Conceptual and fine art photography
My name is Namukolo Siyumbwa and I am a freelance photographer based in the busy capital of Zambia, Lusaka. I got into photography while I was working as a contributor for an entertainment blog headed by Jeremy Chibuye from 2014 to 2015. I started out as a writer and then began to take photos to accompany the stories I told and slowly I began to love it as it gave me an additional creative outlet. My family, by prompting of my sister, bought my first camera as a gift on my 26th birthday. I then ventured off to work as a part-time photographer, mostly taking photos of family events, portraits and shows. After it had proven to be a great source of extra income, I played with the idea of going full-time. During this time, I came up with the name Eness Photography which is derived from my initials, NS.
I currently work as a full-time photographer and cover family events, corporate events, festivals, editorial, fashion and lifestyle photography, among others. It’s not all work though. Whenever I can, I like to create stories and execute concepts from my mind. My interest lies with conceptual and surreal photography, which give alternate ways to look at life and ideas.
Prince Bacci – Bacci and I had planned on creating a conceptual shoot inspired by African mythology and African deities. We had been talking about it for months until one day we spontaneously set up and Bacci used scarves and old fabric for his outfit. I added some texture to give the shots from that day the feel of a painting.
Margaret’s Basket – I wanted to experiment with natural light indoor portraits and my friend Megan obliged me by being my model for the day. The photo is called ‘Margaret’s Basket’ because the basket she’s holding was gifted to us when my grandmother passed a few months ago. Megan had also lost her grandfather shortly before this picture was taken.
Nc’wala – During the launch of the Nc’wala ceremony at Mulungushi Conference Centre, myself and a group of other photographers awaited the arrival of Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people. I took a photo of the dancers who were standing by the door and were illuminated solely by the light above them that created a moody image that I instantly loved.
Ballerina Girl – I had been hired by At the Barre Ballet School in Lusaka to take photos of a recital performed by young girls ranging from ages four to eleven. I took this shot while they were practicing and I was captivated by how this girl was just standing with calm anticipation and deep focus.
Kariba Dam – In July 2019, we took a trip to Siavonga and I got to visit the dam for the very first time. I remember being awed by the sheer size of the wall and the incredible story behind it. We took a walk across the wall and I couldn’t resist taking this shot of the valley which seemed to go on forever.
Clay – This is a self-portrait I had always wanted to try. The texture used in the picture was from a bark of a mango tree in my yard.
Girl with the Shell – Another natural light portrait, this one features a shell that is over 30 years old. It had sat on my grandparents’ shelf for years and my sister and I recently adopted it.
Girl Under the Veil – I’m always one who likes to experiment with various things I have around me to create something beautiful and intriguing. We used a curtain to act as a veil. This was also taken using natural light.
Intricate – This hairstyle was done by one of my clients, Lusungu, when she wanted to record tutorials on how to do lovely hairstyles with natural hair. For the background texture, I used a photo of a wooden bench at a friend’s bar.
