Ritonde sees the world through his lens

“Since I started with photography, I have learnt that you are able to speak through photos and I have fallen deeply in love with the images I capture. Photography boosts my confidence as I always try to shape another world view through my lens.”

A resident of Fondwe village in the Nzhelele area, Ritondeni Nemakonde, found his niche in photography. He even relocated to Sunnyside in Pretoria for the purposes of expanding his booming business.

He attended Fondwe Primary School and matriculated at Thohoyandou Technical High School. After that he went to study for a diploma in civil engineering at Denver in Pretoria.

“Just after finishing my diploma, I realised that my passion for taking pictures had grown,” he said. “But I didn't have enough money to get myself a camera. That was when I decided to get a piece job, so that I could raise funds and get myself a camera. But as time went on, I realised that the camera was just small.”

He stated that the first camera helped him shape his photographic skills as he explored the craft. “I am just a young man living a purposeful life of art,” he said. “I had walked a rough road to see myself where I am today, though; it was not an easy journey. When I started out, I didn't have proper photography equipment and I had to find the means to raise funds to get equipment.”

He ventured into advertising his craft on social media through uploading the images which he had captured in his surroundings, using a smaller camera. “I didn't have enough equipment to get the job done, but as time went on things got better,” he said. “More people saw my pictures on social media and gave me events and other jobs to cover. With the money from those assignments, I bought my own equipment.”

His clients include people who are hosting weddings, bridal showers, parties and individuals who seek photoshoot services. “My clients have been giving feedback about how happy they are about my work, and they refer other people to me.”

He said he personally saw photography as viable because he had been able to make a living out of it. “My long-term goal is to see myself flourishing and venturing into all sorts of things that involve photography,” he said.

He can be reached on 082 356 4340.

Entertainment - Date: 17 March 2019

Tshifhiwa Mukwevho

Tshifhiwa Given Mukwevho was born in 1984 in Madombidzha village, not far from Louis Trichardt in the Limpopo Province. After submitting articles for roughly a year for Limpopo Mirror's youth supplement, Makoya, he started writing for the main newspaper. He is a prolific writer who published his first book, titled A Traumatic Revenge in 2011. It focusses on life on the street and how to survive amidst poverty. His second book titled The Violent Gestures of Life was published in 2014.

Email: [email protected]