Margaret Ndagire says their charges depend on the work done. Photo by Isaac Ssejjombwe
Unplanned biz: Margaret Ndagire and her friend Khasim who started taking photos at a friend’s graduation party. To their surprise, everyone commended their work, giving them the inspiration to take things to another level. Today, they run a business worth Shs12m.
What kind of business do you operate?
I run a photography, videography and graphics designing company.
When did you start up this business?
About a year ago.
How much did you invest and how much is the business worth now?
We started with Shs3m and it is now worth Shs11 to Shs12m.
Where is this business located?
Our studio is situated in Lukuli, although 85 per cent of our time is in the field shooting, while 15 per cent is at the office editing, printing and sticking photos in their respective albums.
What exact services do you offer?
We take photos at events, such as Introductions, weddings, concerts, baby bumps and family photo shoots. We also shoot videos.
Are you the kind of boss who sits in office?
Not at all. I also participate in the field. In this business, we work hand-in-hand with everyone.
What cameras do you use?
We use canons and Nikons for photos and Panasonic for videos.
What is the name of your business?
Studio25 Photography and we mainly operate in areas of entertainment. We chose the name because we found the name fit for showbiz.
Why did you pick interest in this job?
Because we are Journalism graduates, we decided to set up our own business and this started from photojournalism as a course unit in university. The practical part of the course unit opened our eyes to cameras and after making some money from a friend’s graduation party, we decided to go out and earn a living out of it.
How much do you charge for your services?
Our charges depend on the type and nature of the gig but for photography, we charge from Shs500,000 to Shs700,000 and those are 200 pictures, while videography charges start from Shs600,000 to Shs800,000.
What would you recommend if I wanted to start a business like this one?
You need to first have passion for photography, which can also be termed as “visual communication”. Then you need to have access to a DSLR camera and a computer, then the rest you can get as time goes on.