Tuesday, 24 January 2017

Photography Training | School of Photography in Nigeria





List of Photography Schools in Lagos NIgeria




OUTLINE
The write up below is broken down into the following


  1.                History of Photography in Nigeria
  2.                Current situation of photography in Nigeria
  3.                The dynamics of Photography
  4.                What you earn as a Photographer in Nigeria




Areas of Photography to delve into


These are called specializations in Photography

This purely depends on your passion and interest. But it is always good to master one area before thinking of delving into another.

We have the following areas of specialization in Photography


1. Fashion (Tonydoo Visuals recommends Shutterwave Photography)

Portraiture (Tonydoo Visuals recommends  islandboiphotography, Ahmed Moore)

Still life ()

Landscape (like Hakeem Salaam )

Architectural (like Hakeem Salam)

Lifestyle (like Kelechi Amadiobi)

Photojournalism (like Bayo Omoboriowo)

Events (like Tonydoo Weddings, George Okoro Weddings)



The interesting angle to learning photography is that your services as a Photographer in Nigeria can be needed at any time in all facets of life from Media, Events Coverage, Advertising Industry, Arts, Runway Modelling and Arts. When we talk about arts, you can hold exhibitions and sell your works. This can earn you a fortune, and then you hit it big overnight.



As it stands, Nigeria ranks as one of the countries with the most number of Photographers in the World.


Virtually every one these days, wants to be a Photographer.

Now that you know what is required of you in order to start Photography, and the myriad of opportuities the Photography profession offers, you really need to take the next step of enrolling in a Photography School as fast as you can.

You need to get some form of formal training and apprenticeship. Also, do not forget as stated earlier that there is no institution or univeristy offering  Photography as a formal degree in Nigeria. However, there are photography companies and pro photographers who offer various diploma courses and apprenticeship.

If you really want to grow and excel in this career, having a Mentor is key. 



We shall soon be writing a post on how to get a Photography Mentor in Nigeria. We promise it is going to be a great read.

Practice sure makes you become perfect.

                


What is required of you - PASSION.

No need for a university Degree of a B.Sc in Photography. In fact, the truth is: No university offers that here in Nigeria. A formal training is all you need.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS REQUIRED FOR PHOTOGRAPHY SCHOOL

1.      A digital SLR Camera with probably an 18-135 or 18-200mm lens

2.      A dedicated flash head (Not on-camera flash)

3.      A memory card (2 gig)

4.      A camera bag

5.      A laptop or desktop computer (for post production)

6.      A card reader (to transfer pictures from Memory card to the laptop)

7.      A set of 4 AA batteries(rechargeable) with charger. In the absence of this, you can get Duracell 4 AA Batteries



8.      The list of photography equipments above are for starters, but in case you plan to take it a step further, you will be needing:

9.      A studi lighting kit of 3 lights, softboxes/umbrellas, tripod stands, trigger

10.   A reflector

11.   A tripod





Truth be told: It is always good to start small. even the Bible says it. Do not despise the days of little beginnings.  As a professional photographer that you plan to become, do not resist starting small and then rise to the top. You really have to ensure your pricing is affordable while at the same time reasonable. It however should not be below industry standards.

As a fellow photographer would say: Never be idle. Build your portfolio. The more your portfolio, the bigger you become in theory and the better you become in practice.

Your confidence level is bound to increase when you have a bigger portfolio. The guts to showcase your works to fellow photographers and even top organisations increases. The methods of getting jobs in this industry is solely through referrals. One new job is often a recursive effect of a previous one which was well executed. 



WHEN YOUR DECISION IS MADE.

As soon as you have totally made up your mind, it is then that you begin to earn based on the kind of photography jobs that you get. That singuklar decision to convert your hobby to a profession and from an amateur to a pro is something worth the while and is a continuous journey. Take your time, experiment, shoot a lot, take breaks, examine your inner self and rediscover nouvelle ways of doing things.  You need to do all these before you can begin to say you want to set out as an Photographer entrepreneur.



However sincere as this may sound, there is a need to remind you of the factors important for your entrepreneurial drive. You would need to handle all aspects of the factors of production as we were taught in our early years at school.

1.      Land  This means Loccation, preferrably an Office space. You could even get a shared work space

2.      Labour( Staff who would work for you or assist you. One may be sufficient for you even when you have a lot of money.)

3.      Capital(Equipments of trade. )

4.      Entrepreneur (Management - How you manage the photography business)



WHAT TYPE OF CAMERA EQUIPMENTS TO BUY

At this juncture I would be sincere with you, that no matter how much or little you have to purchase a photography equipment, it is always advisable to buy an equipment that will serve you a long time. Based on Moore's law, every equipment out there is certain to be replaced every eighteen months. This has even changed these days, most technology equipments are now being replaced with better, faster, less sized ones in less than eighteen months.

So here is my 2 cents: Do not rush to buy a camera or photography equipment. Ask around from fellow pro photographers online or in your domain, what camera is the latest and how the one you intend getting compares to it. Because in truth, there is no point going for a photography equipment which would soon become obsolete in like 6 months or 1 year.

In conclusion,  the photography profession is a noble one and requires great determination and focus. It does have its inherrent challenges and as a matter of fact, purchasing your equipment is a challenge of its own. You need to be absolutely certain of what you want from the word go. Always make it a habiot to save enough just in case your equipment breaks down.

Pay your dues, strive hard and be determined.



TONYDOO VISUALS SCHOOL OF PHOTOGRAPHY

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ANTONIO FORBES STUDIOS

Address: Surulere Lagos


Email: info@tonydoovisuals.com




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