ONE ON ONE WITH NGANGA THE PHOTOGRAPHER

From time to time we want to capture moments basically for memories not to be lost. It’s not all about taking a camera and clicking a button. He instead advocates for finding your niche. It takes a pro to capture the moment as perceived in the mind. Photography is an art to be precise just like any other, skills are required to portray how much you can do with your camera. Catch us as we get exclusive with Front Media Services’ _ Steve Ng’ang’a.

Tell us about yourself.

Thank you for giving me this chance to interact with you and give me a platform to tell people more about me. Well, I’m a teacher by profession and a photographer by passion. The field of photography has been part of my life I’m also a team player since i have various colleagues who I work with. I’ve been working with different companies and my main focus is to make my clients happy by giving them quality products they will remember even in the future. Photography is about freezing the particular time that will fall in history.

When did you start photography?

 Actually I begun photography on a professional level seven years ago while I as in campus. I wanted to diversify the work flow of this industry by changing the game in a pro level.

Which photographer do you look up to?

Photography is in my blood since my father is a photographer. He has been my pillar and a mentor in this journey. Locally, I have three great photographers that I look up to and among them is Ben Kiruthi. He’s a talented photographer that capture memorable moments at a photographer’s wedding. Antony Trivet is another photographer who has inspired me in the field of creativity and detailed captures. Not forgetting Osborne Macharia for his unique and conventionalize images. Osborne the genius behind the lenses of African historical narrative fused in both cultural, fantasy and fiction.

Photography seems to have been shut by the development of phones

 strong cameras, how do you as a photographer ensure you stand out?

Technology is advancing and we discover different ventures and ideas along the way. Personally, I’ve gone ahead to upgrade my equipment and not only the gadgets but also the creativity and quality. There are some programs that can’t be operated on phone and it will require skills and knowledge to operate such programs.

How did Front Media services come about?

 Front photos and video services is the ideal mother to Front Media Services. As i said earlier, it’s a family business and since there’ll be always growth, we have the two branches which started three years ago.

What else does Front Media Services deal in?

Majorly we are a virtual production. We venture into video production for various events like weddings & engagements, family parties and even baby showers which are part of the norms in our society. Other than virtual production, we also deal in selling camera equipment and graphics design such as business cards, posters and large format designs. We also convert the old video tapes (VHS) into a digital format, i know there are many people out there wondering what to do those tapes yet they contain special memorable events of their lives. We got you!

Have you ever encountered a client that wants a nude photoshoot, how did it go?

The term “nude” is a broad term in this field. In Front Media Services we have ethics that we abide by and in a professional way we must stand by them. When it comes to modeling photography, depending on the location of the scene such as beach and swimming pool, one can be wearing a bikini which it’s appropriate in the industry. That is the limit that i could go since I’m a professional and I don’t entertain the negative side of photography such us promoting pornography and inappropriate shoots.

What is the one thing about photography that people don’t know?

Photography is an art. “We say everybody is a photographer until manual mode,” by this term, some of the people have a misconception about photography that it’s just picking up a camera and click a button. It takes a lot of practice and skills for you to get that clean and satisfactory images. I usually tell my photography students that before you click the shutter button, have the objective of what you want, then create that image in your mind so that you can get the best shot.

Where do you see photography in the next 10 years?

My long term objective is to have a photography institution. As I said earlier, I’m a teacher, and its my prayer to help most of the upcoming talents to understand photography and not only that but even other talents such as acting, movie production and even professional modeling.

If it were not for Covid-19 what could you be doing now?

This pandemic has affected each and everyone of us in one way or another disregarding the field of work. We had started a program at Konnect Youth Consortium, where we help youths on skill infusion. It was unfortunate that we had to put the program on hold due to the issues of social distance and closure of all learning institution.

Which camera model do you use?

I shoot using a digital camera and I’m a canon guy. I love canon products for their colors and their cameras have been designed to do both videos and photography. There are other models that perform great work such as Sony A7R III and other A series.

Which gadget doesn’t miss in your camera bag apart from the camera?

There are several things that a photographer has to have such as source of light i.e Flash. Since the camera that I’m using doesn’t have an in-built one, hence in my bag I ought to have a flash and extra lens which helps me to shoot on low light condition.

Your advice to anyone interested in photography?

Photography is an interesting art of work. My advice to the interested persons is that you should find your niche. Can you name a famous photographer who doesn’t have a specialty? No. Can you name a famous photographer who is very specialized? Of course! There’s a reason for that. There are a lot of photographers out there in the big, wide world, and subsequently, you aren’t competing on the quality of your photos alone, nor on your price, nor your website, but the WHOLE LOT plus your personality. You may be good, but a lot of people are good. Your personality is portrayed through your photos, and your niche is your special little area of interest.

How can one reach you if your services are required?

We are located in Kericho County at Mwalimu Building along Moi Road opposite Uhuru Gardens. You can also find us on social media; Facebook: Front Media Services, Instagram: @nganga_photography or you can send us an email to frontmedia.dnm@gmail.com tel. +254723534728/+254722800138