This week I have the pleasure of interviewing this off the wall and wildly creative photographer and artist. It's quite hard to apply common descriptions to him but in his own words "I have trouble labeling who I am or what I do specifically or fit into, among my many other boxes I happen to photograph, and have built a small reputation for my photography more than any of my other interests." He's a geek - who can tell you all about IPTV, VOIP, VPN's, heavy stuff. But he's also a budding artist and one of Uganda's most prolific creative photographers. Most of his work looks like a GQ, or Vogue Magazine Calvin Klein Advert. It's amazing, it's freaky, it's a whole load of things and that is the beauty of it. It elicits different subconscious reactions in the viewer and that’s what I like about it. So on to the interview.
Martin, thank you for making the time for this interview. Could you please tell us more about yourself?
I'm a Ugandan, Born and partially bred, I'd say the odd years in a Ugandan boarding school is initiation enough into the culture and nationality.
I was always the designated photographer at events and family get together, back when camera's like Olympus came out with battery operated point and shoot 35mm. Eventually whilst climbing the Corporate Ladder a creative director spotted some of my photographs and encouraged me to develop my craft. So...One resignation, a few hungry nights and a SLR after, I is!
Great stuff. Now the work from your photography portfolio is mainly fashion shots, advert style and vivid portraits. Would you call yourself a fashion photographer? How did you find yourself?
Whilst learning about photography I explored every avenue open to me, from fashion, to reportage, fine art, gig photography, wedding, events, advertising and general commercial work. I'm focus lately more on fine art, fashion and hoping to develop the discipline for a photo documentary as well. Most of my interest is in exploring my own projects and pursuing grants for personal interests. But i also enjoy the challenge of commercial photography, delivering on a commission or brief.
I think your work is really outstanding. How did you become so good at photography? How much do you practice?
Um...I've read somewhere that you can't teach someone how to see. You either have it or don't, anyone can take a picture, even more so most people have one great image inside of them. Photographers are measured more by their consistency among other things. I'm still on a journey of becoming better...maybe someday when I'm 50.. great.
Photography in the digital age is evolving, the technical challenge of the craft has kinda been kicked out the window by virtue of the ever so successful and affordable digital SLR. Being able to express yourself with a camera, tell a story well, from an unseen perspective.
I made sure never to use the auto setting on my digital camera, work as if it were film, restrict myself to a number of clicks. I rate a photographer on their precision, and attention to detail, seeing things that you would usually miss.
And personally challenge myself, by refusing to take a photograph of anything i feel has been done before seen before, unless i can offer a fresh perspective.
What influences or inspires you as a photographer?
Music tends to dictate what I photograph and how. Silence, Solitude....The image i took that won the Sony Award was born out of me being stuck in my room for a couple of days with a brand new camera dreaming up ideas and how to make something different. If I showed someone the gradual build up of images I took before I got to Itch, it would probably tell the story better.
Like most artists you can choose your source of inspiration and muses, sometimes its a fashion designer's apparel, an energetic model you just kinda have to tap into the vibes. And if you aren't feeling it, milk it out of something else. Like looking at paintings I love like Franci's Danby's "The Deluge"
What projects are you working on now and can you tell us a bit more about it?
I'm back in Uganda because of the horde of projects available to explore. Unfortunately a lot of them are commissioned work so, I have to keep it hush.
I work with/for KAMVAS (Kampala Visual Arts Studio) and we basically wake up every morning dreaming up projects and how and when to execute them.
I can say, I've been working with Gloria Wavamunno (fashion designer) in Kampala a lot, taking Fashion shoots to another level in the city and we are hoping to be able to showcase some of that work soon.
And I'm also working on an ongoing project for over a year now, where I photograph a race of humans from a parallel universe that I hope will raise some questions about evolution theories and creationism.
What is your most rewarding design work, the one that you are really proud of and why?
Obviously Itch was a favourite because of the award. And It draws people In, they either love it or hate it, and a lot of the time It tends to provoke a host of reactions about what, how and why I took it. So its been the most rewarding so far.
However the first picture i took that I love was of my girlfriend at the time in new york city on the subway, It was and still is a favourite of mine. She has a Rembrandt-esque expression on her face and the subway lighting, commotion, the attendant staring at us in the corner, there is so much in that shot that i adore, sometimes I find it frustrating that people don't connect to it as much as I do.
Tell us a bit about your general work flow: from idea, to concept to finished piece. What techniques, tools and software do you use?
I have little formula to anything I approach in Life, If i were to pin point it, its a decision to make sure I come back with something. Challenge myself to come back with something different in the day and take whatever camera i can get my hands on at the time and go and shoot. Though its a little embarrasing to say I still use my kit lens from my Canon 400D, I know better, but I've milked a lot out of that camera and lens and will eventually graduate when my finances permit me to.
Obviously Photoshop CS3 LEGITIMATE PURCHASE!!!!! (in case adobe is reading this)
A wacom tablet (essential for fashion photography and digital art)
Capture One is a great tool too.
What are the difficulties or challenges you face in your projects (personal and commercial work) and how do you overcome them?
If I can't see it, it makes it harder to shoot, and even more so to be invested and maintain an interest in photographing a subject. I need to be able to visualise my shot, or be passionate and intrigued with it. Without that connection it becomes a struggle to apply myself. Technically a photographer is just a technician, knows how to use light, and whatever else to make the most of the service you are paying him to provide. I tend to need some sort of connection beyond that with both personal and commercial work.
I also have a bad habit of moving away from a shoot after getting what I want, I have to learn to stick around, and patiently try and see more, capture more be open minded to other visual candies. Even more painful is an idea you thought would look great, just not coming together properly, or looking kinda flat afterward.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I see myself still challenging myself to be better, and different if that's even possible anymore. Mostly I see myself photographing, which is great, because sometimes I get so frustrated I vow to walk away and go pursue greatness in other fields. I'd like to be part of a body that promotes digital art in Africa. I know a huge number of great digital retouchers designers that have side line pieces of art they put together that are amazing, and still stuck in binary. So hopefully getting a few of you out of the closet and showing of your art.
Thank you for the time Martin and for the interview, do you have any last words of advice or tips for designers?
Yeah Photographer's, explore your curiosity, and I recommend using sites like Flickr, to get an idea of how far people are stretching photography. Like one of my favourite photographer/designers is a young guy on flickr known as Dunny / Paul Octavius... Brilliant mind... and he creates great artistry with the simplest of light tricks and props and ideas and he is also a magnificent graphic designer only because he is different, and his work consistently draws you into his little world of quirky thoughts and friends.
So show us something different, take me on a journey into your subconscious and stop blurring people's faces into texture-less mannequins…we've evolved passed that nonsense.
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And thats it from Martin. Clearly, here's a guy operating outside of the mediocrity comfort zone. I hope he has inspired you photographers, professional and amateur to rise to newer heights. Once again, Design Kingdom salutes you, Martin, another leader in creative excellence.
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Edward's Bio
First off, apologies, our fourth artist profile has been a little late, but it's here. 
Nancy Kacungira is a Tanzanian-born Ugandan who grew up in Tanzania but went to school in Uganda. During her senior six vacation, Nancy got a job at a magazine in Dar-es-salaam where she taught herself how to use the Adobe packages and wound up doing the designing for the magazine; she has loved design ever since. 
Design Kingdom is proud to bring you our very first artist profile. The artist's name is Teddy, more commonly known as TMS Ruge.
