It all started at about the age of 13. It was from there it progressed to where I am at the moment. After I got my first camera, I began tottering into the world of photography. Before then, I used to draw and animate. In time, photography became a hobby. It’s quite funny it was something that started off as fun and now, it’s getting a lot more attention than it used to. From being a hobby, I began looking at it from a professional perspective about last year.
I evolved in the journey of photography till it turned into fine art photography. Gradually, I saw the need to incorporate parts of home in my work. I was born and raised in Ghana and as far as representation is concerned, I will always do my best to show the beauty of my home.
I believe as an artist, it is my responsibility to bring out the best of my home which might not be easily seen in the Western media. Pushing African culture and changing the narrative is very important because the world deserves to see it.
Fine art photography is quite expository and experimental. It is a kind of photography done with a very specific vision in mind for the image. When I mean specific, I mean specific to what the photographer has in mind for the vision. The beauty of this kind of photography is that often, it looks nothing like the original image that was taken.
There is this part that is quite tricky. I use a lot of stock images which I find online when I don’t have access to some imagery or some kind of inspiration. Personally, I don’t have a specific source of ideas or inspiration. I simply find it comfortable working within elements like clouds, moon, planets, animals and a lot of others. Notwithstanding, I always start off with a subject image and work my background around that.
In art, there is so much to nature that we don’t know. Nature is rich, broad and mysterious. This is the reason behind the fact I spend a lot of time outside. I am a very active person, looking for something interesting to see if I can tell a story with. These stories are triggered by the way nature has adapted to pollution, urbanisation, why humans behave the way they do, why animals act the way they do, why doesn’t a dog behave like a lion and why each specie has some uniqueness not found in others. The behavior elements have always intrigued me.
One good thing most photographers do is the art of storytelling. They are intertwined. There is a story behind everything. It is the mystery that sparks the idea behind the visual. I don’t always have to tell a story, though, except when I need to. I like to give the viewer a chance to make out what they want from it. Most stories I love to tell are mostly about inner piece as well as the effect of urbanization on nature and animals.
To be honest, there are days when I feel like giving up but somehow, I always come back. My close friends have always supported me. The kind of work I do takes a long time for anyone to learn. In the beginning, I was discouraged by some people. However, the unconditional supports I have received from friends remain priceless.
The photos are out of this world!!!