Nothing gets more exciting like seeing a photo that has a lot to say — more like one pic, lots of words.
Meet Teddy Tavan Juma, a photographer based in Kenya. He’s a student and does well with photography. He kicked off his photography skills without having any fancy photography gadget, just his phone.
Teddy Tavan’s work are always colorful and he is able to achieve this photography level with constant practice, and inspiring himself with works from other talented photographers.
Teddy Tavan has a unique way of taking his photos and there’s a lot to learn from him.
Here’s our interview with the talented photographer below :
Tell us something about yourself
My name is Teddy Tavan Juma, i come from Kenya, I am a student in my third year studying to be an architect , during my free time i paint, photograph, or write short poems.
What is your photography story?
How did you get to where you are now?
What is your photography story? How did you get to where you are now?
I loved having good photos, i wanted to have photos similar to those in movies, but i couldn’t achieve those, in my last year in high school i found out about photoshop, i started taking photos with my phone and photoshopped alot of stuff to make them movie like, how i got to where i am, is through active learning, am a heavy critic and that posed a challenge for me, in order to critic i had to understand and actually learn first, the other part of getting where i am was entirely dependent on dedicating time and being consistent in my field.
How did you practice and improve your skills as a photographer?
Skill practice, I had targets of which level i wanted to be, and this helped me keep track, i collected works from other photographers including Osborne Macharia, these helped me note where i wanted to get to, i also had friends who helped in the field i wasn’t able to afford most of the equipment, their assist was important for my growth and their guidance too.
How long have you been a photographer?
I’ve shot photos for 2 years now
What are your biggest obstacles as a photographer?
My biggest obstacle is misunderstanding, i mostly target communicating with people out there but most of the times they don’t understand what’s behind your work. Well there’s an obvious obstacle of less talent support from our community especially if they don’t understand what you work for.
What motivates you to keep taking pictures?
My motivation to take pictures is the stories i stumble on. The different narratives until they run out i believe I’ll still take pictures.
How did you find your own photography style?
My style found me, i struggled to have a style, researched alot borrowed alot, and then i realized my ideas were circulating around the same things, themes and stories, i realized that i had a style all along that way.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Next five years i just want to share my work more with the world, probably a sectioned part of galleries in the world sharing my story thats where i want to be.
What’s your advice for amateur photographers who would like to do what you do. Do you need fancy equipments?
You don’t need fancy equipment, i shoot using a 4000d and sometimes my phone, props i collect from any where, these have served me enough and am getting comfortable with that spot after beating the myth of needing fancy gear.
