The Long Walk of the Lens

Photography and cinematography became my tools for honest engagement, not distant but present and responsible. Early in my career, I worked at PAWA254, Kenya's collaborative art and cultural hub that uses creativity to drive social justice, human rights and active citizenship. There, among artists, activists, and community voices, I photographed a range of events and initiatives where art meets change. This included documenting spoken word performances, music sessions for advocacy, poetry slams addressing socio-political issues and visual arts projects that amplified marginalized voices. Pawa Festival being one of the most attended where art spoke for itself in the streets of Nairobi.

Over time, my work expanded into documentaries and impact-driven narratives, where storytelling captures not just what is seen but what is felt and remembered.

When challenges arise in our communities, I pick up the camera not for spectacle but for depth. Through listening first, I build trust before any frame is captured.

I document resilience and change across Kenya. Community projects, human rights efforts, everyday dignity. In recent years, I have collaborated with international organizations on stories of impact, from solar energy transforming schools and clinics in coastal counties to broader themes of sustainability and empowerment.

A key milestone was contributing as lead photographer to the documentary Softie, which followed activist Boniface Mwangi's journey. Boniface brought a unique way of campaigning that had never been done in Kenya before: he asked ordinary people to fund his run for office, rejecting big-money politics, and he campaigned by walking door-to-door across his constituency, meeting voters face-to-face on foot.

I captured this in a very unique way. Staying close to the ground, moving with him through the streets, markets and homes, framing the sweat, the conversations, and the genuine connections in a style that represented His approach accurately and powerfully but I also photographed his broader activism: the protests He led, the community gatherings He organized, the public confrontations with power and the everyday acts of courage that defined his lifelong commitment to justice and accountability.

My images helped Boniface sell his narrative well, showing the raw humanity of his campaign and inspiring trust and support from viewers around the world.

It deepened my conviction in the film's power to question power, preserve memory and foster dialogue.

Millions viewed and reshared these simple videos, amplifying voices that might otherwise have remained unheard. It showed the power of accessible tools in documenting truth, building solidarity and sustaining momentum for civic dialogue and accountability.

That work reinforced why documentary matters. These images and clips become part of our shared visual memory, captured with intention, care and respect.

Finding Fairpicture

I was introduced to Fairpicture through my late friend Nicholas Wambugu, a talented filmmaker whose integrity and craft I admired deeply. May he rest in peace. Nicholas recommended me for an assignment and that first experience felt aligned, clear communication, fair treatment and ethics at the core.

Since then, collaborating with Fairpicture has been deeply rewarding and transformative. We have worked together on meaningful projects, including assignments with Novo Nordisk capturing the lived experiences of haemophilia and sickle cell patients in Kenya focusing on access to care and work with the Well:Fair Foundation documenting drought-affected communities building wells, improving clean water access and strengthening hygiene practices to enhance health and livelihoods.

I have also contributed to cover stories for organizations like Biovision. Most recently, I have been sharing my daily practice of ethical storytelling through their social media platforms and the FairConsent app.

These assignments have elevated my work in ways I could not have imagined,exposing me to high-caliber, purpose-driven clients and pushing me to refine my technical skills, deepen my ethical approach and produce visuals with greater precision and impact.

The kind of assignments we tackle together focused on real community change, sustainability, and dignity, have significantly improved my abilities as a photographer and cinematographer. They are also bringing out the aspect of me being an upcoming director and producer, giving me opportunities to lead teams, shape narratives from concept to delivery.

Looking Ahead

I aim to step fully into filmmaking, directing and producing my first feature-length or impactful short film. One that goes beyond documentation to weave narratives that challenge, inspire, and provoke reflection.

Through continued collaborations with platforms like Fairpicture, emerging partnerships in film production and building my skills as a director and producer, I am working toward this vision step by step. I will evolve into a space where such ambitious, purpose-driven films can be born, stories told with heart, ethics and the power to move people toward understanding and action.

I believe visuals shape memory. Stories told with care bring us closer to understanding and justice.

Mutunga Al-Amin is a Kenyan photographer and cinematographer, part of the visual creator community at Fairpicture.

In 2023, he founded Wakitanga Visuals, a platform for conscious storytelling that unites creators to amplify marginalized voices and drive social change.

Through his intentional, dignity-focused lens and Fairpicture collaborations, he elevates local narratives while growing as an upcoming filmmaker committed to impactful films that resonate in Kenya and globally.