- How did you first discover your passion for photography, and what drew you
specifically to capturing moments and details?
– Pretty long story, but most important is I realized I could use it as a tool to empower myself and still tell enduring stories that I can always come back to and reminisce how I felt while creating each image. - As the Creative Director at Insigna Media, how do you envision the future of content
creation in Africa, and what role do you see photography playing in that landscape?
– Content creation like everything else that has defined human history is simply recording the moment to create history, it will define how people in future will interpret their ancestry, their root their heritage, it will define how generations yet unborn will be able to stand tall and proud of their lineage, so every form of it especially photography and motion-picture beyond text will be a huge determinant and defining factor, cos people would not just read, but will see what life was like fifty, One Hundred or Two hundred before their time. - The Business of Photography Conference has become a significant event in West Africa. What inspired you to create this conference, and what impact do you hope it will have on the photography industry?
– The Business of photography Conference was created primarily out of the desire to effectively and efficiently monetize the creative industry with bias for photography and videography, but its has evolved into becoming not just a conference for conversation but for reflection, strategy and redefining the future of the creative industry in Africa, its has come to open up conversations about exploring the opportunities technology has to offer, what story telling has to offer, more importantly how culture can be a product of export and a tool for change. More importantly we can say in just few years of starting the movement, the photography industry in Nigeria has grown over 500% in revenue and opportunities. - The theme for BOP2024, “Culture Exchange – The Art of Business,” is intriguing. Can you share more about why you chose this theme and how it aligns with the current African entertainment industry?-
-Its not news that the whole world is opening up to the power of African Creativity, its sound, its music, its movie is being explored in almost every corner of the world, yet the surface hasn’t even been scratched. Africa’s most powerful asset lies in its people and stories, Africa is the foundation of humanity. Why not turn the unique strength into products to produce inexhaustible wealth. Nigeria has 525 native languages and almost 200 tribes, more than all the languages spoken in the whole of Europe combined. Africa has over 3000, imagine the stories, culture and lifestyle embedded in each of these. We are talking about stories worth Trillions in USD, yet untold. So we are exploring how we can turn these culture stories in revenues.
- In your opinion, what are some of the key avenues through which government support and structured financial investments can propel the photography and cinematography sectors in Nigeria and Africa as a whole?
-Quite a lot of ways, government need to start seeing the soft power that the creative sector possesses in positioning the image and brand of the continent, everything is about perception, and that’s what the creative industry especially visual part of the industry has that need to be explored. Government needs to start creating laws and implementing policies to protect and promote the industry. Such laws should include enabling business environment as well industry focused trainings. Financial institutions should start looking at how to tap into the industry, search out Venture capitals who will look at the opportunities, more importantly learn more collaboratively about the industry to help them understand when and how to invest with limited and controlled risk. - With your extensive experience in events, portraits, fashion, lifestyle, and advertising photography, what advice would you give to aspiring photographers who want to excel in multiple genres? -Be consistent, build yourself in a specific field and expand if you can, create a system around your business, don’t stop learning, don’t stop evolving .
- On a lighter note, what has been one of your most memorable photography experiences or projects so far, and why?
– Can’t think of any in particular, cos I do have a lot of those, working with many brands over time and having to understand that each project comes with its unique challenges and opportunities make it hard to pick one, I would say I am blessed with clients who have audacious goals and ideas and that forces me to think deeper and farther in bringing their ideas to life.
8. Valentine’s Day just passed, and love is still in the air. How do you capture the
essence of love in your photography, and what tips can you share for creating romantic
and heartfelt images?-
Lol I am an advocate of excitement, and love is about happiness and excitement either vertically or horizontal, and most of my images resonate that, my work is about happiness, spark and laughter. I think that’s the unique selling point of my work. I don’t shoot gloomy images. If it not happy, fun and exciting, I most likely didn’t shoot it
