Re-inventing The Nigerian Industrial Photography Scene

Last month, a group of contemporary photography practitioners came together to form a unifying body known as The Circle. Their aim: to pull resources and talents together in order to put the photography industry on a new threshold. They have realised that without a steady stream of paying clients, no business will thrive, and  that nothing will grow their business better than a real, honest and no-nonsense approach to marketing. Ralph Tathagata, here, X-rays the photo industry in Nigeria, focusing on industrial photography and its attempts at marketing.

 

Introduction

Industrial/commercial photography can be defined as photographic practice that takes place within and/or at the behest of an industrial organization, to document production processes, products, work organization, employees, or the layout, equipment, or culture of an enterprise. It captures the essence of products and services in pictures, and conveys it to its audiences.The pictures may serve either internal (administrative) or external (public relations or advertising) purposes.

 

The use of photographs to depict industrial activity and products began so many years ago in Europe and other parts of the world. Few firms employed their own photographers, but commissioned independent operators, or employees who could use a camera. Many well-known figures also worked occasionally for industrial companies.

 

According to experts, Industrial photography cannot be tied to a particular aesthetic or function. There are innumerable links with other branches of the medium, such as portraiture, reportage, architectural and advertising photography. However, it has been particularly associated with certain technical innovations (flash, panoramic equipment) and styles, such as the use of extreme chiaroscuro (artistic use of light and shade) and, in general, new objectivity.

 

Industrialists use photography, within prevailing cultural and economic limits, to project a certain image of themselves and their undertakings. For example, most manufacturers use photography to present their factory as a model of state-of-the-art efficiency in order to legitimize themselves in their new surroundings. Some others also endeavour, through photographs, to create an aura of modernity, good organization, and patriotism to their host countries or countries of origin.

 

Industrial Photo in Nigeria

Some trace photography in Africa and Nigeria to the coming of the Portuguese. But what could be termed as commercial photography began in earnest in post independent Nigeria. With the presence of some multi nationals like Unilever (then Lever Brothers), makers of Lux toilet soap among other toiletries and PZ, makers of Imperial Leather soap, advertising companies like Lintas (now Lowe Lintas) began to employ the services of professional photographers in the country.

 

History has it that professional photography gained momentum in the 1970s and almost peaked with the epic art festival in 1977(FESTAC 77) held in Lagos, Nigeria.

 

However, the once thriving profession took a downward turn in the 80s during the military government era. But, at present, some industry people believe that the fledgling democracy in the country is gradually restoring the glory of commercial photography.

Branding

At the turn of the 21st century, large corporation began using pictures to address a wide range of publics, including existing or potential consumers of its products, neighbours, environmental groups, shareholders, and its own workforce.

 

There are many different kinds of photo businesses, from the portrait photographer in the mall, to the press photographer for the local or national newspaper, to the stock photographer out in the field that takes pictures of nothing but birds. There are also those who specialise in event photography and/or advertising photography. Every field of photography has different degrees of demand for its products, different competition, and different regional variances that may make that work more or less worthwhile as a career objective. What photographers develop their career into is entirely up to them. But it won’t go anywhere unless and until they develop a sense for business and marketing.

Many industry experts reason that a cardinal part of the branding process for photographers should be the provision of excellent services for clients. The ultimate packaging they believe is to do an excellent job and then present it.

 

In the words of popular commercial photography practitioner, Kelechi Amadi-Obi, product branding is easy, but getting a good one is always hard.

 

“Branding a product is easy but creating a good one is always difficult because it will definitely need to stand the test of time,” he says, speaking to M2.

 

On another hand, he advises that photographers must give a break to absolute mercantile photography for some private practice that concerns their immediate environment.

“To brand photography in Nigeria, photographers must pause with sheer and serial commercial photo and show some concern to their social environment,” he intones.

 

Kenneth Iyoha, MD of Kenrock PhotoVilla, a specialist in wedding photography, on his own part, maintains that Nigerians who still appreciate the value of keeping excellent photographic dairy of weddings and other events are willing to part with one, two or more millions on a single occasion.

 

Going further, he disabuses Nigerians of the notion that photographers are never-do-wells, and discloses that the industry is a multi-million Naira industry that is working hard to meet up with other world class photographers.

 

Marketing

For photographers, one of the most under-appreciated aspects of marketing is the knowledge of how to speak with clients when discussing a job. Whether it comes before the assignment is awarded or afterwards, the way a photographer handles the client when preparing for an upcoming shoot helps to determine the fate of the job.

 

Many people want to start a career in photography. Perhaps they have been told that they are great photographers and should sell their photos to magazines or in galleries. Others are advised not to go into whatever kind of photography because the market is saturated.

According to experts, a fundamental understanding of marketing and business principles is the key to prosperous photography. Success, they maintain, is the direct result of one and only one thing: business and marketing sense.

 

However, Amadi-Obi, while supporting the notion that photographers should be good business people says that they must maintain integrity in their profession.

 

“Without integrity a commercial photographer can hardly retain clients. I tried very hard to build my photographic career on integrity. But in addition to integrity, one must be a good businessman.

“Today, I no longer need to shoot assignments for a pittance, because I get work from clients who are willing to pay my rates because they know what they’re going to get,” he states.

 

Challenges

Like every other profession in Nigeria, photography has its challenges, if not more. For one, most people like to see their images in print, but always want to pay less for it, and even perceive photographers as people who pry into the private life of others.

Other challenges, according to M2 investigations, include clients’ inability to pay up commercial photographers after the assignment might have been done.

 

Meanwhile, the successful practitioners recommend that up and coming ones endeavour to be presentable and at the same time relevant so as to be indispensible in their chosen career.

 

At the end of the day, photographers really need to apply common sense more than complex business ideas. And that involves understanding the environment they are working in, and making choices about what to do when faced with challenges.

 

Way Forward

Interestingly, another contemporary photography practitioner, Amaize Ojeikere, holds that the future is very bright for up and coming practitioners if a clear cut career part is charted for them.

 

“I am optimistic that photography can be respected and aspired to like other professions such as Law and Medicine. All we need is to make it attractive for young people to realize that it is not for never-do-wells,” he says.

 

In conclusion, industrial photography is a highly diverse phenomenon. It reflects both the technical and aesthetic currents generally prevalent in photography at any given time; it also depicts the prevailing notions of photography’s usefulness. The pictures can be read to reveal both the messages intended by their makers and period-specific cultural traits of particular companies within any given industry.