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Natasha Kokai
Have you ever wondered who this photographer, always taking amusing pictures of these celebrities is?
Have you ever asked yourself how he mastered the art on that particular picture?

Last year, popular socialite Kim Kardashian’s semi-nude pictures went viral, and the focal point wasn’t the nudity, but the photographer.

Then Zimbabwe had its own fair share of nude pictures when Netherlands-based Zimbabwean musician, Vimbai Zimuto dropped her nudes.

Many wanted to know who the man behind the lens was.

But that’s not all, being a photographer is one thing, while being a celebrity photographer is another.

By the way, a celebrity photographer is a professional, who earns their living by taking pictures of public figures.

Examples of public figures include performers in the field of entertainment, well-known business professionals, athletes, public servants, politicians and other newsworthy individuals.

This specialised form of photography requires a high level of spontaneity and aggressiveness, due to the intense competition and nature of the job.

Celebrity photographers can work for newspapers, magazines, tabloids, news agencies, modelling and talent agencies, private individuals or even for themselves, as freelancers.

And success in this industry involves complete mastery of photographic principles, and the mechanics of equipment; as well as an ability to work under extreme and unpredictable conditions. Saturday Herald Lifestyle caught up with one of the most popular local celebrity photographers, Trevor Gupo, whose images cause a stir on social media pages such Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, to find out exactly how it started.

Think of any local celebrity, and ask who hasn’t passed through his hands. Gupo has a Midas touch such that whatever picture he takes turns to gold.

Trading under the name Trey Images, Gupo said photography is an art and he survives through it, and now on his portfolio are a list of celebrities.

“I was born a photographer. I entered the industry at the age of nine, taking pictures for fun using a family camera. My family gave me a camera when I was 16. I’ve been in love with it ever since. From there, I went to school and pursued a career in photography.

“I started working at First Floor Gallery in Harare, as a trainer curator.

There I met a lot of like-minded artists from painters to filmmakers.

“I am surviving through taking pictures for a living. I have worked with some prominent celebrities, who include Jah Prayzah, Samantha Mussa (Misred), Rumbidzai Takawira, Hillary Makaya and Ammara Brown among others.

“I have also worked with the corporate world, who include TelOne, ZimGold, ZiFM, First Capital Bank and Edgars,” he revealed.

Gupo, who has been nominated several times at fashion and model awards, said that celebrities are so scrutinised, analysed, nudged and plumbed that getting anything new or interesting out of them is an uphill climb.

“This makes my photos remarkable as I specialise in whimsical portraits that manage to put a fresh spin on familiar faces.

“I always research on my subjects beforehand, and try to get a sense of what they are like.

“What strikes me about shooting celebrities is that they are more light-hearted, more playful. What you see on stage or in magazines or on television is not what I see about them,” he said.

Little does Gupo know that he too himself is a celebrity.

So how much does he charge?

The 30-year-old celebrity snapper refuses to disclose his price range, but only said it depends with the concept and client. Asked if there was any crazy thing that ever happened to him in his photography career, Gupo laughed saying he took pictures of a prominent client at an exclusive and posh homestead, but he lost the pictures.

“My world crumbled when I arrived home and noticed that the pictures were deleted by mistake. I had taken pictures of my favourite artiste.

“Now I sweated out and thought of where I would get the pictures. I couldn’t sleep, but my friend later helped me with the latest application to retrieve the lost pictures. It was years back.

“I never told the client, and up to now, he doesn’t know what actually happened.

“After I delivered the pictures, he later approached me. Long story short, he ended up hiring me again to go to South Africa for another private shoot, and this time it included 10 celebrities across Africa,” he said.

Gupo said the hardest thing about being a photographer was staying inspired.

“I think you are always inspired by everything around you. Being in a big city, you are inspired by everything around you. You always have to look for inspiration, and if you are a new photographer, you have to understand that your inspiration comes from your life, not from looking at other people, and what they are doing, but from your life.

“You have to get out and live a full life to put that in your work.

“So the hardest thing is staying inspired, and then finding things that inspire you constantly and putting that in your work,” he said.

He confirmed that photography has changed to full frame mirrorless, which is now the future.

“I think mirrorless is another tool. I don’t think that it’s going to take away from the DSLR; it’s just another paintbrush for us to have and create great images with.

“I now love shooting with mirrorless.

“I love having my D850 (DSLR), but I like the opportunities that mirrorless (cameras) have given me in terms of video shooting, and in terms of shooting silently,” he said.