Kapedo Photography reveals frustration over wedding payment circus with celebrity
By Nancy Marende, September 9, 2025Renowned photographer Joseph Maina, alias Kapedo Photography, has vowed never to take on work from celebrities without a written legal contract, citing past frustrations of being underpaid or not paid at all for his services.
Sharing his experience on a local YouTube channel on September 8, 2025, Kapedo revealed that he once photographed a celebrity’s wedding, believing he would be compensated, only to end up catering for his own transport and accommodation and later being ignored when he followed up on his payment.
“I’ll never photograph a celebrity unless we have a legal written contract. Huku nje photographers wanalipwa na exposure. That you are paying me this amount of money – this is the deposit. Sikupigii simu kuitisha pesa yangu; my lawyer will speak to you,” he stated.
Recounting the incident, Kapedo said he was assured of payment after the wedding, but weeks passed without any communication. When he eventually confronted the client, he was shocked by the dismissive response.
“On Monday, niko tao met the celebrity. I asked them what they decided to do with my money. They told me, ‘Let me call the groom.’ She calls him; he says the other vendors are paid. I called the other vendors, and they are not.
“So I told him we had an agreement; he had to pay me my money. The groom alionge vibaya and showed me he doesn’t care, so nikamwambia, ‘I give you a deadline of two months to pay me to settle the debt, now in a legal form, that you are supposed to pay me in two months. It’s been six months; they have never paid,” he revealed.
The photographer emphasised that moving forward, he will only work with celebrities under clear contractual agreements to protect himself from exploitation.
Baby bump rate card
This comes a few months after Kapedo revealed his baby bump rate card, with the lowest package going for Ksh20,000 and the highest being Ksh50,000.
The rates are classified into three groups: Classic Package, Deluxe Package, and Premium Package. The packages are determined by hours, number of photos, and number of outfit changes.
The classic package, priced at Ksh20,000, includes a two-hour session, ten professionally edited photos, makeup, and two outfit changes.