Thebe Magugu, FAKA and more: how Andile Buka creates his images

From international musicians to world renowned designers, Andile Buka's lense has captured some of the best talents in the country. While his subjects may be jet setters, his images have also looked to subjects near and dear to him. 

Here is what the talented photographer had to say about some of his most eye-catching shots:

This is also part of the Amaqhwati series. Having grown up in Orange Farm, it was important to me to photograph the landscape and its people. The guy on the right is Tshepo, whom I’ve known all my life. His family has a business selling coal, but I’m assuming [it] is slowly fading out because people don’t have coal stoves anymore.

The tree in the other image is next to their house. It’s a landscape I’ve known all my life. There is a soccer pitch next to it where I used to play during my primary and high school years.

This was shot for a French magazine at the home of [designer] Thebe [Magugu]. I was really fortunate to photograph him in his comfort zone.

There’s something I like about this portrait; the way he is looking at the camera, what he's wearing, how the couch compliments the outfit, and that amazing shredded David Andersen coat he is wearing. It’s such a nice, beautiful moment that was great to capture.

It was a couple of months ago, for the Ezokhetho lookbook. I like this image because it’s really cinematic. It’s not really playing to how editorial images should look. I like this idea of playing with the mirror and you don’t really know from where I’m shooting it.

This was for the Adidas Forum, which is a shoe that has a really cool silhouette. The campaign was focused on creatives in the Joburg landscape who are doing amazing stuff. Here we have Tutu with their friends, and they are sitting on Stacey-Lee’s car, who is a young woman who spins, which is a predominantly male sport.

So, it’s the idea of juxtaposing two worlds. I was very lucky to have this opportunity and even getting the sunset, and with the help of the flash I was able to get the orange and purple hues; the car is pink and with all of that black skin — it’s just one of those moments where you get lucky.

This was like 2015 or 2016, and not to say it wasn’t really accepted in society, but to put [musical artist] FAKA in the Mapetla hostel where these photographs were taken — I was scared. I’ve got these two amazing queer artists who are not ashamed about being who they are, in a male-dominated space. But we got the complete opposite, like, no problems whatsoever inside the hostel.