Ready… Steady…Capture

"The joy of being a photographer mainly comes from knowing that after all is said and done, there are images that can transport someone back to a place and time that was significant and sentimental to them.”
Maria Thundu. Pic Courtesy: Mariathundu.com

Man? Woman? You have probably taken a photograph of yourself today.  This is no doubt the age of the “selfie” but is also  an era  where  more and more people  are  awakening  to the importance of quality photography especially here in Malawi.

One photographer famed for her high quality imagery is   Freelance Photographer  and the lady behind the majority of FAME Magazine’s  photography, Maria Thundu. The Soulful  photographer  gave us a glimpse of  current and future ventures behind the camera.

“I’m looking forward to providing images for Lake of Stars, FAME, which I’ve been a part of for the past few years, Mzuzu Fashion Week, which I hope to attend. Fortunately, there is a lot of work available and more people are learning to appreciate the value of high quality imagery, so there are a lot of opportunities.

Born in Malawi and bred in Ethiopia, Maria reveals that photography was not her first career line. Her’s was a journey of self-discovery that  began a few years ago while she worked as a successful copy-editor before returning home to start Mars Photography.

“Mars Photography blossomed over a two-year period, where I went from being unsure of what I was doing as someone new to the business and as a career change. I worked as a copy editor before I changed my line of work and I would take pictures regularly even then, but never thought of it as a full-time activity. It began with testing my skills as a photographer and building up my confidence and skills with each event.

“I began to take it more seriously and as a career option when I started receiving calls with job offers for photography. I had to wrap my head around the speed at which the interest grew, but I’m glad I held on through the pleasantly overwhelming turn of events.”

Today, Maria says she is doing what she loves most. Hers is a dream come true, a destiny on course.

“Carving a place in society through my work in photography allows me to do what I love while giving people lifetime memories that they can cherish. The joy of being a photographer mainly comes from knowing that after all is said and done, there are images that can transport someone back to a place and time that was significant and sentimental to them.”