Through the lens of a noob by Rading’ Nyamwaya.
Sparks flying and little pleasures…
It’s uncharacteristically hot and humid in Kisumu, and even worse in my home town of Seme Kajulu which is right next to Lake Naam Lolwe (Lake Victoria’s local name). The water’s reflection from the sun really must be doing a number on the earth and I imagine how it must feel for the fishermen drawing their nets to make a living.
The sun’s scorching heat must be very much akin to what I assume sinners go through in the down under. I am sheltered under shade and hat and so I feel a bit of relief and I am most eager to meet my muse for the day.
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A self-taught master at his craft and Seme’s own Hephaestus, David the Welder. David is tucked away at his workshop picking out his tools for the day, he shakes my hand with a strong sweaty grip that you can still oddly feel the calluses from. My presence does not necessarily stir anything in him, he is the kind of person who does not ask questions about what you do and why you have a camera in his face – instead he asks if I mind his son tagging along and should he appear in any shots, he would like to have them.
A young boy of about 5 or 6 years comes through the door as if on cue. He is very shy and I say hello to him before he disappears behind his father’s frame, peeking at me and staring at my camera.
David turns to me and asks, “How are you going to capture my face, I’m a welder!”
This question had really lingered in my mind even before he had brought it up. Like an itch that doesn’t dare to be sated, the thought had been on my mind the whole day before the shoot. I was faced with the thought of asking him not to wear his face shield but I also wanted realism in the pictures. I wanted him actually doing what he does, engrossed in his work and passionate.
“I’ll find a way!” I told him.
He then shrugs and starts on his way out his workshop and I follow behind like an invisible assistant.
David already had work he needed to do and he immediately sets out connecting and hooking and dragging and positioning whatever it is he needs. He whipped out a pair of dark sunglasses and smiled – this was his way of arriving at a solution.
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I whip out my camera strapping it to myself and adjust my settings accordingly. I know I am going to be capturing bursts of light and sparks flying. This is something I came ready for. I have to crouch to capture my subject at eye level and I make sure the images do not have any show of branded markers. I take pictures with and without flash to see how my colours pop up and after an amazing show of me following David around he turns and asks me, ‘hizo ni sawa’ meaning, ‘are the pictures good’.
I translate this to also mean, are we done because I can see his son becoming restless by his door and as soon as I say I respond in the affirmative he glances at him and he comes running to him.
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One thing I’ve become accustomed to is being asked where the images can be viewed after submission and I promise them I’ll send them a link after they have passed approval. David is grateful for the session and so I ask him if he’s teaching his little one how to weld. He says he’s been interested but he is so very young you can’t be sure.
“Not many people are into welding and the youth are not also very interested. I am not sure he (his son) will continue in his interest. If he does, that might make me happy but I really hope he becomes a better welder.”
A slight smile graces his visage and then it’s cut suddenly by a phone call. He picks it up smiling again and whispers in Kiswahili, ‘ni mama yake.’ (It’s his mother).
And I know my time here is done and I begin looking at my photos to see which I already want to categorise as my favourites.
This was my first shoot playing around with light and also one of the unique opportunities where I got to learn how to manipulate my camera’s exposure.
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