Christopher Galukande: Capturing life through the lens

During his Senior Six vacation, Christopher Galukande set up a video library to earn money while waiting for university admission.

Selling all kinds of movies, including locally produced Kina-Uganda films, Galukande became acutely aware of the stark quality gap between foreign and local productions.

“The gaps in quality were glaring, and I felt the need to do something about it,” Galukande recalls.

This realisation led him to pursue a course in cinematography when he got the opportunity to study in Turkey.

“Through cinematography, I comprehensively learnt the art of photography and filmmaking,” Galukande explains.

While studying, he worked part-time as a photographer to support himself financially.

After completing his course, he returned to Uganda — not to launch the high-end film studio he had envisioned, but to build a career in photography.

“With time, I realised that starting a world-class film studio required resources I didn’t have then. Ironically, the savings from my part-time photography work in Turkey were enough to start a world-class photo studio in Kampala,” he says.

Launching Xcy Events

Determined to work with what was within reach, Galukande set aside his film studio dreams and instead established a photo studio.

His first focus was building a talented team. “Photography is an art requiring a certain level of talent and passion. I wanted to work with individuals who shared my vision,” he says.

After months of research, Galukande brought together four talented young photographers — Captain Ricky, Huzaifa, Trek and Muzamir, who, despite their skills, lacked the resources to scale up.

“These young men were passionate, but lacked proper equipment and marketing knowledge,” Galukande explains. Captain Ricky, one of the founding members of Xcy Events, concurs: “He had the knowledge, passion and resources, while we had the skills, but no capital.”

Convincing the young photographers to join him at Xcy Events remains one of Galukande’s biggest achievements. He equipped the team with the necessary tools, organised internal training sessions, refined their marketing strategies and even improved their dress code.

“We wanted to stand out. So, we adopted a unique and professional appearance,” Galukande explains.

Their debut job set the tone for their brand identity.

“I remember us being dressed in smart kanzus and coats. People thought we were part of the bridal entourage, until they saw us capturing every moment with our cameras,” Galukande recalls.

Business mistakes in the beginning

Charging based on friendship brought losses to the company, but I later learnt to be focused and build the business as a different entity from the relationship I have with any client.

Making booking appointments with low percentages only to get stuck with the work when clients don’t pick it up. I trusted them only to get stuck with their work to date.

Risks that come with the enterprise

The storage disk getting crashed or attacked by a virus: to be on the safe side, the company bought a server where all the work is deposited safely. For example, we have worked for clients from 2020 to date.

Theft, most especially by thieves who trail the company workers from the field to steal the equipment: To mitigate this, we ensure the vehicle that carries the equipment to the work venue is not the same one that brings it back.

We also have drivers stationed in the vehicles while the team is at work.

Growth and expansion

Xcy Events has grown significantly. From four Nikon D7100 cameras in 2017, the company now owns enough equipment to cover four major events simultaneously. Its team has expanded to 15 permanent staff and 30 freelancers.

Beyond weddings and introductions, Galukande has ventured into corporate photography to mitigate the effects of seasonal demand.

Notable clients include BAT Uganda, Toyota Uganda, KOICA, the health ministry, Swangz Avenue and Marie Stopes Uganda, for whom they create documentaries.

Galukande attributes the company’s growth to innovation, passion and professionalism.

“We stay updated on the latest trends in photography, organise internal workshops and develop customised concepts and storylines for clients based on their budgets,” he says.

Galukande says they also copy role models and superiors’ works and incorporate it into their systems of operation.

They practise bookkeeping to know how much the company has generated in a given month against the set target.

Xcy Events workers are entitled to their monthly and daily payments respectively depending on the nature of their contracts and the scope of work done on a given day or period.

There is a one-on-one conversation with staff from the team leader to know how they are coping with their personal life and business to avoid any related challenges.

Challenges

Despite their success, managing a young and dynamic team remains Galukande’s biggest challenge.

“Youthful energy can be a double-edged sword — focus can easily waver,” he admits.

Additionally, the photography industry is highly demanding, leaving little time for family and personal life.

“Our busiest days are when everyone else is resting,” Galukande adds.

Some clients are hard to deal with and are unpredictable when it comes to the final day of payment.

There is also competition within the photography industry with different prices, but offering fewer standard services than a genuine company like Xcy Events.

Future plans

Looking ahead, Galukande plans to expand Xcy Events to other regions in Uganda, starting with Jinja, Mbarara and Masaka.

“We want to make our services accessible across the country,” he says.

Achievements

Galukande cherishes the relationships he has built through photography. “I have worked with people from all walks of life — Members of Parliament, ministers, socialites, renowned businesspeople and celebrities. These connections are invaluable,” he says.

Galukande also takes pride in mentoring and employing hundreds of young people in a country grappling with unemployment.

“Knowing that many people depend on me inspires me to work harder and stay focused,” he concludes.

Turning point

Success didn’t come immediately. For two years, Xcy Events survived on just enough work to keep them going. Their breakthrough came in 2019 after Galukande’s wedding.

“My wedding was an opportunity to experiment with creative ideas that clients were hesitant to try. The photos went viral, trending for months. Suddenly, demand for our services skyrocketed. People came asking for exactly what they saw in those photos. We haven’t looked back since,” he says.