“Even without trying to tell a story, I love that an image can capture a moment and tell a story.” So says Sandy Bornman our Capital Lifestyle Instagrammer of the Week.
Bornman’s passion for tourism in Kenya, especially Lamu Island, is eloquently showcased through her photography.
“There is an extraordinary opportunity to communicate a message to promote a brand, a country or a campaign with visual advertising. The tourism industry in Kenya has had challenging times especially Lamu Island and the coast and Instagram can be used as a platform for storytelling.”
On Bornman’s Instagram feed, it is common to see beautiful scenic landscapes that often inspires a sense of wanderlust, daily life in a slower-paced Lamu, textures and colours from markets, and stories of people and spaces.
Capital Lifestyle hooked-up with her to find out how photography and Instagram have impacted her journey in Mobile Photography.
What cameras do you enjoy shooting with and what do you like most about them?
iPhone 5S, Canon EOS1100D, Canon EOS 5D with a 50mm lens
The IPhone for unpredictable and spontaneous moments and the Canon cameras for their high definition quality and crisp results. I like to keep minimal accessories.
Where do you shoot most of your photos and what sort of photos do you like to take best?
Most of my images are taken on Lamu Island. I am enormously fortunate to live on an island rich in history, heritage, culture and characters and I basically take images of whatever catches my eye. I love ruins, weathered doors and buildings which has some kind of patina or discolouration. There are always opportunities for portraits although here one has to stay invisible and have good ethics, be respectful and ask for consent first. I am constantly inspired by my surroundings.
What are your top tips for taking captivating Instagram photos?
Use natural light when possible.
Sharpen your images to make details stand out and keep the scene and edits simple.
Avoid over-filtering.
Which instagrammers do you recommend everyone to follow?
@coryrichards
@truthslinger
@everydayafrica
How has Instagram influenced your profession and your business?
IG is a perfect platform for sharing a visual story with free publicity and greater customer engagement.It certainly opens your content to a wider audience. I use it as a studio to show my brand, Aman and to promote the island.
5 Favourite @SandyLamu Instagram Posts
https://www.instagram.com/p/BA1FRVHy_3N/?taken-by=sandylamu – I took this image on an Iphone 5S from my shower window, I could not resist the extraordinary early morning light and calm seas.
https://www.instagram.com/p/9d2D1Ly_-e/?taken-by=sandylamu – By chance I had just arrived outside my shop to find this adorable scene and fortunately had my camera with me. We fill footbaths for donkey drinking water and some donkeys have a habit of entering the shop to announce the water has finished. The cats are quite used to their shenanigans.
https://www.instagram.com/p/88QKrTS_9y/?taken-by=sandylamu – I found these two sisters and their friend playing in a nearby alley. The carved Swahili door and muted colours was a perfect backdrop.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BBxa-q3S__k/?taken-by=sandylamu – Needless to say I have so many dhow images and this was taken during the annual Dhow Race on New Years Day.
https://www.instagram.com/p/oP2S9qS_8y/ – Taken on my Iphone 4S while visiting a friend’s house on the island. I could not resist this tranquil and simple setting.