African Women in photography

Though trained as an agricultural economist, Ethiopian female photographer Addis Aemero has had a long and enchanting affair with photography from a very young age. Highly influenced by both her mother and grandfather, who were photographers, Addis grew up with a dream to one day have her own photo studio.

Addis’ work has been featured by Blank Wall Gallery in Greece, the Center for Photography in Ethiopia, Addis Foto Fest 2018, Nobel Peace Center in Norway and the Sharjah Art Museum. She also becomes part of Canon Students Development Program- 2020 and currently Addis is student of Aida Muluneh, and a production assistance at Addis Foto Fest (the biggest photography festival in Africa).

Addis now understands that photography has the power to preserve the past and the present for the future.

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Born and raised in Ethiopia, Hilina Abebe is a self-taught documentary photographer who is influenced by her father’s black and white family photographs he made in the ’60s and ’70s. Her work focuses on long-form documentary and portraiture; exploring inequality, identity, history, and the significance of memory. She combines her background in Journalism and Social Work to discuss issues in her storytelling.

Hilina is an Eddie Adams Workshop XXIX Alum. In 2016, she participated in the New York Times Portfolio Review and the World Press Photo East Africa Masterclass. She is also a Joop Swart and PDN’s 30 nominee.

Her clients include The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Getty Images, CNN, and Terra Mater Magazin.

Hilina lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she wishes to continue documenting stories.

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A self-taught photographer based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Tsion Haileselassie’s background in General Psychology and work experience as a digital marketer informs her photographic work as she captures the magic in daily life and shares her own story.

Her photographic journey began 4 years ago by interest in street photography as a way to capture the magic we often overlook as we go about our days; ever since then it has grown to be the most consistent thing in her life that has enabled her to visualize her Addis Ababa one picture at a time.

Her self-portraits navigate her seas of vulnerability as she displays her self-dialogue through the lens in subtle, simple, yet profound ways.

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Monicah Mwangi is a Kenyan Photojournalist currently working for Reuters News Agency, Nairobi Bureau. Her area of interest includes covering news and feature stories in the East African region with a keen interest in women's issues, children, and climate change in the Horn of Africa.

Monicah has on several occasions traveled to Somalia to cover the fight against the Alshabaab, Somalia’s road to recovery, and the humanitarian situation in the war-ravaged republic.

Monicah embraces Multimedia techniques to advance her photojournalism career.

Her passions are documentary photography, especially in the fields of women's issues, children, poverty, governance, health, environment, wildlife, nature, and conservation.

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Neemo Mungai is a budding fine art portrait photographer based in Thika, Kenya. Through her lens, she explores the complex and raw emotions of youth and angst, as well as themes of identity, awareness, and meaning in the contemporary African age.

Her work is a captivating blend of vulnerability and strength, capturing the essence of her subjects and the societies they live in. With a unique eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, she sees her art as a voice for herself and as a medium for creating dialogue with viewers of her work.

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Sarah Waiswa is a Ugandan photographer, living and working between Kampala, Uganda and Nairobi, Kenya. She was a second year fellow at the Goethe Institut's Photographers Master Class (Nairobi, Kenya 2017 and Johannesburg, South Africa 2018.) In 2015, she was awarded first place in the story and creative categories in the Uganda Press Photo Awards and second place in the Daily Life and portrait categories. In 2016 she was awarded the Discovery Award in Arles, France and in 2017 she was awarded the Gerald Kraak Award in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2018, she was named a Canon Brand Ambassador and was selected for the World Press Photo 6x6 Africa Program.

A storyteller, Sarah’s work focuses on identity (particularly New African Identity) and explores themes surrounding isolation and belonging. From the persecution of people with Albinism, to children practicing ballet in Kibera. By applying a poetic and often metaphorical language, she hopes to challenge the gaze of the viewer by creating compositions or settings that generate tranquil poetic images that leave traces and balances on the edge of recognition and alienation.

Her work has been exhibited around the world, most recently at the NGV Triennial in Melbourne and also part of the group show "African Mētrópolis. An Imaginary city" at the National Museum of the 21st Century Arts in Rome.

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Nadege Imbabazi is a Rwandan self-taught photojournalist who is focusing on telling Rwandan and African stories through the lenses of her camera.

She is very interested in teaching and uplifting fellow women and nonbinary photographers.

Imbabazi formerly worked with Rwanda's Leading Publication The New Times and is currently working with The Office of The President.

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Based in Kampala, Uganda, Esther Ruth Mbabazi uses storytelling and photojournalism to explore changing conditions on the African continent, with a focus on the social, economic, physical, and emotional aspects of daily life. She is a National Geographic Explorer, past VII Agency mentee, and Magnum Foundation Grantee and Fellow. Mbabazi is a contributor to Everyday Africa, she participated in the World Press Photo Masterclass East Africa, and also won the inaugural Young Photographer Award from Uganda Press Photo Award. Her work has been published in the New York Times, National Geographic, Time magazine, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal, and has been commissioned by a variety of INGOs.

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Immaculate Bashaba is a Ugandan based in Kampala with a sincere passion and dedication for capturing stories within her community and those that portray daily life. Her work is a way of bringing to light unconscious thoughts and feelings that are repressed.

She doesn't limit herself on one medium or concept however, conversations, poetry, paintings, music, encounters often spark a different type of emotion which she draws inspiration from for the creative process for painting with light using her camera.

Immaculate Bashaba received the inaugural Young Photographer Award presented by the esteemed Uganda Press Photo Award. She was also the 3rd runner-up for the East African Photography Award in the single image category and is a contributor to the 24hr project Photographers for Social Change.

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Zahara Abdul is a Ugandan freelance documentary photographer based in Kampala with five years of experience. She holds a journalism and communications degree from Makerere University, Kampala.

She uses her craft to mainly highlight pro-human development stories such as maternal health care. She is keen on covering stories where women and girls are portrayed beyond the limitations of stereotypes.

Some of her previous work has been commissioned by UNICEF, Send A Cow UK, AWDF Ghana, ChapterFour, Oxfam International, Raising Voices, Konrad Adenaduer Stiftung, Leo Africa, and Center for Policy Analysis.

In 2017, Ms Abdul was named winner of the daily life category at the Uganda Press Photo Awards (UPPA). That same year, she won first prize in the “Confidence in the Future” photo contest. She’s previously been nominated for the Young Achievers Awards (YAA) under the photography and film category.

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