Hello, my name is Gathoni. I used to be one of Kenya’s Top 10 wedding photographers many years ago. I‘ve also had the privilege of exhibiting my personal work in Nairobi, New York, Munich, Cologne and Halle(Saale) Germany.

I found this passion, this obsession, in 2005, just before graduation when one of my lecturers, also a photography enthusiast, saw this spark in me and encouraged me to pursue it. I had changed majors several times because I could not find something that held my interest long enough, but becoming a photographer changed that for me.

By the end of 2016, burnt out and wondering what to do next, I embraced the opportunity to reinvent myself when my partner and I moved to a little mountain town in south eastern Australia, Warburton. It is a hard thing to leave your people, your country, your home and as an adult to start over-I lost myself, my confidence and had a difficult time adjusting to this new life. I wondered if I had made a mistake leaving Kenya.

One thing that helped me feel at home was becoming an aunt to some of the most awesome kids in the world. Children are amazing, if you let them they will invite you on all of their adventures and before you know it you are the best of friends. I experienced life through their eyes and saw how magical childhood is and how amazing my new home was.

I got the opportunity to see my peers as parents. I could see that it was no picnic, but also saw how beautiful the experience of raising a family was. A big shoutout to my beautiful sister, Zoe, who let me tag along in their everyday. It was seeing what an amazing job she was doing and the joy that she got from being a parent that helped me to believe that I could be a mum too.

So, 3 and a half years post the Pandemic, I am now mama to two of the most ridiculously gorgeous daughters. It is not easy and a lot of the time I doubt that I’m doing a good job. The experience of being a mum has changed me SO MUCH. When I moved to Australia it was just my partner and I, life did not demand so much of me. With children I do not have the luxury of allowing fear and doubt stop me from going out there and pursuing my work, earning a living, being in social situations, making friends, grabbing life with both hands. Being a mum is a super power. It drives me to do so much in my life.

I choose to document families for my fellow parents. I’m in the trenches with you, mums and dads, watching you do the thing and cheering you on. My photographs of families strive to capture the beauty of this incredibly raw experience. If you ever have doubts about how you’re doing, fear you’re missing out on the little things because IT’S ALL HAPPENING, my photographs are my gift to you. So when the going is rough, you have this visual reminder that you are doing ok, that it’s going to be alright and that you are enough. For your children, I want them to see how absolutely loved they are and to remind them of what their childhood felt like.

With every succeeding generation, we have raised the level of human consciousness. I truly believe that we are better parents, better humans and we are raising a generation of amazing human beings. My hope is that my images will be a visual legacy of the hard work we have done in reparenting ourselves, this gift that we have given our children in trying to be our best selves that they too can pass on to their own children. I choose to believe that the future is going to be a beautiful place and that we have played our part in raising a generation that will be bold enough to demand change, to do the right things and to be their full, incredible selves.

My photographs are not just pictures, they are a documentation of legacy in the making. I do this work with all my heart and love. What a privilege it is to be your photographer.