Trevor Maingi: See the world through my eyes

Trevor Maingi, @the_mentalyst

Trevor Maingi is a renowned photographer from Nairobi, Kenya. He is better known under his alias @TJthementalyst. He has a vivid passion and uniquesense of style in his photography. This can be seen in howhe plays with different colours, tones and moods in hisworks.

His excellence has earned him a large and diverse followingfrom all over the world and his style has gotten himpartnerships with some of the most exclusive brands forexample Samsung, Land rover, Airbnb and The Four PointsSheraton, to name a few.

He isn’t a hobbyist. Photography is his passion and Hislife’s work. His personal philosophy states that, “the bestphotograph is the one that I’ll take tomorrow”. In this way healways pushes himself to do better and be better.

In this exclusive interview with White Collar we get tounderstand what drives him.

Tell us about you.

My name is Trevor Maingi. I was born and raised in Nairobi all my life. I did Primary school in Nairobi and went to KiambuHigh school.

What was your University experience like? I studied aeronautical engineering at the East African School of Aviation. After completion, I was in and out of contracts for two years and I realized that it wasn’t working out so I went back to school and studied and did software engineering. While I was working at an agency as a software developer I decided to take a break and figure out if that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Over this break, I would find out if to go and get papers and double down on programming or maybe go a different route.

How did you make the leap to photography? Photography wasn’t even in the picture when I was on the break. Pauses and waits for the pun to set in. While trying to figure things out, I would take photographs on my phone. And this later turned out to be a defining feature for my brand.

How did you get started? For me, I started out of curiosity. I remember there was this IBM competition whose prize was a laptop and a trip to Mombasa but sadly I didn’t make the cut.

However, I didn’t stop there. I checked out what the winners did. I wanted to find out what really set them apart from the rest of us. I wanted to know what it was they did, that the rest of us weren’t doing. And that is how I started out in photography. There was no cool photo or ‘aha moment’ that set me on this path. I just kept at it and persistently asked myself how I could improve.

When did you make the transition from hobby to career? It was in 2015. This was the year I got my first gig. It was then that I realized that there was more to this than just posting my daily pictures and Instagram.

It was in April, I think, when Samsung reached out. (Note: I stared out as a mobile photographer.)

So Samsung reached out and they were like “we want you to continue what you’re doing but using our device.” They were releasing a new device and they wanted me to take it on a test drive and give reviews on it.

Trevor Maingi

There are people who are starting out in the field of photography and they don’t have access to high-end camera devices. What would you advise?

The advice I always give people whenever they ask me that question is to focus on what they have at the moment.

The question I ask them is if I were to give them the best high tech camera would they be able to create with it. Because having the best equipment doesn’t really mean you will produce the best work.

I usually say that the equipment is just a tool and what is important is the craft.

How does one land an endorsement?

What worked out for me is being consistent with my work, and that would mean having a particular style that shows who you are.

The problem nowadays is that people shoot anything and everything making it hard for brands to pinpoint what you really do.

For example, one moment you’re shooting weddings and the next you’re doing fashion.

Brands would rather work with someone who they feel is already good at a particular style, without having to change their style.

Is photography as a career choice sustainable?

Yes, it is. It’s a tough question to answer though…

What I’ve seen though is that people don’t really appreciate art and photography.

If you are able to nail a couple of projects you can live off of it. The only problem is that the market doesn't take the arts and photography seriously. Getting to that point that is sustainable is hard but it is possible.

If you didn’t do photography what would you be doing?

I would definitely be a software developer.

Why aren’t you pursuing being a software developer? I found something that makes me happy, keeps me on my toes and allows me to express my creativity.

Have you used image selling platforms (stock images) to sell your work?

No. Stock images don’t work for me.

They usually take a higher percentage than the artist. And one can only make money during high traffic times, for example, if you took a photo the during a sporting season like the Olympics that’s when you’d generate sales because at that time there’s a bit more demand for the photo.

Would you feel comfortable disclosing how much a project would cost? It depends on the project and its variables. These variables include:

• The brand that you’re working with.

• Where images are being used.Like, is it on social media only or is it also going on a website.

• -How long is the campaign running.

These are some of the factors that I use to come up with my base rate.

Photo by Trevor Maingi

Do you see yourself sticking to photography or diversifying to something else?

Photography is my main but I also do film. If were to go big it would be on film but would still pursue photography.

Are there any examples of your work out there for film and what capacity do you see yourself in the film?

Yes. I have my work up on my website thementalyst.net

I am still figuring out in regards to film as I currently operate in the capacity of DOP (Director of Photography). I basically do everything for myself from shooting to editing but I am hoping to see how things end up.

Who do you look up to in film? Christopher Nolan. It’s how he executes his films.

At the end of a Nolan film, he leaves you asking many questions. I feel his work challenges the mind. It’s better than just movies that are built around the fame of certain actors.

Has photography made you a better person? Yes, it has. Before photography, I was more of an introvert. Photography has helped me see the world from a different perspective, especially through interacting with more people.

Also when your following begins to grow and you start to become a sort of figure

in the community, it makes you have to step up and better.

How do you deal with creative block? It works differently with people. You must find out what works for you.

For me, I decide either to read or change what I am shooting with. If I was using a camera I switch to my phone. You have to find a way to discipline your mind and change the situation.

What motivates you? My motivation comes as inspiration. It can be through my circle of friends that are constantly pushing me to be better, through music and the other arts. I borrow from all the arts that surround me, especially film.

What do you want to achieve with what you post? What do you want the person looking feel or think? I try to trigger an emotion in the person interacting with it. When I achieve that I am happy.

What does it do for you? I think of myself as more of a visual orator than a photographer. So I want my work to speak more for me rather than me speaking on its behalf. I want people to ask questions when looking at my content like; what might he have been thinking? Or why that photo, in that way?

My photography is my way to let people into my world.

Have your interactions prepared you for business?

Yes. My first was through doing business with Samsung through photography. This opened up my eyes to different business aspects. For one, through many interactions, I’ve learned when to say yes and when to decline.

Did your education prepare you for this? No.

What do you wish would have been there to get you on this journey? I would answer that from a different angle. Like with my kids I focus on what draws them to be it sports or arts apart from education. Education is important but one should focus on what one is keen on to prevent leaving another person’s dream.

What do you think about photography in Kenya and Africa?

It’s actually good. The industry is growing as many creatives have come up having a platform where they can tell stories from an African perspective.

And where do you see it going in 5 years? Places I can’t imagine. Like having friends get commissioned by Marvel to come up with content is a great feat. Actually, 5 Africans were chosen for Black Panther. ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊ ◊