If you take a look at photojournalism and its evolution in the media industry, you will definitely revel in the progress it has made. For long, photography had not been perceived as a lucrative career for anyone to pursue, this became even more difficult with the quality that photos themselves depicted due to the less-effective technology at the time. In the late 1990s, Paul Matabaro, one of the most prominent Rwandan photographers in the industry today, recalls coming back from school every day, just to use his uncle’s camera; his uncle was a photographer then. “My uncle, who back then was a photographer, introduced me to the trade. At the onset, I used only to carry his equipment to several functions but, over time, he taught me how to operate a camera and, as time went by, he let me take on assignments of captivating pictures at events. That’s how I got into the business.” He adds that many photojournalists, or even a photographers, who were interested in the sector saw their dreams weaken due to a number of obstacles. “Given the economic situation at the time, the majority of the population and target clients did not have the financial capacity to pay for such services, which saw us make marginal profits,” he says. Locals look at a picture Habumugisha took of them. / Courtesy Matabaro is also of the view that the art is growing as more people appreciate the value and need for photography in its different areas of operation, ranging from weddings, media, ceremonies, and events, among others. “At the same time, it is becoming much more competitive, which has created price wars, especially due to the new entrants. Going forward, those who have passion will not be affected by the changing environment and trends.” Nadege Imbabazi, a young female photojournalist, believes that photojournalism is among other ventures that over the years have been disrupted by advancements in technology. This has been witnessed with holders of smartphones in positions to become photographers. Sam Asiimwe during a seminar at Kigali Convention Centre, last year. / Courtesy Needless to mention, despite the media occupation, photographers have been hard to miss at parties, ceremonies and events. “Today photographers can be recognised as other media practitioners unlike in past times where a photographer was dispossessed to do their work without the employees consent,” Imbabazi says. For example, different things have been able to evolve over the past few years, such as a photo that once took hours to send to the wire service, now is in most cases automatic or even takes a few seconds. The quality level between the pictures has gotten remarkably better. Darius Muneza Zimulinda, a freelance journalist points out that social media and its immediacy have deliberately had a great impact on the role of photojournalists. “With many media outlets simply picking up photo footage from social media users, a tide of content quantity over quality must be balanced. The imminence that technology affords has also aided photojournalists, giving them the ability to send high-quality photos in just seconds,” Zimulinda says. Bizimana, Habumugisha and Uwitonze are among the budding photographers in the country. / Courtesy He also highlighted that change, for better or worse, always happens. “We change and times change and there are very limited, if any, factors. And in a special way none of us new that photojournalism would end up as such a fruitful career for all those in pursuit.” Besides, it is without a doubt that everything moves and shifts with the slow march of time, until not much of the past standards are left to be shifted, Zimulinda says. When passion meets creativity, the results are worthwhile. 25-year-old Sam Asiimwe Ruhindi, commonly known as Samie, relates to this. To him, only enthusiasm and commitment for what people do will always pave way for a successful career. As a result, he started up his own company in photography, and as opposed to very many common cases, photography is a profession he taught himself. Growing up with the zeal to try out new things, he started taking pictures in primary school. Contacted for a comment, Ruhindi told The New Times that, attitudes evolve and through that, fresh ideas take shape and offer themselves to even further innovation. “The same happened to photojournalism. It’s this combination of new ideas and innovation that drives the very change we see in ourselves and in the world. Making the art world no stranger to this constant flexibility,” Ruhindi says. “Photojournalism, in particular, has arguably been one of the most revolutionary additions to the advancement of human artistic expression since the days when a photographer was referred to as ‘a crazy man behind the lenses,” he adds. And yet, seldom do we reflect on just how incredibly evolution of the photographic medium has progressed in modern times. “Our condition as humans (debatable) often numbs us to just how fortunate we are as photographers to reap the benefits of over two centuries of influence and knowledge passed down by those who clicked the shutter before us,” Ruhindi says. The beauty of this profession Gadi Habumugisha, a photographer whose skills involve capturing emotion and memory in one shot, earlier told The New Times that his first encounter with a camera was when he was eight years old; he fell in love with the device, and taking photos has been his passion ever since. At the time, he was living in an orphanage in Rubavu District, and the tragic events that led him there left him with only his sister, losing the rest of his family to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. “Having been orphaned at the age of two years, this did not drain my passion,” he says. The 27-year-old is now a vibrant person. This, he says, can be witnessed in how he smiles when he observes the impact that his project has been rendered to regardless of the gloomy past and the tragic history. “After leaving the orphanage, we continued doing annual workshops; we later decided to turn the project into something big by reaching out to other children. I had learnt a lot through photography. I was certain other children would too,” Habumugisha says. So far, they have worked with different schools and with an organisation called Ubaka Urwanda that takes care of former street children. They held workshops in schools, mostly in rural areas, for example, in Ruhengeri, Musanze and Gisenyi. “In my view, photography is an art that helps me express myself, or how I feel, without necessarily talking about it. And this is a skill I want for these kids,” he says. The beauty comes from public feedback, Habumugisha says, as people find it easier to connect with the art. Conversely, Vestine Kalisa, believes that photography is broad and in particular photojournalism is a profession that has been developing in the past. “I urge photojournalists to take courses and learn more, because most of them just go into it to for the money,” Kalisa says. editorial@newtimesrwanda.com
