We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mikey Oshai. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mikey below.

Mikey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

In May 2022 I shot Love Damini, Burna Boy’s album cover. That project changed something in me. It confirmed the level I was capable of operating at and made me hungry for more.
A few months later in August I came to LA on holiday. No plan, no agenda, just a trip. But something clicked while I was here. I could feel the energy of the city, the scale of what was possible, and by September, on the literal last day of my holiday, I made the decision to not go back. I stayed.
I had been comfortable in Lagos. Good work, consistent clients, a reputation I had built from the ground up. But comfortable started to feel like a ceiling. I knew I was a big fish in a small pond and I needed a bigger pond to find out what I was actually made of.
I moved back to Lagos in 2024 to regroup, but 2026 I’m back in LA. Still bicoastal, still chasing the same thing I left for. The goal has always been simple: I want to be the best in the world at what I do. That kind of ambition doesn’t let you stay still for long.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I’ started this journey in April 2019. I am photographer and creative director based between Lagos and LA operating under Yoshai Studios. I shoot celebrities, artists, and brands across editorial, fashion, culture, and commercial work.
I started with an iPhone because I wanted a cool Instagram page and built from there. That led to shooting for Essence Magazine, Fashion Week in London and Paris, Burna Boy’s Love Damini album cover, and eventually being the first photographer to shoot every nominee in the inaugural Best African Music Performance category at the Grammys. I’ve had exhibitions. In Switzerland as well as the United States
What makes me different is that I bring a genuine point of view to everything I do. I don’t follow mood boards to the letter and I don’t replicate references. The clients I work with best are the ones who come to me and say create something, then trust me to deliver. That creative freedom is where my best work comes from.
I’m proud of the body of work I’ve built across two continents and I’m still just getting started. The goal has always been the same: be the best in the world at what I do.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Knowing your worth and charging accordingly from day one. I spent too long working for free thinking I was paying my dues.
The business side of being a creative. It took a mentor to make me see photography as a business and I wish I had that framework from the start.

Community and transparency around rates. When I finally connected with other photographers who were open about what they charge, it shifted everything. That culture needs to exist more in this industry.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The goal has always been simple: be the best in the world at what I do. But beyond that it’s about using my work as a voice, telling stories that actually mean something and reflect the world we’re living in. I think a lot about legacy and what I want to leave behind. That’s what keeps me going. And as I grow I want to make sure I’m opening doors for other creatives coming up, especially from Nigeria and the African continent. What’s been done for me I want to do for others.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @mikeyoshai