If you asked Axel Seka Gandhi aka King Axel some years back if photography is a profession he would pursue someday, he probably would’ve laughed it off.
Photography back then wasn’t considered a profitable profession, which is why many aspiring and accomplished photographers today have taken the initiative to acquire all the possible skills to be great at this job so as to earn well from it.
Although King Axel loved the creativity that came with photography, he didn’t think this particular line of work would take him far. But he put all negative thoughts behind him, and decided to give it a shot in 2018.
Starting out
The 20-year-old says that in 2018, he started learning how to take pictures and how to edit them via YouTube tutorials, which taught him something new every day.
"I approached many people who were already in the industry, but at the time, I wasn’t doing photography as a job but as a passion,” he recalls.
Some of his work. Photos/Courtesy
In 2020, the youngster says he started to borrow cameras to cover events such as birthdays, music concerts, among other events. A day, he was charged Rwf 10,000 per camera.
He says that his friends were his very first clients, paying him each time he offered his services to them.
King Axel notes that the little money he earned raised his hopes that he could turn his passion into a business, which he did.
In June 2021, he says that his parents gifted him with a new camera for the love and passion they had seen in him—that was the genesis of his photography profession.
"That year, that I took the initiative to join big events like the basketball all-star game headlined by Rema, a Nigerian artiste at the Kigali Arena.
"I paid for the VIP ticket to access the concert and see artistes clearly, and that’s how I managed to capture every moment at the event. This made a great impact on my career as the concert was attended by many Rwandans, and well-known artistes like Mike Kayihura, Social Mulla, among others,” he says.
After posting the photos on his Instagram page, King Axel notes that they went viral, and other musicians approached him for gigs, after which he connected with events’ planners.
In December 2021, the photographer got a chance to attend the Fantasy Music Concert with Nigerian artiste Ric Hassani at Kigali Convention Center and as always, took pictures that he posted on his Instagram page.
He says that Hassani loved the photos and approached him to get them, and when he (Hassani) posted them on his Instagram page, he gave credit to King Axel. The latter received positive feedback from the public who appreciated his talent, a thing that motivated him further.
The youngster, currently the official photographer of Ingabo Corner, a creative hub and community space, says that what makes him unique is that no matter how complex the situation is, he keeps his standards of patience and flexibility, and keeps himself in the same line of understanding with his clients no matter what.
Although the business is far better than it started, he still experiences challenges such as expensive equipment, and clients who always want the best quality at a low cost.
"Getting photography permission in some places is still a big challenge as there is sometimes no stated authority that offers such permissions. Also, photography isn’t yet viewed as a valuable profession,” he says.
He looks forward to becoming a great content creator so that he can map Rwanda among the top countries in photography worldwide.
His dream is to start his own creative space so that he can employ young talented photographers. He anticipates the place to allow photographers to have access to knowledge and modern equipment.
King Axel lives in Kigali, born and raised in Huye District, Southern province, and is the second born in a family of three. He is a high school graduate, planning to start university soon. He wants to pursue a course in mass media and communication.