Meet Bash Mutumba, photographer of the stars and models

Who is Bash Mutumba?

Bash is a passionate photographer, writer, content creator; and social media influencer.

When did you begin in photography and where?

I began photography in my second year at the university, at the time when I was still employed at Galaxy FM. It was more of a calling, I didn’t push myself hard, but I ended up falling so much in love with photography.

What gadgets did you begin your photography journey with?

A small Canon t3i at my workplace, which I used to play with while learning.

What did you want to achieve when you started in photography in terms of technique and in your personal life? Are you close to those goals?

I wanted to impact the world with my photography, and be able to be noticed for my work. So far not bad, but I’ll reach my mega dreams of being published in reputable worldwide magazines, and working with big world names in the fashion and entertainment industry.

My mentor, Oscar Ntege advised me to try out boudoir, and the rest as they say, is history.

When did you start to branch out to take intimate photos so far from the norm in Uganda? Or is this a general misconception that such photography does not exist in Uganda?

The conversation is always professional from the word go, so there is no toxic vibe among us. There is always an element of trust, and the whole essence of boudoir is sensuality, not sexuality.

Basically it’s about talking about each other’s expectations before the shoot starts.

Mutumba says maintaining a professional atmosphere is key

Now that you have taken hundreds of thousands of images, how do you continue to come up with new techniques, styles? Keep your work fresh?

Props make one photo different from another, and every single person is different from another. Two people can strike the same pose the same way, and they will look totally different.

You have branched out into an onlyfans business. What does that mean for you? What are the benefits of someone subscribing to it? How much would a Ugandan have to pay?

There is no change in the kind of content I shoot. I still shoot implied, sensual work; the only difference is, I post most of it on onlyfans exclusively. $4.99 is the minimum amount the website can require, and that’s what I set.

Your photos are eye catching and some would say explicit, how do you not get taken down by instagram?

Instagram is a very strict app when it comes to nudity and explicit images; the fact that my images are never taken down should prove to you what I told you earlier. These are just implied, sensual images, not sexually explicit images.

Mutumba describes his photos as sensual rather than explicit

Is your family okay with the kind of photography you do?

I was raised by a single mom who is a staunch born again Christian. She of course isn’t so happy with what I do, but she is aware it is an art form and a source of income, and also she is not much of a social media person.