NAIROBI, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) — Strolling through streets in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, people are likely to observe a vibrant youth presence, especially on Sundays when the bustling city typically experiences a lull in foot traffic.

A closer look at these lively gatherings reveals groups of people posing for photographs, choreographers devising dance routines, and TikTokers creating the latest TikTok trends.

Austine Oyugi, 24, and Awadh Salim, 26, who were setting up their photography gear for a photo shoot, demonstrated the enduring popularity of this timeless art among Kenya’s youth.

This dynamic duo has been engaged in street photography for nearly a year, following the challenges of securing employment after their university graduation in 2022.

“After Governor of Nairobi Johnson Sakaja lifted the mandatory photography fee in late 2022, people began coming to the streets to take photos, and my friend and I joined in,” said Oyugi, who holds a degree in actuarial science. “Salim had a camera from campus, and both of us honed our skills by watching YouTube tutorials.”

Before Nairobi’s streets transformed into a photography haven for the youth, obtaining a photography and videography permit involved a cumbersome and costly process. It required obtaining a license from the Kenya Films and Classification Board at a cost of dozens of U.S. dollars, notifying the police, and making numerous visits to the local administrator’s office for a single day of shooting.

Some of these regulations are outdated, and the government of Nairobi has waived all business permits for freelance photographers and filmmakers in the city, said Sakaja when issuing the directive in September 2022, adding that additionally, all the daily shooting fees have been abolished.

Today, the two friends have acquired substantial equipment that has improved the quality of their work. On a good day, they can photograph up to 30 people, with each photo costing 0.65 dollars. The photos are immediately shared with clients via WhatsApp, making this their primary source of income.

Salim said he frequently approached passersby for impromptu photoshoots. He emphasized the importance of being convincing and effectively communicating with customers by showcasing their previous work to earn their trust.

On the other end of the street, young Kenyans are found to create and share videos on the popular social media app TikTok. Here, dozens of youngsters perform dance routines and record them using their smartphones.

Janet Kyalo, a student majoring in tourism and management, seizes the opportunity to incorporate Nairobi’s skyscrapers as her TikTok background. She appreciates the clean streets and the architecture, which adds a unique touch to her videos.

Kyalo noted that many people have lost interest in studio videos, finding them repetitive. She and her friends typically convene from 2 p.m. onward and stay until 7 p.m. These sessions offer an excellent opportunity for networking and building connections that can be pivotal in their careers.

Cliff Dawiga, a 25-year-old who recently quit his job as a vehicle mechanic due to inadequate earnings, has been shooting for a little over two months. Fueled by his childhood passion for photography, he purchased a used camera with his savings and started capturing portraits.

“After hearing that the governor had removed limitations on creatives, I bought the camera. However, it stayed unused in my house for two months before I began using it,” Dawiga said. Building confidence, he began using it on the streets, capturing portraits from Tuesday to Sunday, with weekends being the busiest.

“The pay is decent, and we’re not harassed by county police, allowing us to work smoothly. On rare occasions, like when it rains, we face some inconveniences,” Dawiga noted.

With approximately 800,000 Kenyan youths entering the job market each year, according to the National Council for Population Report 2023, the available economic opportunities, both formal and informal, fall short of meeting their needs. In this context, emerging crafts such as street photography are likely to evolve into profitable ventures for the youthful demographic in the near future.

A photographer for a newspaper in the notoriously violent Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez was found shot dead in the driver’s seat of a car, prosecutors said, in the fifth killing of a journalist in the country so far in 2023.

The body of Ismael Villagómez was found just after midnight Thursday. The newspaper he worked for, the Heraldo de Juarez, said the news photographer was found dead in a car that he had registered to use for work for a ride-hailing app. In Mexico, many journalists take work outside the profession to pay the bills.

The newspaper added that his phone was not found at the scene.

Carlos Manuel Salas, a prosecutor for the northern border state of Chihuahua, said authorities are investigating whether Villagómez had a fare at the time, and whether the killing was related to his work as a photographer.

“Once his work at El Heraldo was over, he worked through the [ride-sharing] platform inDrive,” Salas told journalists. “He would normally work from the afternoon until 2am, 3am”. InDrive did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters news agency.

Investigators have not ruled out the possibility that Villagomez was killed due to his work as a journalist, said Salas. “A journalist is a journalist 24 hours a day, whether or not they were working as something else meanwhile,” Salas said.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) made an urgent call for authorities to investigate the killing.

Ciudad Juarez has been dominated by drug cartels and their turf battles for almost two decades, and gangs often object to photos of their victims or their activities being published.

