Meet photographer who gets the glint in Uhuru’s eye

Emmanuel Jambo is the official photographer of President Uhuru Kenyatta. He’s taken portraits of many important people, including South Sudan President Salva Kiir, and former presidents of Zambia, Rupiah Banda and Kenneth Kaunda. He recently photographed Riek Machar.

Back home, he has immortalised Deputy President William Ruto on print as well as former presidential candidates like Martha Karua and Peter Kenneth, not to mention numerous governors, MPs and senior government officials. Mention five well-heeled weddings in the country and he has probably photographed a number of them.

We sat at the front lawn of his house off Ngong Road with his skittish Golden Retriever named “Che Guevara” leaping around the whole time, his yelps only drowned by his master’s frequent bursts of raucous laughter.

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Who is the most important person you have taken a picture of?

Emmanuel Jambo! A selfie! (Loud laughter).

Fair enough. How did you end up here in Kenya taking pictures?

I’m originally from Sudan. I’m from the Moru tribe, one of the many small tribes of South Sudan. We left Sudan when I was 12. I don’t remember much apart from the school, basketball court and the swimming academy. These are the places where I spent most of my time. Oh, and ping pong.

My father was an ambassador, my mom worked for a telecommunication company in Sudan. We left for Egypt and there I remember playing basketball and ping pong. I somehow got over swimming. When we moved to the US, it was the same; basketball, a lot of it and some ping pong. Then 16 years later, I hurt myself in college and stopped playing basketball.

When did you discover your talent for photography?

I had gone to take a picture in this studio owned by a couple of Koreans in Atlanta and I remember directing the shoot. I picked up a camera on my birthday then just started practising and taking pictures.

My first wedding shoot was for a friend who loved my work and encouraged me to give it a shot. I was scared of screwing it up so I asked her to only pay for the rolls of film. When she saw the work she was wowed and paid me Sh8,000 which I used to buy more equipment.

I quit my day job and then set up a website and work started coming. A year-and-half later, I came to visit my sister in Kenya and I have never left. (Laughs).

What makes one a good photographer?

Seeing things that others photographers won’t see. There are a lot of photographers now, cameras are more accessible and much cheaper than back in the days and so everybody can see through a lens and adjust exposure. But what takes you to the next level is thinking beyond that – crazy lighting, crazy concepts and most importantly you have to catch moments.

You can be good in the studio, but if you go outside you have to be able see moments and take advantage of them. You also have to know how to deal with people, how to break the ice, how to make people laugh.

Because people who are relaxed make easier subjects to photograph. You get the best of people when they are relaxed with you.

Has the phone camera changed the game?

Man! The hell with these Samsungs and iPhones! No I’m just kidding (Laughs loudly). You know, on the contrary this is actually a good thing. These fancy apps and phones have just made people fall more in love with photography.

But you know what, you can have the best high-end camera, like a Leica going for something like Sh3 million, but you don’t know how to use it! You don’t know how to pose people or use light or pick locations. Having a camera on your phone doesn’t make you a photographer.

What’s the most defining thing about taking pictures of dignitaries?

You know, with the possible exception of President Kenyatta because he’s one of the easiest people to photograph, I don’t enjoy taking pictures of VIPs. Most are very stiff. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s an honour, but I mean any studio can take those pictures. I want to try out new things and push boundaries, but most of the VVIPs won’t allow that.

Now, I love fashion and editorial because I meet interesting people who I have to make look good. I have become picky with the weddings I shoot. I now have to interview couples before I agree to shoot their weddings. If I don’t like you I’m not gonna shoot you. If I don’t like the location, I’m not gonna shoot you. If you want to shoot a wedding you saw in a book somewhere and aren’t open to new ideas, I won’t shoot your wedding.

I want to do more for weddings, play with different concepts, different locations, basically be more creative. I just don’t want to do the same weddings. It gets boring and I don’t want to do boring in this part of my career.

Can you tell a couple who isn’t in love during weddings?

Definitely! I always tell. There are couples who are wedding for the sake, maybe because of their parents or whatever reason. It’s easy to tell, their body language gives them away even though they might be dancing and laughing.

Who has been the most photogenic person you have ever photographed?

Well, that will be me again! (Laughs loudly) There are a lot of people. (Thinks) Ajuma Nasenyana is very photogenic, even when she isn’t modelling.

What’s your biggest fear?

Losing my eyesight...yeah...that is scary...that is very scary.

And your biggest regret?

I don’t have a lot of regrets. (Pause) I played basketball with the sole dream of joining the NBA, but I got hurt and there is nothing I can do about that, but I don’t know if I would be the same person if I continued playing basketball. Photography has made me meet a lot of people, one of them Samira (the girlfriend). I’m very happy. I don’t have any regrets to be honest.

What’s your dream now?

I want my name to be mentioned in the world when you talk about photography. I want to leave a mark.

If it were up to you, how would you fix South Sudan?

I’ve always been a pan-African guy, we try to solve things village by village. But I think if we can kill tribalism, South Sudan and the rest of the continent can go far.

What’s your greatest possession now?

Hmm...(Long pause). She’s sitting in the house. (Laughs) Damn you have hard questions, can you come back for that?

Sure. How do you unwind?

Samira and I go out of town a lot. I also like sitting with this guy here (Che) after a long day, he relaxes me. I watch movies and documentaries. I read a little bit. And you know, getting drunk with the guys; whiskey, shisha, weed.

Should I leave the weed part out of the record?

No, put it in the record. Hell, why not, man? (Laughs)

Does weed help with your creativity?

It helps me think a lot. I get some great ideas after smoking it. It also makes me relax.... helps a great deal with my creativity.
It works for some people but it’s not for everyone, just like alcohol. You know some guys drink, they want to fight, me and you drink we want to party. (Laughs). Weed drops off all the noise and makes things clear.

What did Uhuru think of your dreadlocks the first time he met you?

He likes them. He joked about them the first time we met. Mr Ruto likes them as well. A lot of people like them. Some people call me Rasta, others call me Mungiki or Mau Mau….it’s all good. (Laughs)

You love being here in Kenya?

Yeah, it’s home now.

Are you ever going to go back?

Where? (Laughs hard)