Inside of his effectively-lit studio in a rooftop cubicle at MM Plaza in Kampala City, Rogers Magada proudly hangs typically photo portraits of some of his purchasers – amid whom is singer Rickman Manrick.
Magada, a photographer is best known for his official portraits of celebs and style figures — but he also results in cover images for leading artistes.
“What will make me distinct is the color and the contact on my images. I enjoy with a photograph and give them a distinctive feel,” he states.
Magada has created between a lot of typical portraits of Irene Namubiru, Lydia Jazmine, Maro, Zulitums, Angella Katatumba, John Blaq, Liam and An-acknowledged. He was the official photographer of his cousin Maro when he held his Anjagala concert.
His portraits are primarily posted on the social media web pages of the artistes.
His sensitivity to classical portraiture’s interplay of shadow and light-weight that offers moody photographs with an perception of melancholy, was impressed by his mate, Gideon, who taught him Adobe Photoshop.
“He applied filters and turned a photograph into black and white still the track record was nonetheless in its first color. It was like magic,” Magada suggests of Gideon, who is now a chef.
By the time Magada dropped out of university in Senior 6 at St Peter’s Substantial Faculty in Jinja, he had picked fascination in Good Artwork.
“I was fascinated in Great Artwork simply because it will allow you to attempt out new factors. I did not like everything else about university. It was like prison to me. At just one level, I even wanted to convey to my father to give me funds to start off up my have venture,” he claims, stressing that “school only served him to be fantastic mannered and converse very good English”.
Magada was born to Wilber Waiswa , a policeman and Janet Nabukenya, a businesswoman in Buwenge, Jinja.
Immediately after finishing Senior Six at St Peter’s Significant University in Jinja at 16, he touched many items prior to he made his to start with mark as a photographer.
His entry was not straight. In 2010, he met Eddie Mukasa, who ran an Web café in Kakiri. Magada used to repeated the café to perform computer games. Afterwards, he would get started encouraging out Mukasa on some minor things to do.
It was from below that he met Joel Mwebe, who experienced a pc shop specialising in repairs and product sales. He learnt on the position and soon started aiding out with uncomplicated responsibilities.
Later on, Mwebe place him in demand of Common Pc Workshop in Bulenga on Kampala-Mityana Street. He stopped functioning for Mwebe and hungered for a obstacle to just take on.
An urge to follow his individual path retained pushing him and in 2018, he settled for his have route.
His friend Davies Watika took him to Tororo the place he vended tunes on his photo studio verandah. Little by little, Watika launched me to cameras and I started out taking images of superior faculty college students,” he recollects.
But for six months, he experienced a task but not the income.
His fledgling vocation would imbue him with organisers of Pass up Pearl in Tororo 2018 that aided him build a uncommon bond with superstar topics.
Utilizing a Nikon D90 digital camera, which he experienced borrowed, he took shots of Jane Tibaleka, popularly regarded as Tiba, the winner of the Miss out on Pearl 2018 competitiveness and shared them on his social media platforms.
His resourceful eye would catch the notice of German photographer Wolfgang Hilberer, who invited Magada for a espresso.
“Hilberer loved the darkish photo. We begun chatting about photography and he requested me about cameras,” Magada points out.
He started off associating with Hilberer at his dwelling in Seguku who despatched him on errands. Together the way, Hilberer donated a Canon 450D and 3 lenses to Magada and the pair started working alongside one another.
It was through this time that Magada imagined of creating a studio and satisfying his desire of getting a experienced photographer.
His Norway-primarily based aunt Miria Nakamya despatched him some money which he applied to obtain a price range speedlite, tripod and trigger as very well as a laptop or computer.
Magada shared room with a good friend, Timothy, who was renting a significant dwelling at Outdated Kampala founding the now renowned Tukuba Foto Studio. They utilised the sitting down space as the studio.
“Jobs have been not forthcoming. Next, I was nonetheless attempting to obtain my style and it was not appealing to quite a few folks. That is how the enterprise collapsed,” he suggests of the early travails.
Timothy left for Jinja even though Magada went to his parents’ home in Nsambya.
He later on joined up with freelance photographer Nelly Salvator functioning as the editor.
In the course of the Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020, he begun afresh following conference with yet another photographer, Bruce Mpooko.
“There was an possibility to get paid dollars all through Covid-19. People could not go to studios, so we started off riding bikes to people’s homes hunting for consumers. Organization was excellent because we ended up effortless,” he recollects.
When lockdown was eased, Magada sub-rented with make-up artiste Shaima Dash Faces at Zainabu Aziza Plaza complementing each other. In 2021, he rented his have place at MM Plaza.
He even returned Hilberer’s products and is a very pleased proprietor of a Canon 6D, the world’s lightest comprehensive-body digicam.
He prides among the some others, getting address artwork for strike tunes such as Eddy Kenzo’s Enjoyment, Zulitums’s Invictus, John Blaq’s Chai Mata, Liam Voice’s Expensive Ex an An-Known’s Mutima as effectively as Omega, among the others.
Each photograph has a tale
A great deal as Magada is recognized for portraiture, he has a enthusiasm for everyday daily life shots. These, he mostly will take with his Apple iphone each time he is travelling. The photographer does not have any favourite pictures stating just about every photograph captures a certain instant.
“I really like each and every photo I get. I do not have a favorite still. The future image is often the very best,” he says.
He retains finding out by researching the perform of other photographers and image collectors. His favorite is Bedge Shots, Awesome Klef and Praise the Photographer.
“I glance out for matters I simply cannot do but. I am constantly curious and I want to be recognised internationally,” he claims.
Magada’s archive of intimate moments at households and at non-public events amounted to a lot more photographs of superstars.
That did not change Magada into a movie star photographer overnight. But a child shower at Georgina Gardens in Kasubi in 2020, released him.
“I was anxious at initially when I was provided a gig since they had presented me a ton of dollars,” he says.
Throughout this time, Maro, an artiste launched Magada to Iryn Namubiru in advance of she strike the gym for her program dance classes, a person he states has learnt a lot more about residing with famed individuals.
“She [Namubiru] knew what she wanted. She gave me place to study. I definitely thank her. She would make me repeat some of the pics but I in no way complained. She informed me to usually do analysis on extravagant poses if I was to become a much better photographer,” Magada says.
Magada is gregarious but mainly unassuming. He waits to be invited somewhat than insinuating himself into his subjects’ personal life. That was how he has managed to acquire non-public shots for superstars and versions.
“At initially I was a photographer but later on that altered and she stopped caring about my digital camera anymore,” he adds.
I know Rogers but I did not know he could be this terrific and I have witnessed his to start with photographs. He is now on the up-to-day benchmarks! Happy of the greatness he signifies.
Tukuba is my variety one particular photographer. His pictures present off all his capabilities. He has only bought far better with just about every new photograph. He has an intriguing viewpoint. I thank him for generating me experience comfortable in front of a digital camera. Remarkable as constantly, I am looking ahead to the upcoming time we shoot with each other.
