Simon Kretzschmar
- Nov 23, 2023
- 2 min read

Tips for Capturing the Perfect Shot: Lessons from Ousman Ceesay's Photography Workshop

By Simon Kretzschmar | Gunjur, The Gambia

Simon Kretzschmar is an 18 year old German national currently volunteering in Gunjur, The Gambia. He has also joined Gunjuronline due to his interest in news, society, politics and the environment. Simon writes and support the Gunjuronline ground team. As such, Simon and Ahmad Gizza Sanyang were part of a photography workshop organised by Ousman Ceesay who is currently in Gunjur. Simon filed in this report from the workshop held on Friday, 17th November 2023.

When I arrived at Benna Kunda, a Compound owned by the German-Gambian Voluntary Network Organization VolNet, on Friday 17th November the workshop had already started. I got warmly welcomed by Ousman Ceesay, the host of the workshop who was just about to explain the different kinds of pictures that you can get by changing angles and distances between your camera and the subject you want to capture.

A participant at the photography workshop on practical photoshoot

I took my place next to the seven other interested workshop participants who were listening to the tips that Ousman was giving them. He also used the opportunity to show us some pictures which he has taken over the years to give us some kind of role-model on how well composed footage can look. And after seeing them I can confess one thing: He really is a great photographer!

Participants watched keenly as Ousman Ceesay goes through tips to capture the perfect photo

Then it was time for lunch. After a short break, the theory part ended and we started to go out and really take pictures. During all of this time, Ousman was supervising, so that the results were getting good. One person modelling, one shooting, we tried all kinds of different angles to catch the perfect shot.

Ousman Ceesay worked in Gunjur until last year, when he got the opportunity to go to Germany where he is currently living. He also shares pictures from there on his Instagram account @ousgovernor. Go check it out!

After that we got together again and had a look at the results. What could be improved for the next time, what is already looking nice and what can we still learn from all of that.

At the end, all of us were happy to be participants of the workshop and to now have a bigger knowledge about photography. It’s not too complicated and especially nowadays when many people got a smartphone, nearly everyone can become a photographer, go out to take nice pictures and start the hunt for the perfect shot.