the technical challenges of photography are shrinking. As a 

result, the profession of photography is changing again. Now, you don’t 

even need to own a camera to become a pro; the phone is the numberone 

way of taking pictures, and the image quality achievable with today’s 

phones being comparable with DSLRs from only five years ago. 

the digital age has created 

a boom in the number 

of skilled photographers 

So what does the future hold for the professional photographer? 

On first inspection, it’s a dying market; the proliferation of well-equipped 

camera-phones seems likely to cause a significant dent in demand for 

photographic services. The average person is becoming increasingly 

confident to take their own pictures, even at important events such 

as weddings. In other areas of the industry, press organizations are 

increasingly turning to amateur contributions. Meanwhile, anyone with a 

phone, a filter app and a thumb can make a landscape look “pretty.” 


The online population is consuming more content than 

ever before, and people still want to see high quality 

images. Technology is getting better at automating 

the technical aspects of photography, but any camera 

or phone is reliant on the photographer to frame the 

picture. With this in mind, perhaps current professionals 

should consider surfing the smartphone wave, with its 

benefits of convenience and ease of publishing, and 

take heed of the old adage: if you can’t beat ‘em, join 

‘em. And that’s just what some are doing. 

Technology is getting better 

at automating the technical 

aspects of photography 

This increased productivity, and freedom from the 

computer screen, must surely be beneficial for any 

professional photographer. It’s not just the creative 

side of photography that is changing, however. During 

the London 2012 Olympics, The Guardian newspaper 

had live coverage on their website, with updates 

streaming in from the reporters and DSLR-wielding 

photographers who were stationed around the various 

venues. In my opinion, however, their best coverage 

came from Dan Chung, whose Olympic smartphone 

photoblog provided a level of coverage, both in terms 

of text updates and in terms of photography, which 

was second to none. All of the content was written on 

or taken with his phone, and this allowed him to move 

swiftly from venue to venue like no ordinary hack 

could. Using a clip-on telephoto lens, he was able to 

get as close to the action as any other photographer, 

and his wide-angle shots of crowds and the stadium 

were magnificent. Were his photographs (particularly 

when using the clip-on lens) of stock library quality? 

No, but they were technically good enough to use as 

press images, creatively brilliant, and online almost 

instantly after the event – exactly what the online 

audience wants. 

Apple and Nokia are working hard 

on developing new technologies 

Don’t write off the pro-with-a-DSLR model, though. If 

you need quality, there is currently no substitute for 

a big camera. In addition, camera manufacturers, 

sensing the threat of the smartphone, are fighting back. 

Samsung and Nikon have both recently launched their 

own Android-based compacts, with Polaroid hot on 

their heels. With Android installed, these cameras allow 

all the same online functionality as a smartphone, but 

with a proper lens and sensor. Equally, technologies 

like those found in Eye-Fi memory cards have already 

enabled photo-journalists to send a live stream of 

pictures straight from their DSLRs to picture desks 

around the world. 

In addition, there are some niche sectors of photography 

for which phones won’t be of any use for some time 

yet. The idea of shooting nature photography on a 

phone, for example, even with a clip-on lens, is not 

feasible. Phones are also not set up to fit with the 

essential accessories we use day-to-day – tripods, 

flashguns and filters, for instance – and anyone who 

has tried to take phone pictures in poor light knows 

that results are often lackluster. 

It’s fair to say that phones are already making their 

mark on photography, and are changing the role of 

the professional. But even the best camera-phones on 

the market are still far from ideal for many situations a 

professional encounters, and although companies like 

Apple and Nokia are working hard on developing new 

technologies, this state of affairs is likely to last for the 

foreseeable future. But just think about this – one day 

in the not too distant future, you might be shooting a 

wedding, and as the bride throws the flowers over her 

shoulder, a beep can be heard – the sound of your 

phone taking the special picture. 

Mark Myerson 

Is a freelance journalist from Exmouth, UK. He specializes in writing about cutting-edge 

technology and smartphone photography. When he is not typing, he can usually be 

found wandering the countryside with his camera.” 

mark@myerson.me | Website: about.me/myerson 


FROM US TO YOU 

Follow us on Twitter! 

We will randomly select the lucky winners from 

our fans using #AfricanPhoto in their tweets! 

For this quarter’s magazine issue, we shall have a give-away each month to 

reward readers that follow us and mention us in tweets. Good luck folks! 

DigiPro WP8060 8-Inch x 

6-Inch USB Graphics Tablet 

with Cordless Pen 

This is a Silver tablet and Stylus with a 

soft-tip pen with 512 levels of pressure 

for drawing programs such as Painter 

and Photoshop. It is also useful in Word/ 

Handwriting communications. Please 

note, software is not compatible with Max 

OS 8 and above. 

Ruggard Outrigger 

65 DSLR Backpack 

The black Outrigger 65 DSLR Backpack 

from Ruggard holds a DSLR with a 

battery grip and an attached 70-200 f/2.8 

lens as well as four additional lenses and 

two flashes. All of this is held within the 

main compartment of the bag between 

padded dividers. It also accommodates 

an iPad or similar sized tablet inside a 

padded zippered pocket on the front 

flap. The backpack features two tripod 

straps with quick-release buckles at the 

base and numerous interior and exterior 

pockets. 


Slinger Bag, Single Strap 

Backpack / Shoulder Bag 

This ergonomically designed, multi 

purpose, photo/video bag can be worn 

as a sling bag or backpack. The main 

compartment measures 10” x 10” x 4” 

including the internal mesh pocket on the 

cover flap . 


Aerial Photography | Commercial & Industrial | Portraiture | Weddings 

At House of Fotography, we produce imagery that seeks to 

speak to the heart; our photography lingers in ones mind 

as we passionately craft images that come to life! 

fotohouse.co.ke

African Photo Magazine, 1st Issue!

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