INTERVIEW WITH STEPHEN OBI-EMEDO

Portrait of Stephen Obi-Emedo

IQHAWE: Please tell us a bit more about yourself what you do for anyone who does not know you and the work you create

STEPHEN: My name is Stephen Obi-emedo. I am a Nigerian born, South African content creator. In a nutshell, I create content for brands such as Smirnoff and Brut, just to name a few. I am also a fashion and portrait photographer. Thank

IQHAWE: How did the journey start?

STEPHEN: I have genuinely always been an artistic person. I started off as a rapper, but after I went into rapping, I never really felt that I was good at it. It felt more like peer pressure. I have always been expressive. My dad had a camera and I took it and I would shoot any and everything, until my dad saw that photography was something I really enjoyed. Even before this I would go to my high school and cover events there because I just loved taking pictures and it was something I enjoyed, and I felt the most joy while doing it. What solidified the whole thing was when I showed people the images and they really liked them. So, my dad got me a camera, and I learned everything else from YouTube. After that, every time I would shoot something, I would post it on Instagram. I believe Instagram is an amazing platform for creatives to come together.

IQHAWE: What aspect of what you Shoot resonates with you the most?

STEPHEN: Fashion, I really love capturing style. Fashion is one thing, but the main aspect is the face – portrait photography. What really resonates with me is the moment you have a person who believes in their ability and you, the photographer, are just there to capture that person within their element.

IQHAWE: What is your creative process?

STEPHEN: Models who have worked with me know that I am very strict. I need to know what we are working with. I don’t like to be surprised on set. I need to see what is happening so I can plan regarding location or styling. On the day of the shoot, I still allow for ‘that organic feel’, and I always tell the model that it’s an organic process where we get to work together to create the best image possible.

IQHAWE: When it comes to color and lighting how important are these elements to your shooting process?

STEPHEN: Many of the guys who reach out to me on Instagram always say they really love my tones and they ask me how I was able to capture that person in that way. I always say the secret to my photography is the mere fact that I shoot during midday. A lot of photographers sway away from shooting midday because they know that it is harsh, the sun is very brutal -especially for models. If you do not know how to work with the sun it could be very detrimental to the work. So, you need to know what you are doing. In that sense, lighting isn’t important because I hate shooting late at night, but in terms of shooting during the day that’s what matters.

IQHAWE: How did you manage to get to work with brands, and how did you secure gigs over the years?

STEPHEN: I have been shooting for over nine years now, and it is only in the last three or four years that I’ve gained momentum. People slowly started recognizing me. When I started my career, I was experimenting a lot and I messed around with editing styles and did a lot of photography related things. I then decided to stick to one thing and one niche, which is the fashion side of photography. Once I got into that, things started picking up and I knew what I was good at. That’s the first tip: know what you are good at, you cannot do everything. The second tip is to be your authentic self; no one can ever be a better version of you than you. Number three is that you should learn coloring. Coloring is very important in this industry. Also, do not do it for clout - be persistent.

IQHAWE: What is Photoshoot etiquette? What is appropriate and what isn’t appropriate?

STEPHEN: The first is professionalism, you need to respect your art and the model needs to respect her art and her body. You need to know your own personal boundaries. The model must do substantial research on the photographer before the shoot. There are way too many people claiming to be photographers who are not in it for the right reasons. Always find reputable photographers to work with. I usually work with my girlfriend and she is present at every shoot.

IQHAWE: What are some of your favorite works thus far?

STEPHEN: Number one is the work I did with Kopano, I had been wanting to work with him for a long time. The second is the photoshoot with Andii. This shoot was well received, it was featured in CRWN magazine and I was so shocked. Andii and I had been in discussion for the longest time. We brought in a satin fabric, which really elevated the photographs, and Andii has flawless skin and when that came together, the reception was amazing!

IQHAWE: What are some of the most impactful moments of your career?

STEPHEN: When I was given the opportunity to shoot at SA fashion week, I was relatively young and was unsure of what needed to be done. I was with a friend of mine and he was raving about an influencer and at the time I didn’t know who she was. My friend was not happy with his shots and that’s the person he wanted to shoot. I decided to slide under his armpits and just shoot while they were shooting, and I got the photos of that influencer – Sarah Langa. That’s when I started getting recognition in South Africa. I posted the picture on Twitter and I was trending on Twitter for two days, after that, many brands started seeing what I was doing. That is why I always say your Instagram needs to be proper because people are watching. The first big brand that contacted me was Smirnoff. I got a call from them while I was studying for my finals and they wanted me to shoot for them. Then I became their resident photographer. Then, Brut saw my work with Smirnoff and they wanted me to shoot for them. Then I worked for Boulevard Rose, then Victoria Gin…it was just a domino effect. I got a call from Music is King saying I should shoot for Axe, and I also covered Cotton on.

IQHAWE: How has the pandemic affected your ability to work and how have you been able to adapt to it?

STEPHEN: When level 5 was announced I think every single creative felt it. A lot of bookings got cancelled and people started demanding deposits and refunds. People do not realize that your bookings are how people survive. After a couple of weeks, we found creative ways to deal with it. I started revising old work, pictures I had taken way back and I used that time to apply the new editing skills I have now to the old work. I started posting these images. Then I started offering retouching to make money and keep afloat. Now that we are on level three, I have been able to work.

IQHAWE: How does one decide on rates?

STEPHEN: You need to be realistic and know what is selling in the market because market price is always important, so know what the value is and know not to undervalue yourself. Think about your gear, if you upgrade to a full frame you are at a different level compared to a crop set photographer. This is your entry level photographer. You need to cover for every single piece of equipment that you buy. You need to think about your expertise, how long you have been in the industry and all the things you have accomplished and once you add that all up, that’s where you get your price.

IQHAWE: What do the next 5 years look like for you?

STEPHEN: My girlfriend and I got into the real estate business and we are estate agents, that is our full-time job. Photography is a secondary source of income. However, photography is still my front runner. So, five years from now I see myself owning a production company and that’s always been my dream.

Portrait of Stephen Obi-Emedo