We were lucky to catch up with Uchenna Ofobuzo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Uchenna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I hope my legacy will be in books. I hope my work will be taught in schools and people remember my name before I’m gone. There’s not too many Nigerians female photographers that are well known, I would like to change that notion. I would like to be remembered for my creative free spirited work. I think people will say “uche was different. Interesting, but different. Always so spontaneous and down to earth” because I try to be down to earth, I try to give hope to people and inspire those who have the same dreams and aspirations as me.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi, my name Is Uchenna Ofobuzo. I am a Nigerian female editorial and fashion photographer. I got into photography in tenth grade when I first picked up a camera. I started off by taking photos of my friends and doing graduations, and now I do services for almost everything. I say almost because I haven’t shot a wedding yet but that sounds fun. I do graduations, studio shoots, editorial and fashion shoots. I’ve shot live births before, I also do birthdays and brand shoots etc.

The way I solve problems for my clients is by meeting them at their own level. Some people prefer natural photos with no flash so I do that, some people cannot afford studio shoots so I do an outside shoot that’s just as good. I want my clients to feel comfortable so if they are shy in front of the camera I loosen the environment by playing their favourite songs, taking a minute break or directing them while posing. If my clients are trying to get into modelling I help them take digitals, I make comp cards, and I send them connections I have to help them get into the modelling game. I think this sets me apart from others because lots of photographers like to gatekeep or keep professional relationships with clients, which I totally see their point of view. But for me, I like to treat my clients like friends, so I do what I can to help improve the connection while still maintaining a professional relationship.

Im proud of how far i’ve come in my business. I started this business when I dropped out of college for a semester, and when I was at my lowest. But I took such a negative situation and turned it into art. My goal is definitely to start selling prints, and eventually a photo book, though those are very expensive. But hey never say never! One thing I want my clients and fans to know is that “this is only the beginning.” I always tell everyone my mantra is “it’s only up from here.” I say that because truly, this is just the beginning. There’s so much more in store for me, everyone has to start from the bottom, but you can only go up from there.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn in the line of photography is having high expectations of people and the industry. Photography is not an easy field. I keep saying this because I didn’t realize how mentally strong you have to be to stay in this field. You will deal with shady business and horrible client stories but you shouldn’t let that keep you back. I’ve had multiple bad clients either not pay me for my time or take advantage of me. But its not just me that this has happened to, I hear stories from my friends all the time of horrible clients doing the same to their business. That shouldn’t deter you from doing photography. If anything, it has fueled me to work twice as hard but I also try and take preventive measures to prevent anything bad happening. You have to be very careful who you call a friend in this industry as you never know who is using you. You also have to speak up for yourself if a brand is not paying you enough or on time.

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

Sometimes you have to take a mental break from this field. I took a break this summer and also around September or so. I think taking breaks are not talked about enough but it truly helps with your mental health. Sometimes you just feel unmotivated and uninspired. I noticed that was starting to happen to me so I took a step back. My friends like to make fun of me for taking so many breaks, but I truly put my vision and mental health first. But within my September break something beautiful happened. My creativity came back. My creative block was no more and I had so many ideas, so many business ventures and creative ideas flowing. It’s now November and I’m proud to say that I have a big project coming up. I cannot wait for this project’s idea to come to life. It’s going to be amazing, so watch out on my instagram @photosbyuche to see what’s to come

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thesophomore.mypixieset.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photosbyuche/?next=%2F