By Patience Kapinda
Innocent Chingaipe is the founder and owner of Tithokoze Photography, a company that offers photography services for various events and occasions.
He chose the name Tithokoze, which means "let us be thankful" in English, because he is grateful for everything that he has in his life.
However, he uses the word Artistic on his logos, because he thinks it is more catchy and appealing to his clients. He also admits that his friends used to tease him that Tithokoze sounded like a charity organization.
Chingaipe works with his friend and partner, Alexander Kamvazakazi, who shares his passion and vision for photography. Together, they have captured many memorable moments and scenes for their customers, ranging from weddings, birthdays, graduations, to conferences, workshops, and exhibitions.
Their portfolio showcases their creativity and skill in producing high-quality and stunning images.
However, running a photography business is not without challenges, as Chingaipe reveals.
“Some difficulties I face are the low demand and willingness to pay for professional photography services in my area since many prefer to get free or cheap photos.” He said.
He adds that it is hard to win contracts, especially when you are just starting out and competing with more established and experienced photographers.
Another challenge that Chingaipe mentions is the high cost of equipment and materials for photography. He says that cameras, lenses, lights, tripods, and other accessories are very expensive and hard to find in the country.
“Me and my partner Kamvazakazi, have to save up and invest a lot of money to buy and maintain our equipment as we also have to be very careful with the equipment from theft.” He said.
Chingaipe recalls that his biggest income from a single contract was 350,000 Malawian kwacha, when he and his partner were hired to cover a conference for a local NGO. He says that they took hundreds of photos of the speakers, participants, and activities during the one-day event.
He says that he was very proud and happy with the outcome and the feedback from the client.
However, he also shares that his company is currently not operational, because some of their equipment were stolen a few months ago.
He says that this was a huge setback and loss for him and his partner, as they could not afford to replace their equipment. He shared that this is one of the biggest challenges that he faces as a photographer.
However, Chingaipe hopes to resume his business soon, as he still loves photography and wants to pursue his dream. He says that he is looking for ways to raise funds and secure new contracts.
He says that he is optimistic and confident that he can overcome the challenges and succeed in his photography career.
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