During Senior Four vacation, Felix Manzi Sebihogo would take random photos of the environment around him. He would ask friends if he could take pictures of them, something he calls a hobby at the time.
"I have always loved taking pictures. When I grew up, I wanted to contribute to the industry with my creativity,” he says.
With the passion he had, he went online and took photography courses, at the same time learning from the great work done by his role models, like Adrian McDonald (@lexonart), a Jamaican creative fine arts photographer.
Felix Manzi Sebihogo started photography as a hobby during the end of S4 holiday. Photos/Courtesy
Manzi believes a good photographer goes beyond having a good lens or mastering all parts of the camera, and possesses intrinsic qualities that allow them to see beauty in the most unexpected places.
Starting out
Manzi’s mother was not convinced about the photography career he wanted to pursue, due to the mind-set about camerawork being a non-fruitful profession.
"When I told my mother about my passion for photography so that she could help me, she shunned my idea. She probably thought it was why I had become an unruly child, who never settled at home,” he recalls.
"As a single mother trying to raise nine children, I understood her worry,” Manzi says, adding that it was his elder brother who convinced her. "We showed her how some people have succeeded in photography.”
When his mother warmed up to the idea, she bought him a digital single-lens reflex camera with wide angle lenses, and Manzi continued practicing. His first photoshoot was in 2019, the entry point to his career.
"I was with my friend Kevine when we got to a beautiful place in Rubavu, and I asked if I could take a few photos of her. She allowed. I looked around and asked a man riding a bike to lend it to us, he allowed, and I started taking photos of her with it,” he says.
The shots were great, and when he posted one on Instagram, the photo got more likes than any images he had ever posted.
"That was a great platform because one of the photo studios in Rubavu suggested I work with them.”
He worked with them for a few months and early in 2020, he decided to quit, aiming to be his own boss.
Challenges and future plans
Manzi’s journey in photography has seen him make big connections, and has been behind the lens of many event photos like Miss Rwanda 2020, and Rema from Nigeria.
He says many people still disregard the career, and do not give it value. The high cost of materials is also another challenge.
Manzi says the goal when he was a teenager was to be a soldier or the CEO of his own company selling cars. He never really saw himself as a professional photographer, even when he was so passionate about it.
Manzi now has over 41,000 followers on Instagram, and hopes to continue with photography till retirement.
"I want to build my own photo studio and create employment opportunities for the unemployed youth to be self-reliant and develop the county,” he says.
Born and raised in Rubavu District, the 24-year-old currently helps his family financially and wants to join university soon where he will pursue a course in digital marketing and multimedia. He charges Rwf50, 000 per hour of a photoshoot.