Nairobi's walkways are doubling as open-air photography studios, where young photographers capture residents and tourists with a level of polish usually associated with high-end photo shops.

The work is informal, but for many young people it provides a steady income and a chance to sharpen skills that could open better doors into photography, videography and content creations.

Every day, the photographers stake out busy streets across the Kenyan capital, approaching passersby and pitching affordable photoshoots. Competition is fierce. On a busy 20-meter stretch, as many as 10 photographers can be found jostling for the attention of potential clients.

For these enterprising youth, every customer is more than a sale. It is proof that freelance photography can be a viable way to make a living.

"Most of the photographers that you see in town are well educated. They have gone to school, they have graduated, but we have a crisis of unemployment," said Josephat Ouru, a street photographer based along Nairobi's Muindi Mbingu Street.

More than a million graduates enter Kenya's labor market each year, competing for a limited pool of jobs. According to the Federation of Kenya Employers, young people, who make up 35% of the population, face the country’s highest unemployment rate, at 67%. The federation projects the figure could double by 2045.

At the same time, the rising cost of living is pushing young Kenyans to look beyond their academic qualifications for ways to survive.

For Nairobi's youth, street photography offers one escape from idleness and a way to turn creativity into income.

In September 2022, Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja waived permit fees for freelance photographers and filmmakers operating in the Nairobi Central Business District. The move, coupled with a boom in content creation, has helped photographers offering professional yet affordable shoots carve out a living on the streets.

"I will use one of the photos I get to update my social media profile photo," said Eunice Otieno after a photoshoot on Muindi Mbingu Street.

But the hustle comes with risks.

Photographers work with expensive equipment in crowded streets, making them vulnerable to theft. Ouru said he has learned to close shop before darkness sets in.

"I have to leave the streets early, when there is daylight," he said, adding that criminals often strike after dark.

The business is also at the mercy of the weather. Heavy rain and harsh conditions can bring shoots to an abrupt halt. And as the cost of living climbs, the spending power of potential customers continues to drop, making an already unpredictable business even harder.

Still, the photographers return each day with the full awareness that each dawn presents a fresh opportunity to chase light, customers and the perfect shot to secure their future.