While Lasizwe (real name Thulasizwe Simphiwe Dambuza) is no stranger to the world of reality TV or being in front of the cameras, for that matter, he felt like a duck out of water as a contestant on e.tv’s “The Perfect Picture” season 2, which is hosted by Maps Maponyane.
The 25-year-old YouTuber, renowned for his caricatures and skits, made history as the first African to bag a reality show with MTV Africa’s @Lasizwe: Fake It Till You Make It. It aired for three seasons during its two-year run.
And he has cultivated a huge social media following over the years, where he has also worn the hats of actor and television presenter.
Of course, every now and again, a challenge comes along and it is too great an opportunity to pass.
As such Lasizwe joined well-known personalities Gugu Khathi, Luyanda Mzazi, Zahirah Marty, Ivan Roux, Anele Zondo, Jonathan Boynton-Lee and Tshego Kokeand Christall Kay to put their camera skills (or lack thereof) to the test.
The resident judging panel of Neo Ntsoma and Hilary O’Leary are joined by a guest judge each week.
For those who haven’t watched the show, Kay was cut at the end of episode two.
Where Lasizwe falls short with his photography know-how, he makes up in his competitive streak. And it was most evident in our recent Zoom chat.
And his response to being on the show was hilarious, even though he wasn’t trying to be funny.
He said: “So, firstly, it is a total mindf***, let’s start there. It is totally out of this world. There is so much technique, complexity, skill, talent, timing…Being a professional photographer is kak hard.
“You have to put mind over matter. On the show, you have crash courses that are literally an hour, and you have to take in all of that information within an hour because you have a good thirty minutes to execute that challenge.
“And photography is a skill that needs time. When you are learning photography style, it kind of takes months of learning if it’s aerial, moving cars, or wildlife or if it's portrait.”
Lasizwe continued: “Here you are with other celebrities who are so competitive. There are divas and egos and all of this happening and on top of that, you still need to learn how the frikkin’ camera works, then you have to apply yourself, then you need to ensure your model understands your vision because you are still used to being in front of the camera.
“You are trained on how to pose and what to do. And now you are being put in a position where you are thinking of: ”How do I tell a story?’ For example, we had a fireman challenge where we had to take pictures with the fireman and they had these cute dogs.
“How do you tell a fireman how to pose? Give me an editorial, give me ‘GQ’. The guy just looks me dead in the eye with that, “What the hell?”, look.”
It is safe to say that Lasizwe’s patience was sorely tested every week. And it was compounded by the feedback from the judging panel and an uncertain fate on the show.
“Every week, you are sitting there, hearing the judges critique your work, trying to understand what the judges are looking for. Like anxious. It is a lot. Just the patience, trying to figure out if you are going to make it into next week or if you are not going to make it into next week.”
In this group of competitive individuals, Lasizwe ranked himself as the most competitive in the group. And he admitted that Boynton-Lee was on the same wavelength.
“He’s a sore loser, that’s how competitive he is.”
Although it wasn’t something he sought out, Lasizwe ended up bonding with Zondo.
“I literally heard of her on the streets and finally got to meet her. And, wow, that is where our relationship kicked off. It’s just one of the beautiful love stories that you will see play out throughout the season.
There’s a very beautiful storyline of how our bond was so inseparable. We really looked forward to seeing each other every week.”
Although Lasizwe is in his element on a reality TV show, this one pushed him out of his comfort zone.
He said: “In this instance, people know me for my wigs and caricature, you know, skits and the funny guy. This time, they will see a different version of what they were introduced to years ago.
“The child star has grown. Expect a more versatile, calm and evolved Lasizwe.”
Given the challenges with his crash course in photography, Lasizwe said he has a deeper appreciation for photographers on the red carpet, adding he would be more understanding of their requests.
“I understand when they ask us to do this pose. They have a vision that they want to execute.”
Aside from “The Perfect Picture”, Lasizwe is having a blast on his YouTube show, “Awkward Dates”, with some of Mzansi’s finest.
By the way, the winner of “The Perfect Picture, will walk off with a R150 000 cash priz and R100 000 worth of photographic equipment.
∎ Catch “The Perfect Picture” on e.tv on Sunday at 5pm with the repeat on Saturdays at 5.30pm.