What it’s like to be a photographer

Omphemetse Rathabe (21) is a rising, self-taught photographer from Ikageng, Potchefstroom.

The ambitious go-getter is a soccer player and has a BA degree in Development and Management. While he was playing soccer and still at North-West University, he developed his passion for photography.

With time, he started seeing things differently from the way others saw them and he liked it. He loves seeing “more than what meets the eye”.

“I enjoyed taking pictures with my phone and people used to give me credit for them. I asked myself, ‘why not?’,” said Omphemetse. Soon, what was once just a hobby for him, developed into his career and he founded 16V_Photography. Through this, he was also able to express himself.

Passion, creativity, patience, and drive are a few qualities that Omphemetse says are crucial in the photography industry.

So far, he has been a photographer for three years and plans to grow in this field and venture into other careers. Developing this particular career to the level that would be lucrative takes time and requires sacrifice. However, in the end, it is all worth it. He emphasises the importance of a photographer finding a style that is unique to them.

“You have to find your spot so that people can recognise your work without seeing the watermark on the picture.”

One of the downsides to the career is money, as it can be expensive to get the quality equipment required. But, with time, the photographer will get to where God wants them to be. The upside is having a sense of belonging and expressing yourself freely.

Requirements
Prospective photographers can take short courses, but Omphemetse says his decision was driven by passion. He attended a basic photography course that equipped him with the various techniques that he implements in his work.

Duties
“I take pictures. Not a day passes without me holding my camera. The minimum is 100 pictures, which I also edit. Editing is an important skill and you need to keep on practicing.”

Necessary qualities
“You must be a people’s person and pay close attention to detail. Photography is an art – you can’t see things the way other people see them. You have to be very observant and look very deeply. You need to have the passion,” Omphemetse advises future photographers to continually work on their passion, especially the various techniques and aspects like editing. And never give up. “Don’t think twice. Whether you have money or not, follow your passion and God will provide,” he said.