Kevin Buo: The boy who launched your favourite socialities

At 24, Kevin Buo has become a sought after photographer with an enviable list of celebrity clients attached to his name. The soft spoken photographer sat down with Josephine Mosongo and talked about his career journey and the satisfaction his job gives him

Do you remember your first paying client?

No, that was a long time ago.

How long ago?

Four years.

Maybe the shoot wasn’t that memorable, or it was boring perhaps?

Maybe, but you know when you’re starting out you don’t even know what you’re doing. But I’m sure I wasn’t nervous because before I made a career out of it I was taking photos of my friends, so I think that got the nerves out of the way.

Did you study photography in school?

No, this is basically a great passion of mine, but the course I did in university may have helped a bit. I did Graphic Design and there was a section on photography but it wasn’t that detailed. I started taking photos straight out of high school, which was in 2009, I used my father’s digital camera and that’s how my passion grew.

You helped launch the “careers” of Vera Sidika, Corazon Kwamboka, and Huddah Monroe, did you know who they were at first?

Not really. Then I didn’t know anything about socialites, I was just a photographer. Maybe they saw my work and liked it.

Do they still come for photo sessions at your studio?

Yes they do, they are my clients who grew to become friends, and we still work together from time to time.

Do you think you had a part in shoving them further to the limelight?

Probably, just a little bit. They could have used anyone else but it just happened to be me. I took nice pictures and they liked them.

How much Photoshop do you have to do?

It depends on the client.

And do you remember the first celebrity you worked with?

Eric Omondi.

Did you approach him or did he look for you?

He approached me, I think people began seeing my work and they got really interested. The list of celebrities grew to Daddy Owen, Avril, Chipukeezy, David the Student, Pierra Makena, Brenda Wairimu, Catherine Mwangi, Mustafa, Nameless, Big Pin… there are so many people and they have been really great to work with.

Does working with celebrities give you validation?

Very much so because celebrities are all about their brand, image is everything. It makes me feel like I’m doing a really good job, it sort of gives me encouragement to go on.

What is the most satisfying part about your job?

When a client is happy about the work, or when I have spent hours on a shoot and the client feels great about what we have accomplished.

What is the longest you have ever spent on a shoot?

Some could take up to six hours or even the whole day when you have to keep taking energy drinks, but those are rare.

Do corporate organisations seek you out too?

Mostly for activations, and I do others for advertising. Most of the clients give me an idea of what they want to achieve and then I execute it, which sometimes is hard.

Who do you go to when you want your picture taken?

I don’t take pictures that often, but there are photographers in the studio who I can use, but only when I really need to. I rarely take pictures.

Did you set up your studio alone?

No, my mentor helped, he saw my work when I started and he trained me, he’s called James Panaito.

Do you encounter difficult people who are a headache to work with?

Every time. The problem is some people see the photos I’ve taken before and they want exactly that, you know you can’t tell a client ‘I can’t’. You have to accommodate a client or do something different that will still be as great as what they want.

What’s the lowest amount you would charge anyone for a photo?

Sh5, 000

What’s the most important lesson you have learnt so far in your career

You have to perfect you work, it has to be perfect before you release anything to the public because there are people looking up to you out there.