Osborne Macharia is about to complete his degree in Architecture, but is already successful in an unrelated career, writes Tricia Wanjala
What is your education background?
I am a final year Architecture student at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
What sparked your interest in photography?
I was out of school for a year and during that period, I came across the works of a Canadian photographer who by the age of 23 had serious clients like Warner Brothers and Forbes on his portfolio and seemed to love what he was doing. His work was mostly out of studio (on-location) with attention to creating dynamism by fusing natural and artificial lighting. That’s when I developed a key interest in that kind of photography.
Describe the kind of work you do.
I mostly specialise in wedding, editorial, food/product and advertising photography, with 90 per cent of my work being on-location. For wedding photography, I specialise in creative lighting. This creates a different feel to the wedding than what your ordinary eye would see.
For how long have you been doing it?
I got my first camera in 2010 and started shooting for fun. I began doing commercial photography in March last year.
What skills are necessary to succeed in this kind of work?
Patience, persistence, creativity, honesty and handwork (with a few sleepless nights). Most of all, you must not seek money as your primary objective. Work hard on your skill and the money
will come looking for you.
What equipment should a budding photographer first purchase and
how can he/she get started?
