Everybody Likes Photography; Few Want To Pay For It – OJEIKERE

Photography, like every profession is practiced by many. But only few bold and talented  practitioners make it to the top. In this interview, Ralph Tathagata engages Pa J. D. Ojeikere, one of the foremost Nigerian photographers whose works have spanned half a century and have been exhibited in United States, Canada, Switzerland, Germany and Japan among other countries. Excerpts:

Why did the first generation of professional photographers fail to build an industry for the younger generation?

It has not been possible to have a unifying body like other professions. Over the years, we tried to form associations. We formed three or four associations which were usually short-lived for one reason or the other. Actually, what we had in the past were press photographers who were not in control of their time. For instance, as a member of an association, if a photographer was given an assignment and a meeting was fixed for 2 o clock, he or she would not be able to attend the meeting. This might partly have been responsible for our inability to form a strong unifying body over the years; but we made several efforts.

Currently, there is no vibrant photography body; but there are various clubs here and there. One of the reasons for not having a unifying body in my considered opinion is that everybody likes photography but few people like photographers. Every member of National Assembly wants to see his or her face on the pages of newspapers every day, but none of them cares to know how photographs are produced and who produces them. As a result of that, photography has not been given the kind of recognition it deserves by government and most other bodies that patronize our works.

Photography, as you know, is not taught in any university in Nigeria except what we have in Yaba College of Education, which is mainly photo journalism. Photo journalism is a part of photography generally, but a very minute fraction of the subject. Because of that, photographers just leave themselves to fate just like the press men who are being despised in our society, yet what they do is for the benefit of all. The general attitude here is a very hostile one. But photography is as important as every other profession, if not more important.

Can you give in graphic terms, the history of industrial photography in Nigeria?

Industrial photography in Nigeria was not very common during our active years of practice as it appears today, and very few photographers ventured into it at that time. And I must emphasise that it requires imagination and creativity for anybody to succeed in it. To be a professional/industrial photographer you have to be very talented and industrious. Every photographer thinks he or she is a professional because they take what they do as commercial photography. It is not and has never been a very easy part to take. Industrial photography is not common.

On the history of industrial/commercial photography in Nigeria, I did my first job with Lintas in 1966 on a calendar for Lux soap. The company brought the first Miss Nigeria for me to photograph. She came to the studio and I did the shooting the usual way. Then colour film was newly introduced in the country. After taking the photographs the conventional way which was one of my major challenges in those days, I gave the films to my boss for processing abroad because there was no processing lab in the country as at that time. One week after, my boss called me to his office and handed over an envelope to me. When I opened it I saw some photographs and a note that read: “Either wrong light or film was used for photography.” My boss told me that whatever I made out of the comment was entirely mine since he was not a photographer.

I went to the Federal Ministry of culture and met Mr. Ogunbanwo who made me understand that it was a problem of lighting. The company invited the model to the studio again and I did another job which turned out to be a good one. After that I became an adviser to other photographers.

At what point did you and your contemporaries begin to take industrial/commercial photography as a profession?

Initially I was a press photographer with the ministry. Later I became an industrial photographer with a TV station without knowing that the pictures I was taking for adverts were commercial photographs. It was when I got an employment with Lintas, an ad agency, that I knew I have been doing commercial photography.

Let me say this with emphasis on gift; anybody can do anything but if you are not gifted in your area of interest, it will be very difficult to stand out. I can remember that on many occasions I and some of my contemporaries would take photographs together and my own would come out differently. Not because I was more knowledgeable but because I am gifted. And I must add that I was obsessed with photography.

There was no point where we found ourselves as professional photographers. It’s something you have to practice every day. The type of job you do today will be different from what you do tomorrow. For me, I started commercial photography in earnest in 1963.

How were you able to market yourself since, apart from working for Lintas, there was no known front that projected you at the time?

There was no particular way I marketed myself rather than the fact that I did my job in such a way that if you hear my name you’ll come to me, or if you see a job and ask who did it someone might direct you to me. Although I worked in the ministry, I never had much time to do much commercial photography. It was when I joined an advertising company that I started full time commercial photo. But I can’t remember applying any professional marketing strategy.

