(c) Ronny Onkeo
Fundi Wa Saa
Photographer, Ronny Onkeo, shares his new work series Fundi wa Saa
"A lot of things inspire me. Most importantly I’m
inspired by the interrelationships between our
African traditions, beliefs and ways of life. To
only know that this can be experienced in Africa
is a flex in itself."
inspired by the interrelationships between our
African traditions, beliefs and ways of life. To
only know that this can be experienced in Africa
is a flex in itself."
Tell us more about you and how long you’ve been doing photography
I’ve been doing photography for a little bit over 7 years- starting out in 2014 when my sis who’d studied Mass comm brought the first camera which happened to be a Canon 700D. She’d make me her personal photographer and I’d be the designated photographer for family functions and over the years my interest in photography spiked as I learned about the importance of documenting events for future reference and for younger generations to marvel at in the future.
How did you start doing photography?
I’ve always been a huge fan of documenting events- kind of like freezing time- and photography gave me the opportunity to do so as I believe photos connect us to our past, remind us of people, places, feelings, and stories. I started out in family functions and over the years grew into working with notable brands and organizations such as Facebook Africa, Creatives Garage, Crown Paints, Professional photographers of Kenya... just to name a few.
I can trace all these back to 2014 when I got the first camera to play with courtesy of my elder sibling who invested and bought the first camera to the house. Due to my increased interest in photography, I took it upon myself to up-skill and learn more on how to use the camera- most importantly the manual feature. I’d occasionally carry the camera to school to take pictures of my friend’s portraits for any applications they had going on and make an extra buck while at it. I also got to meet other individuals with an eye for creativity on where we’d do low budget editorial shoots which set us on the right path to tread in as they later grew into notable creative team going by the name of Urbanpitchaz.
As time progressed in uni and I upskilled, I got entrusted in several programs such as Kenya Model of
United Nations under the comms dept- most notably being awarded as the best member of press for the 16th Chapter and as they say the rest is history- and also what’s led to where I currently am.
United Nations under the comms dept- most notably being awarded as the best member of press for the 16th Chapter and as they say the rest is history- and also what’s led to where I currently am.
What inspires you?
A lot of things inspire me. Most importantly I’m inspired by the interrelationships between our African
traditions, beliefs and ways of life. To only know that this can be experienced in Africa is a flex in itself. I get inspired by our daily activities and try as much as I can to show the authenticity in all my bodies of work. To show that indeed Africa is beautiful and there’s more to what meets the eye than the stale narrative international media always tries so hard to showcase which includes stories of war, famine, drought and poverty. I try to show the humane side of Africa as well as going ahead to merge some nostalgic feel to it. I believe that that’s what’s made my work stand out and has made me amass an international following as these audiences want to see what really goes on in an African setting and the uniqueness that I bring to the table that’s settling when they look at my bodies of work.
traditions, beliefs and ways of life. To only know that this can be experienced in Africa is a flex in itself. I get inspired by our daily activities and try as much as I can to show the authenticity in all my bodies of work. To show that indeed Africa is beautiful and there’s more to what meets the eye than the stale narrative international media always tries so hard to showcase which includes stories of war, famine, drought and poverty. I try to show the humane side of Africa as well as going ahead to merge some nostalgic feel to it. I believe that that’s what’s made my work stand out and has made me amass an international following as these audiences want to see what really goes on in an African setting and the uniqueness that I bring to the table that’s settling when they look at my bodies of work.
What is this project about and who did you collaborate with?
The project is an ode to watch craftsmanship and how it influenced the late 80’s fashion sense & lifestyles of these watch enthusiasts- with the project’s title being ‘Fundi wa Saa’ which translates to Watch maker/ watch repairer. We decided to go four decades back in time and bring the nostalgic feel and set to full circle by incorporating the styling of the late 80s courtesy of Vart KE who did the styling for the project and Mohammed Ayieko who reached out to me with the actual concept with the intention of bringing this concept to life and actualizing it in the best way possible. We thoughtfully formed a team that compromised of Mohammed Ayieko, Tracy Manja & Vincent Nyerere who were the muses, Smallz Visuals & Odimwa who were the Gaffers and Maulid Owino who handled Behind the scenes into creating a body of work that has traversed far and wide getting international recognition. It was also an opportunity for us to showcase the craftsmanship of Mutua- the watch repairer who let us use his space- and showcase to this generation that indeed watch making is a craftsmanship that goes on to date and also help advertise his business to potential customers online. It’s also quite interesting how the older generation has resonated with this particular project and have shown much interest into it. Probably because of the nostalgia it brings with it; being a recreation of their childhood aesthetic.
(c) Ronny Onkeo
“Network more! Immerse yourself in spaces where
you can grow as a creative and where you can
market yourself to potential clients”
you can grow as a creative and where you can
market yourself to potential clients”
(c) Ronny Onkeo
Any advice to upcoming creatives?
My advice to upcoming photographers is to hone your craft!
1. Always keep learning and perfecting your craft. Learn about composition of shots; lighting, color dynamics and how they invoke different moods with different tones.
1. Always keep learning and perfecting your craft. Learn about composition of shots; lighting, color dynamics and how they invoke different moods with different tones.
2. Find a bearing and pursue it. Don’t venture into a particular style just because someone you follow on Instagram is. Self-reflect and see which style would suit you best and pursue it. Is it travel photography? Portrait photography? Wedding photography? It solely must come from deep within you.
3. Find a mentor! A mentor will help you learn a lot by learning from their mistakes and probably put you on to a couple of projects and jobs where your skillset might be of use or better yet help you fine tune your skills. I myself have a mentor and I must admit it goes a long way!
4. Network more! Immerse yourself in spaces where you can grow as a creative and where you can market yourself to potential clients. Who knows, someone might know someone who might be needing your services.
5. Consistency and keep creating. Consistency beats talent in most cases.
6. leverage the school of YouTube and photography forums to learn more about Photography and upskill in as much as you can. Never has learning been made easier!