SARAH
WAISWA

When did you first become interested in photography? What do you like most about it?

I have always loved photographs. My father died when we were relatively you and so looking through old family albums  was a way to remember, to reference, to see. When I started taking photos myself, I found that photography helped me to communicate better than any medium I had ever tried or encountered.




Was there a particular moment when you realized that it was time to leave your corporate job and pursue photography full-time?

I started getting a number of gigs and I was turning them down because I was unable to take time off from my corporate job. I was also embarking on a cross-continent project with a friend, and knew it was time.




How does your background in psychology and sociology influence the work you do?

It influences the stories that I am drawn to. I am mostly drawn to people and their stories and the social issues that surround the stories.


How would you describe New African Identity as it relates to your work and the ideas or image you're working to convey?

I like to think of this as a necessary unlearning  of colonially imposed ways of being and expression and owning and building the narrative for ourselves in terms of what it means to be African.




Is there a significance to many of your images being in black and white monochrome?

It depends on the work. Though there is a timelessness presented by the black and white, I believe it lets the viewer focus more directly on the work and the issues being highlighted in the  work.




Is there a particular image or series of images that is really special to you or close to your heart?

They are all special in their own way to be honest. It would be difficult to pick just one. 

What have you learned along the way that has shaped how you pursue your work?

I have learned a lot, and I am still learning. I quite like that because I never feel stagnant. I think the work has taught me to question what I think I know about everything.