Magada’s world of celebrity, fashion photography

Inside his well-lit studio in a rooftop cubicle at MM Plaza in Kampala City, Rogers Magada proudly hangs mostly photo portraits of some of his clients – among whom is singer Rickman Manrick.

Magada, a photographer is best known for his formal portraits of celebrities and fashion figures — but he also creates cover images for top artistes.

“What makes me different is the colour and the touch on my photos. I play with a picture and give them a different feel,” he says.

Magada has produced among many classic portraits of; Irene Namubiru, Lydia Jazmine, Maro, Zulitums, Angella Katatumba, John Blaq, Liam and An-known. He was the official photographer of his cousin Maro when he held his Anjagala concert.

His portraits are mostly published on the social media pages of the artistes.

His sensitivity to classical portraiture’s interplay of shadow and light that gives moody pictures with an impression of melancholy, was inspired by his friend, Gideon, who taught him Adobe Photoshop.

“He used filters and turned a picture into black and white yet the background was still in its original colour. It was like magic,” Magada says of Gideon, who is now a chef.

By the time Magada dropped out of school in Senior Six at St Peter’s High School in Jinja, he had picked interest in Fine Art.

“I was interested in Fine Art because it allows you to try out new things. I did not like anything else about school. It was like prison to me. At one point, I even wanted to tell my father to give me capital to start up my own venture,” he says, stressing that “school only helped him to be good mannered and speak good English”.

Long way

Magada was born to Wilber Waiswa , a policeman and Janet Nabukenya, a businesswoman in Buwenge, Jinja.

After completing Senior Six at St Peter’s High School in Jinja at 16, he touched many things before he made his first mark as a photographer.

His entry was not straight. In 2010, he met Eddie Mukasa, who ran an Internet café in Kakiri. Magada used to frequent the café to play computer games. Later, he would start helping out Mukasa on some minor activities.

It was from here that he met Joel Mwebe, who had a computer shop specialising in repairs and sales. He learnt on the job and soon started helping out with simple tasks.

Later, Mwebe put him in charge of Universal Computer Workshop in Bulenga on Kampala-Mityana Road. He stopped working for Mwebe and hungered for a challenge to take on.

An urge to follow his own path kept pushing him and in 2018, he settled for his own path.

His friend Davies Watika  took him to Tororo where he vended music on his photo studio verandah. Gradually, Watika introduced me to cameras and I started taking pictures of high school students,” he recalls.

But for six months, he had a job but not the money.

His fledgling career would imbue him with organisers of Miss Pearl in Tororo 2018 that helped him establish a rare bond with celebrity subjects.

Using a Nikon D90 camera, which he had borrowed, he took pictures of Jane Tibaleka, popularly known as Tiba, the winner of the Miss Pearl  2018 competition and shared them on his social media platforms.

His creative eye would catch the attention of German photographer Wolfgang Hilberer, who invited Magada for a coffee.

“Hilberer loved the dark picture. We started talking about photography and he asked me about cameras,” Magada explains.

He started associating with Hilberer at his home in Seguku who sent him on errands. Along the way, Hilberer donated a Canon 450D and three lenses to Magada and the pair started working together.

Birth of an idea

It was during this time that Magada thought of establishing a studio and fulfilling his dream of becoming a professional photographer.

His Norway-based aunt Miria Nakamya sent him some money which he used to buy a budget speedlite, tripod and trigger as well as a computer.

Magada shared space with a friend, Timothy, who was renting a big house at Old Kampala founding the now famous Tukuba Foto Studio. They used the sitting room as the studio.

“Jobs were not forthcoming. Secondly, I was still trying to find my style and it was not appealing to many people. That is how the business collapsed,” he says of the early travails.

Timothy left for Jinja while Magada  went to his parents’ home in Nsambya.

He later linked up with freelance photographer Nelly Salvator working as the editor.

During the Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020, he started afresh after meeting with another photographer, Bruce Mpooko.

“There was an opportunity to earn money during Covid-19. People could not go to studios, so we started riding motorcycles to people’s homes looking for clients. Business was good because we were convenient,” he recalls.

When lockdown was eased, Magada sub-rented with make-up artiste Shaima Dash Faces at Zainabu Aziza Plaza complementing each other. In 2021, he rented his own space at MM Plaza.

He even returned Hilberer’s equipment and is a proud owner of a Canon 6D, the world’s lightest full-frame camera.

He prides among others, taking cover art for hit songs such as Eddy Kenzo’s Enjoyment, Zulitums’s Invictus, John Blaq’s Chai Mata, Liam Voice’s Dear Ex an An-Known’s Mutima as well as Omega, among others.

Every picture has a story

Much as Magada is known for portraiture, he has a passion for daily life photos. These, he mainly takes with his iPhone whenever he is travelling. The   photographer does not have any favourite pictures saying every photograph captures a particular moment.

“I love every picture I take. I do not have a favourite yet. The next picture is always the best,” he says.

He keeps learning by studying the work of other photographers and photo collectors. His favourite is Bedge Pictures, Amazing Klef and Praise the Photographer.

“I look out for things I cannot do yet. I am always curious and I want to be recognised internationally,” he says.

Unassuming

Magada’s archive of intimate moments at homes and at private parties amounted to more images of celebrities.

That did not transform Magada into a celebrity photographer overnight. But a baby shower at Georgina Gardens in Kasubi in 2020, launched him.

“I was nervous at first when I was given a gig because they had given me a lot of money,” he says.

During this time, Maro, an artiste introduced Magada to Iryn Namubiru before she hit the gym for her routine dance sessions, a person he says has learnt more about living with famous people.

“She [Namubiru] knew what she wanted. She gave me room to learn. I really thank her. She would make me repeat some of the photos but I never complained. She told me to always do research on fancy poses if I was to become a better photographer,” Magada says.

Magada is gregarious but largely unassuming.  He waits to be invited rather than insinuating himself into his subjects’ private lives. That was how he has managed to take private photos for celebrities and models.

“At first I was a photographer but later that changed and she stopped caring about my camera anymore,” he adds.

OTHERS SAY

Maro

I know Rogers but I did not know he could be this great and I have seen his first pictures. He is now on the up-to-date standards! Proud of the greatness he represents.

Tahia

Tukuba is my number one photographer. His shots show off all his skills. He has only got better with each new picture. He has an intriguing viewpoint. I thank him for making me feel comfortable in front of a camera. Amazing as always, I am looking forward to the next time we shoot together.