Ibukun Moses, a Concert, Portrait and Documentary Photographer is the face behind Niveus Pictures. Permit me to reintroduce the Chief to you.
What makes a good photograph?
A lot of things make a good photograph for me, first of which is proper lighting of the image.
What does photography mean to you?
Photography for me is life; helping me see things and life differently
How long have you been a photographer?
I started playing with the camera back in my third year in the University, so this will be the fifth year but 2nd year of being serious about it.
When did you know that this was what you wanted to do with your life? How did you get started?
Started shooting in the University. The President of my fellowship at the time had a Nikon camera, so I would just go to his room on my way to fellowship to pick it up.
Whose work has influenced you most?
The most? I can’t really say though but I admire a lot of senior photographers
Among your works, which one is
your favourite? Why?
I have not shot my favorite one yet, but from the ones
I have created…I have a few favorite.
What is one of the most eye-opening photo – projects you’ve covered?
I will say, THE LIGHT. It was a concert I worked on that helped me see light in a different way.
What photo-editing program do you use?
Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture1
How do you educate yourself to take better photos?
I ask a lot of questions from those ahead of me; YouTube is my best friend in that area; I try to study other photographers work; anyway, I can learn again, as long as I get better afterwards.
Does your work convey a specific emotion or message?
A lot of people see differently I would say, but I want my images to carry the message of HOPE.
How would you describe your photography style?
When shooting portraits, I always like to keep it clean…LESS IS MORE they say. My concert photography is characterized with Lights and Shadows.
Does spirituality and culture play a role in your creativity? Explain.
Spirituality…yeah because who else gives great creative ideas; GOD
How do you deal with creativity blocks?
I watch a lot of movies and that helps a lot.
Have you had to overcome obstacles (physical, financial, social, etc.) in your creative world?
Most definitely. Financially, there is hardly anyone that wants to help you grow. Your clients think you overcharge them and all, equipment are getting more expensive by the day and they are not coming down.
Socially, I am not much of a social person, so its kind of a challenge networking with people, but I guess I am getting a hang of it though.
Do you believe that it is important to be accepted by others as being creative or is just doing what you love to do enough to justify your work?
Acceptance is one of the things we all seek for. It may be necessary but definitely not important. Do you and over time, people will come to accept you for who you are and not for the person you are looking to be like.
For someone who is yet to start, what would you advise? What fancy equipment do they need to start?
Yet to start, enjoy the process, you won’t get to the top in one day. Seek all the knowledge you can when you have the opportunity to. Don’t let knowledge puff you up, stay humble. Learn to network. Yes, you want to create a portfolio because you are starting doesn’t mean you go for just any free gigs, its fine to do free gigs, don’t get me wrong but know the limit. I’ll rather you collaborate that free gigs.
Fancy equipment to start with, YOUR PHONE CAMERA, but really, it’s any camera you can afford at the moment. It’s okay to wait till you can afford that big fancy high end one you want but you can create amazing images even with the not so fancy ones. A SENIOR COLLEAGUE STARTED WITH A POINT AND SHOOT.
What is the most difficult part of being a photographer for you?
It’s getting people to see the value of an image rather than the price attached to the value, but as humans we are so concerned about how much we are paying than what we are getting.
What is the most rewarding part of being a photographer for you?
Seeing people smile when they see their images. Hearing people’s feedback about an image they see and how they see it. Getting to know my images are inspiring others.