Photographers master the skill of paying attention to detail. For 36-year-old Iosia Kaitolele, his aim is to take and share pictures in the hopes to promote the beautiful landscapes of Papua New Guinea while also enjoying something he loves to do out of his normal 8-5 job.
“Every time I fly my drone, life’s stress gradually disappears,” he said.
Iosia comes from a mixed parentage of Goodenough and Normanby Islands in the Milne Bay Province and is married to partner Trolly Watson Kaitolele, who is from the same province but from an island called Misima.
He is a full time employee of the Lands and Physical Planning Department as a Lands officer, based in Port Moresby.
Iosia developed an interest in visual arts as early as grade 10, during his time at Cameron Secondary School in Milne Bay Province. Initially, he had planned to take up visual arts at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) after secondary school. However, life had other plans for him; he ended up taking Natural Sciences at the University of Technology (UNITECH) in Morobe Province.
After all these years, Iosia never gave up his passion to master the art of photography. If he is not working, he is telling a thousand stories through one picture.
“Last year I began to find myself intrigued by the drone pictures taken by professional photographer Jerry Albaniel, and thought I should give it a go, I started saving some money and eventually I was able to purchase my own drone.
When I bought my drone, I began to watch YouTube videos on how to operate a drone, so I am self-taught,” he said.
Iosia said, “drone shots are from a higher altitude and the aerial view is very unique.”
He stated that allowing people to view the pictures he takes gives him satisfaction knowing that pictures give people a whole new perspective of how beautiful our natural environment is.
As someone who is finding his footing in the photography business, he aspires to eventually turn his passion into a side hustle.
