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

APE, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

At one point in the late 80s my father who had lost a very high paying job and the manager for Nigerias only telecommunication company at that time decided it would be a great idea to come to the US to study as a pastor. After graduating and moving around a bit ended up in NYC where he met someone who helped him get a job with the Nigerian embassy in NYC. While working at the Nigeria embassy in NYC there was an offer to bring his family here on his visa and in a matter of years brought his wife, and six of his seven children to the US. My elder sister stayed behind to get married, which in hindsight was a horrible choice. My father died a few years ago, but without him choosing to come to the US, borrowing money to bring his family to NYC, I would not be writing this right here, because I would be in Nigeria trying to survive.

APE, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Nigerian born creative. I started off as a communication designer after graduating from Fashion Institute of Technology, then slowly moved into photography and UX design. Last year I shot my first feature length movie in Nigeria, which was a massive learning curve, and I wore so many hats for this project. I guess I am gravitating towards becoming a filmmaker.
As a first solo filmmaker I quickly learned that I need at least one or two people with me to handle other things so that i am not doing too much.
Even though I had done a preproduction nothing would have prepared me for the monkey wrench Nigeria was going to throw at me. I arrived a few months before the presidential election, which also coincided with a currency change and a cash shortage, meaning I had money but since there was cash shortage I could not access my money, because banks didn’t have enough new money to replace the old currency.
April of this year I signed a lease to a studio space in the Bronx, where I will be able to do portrait work since this is one of two genres of photography I am great at and really like. For my clients I help clients capture their best selves in professional portraits that reflect their current personality and style. In a relaxed and comfortable environment I guide clients through the photoshoot, ensuring they feel confident and natural. And I provide high-quality portraits that can be used for professional profiles, websites, or marketing materials, making a strong first impression.
As for what sets me apart from others, I take the time to understand each client’s vision and goals for their portraits, tailoring the session to their unique needs.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

To manage a team and maintain a high morale one should focus on transparent communication, investing in your team, and building a positive culture, you can create a work environment where morale thrives and your team can achieve great things.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

During covid-19 I got a job driving for Greyhound. I was at a stop, loading and off loading passengers with Montreal Canada being my destination. While at the stop I was scrolling through instagram and notice a friend was in NYC attending the Tribeca Film Festival. I messaged him to ask how long he was staying and if possible to have me do portraits of him, but during our exchange I found out he was actually there to show a 14 minutes movie he shot. That was the longest drive I’ve ever done in my life, from trying to concentrate on keeping my passengers safe, to thinking about that the hell I was doing driving a bus instead of shooting one of the many shorts I’ve scripted. After arriving back to NYC, in what right is a blurry forever, I took a month off from Greyhound to first find my screenplays, that one month has now become three years, and I have a feature length movie I shot in Nigeria.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.esowe.com
• Instagram: @apehouse
• Youtube: Apehouse

Image Credits
Robbie Quinn @robbiequinnnyc Stow @stowkelly Francisco @cisconyc Ape House @apehouse