You have a collection of documentary photography on hairstyles only. What informed such undertaking since they are not commercial in nature?

Let me start by blessing the memory of late Irabor Emokpai, the greatest artiste of our time who inspired me. He has gone, but his memory lingers. Emokpai did all the motifs on the National Theatre Iganmu, Lagos. He introduced me to the Nigerian Art Council and, being a member of the council,gave me an opportunity that I did not let go without achieving something. Through all the festivals organized by the council which I was part of I was able to see various aspects of the Nigerian culture. Ever since, I decided to document every aspect of our culture. This collection of hairstyles is just a few out of the thousands of images I have captured over time. I document anything that comes my way. I was also gifted to keep the negative of any picture I take. I consider that a great gift because not all photographers keep the negatives of their pictures for long. Apart from my published work, I still have about 12 unpublished works.

It may interest you to know that hairstyles speak languages in Nigeria. For example, if a woman lost her husband there is a way she will make her hair to communicate that she is mourning.. There are hairstyles that if you see on a lady or group of ladies, you will know that they have come of age. Some others tell you if the lady is the wife of the Oba or any royal personality. Different hairstyles, speak different languages within the Nigerian cultural milieu.

How were you able to break even, business wise, given the fact that people love photography but do not always want to pay for it?

I have been a gifted person professionally. Right from my youth, people have always appreciated my works over others. And because of that I had an edge during my vibrant career as a photographer. During my infancy in photography, I was doing campus photography at the University of Ibadan as you can see from that frame hanging on the wall. (Points to a frame on the wall).That is the facade of the university and the totality of that photograph does not show that it was done by an amateur. I was not the only campus photographer; rather, I was the only photographer who was religiously going to the university every Sunday for ten years. That’s how I was getting my patronage among the students then.

When I started going about showing some of my unpublished works to everybody that cared to take a look, including photographers, people cautioned me and said that they might steal them from me. But I told them that ideas are meant to be shared. And the photographs I take today cannot be taken in the same manner for a whole eternity. I have always consciously ensured I don’t take photographs the conventional way. After all, if everybody does everything the same way, life will be boring.

What can you say about contemporary photography in Nigeria, especially now that it has moved from analogue to digital?

Well I cherish them. In my time, we were doing photography in a crude manner. But you people are doing it in a digital manner. I am not surprised because we are in a jet age. I never had the opportunity of advancing my education up to secondary school level. I don’t see myself as someone who has done anything special, but people keep acknowledging my works.

What is your advice for contemporary practitioners?

They must be consistent. They must find a way of keeping photographic records. They should not play with any of their works because no work is more important than the other. You never can tell the work that will stand you out. For example, last year, a curator came from South Africa and, while he was perusing my archives, stumbled on a photograph on drama that I took in 1958 and did not consider important. He asked for permission to use it in an exhibition which I granted. After the exhibition, he included it in an anthology and sent me some copies. So you can hardly tell the work that will bring you money or fame.

You have said much about gift and we know that gift without commitment, passion and good marketing sense can hardly scale through. What is your take on that?

Remember I said earlier that I was obsessed with photography. The passion I have for the profession is enormous.. I still go about with my analogue camera not because I have anything against digital camera but it’s not the best for me.

How can you advice the younger generation to build a photography industry like the movie, music and stand-up comedy industry, among others, so that young people can proudly look up to it?

Younger people should find a way of unifying so they can make the industry attractive like others. Some of my contemporaries like Fola Ajidagba, Mathew Utoh, and Mr. Akanbi and I myself tried to form a formidable association but did not succeed in our time and I would not want them to make the same mistake.

Part of the reasons why we wanted to form a unifying body was because everybody had his or her area of expertise. Some photographers are good at lighting, handling of camera and so on. But out of selfishness, greed and short sightedness my generation were unable to bequeath a collective legacy except our individual accomplishments.

I will also advice young people to exercise patience in all they do especially in the arts. You cannot become a master overnight in photography; You do it over a very long period. Being a graduate does not make you a master instantly.