“We’re concerned, sad, angry,” said Jose Ramon Ortiz, director of the newspaper where Villagomez worked. “We don’t want this to be like what has happened with the deaths of other journalists. We want, whether the motive was journalistic or related to something else, to have clarity.”

In September, Jesús Gutiérrez, a journalist who ran a community Facebook news page, was killed in the northern Mexico border town of San Luis Rio Colorado when he was apparently caught in the cross-fire of an attack aimed at police.

At least three other journalists have been killed so far this year in Mexico, which has become one of the deadliest places in the world for journalists outside a war zone.

In the past five years alone, the CPJ documented the killing of at least 52 journalists in Mexico. Last year was the deadliest in recent memory for Mexican journalists, with 15 killed.

With Associated Press and Reuters

Three Tibetan herders take photos of wildlife in Zadoi county, Qinghai Province, on December 12, 2020. Photo: Courtesy of Wild China

The Angsai Grand Canyon, located in Zadui county of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Qinghai Province, is situated in the headwaters of the Lancang River. It is home to various species of feline animals, such as snow leopards.

Local herders Dajie, Ciding, and Kunchochopeng have used their cameras to document the ever-changing seasons and remarkable wildlife that inhabits the area, with a particular focus on capturing snow leopards.

In 2008, Dajie invested his earnings from harvesting caterpillar fungi to purchase a second-hand point-and-shoot camera. This marked the beginning of his journey into wildlife photography. Later, Ciding and Kunchochopeng also bought their own cameras. Kunchochopeng said, “During our herding days, I find joy in capturing the beauty that surrounds us, be it landscapes, animals, or flowers. If something catches my eye, I simply take a picture.”

With limited equipment and a lack of photography knowledge, the three herders embarked on a self-taught journey.

Ciding recalled, “Back then, there weren’t many individuals well-versed in photography, and we were apprehensive about tampering with the camera settings and potentially damaging it. So we primarily relied on the automatic mode.”

In early 2016, Ciding came across an injured snow leopard while taking photos in the mountains. He and his friends rescued the animal and reported the incident to the local government. News of this reached wildlife photographer Xi Zhinong, who promptly arrived in Angsai. Impressed by the remarkable snow leopard photos taken by Ciding and Dajie with their modest cameras, Xi felt a mix of admiration and regret. He believed that they deserved more advanced equipment to capture even more extraordinary images.

A snow leopard descends from among the rocks in the Sanjiangyuan region. Photo: Courtesy of Xi Zhinong

Xi enrolled Dajie, Ciding and Kunchochopeng in a program dedicated to cultivating herder photographers. Through this initiative, the herders received advanced equipment and comprehensive training in photographic techniques.

In August 2020, a photography exhibition featuring pictures taken by the herder photographers opened in Shanghai. The photos taken by Dajie, Ciding and Kunchochopeng reached a wider audience, receiving widespread acclaim. This further strengthened their confidence in the possibility of creating a snow leopard film shot entirely by Chinese photographers, under the guidance of Xi.

In August 2023, the documentary film “Snow Leopards and Friends,” directed by Xi’s team and the three herder photographers, was officially released.

The challenges faced during the making of this film remain unknown to most. Snow leopards, known for their reclusive nature, possess a remarkable awareness of their environment, making it difficult for photographers to track their movements.

Enduring extreme weather conditions, freezing temperatures, and limited oxygen, the three herder photographers would spend over 10 days in the field without a single sighting of a snow leopard. “We never gave up; our objective was clear: to share a film about snow leopards with the world,” said Kunchochopeng.

In 2019, the photography team stumbled upon the den of a snow leopard and her cubs. The discovery filled everyone with excitement, but they were careful not to disturb the animals. They set up a tent at a distance and took turns monitoring the den. Surprisingly, the snow leopards seemed to accept the presence of the photographers. Over the course of 35 days, they managed to capture invaluable footage of this remarkable encounter.

On Nov. 4, 2023, “Snow Leopards and Friends” received the Best Documentary/Science and Educational Film award at the 36th China Golden Rooster Awards.

“The release of the film marks a step forward. I hope that in the future, we will have more opportunities to present China’s wildlife on both domestic and international screens, reaching a broader audience,” Xi said.

(Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Liang Jun)

Emran Wadan, 24, is using his camera to promote a more positive image of war-torn Afghanistan, revealing its stunning natural landscapes, rich history, diverse cultures, and resilient people

The young Afghan photographer Emran Wadan is using his medium to promote a positive image of the country, revealing the mysterious and historical facets of Afghanistan that are often overlooked.

(Courtesy Emran Wadan)

Wadan, 24, was born and raised in Kabul. He purchased his first camera at age 16 for $350, money which he had saved from his pocket money. At an age when most are still finding their path, Wadan has taken up the mantle of capturing Afghanistan with his camera.

