Fashion bloggers thrive on collaboration with photographers

Most Kenyan fashion blogs rely on striking images to pull in viewers. This collaboration with photographers gives their pages an artistic hook which is key to making a successful blog.

This partnership is pushing the industry to new frontiers, said Sharon Mundia of thisisess.com site.

“I think it makes sense. One person loves expressing oneself through a personal style and another loves to capture moments in the most beautiful ways possible,” she said.

Ms Mundia started collaborating with Victor Peace, a professional photographer, late last year.

Earlier, the bloggers used phone or digital cameras to take pictures of their creations for posting. These lacked the professional touch and hardly stood out in a sea of fashion bloggers.

“Fashion bloggers have taken to collaborating with photographers because this makes them more visual; people want to see good quality photos and outfits. That’s what really drives traffic to fashion blogs,” said Vonette Orinda of vonetteway.com site.

Traffic to Ms Orinda’s blog has grown since she started collaborating with photographer Eric Mwazo in May this year. “In May my page views were 40,607, they currently stand at 98,906. I get an average of 400 views per day with or without a new post on the blog,” she said.

Teaming up with Mr Mwanzo has helped her concentrate more on blog content, she said.

As a result of the collaboration, companies and fashion designers have noticed her blog, leading to invitations to attend events such as Wambui Mukenyi’s Bridal Collection, P&G’s Camay and Unilever’s Lux.

She has also been invited to high profile fashion events such as the Festival for African Fashion and Arts (FAFA).

“Pik-Cha-Guy Photography approached me. He (brand owner Onyango Ayany) wanted to do a creative project that involves fun and which would develop his skills,” said Ms Sienna Barley of threadmuse.blogspot.com.

Their collaboration, which began in February, has enabled them to promote each other’s art.

“I have grown more as a photographer and I have improved my skills. I now understand fashion photography better.

‘‘I have seen how it’s different from other fields of photography. FAFA was an eye opener, taking photos of models on the runway for the first time was quite a challenge.

‘‘One has to be well prepared as there is no room for error unlike when I take photos for blogs such as vonetteway.com,” said Mr Mwanzo.

Ms Mundia said she approached Mr Peace because she understood that high quality pictures were important for the success of her blog. Their friendship has since grown to a point where Mr Peace is now part of her family, she said.

“I was sent to take pictures of Ms Mundia for a magazine and after shooting she approached me with the idea of working with her on her blog. I guess she was crazy enough to see my potential. I also saw her ambition and realised that we shared a vision,” said Mr Peace.

Improve on skills

Each time they shoot pictures they learn new things and improve on their skills, he said. Their collaboration has also improved business and grown their market.

“Communication is key to our success. We discuss the nature of each shoot and collectively decide on location and other details to ensure success. ‘‘We also have a lot of fun which makes working together a lot better,” said Ms Barley.

“A successful shoot ensures a successful post on my blog and the creativity in Mr Onyango’s photography helps bring out messages.”

When Ms Mundia and Mr Peace started, it was about being able to capture moments as creatively as possible, she said.

She often acted as creative director for the shoots; choosing locations, guiding him on shooting and deciding on the mood of pictures.

“A few months ago we decided to formalise things because we had learnt that, just like any other business, there is need for some formalities in order to be efficient and successful. At the end of the day it’s about respecting each other and sharing working chemistry,” she said.

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