20 years after the tragic and untimely death of Mohamed Amin, founder of Nairobi-based Camerapix, the Association for International Broadcasting pays tribute to the renowned cameraman.
Mohamed Amin was born on 29 August 1943 in Nairobi where he developed an interest in photography at school. He founded Camerapix company in 1963 in Dar es Salaam and moved the company to Nairobi three years later. During the 1970s, he became one of the most relied-upon African news photographers, reporting on wars and coups all through the continent. His pictures were often used by Western news media.
Amin’s most influential moment came when his photos, along with the reporting of the BBC’s Michael Buerk of the 1984 Ethiopian famine brought international attention to the crisis and eventually helped start the charity wave that resulted in Live Aid concerts.
Amin contributed exclusive photos of the fall of Idi Amin and of Mengistu Haile Mariam and was author of numerous books, including Journey Through Pakistan, Pilgrimage to Mecca and covered various themes such as East African wildlife and the Uganda railway.
A short film looking back on Amin’s life has been produced by A24 Media – run by Amin’s son, Salim – and Reuters. It will be screened at Newsxchange taking place in Copenhagen at the start of December.