We were lucky to catch up with Hope Obadan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hope, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?
If I could go back in time I would have tuned out that voice that told me being a creative does not get you anywhere. I typically had this stereotype in my head about artists and creative people that they were broke degenerates and could never become successful. This was because of my culture and where I grew up. I’m originally from Nigeria but I grew up in a country even poorer than Nigeria and the only thing that was fed to me was that the only way to make it in life was to become a doctor, lawyer or engineer. I always had a thing for engineering and technology and all I wanted to do was make my parents proud and make my family and everyone around me proud. I never listened to that voice that kept telling me how creative I was. Though, I have always express creativity all through my childhood. I used to make small houses out of cardboard boxes, I used to draw, make boats out of the palm tree leaves, I would write and create characters and stories; I always had this thing that drove me to just make something. My childhood friend Kenny was my partner in crime back in middle school. We always created comics and stories together and till this day I envy him because he mustered up the courage to follow his calling as a creative and an artist and he told his parents that was what he was going to be. Looking back I wished I could do the same. When my teachers asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up I would always tell them I wanted to become and inventor. Came to find out there was no actual degree for that in school but that was the voice of creativity speaking to me. Years later, in my own words, after “wasting time” to become what my parents wanted me to be I returned to my calling through photography. It really happened unexpectedly. Back in college, my friend and I wanted to start a clothing brand and that’s how I came across photography. It was a mix of two things, my curiosity for how things work and my inner artistic sense of visuals. After my friend was able to make the clothes we needed photos to put on the website and after shopping around for photographers at the time as broke college students we couldn’t afford to pay for shoots so I bought a camera to shoot the clothes myself. It was a cheap Nikon, I fell in love with it as soon as I bought it. I immediately applied to YouTube college and started learning how to shoot.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m an artist using the medium of photography to express myself. I specialize in fashion photography. I’m also moving more into creative direction, and creating art through photography. I’m not exactly where I want to be yet but I’m getting closer to it. I got into this business by putting out my best work, being open minded creatively and connecting with as many people valuable to the industry as I can. I believe my style of work sets me apart from others. I know a lot of people know me for the fisheye lens and colorful photo edits though I’m currently in the process of rebranding my style for something I align with more visually. I am most proud of how far I have come in such little time, despite the pressure, despite the lack of financial abilities, I was still able to get myself somewhere I never imagined even just a year ago. I want my future clients, followers, and fans to know that I’m doing this because I love it and that love has kept me going and I will only get better and there will be a lot more facets I will get into as a creative or as an artist. I will have different phases and I feel its only right for me to express myself genuinely in whatever moment and phase I’m in.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I want to use my art to bring the world together. I want to be able to influence people to look at the similarities between all of us and recognize how little time we have on this scale of existence. I want us to drive ourselves to do things that will make the world a better place and we are able to settle our differences. I’m also concerned about how we treat the planet. I wish to be in a greater place financially in order to better promote the idea of sustainability and how we can make our earth a safe haven for all that exists on it. I believe we are just like gods and we can make the world heaven if we work together.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I remember going to a David LaChapelle art show in New York in September and I saw a few quotes that were printed on some of the walls next to the art that was displayed and there was one that stuck with me and I believe it went, “the art is only complete when its met by the viewer.” I felt that deeply. I love to see how a viewer explains what they see in your work, it takes you on a trip into their world as well and it is as thought they have become the artist. It as thought you have now made them and artist and they get to create from where you left off. Apart from that, just being able to create endlessly and create what you feel at that moment you feel it is really a great opportunity,
Contact Info:
- Website: www.obadanphoto.com
- Instagram: hopeobadan
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hope-obadan-06748b207/
Image Credits
Tani Gunn (girl in red yellow jacket), Olivia Coddou(girl in Petra Stellam rope dress), Shaune Ross( Matrix model), Chris Brown.