Adeola Adeko
London, United Kingdom
How did you get your start in photography?
I got into photography shortly after I graduated from university, which was right at the beginning of the great recession, which made it extremely difficult to get a job as a graduate, let alone one in your chosen field of expertise. I started to design flyers, business cards, etc. for people but quickly realized that I couldn’t just source photos for commercial purposes from the internet (without paying a photo stock company) besides most pictures from these companies were far from pleasing to my eye, this sparked my interest to create my own. Shortly after, I got a job, and very quickly I started looking at various DSLR’s I settled for a Nikon D3000.
How would you describe your photography style?
I haven’t completely found my ‘style,’ as with everything style is an ever-evolving thing, and as a creative I reckon it’s imperative to experiment – having said this, I love capturing candid moments with a hint of ‘soul.’ Ultimately, I aim to tell stories without words through my photography.
What is your personal process to capture a great photo?
Good observation and perception - the moments I enjoy capturing the most are uncontrived; this is apt as I shoot quite a lot of street photography however it’s not a matter of just pointing the camera and clicking a button, you need to be aware of everything that’s going on around you. This also works well when making portraits as you can capture the true likeness of a person without them playing up to the camera – Images created this way can be special.
What other photographers have influenced you the most? How has their influenced shaped your craft?
Andre D. Wagner. He’s a film photographer and although I don’t shoot film (yet, lol) I’m in awe of how passionate he is about his craft, his love for making photos with his hands in his darkroom. His energy and work ethic this has a massive influence on me to be better.
What are some of the challenges you have faced as a photographer?
Balancing work (9-5) alongside photography can be rather challenging, even though I’m knackered sometimes after a long day or week I know I still need to get or keep my butt out the door and shoot - practice as with most things is critical and obviously the more you do something, the better you get at it, and that’s the aim. File Storage is a mammoth challenge also.
What's next for Adeola?
I'm in the process of developing and refining my craft; I'm excited to see where this lead…
What is one motto/phrase/mantra you live your life by?
Prayer. Perseverance. Patience