It is a fact that a smooth sail is unthinkable as life is full of hairpin turns. It tasks one a lot of acid tests and perseverance to reach on the top and live the type of life one wants to lead.
Obviously, life is a theatre house of numerous tragedies.
Gold is among the luxurious jewelries. It is a sign of richness and class. What makes it precious is not its current shape or where it is set but the process it passes through to prove its worth.
No matter what and how difficult it is, hard work and farsightedness can get one where one wants to be.
Our world is replete with such amazing and committed people who made it to the top consummating their journey with greatness and prosperity. They never say die however the night is pitch dark. They see light in the darkness. Always they ponder on success in store for them. The word they know is only success. They only look at possibilities.
Some people see and measure success via the prism of monetary rewards or the luxurious life they lead. But working the job one loves and getting famous for it also afford one success. Especially, in this twenty first century when everything seems to be measured by cash, finding someone who is passionate about his profession is very difficult. Such people are few in a million.
The target of this journalist today is to introduce to its readers the person who devoted his life for his profession without considering what is going on elsewhere. The Ethiopian Herald’s had a time of while with a professional photographer Dagne Abera.
Dagne was born and raised in Addis Ababa. He is the first born child for his family. He started his education at one of the schools in his neighborhood. Like his fellow students, he had a plan to outshine in his education.
Suddenly, while he was attending his eleventh class, a military recruitment campaign was started. Unlike his other friends Dagne didn’t join army by forced conscription. Of his own volition Dagne joined the Naval force or National Navy. His first plan was not to be a navy member but to use the chance as a pedal to go abroad.
After registration he was taken to Eritrea to join the army there. Then, he was selected to serve the country as one of the navy members.
While working as petty officer on the National Navy Ship called Ethiopia, he got a chance to be an assistant photographer. While learning at Entoto Polytechnic School he was a member of the photography club. He got lucky for he had summited the certificate for this membership from his school with his CV.
Dange took his attachment to his camera to a higher level starting from that turning point. As to him, Dagne and photography are the two sides of a coin. He says so because he uses to spend all the money he got to buy needed equipment for his souls mate— his camera”.
Dange lost his friends and comrades to the political turmoil at the time. He left many of his friends on the ashes of battle fronts. As a result he decided to migrate to Sudan as a way out to other possible destination. He reached Sudan with one of his friends and he stayed in the UN’s Refuge camp. Unfortunately, his camera was not lucky to reach Sudan.
After six month stay in the camp, he returned to Ethiopia with the help of UNHCR following the political change in the country. In 1995, Dange got a chance to reconnect with camera as freelancer photographer at The Ethiopian Press Agency. From then up to now Dagne is a professional photographer at Ethiopian Press Agency. In addition to that, given his incredible talent and sharpness with peeled eyes he has also become the Prime Minister’s photographer.
Dange’s camera had captured many unforgettable stories. The last discussion of the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and President Isayas Afworki was caught by Dagne’s camera. Starting from the late Prime Minster Meles Zenawi to Prime Minister Dr. Abiy’s inauguration, the first office job and trip Dagne was there with his camera.
Starting from President Mengistu Hailemariam to the current Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Dagne aptly captured the memorable shots by his camera.
Even more, he had been crisscrossing the world to photograph country’s leaders while they were on duty.
America, Russia, China, France, German, Britain, Japan, are few of the countries where Dagne had traveled to as Prime Minister’s official photographer.
As to professional photographer Dange, love of labor, patience, and ethics are the main things youngster should emulate from role models to climb up to the ladder of success. Youths should only focus on their goal not what is going on elsewhere or every fad, added Dagne.
Finally, if it is the will of God Dagne has a plan to publish a book and host exhibition for the memorable, tremendous, fascinating and mesmerizing photos he caught by his camera. Dagne, who is a father of three children, is married.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition 1 September 2019
BY AMBO MEKASA
