List of Photography Schools in Lagos NIgeria
OUTLINE
The write up below is broken down into the following
- History of Photography in Nigeria
- Current situation of photography in Nigeria
- The dynamics of Photography
- 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
Website: www.tonydoovisuals.com
Email: info@tonydoovisuals.com
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