Sango Nghembe can’t pick up his phone when I ring. Fielding calls at work is especially difficult for the 44-year-old photographer.

“As you can imagine, phones have to be on silent!“ he says, stepping outside. “Ok. I don’t have to be so quiet now.“

Sango works for Haringey library service as a site manager, currently based at Marcus Garvey Library, and it is within its book-lined walls, among the rows of reference titles, manuals and novels that he has been busy mastering his craft.

“I used to be based mainly at Wood Green library. It gets really busy there, finding just ten minutes to read something is very difficult,“ explains the father-of-three. “Then I was sent to cover security at Marcus Garvey.

“It was around this time I was thinking about photography more seriously. In spare moments I just started to read as much as I could about the subject. I borrowed books, read them all, took more out, taking in everything I could.

“I’ve never had a photography lesson, I’m completely self-taught and learnt it all from these books.“

Sango’s latest collection of photogaphs, made up of landscapes, wildlife, portraits, graphic art and stylised local landmarks feature in Wonders, an exhibition of his work at Marcus Garvey Library this month.

Capturing the shot is only half the work for Sango who uses Photoshop to put a twist on his images.

“Every picture, before it can be published, has to be touched a little bit,“ explains Sango, who, after moving to the UK in 1992 has lived in Wood Green, Finsbury and now Tottenham. “To turn it to black or white or bring out a colour, to make it look its best. Editing is important – it’s fifty-fifty really.“

It is the Congo-born snapper’s second exhibition and he feels he is already making progress in leaps and bounds.

“I’ve got far, far better. When you’re not a photographer you look at your photos and you may like some of them, but you don’t know why or what’s made them good. People think you take your camera, click it and that’s that. But that’s not it at all, there’s a lot more to it.“

“I’ve improved a lot and I still have a lot to learn.“

Wonders by Sango Nghembe is at Marcus Garvey Library, Philip Lane until February 28. Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm, Saturdays 9am to 2pm and Sundays noon to 4pm. Details: 020 8489 5350