“I am struggling to display the soft image of my homeland, the stunning and historical landscape of Afghanistan, and the smiling faces of the people of Afghanistan,” he told The Media Line.

My sole mission is to shatter the narrow confines of preconceived notions about Afghanistan and present it to the world as a land rich in history, culture, and humanity

(Courtesy Emran Wadan)

His photography goes beyond mere visuals, weaving narratives between the war-torn landscapes, sacred sites, and hidden narratives that define Afghanistan’s past.

“My sole mission is to shatter the narrow confines of preconceived notions about Afghanistan and present it to the world as a land rich in history, culture, and humanity,” he said of his art.

Wadan described facing challenges but noted that his father and brothers have been supportive of his work as a photographer.

“Despite the challenges that come with me being a young photographer, I want to navigate through the war-torn landscapes and ancient alleyways, documenting the daily lives and triumphs of my compatriots,” he said.

Wadan’s father, Fida Muhammed, a retired municipal official, told The Media Line that his son grew up in a fraught environment. “Suicide attacks and gunshots could be heard in Kabul at all hours of the day and night,” he said.

(Courtesy Emran Wadan)

“Unlike other guys of his age, Emran pursued his passion and is today an enthusiastic photographer who loves his motherland,” Muhammed said.

Wadan’s most notable work in photography so far is his depiction of the Wakhan Valley of Badakhshan.

The Wakhan Valley, nestled in the heart of Central Asia, is a place of captivating natural beauty and rich cultural heritage.

This remote and relatively untouched region lies at the crossroads of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China, making it a unique and geopolitically significant area.

Surrounded by towering peaks of the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountain ranges, the valley offers breathtaking vistas of rugged landscapes, deep gorges, and meandering rivers. The area is known as one of Asia’s most remote and gorgeous locations.

(Courtesy Emran Wadan)

The rugged attraction and cultural richness of the Wakhan Valley entice adventurers and explorers looking for isolation and a glimpse into a lost past.

The Wakhan Valley is also historically significant since it was formerly an important section of the ancient Silk Road, which connected the East with the West. Today, it remains a cultural crossroads where numerous ethnic groups, including the Wakhi and the Kyrgyz, maintain age-old traditions and a distinct way of life.

Wadan’s lens doesn’t simply capture the external landscapes. It captures the resilience and spirit of the Afghan people

Sadia Hashmi, a Kabul-based law graduate and women’s rights activist, told The Media Line, “Wadan’s lens doesn’t simply capture the external landscapes. It captures the resilience and spirit of the Afghan people.”

She noted that Wadan’s work “encapsulates the vivid tapestry of Afghanistan’s history and its people, reminding us that beyond the headlines of battle lies a nation with a mosaic of ethnicities, traditions, and stories waiting to be heard.”

Afghanistan has long served as a melting pot for a diverse range of ethnic groups and civilizations.

(Courtesy Emran Wadan)

The country’s largest ethnic group is the Pashtuns. They are concentrated in the south and east of the country. The Tajiks are the second largest ethnic group, concentrated in the country’s north and northeast. The Hazaras are the third largest ethnic group, making up about 10% of the population. They are concentrated in the center of the country.

Other major ethnic groups include the Uzbeks, Turkmens, Baluchis, Nuristanis, and Aimaqs.

The ethnic groups of Afghanistan have their own distinct languages, cultures, and schools of thought.

The ethnic diversity of Afghanistan has been a source of both strength and weakness. It helps to create a rich and vibrant culture, but it has also been a source of conflict, as different ethnic groups have competed for power and resources.

Afghanistan once had a thriving Jewish community as well.

Dilawar Jamil, a former official at the Heritage Foundation, told The Media Line that the city of Herat once had a large Jewish population, all of whom have now left for Israel or the US.

(Courtesy Emran Wadan)

Herat is still home to a Jewish cemetery dating to the 16th century, which is estimated to contain the remains of over 5,000 Jews. It also houses an ancient synagogue, which the Taliban declared a historical heritage last year, pledging a huge amount of money for its renovation.

Although all of Afghanistan’s Jews have fled the country, with most now residing in Israel, Jamil said that Afghan Jews were once well accepted in the country. “Muslims and Jews coexisted in harmony,” he said.

Wadan’s work is shedding light on some of these overlooked aspects of life in Afghanistan.

(Courtesy Emran Wadan)

“Through each snapshot,” Hashmi said, “he gives voice to those who have been silenced for far too long, inviting the world to see Afghanistan not through the lens of conflict, but through the prism of humanity and hospitality.”

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