Tantolohun Ayanda

What were your first creative outlets as a kid?
I started to see my gifts more when I worked with the media team for my family church,. They
taught me a lot in my beginnings and I was so grateful to have had that opportunity.

When and how did you get your first camera?
I had just turned 18 when I started saving money to buy my camera, luckily I was able to
buy a Nikon D3200 and it was my first ever camera.

What about photography drew you in and what about it kept you wanting to keep doing
it?
Life itself and memories.

What moments are you looking to capture in your photography?
Life and happy moments

What qualities do you want to find in the people that you shoot?
For me it’s the willingness to be photographed, I don’t want to photograph grumpy people or
people who do not want to put in any effort, I love to see people yearn to see what they would
look like on my camera, people who see more to the photographs just like I do.

How often do you take spontaneous photos versus planning something out?
I’d say spontaneous photography is my favorite, my camera is always ready at my fingertips the
moment I step out because I wouldn’t want to miss any shot, I love random photography but
sometimes I also get ideas that need to come alive so I put together pieces, models and all to
make that happen.

I’ve had a lot of photos that really got away and were special to me, i can’t even remember the
first one, some got a little recognition but my project “The Runaway Bride” which was captured
this year really opened my eyes to more possibilities, it was Vogue’s best photo of the week,
photo of the day and subsequently other magazines featured it too.

Who do you look up to?
I don’t look up to anyone, I just make the best of me.

What’s the best memory you have with your camera?
I would say the best memory was with my first Fuji camera, it was like my babygirl, I named it Victoria and It made my photographs feel like me, it was a missing piece to my puzzle