Leonard Okpor is an International Portrait Awardee, who left Nigeria in 2018 to New York and has since been a Nigerian-New York Based Photographer. Understanding both roots, he talks to BOP’s Ufana Ishoyor about how it all started, what drives him, and the differences between the American and Nigerian Photography Industry…
Enjoy.
- Introduction
My name is Leonard Okpor, a New York based Portrait Photographer. I’m young in the industry with a great drive for creativity and a love of Portraiture which I express through my Photography.
- How was it like growing up?
Growing up was quite an interesting process, like any average Nigerian, it comprised of struggles, education and basically prepping yourself to make adult life choices which I thought would mean ending up as an accountant or medical doctor (Every child’s dream) but life had different plans as I ended up picking an interest in Photography (the end result of constantly dabbling into graphic design every now and again). This is fascinating to me as the same passion I had while learning the fundamentals of the craft still drives my intentions to date. I’ve constantly fed my curiosity by constantly creating and that has kept the flames of the passion of the arts still burning in me.
- What’s your Educational Background?
I was raised in a military barrack, where I was opportune to attend schools that were designed to build and instill discipline. The earliest years saw me changing schools and in the end, I’d moved between Nigeria and South Africa to obtain basic and secondary education.
After that, I was back home to Nigeria where I completed my tertiary education from 2011-2016.
- How did you get into Photography?
Unlike stories of desperation that I’ve heard, my journey into the art first began with a passion for graphics design. The basic understanding of the manipulation of images, lights, and colors subsequently led to me making a conscious effort to express those imagined concepts and ideas through photography and so my journey began.
- Did you take it as a Hobby or a Career from the Onset?
From the onset of becoming a photographer, I’ve felt a satisfaction that I really can’t quantify. The journey has felt more hobby and life long journey than a means to put food on the table.
- What Kind of Photography do you do?
Currently, I create mostly Portraits but subsequently, I intend to expand the horizons of what I would focus, as photography is an expression of my inner desires and a means of communication. So, I hope to expand and deliver new insights rather than have just a flint for a particular style
- Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I draw my inspirations from so many Artists and study a lot of Materials online. 500px has also been a great source, it has really helped me boost my skills as an artist and constructed a circle of focus on what I can actually achieve as a photographer. It has tools to help you keep moving and you could learn directed from so many artists around the world.
- So far what has been your highest point as a photographer and how is the business of photography like?
Measuring a point of achievement for me is impossible because I take it all to be a unique contribution in various ways, been opportune to work with various people for different photographic experiences has been of impact to the nature of my work. So I do not have a “Highest point” of achievement, it has been more of a series of impactful opportunities.
As regarding the business aspect of photography, it is never easy. It is a highly competitive industry and generally undervalued due to the availability of so many visual tools in the 21st Century. The business of photography is much more intense, but irrespective of it all with a consistent improvement in your craft and dedication towards your work, it’s most certain that you’ll get it right.
I always advise though not to solely depend on your income from photography at the start of your journey. Have a stable job and build your photography on the side. Once your side income becomes more than your residual income, then you can choose to focus fully on your photography business.
- What challenges do you face and what steps do you take in overcoming them?
Well, the challenges are countless but personally; time management and keeping up with innovations are at the very top of my list. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has played a huge role is distorting the industry. Most creatives lost the interest/ desire to create due to stress and uncertainty about what could happen next.
At some point during the lockdown, I decided to go on a self-imposed creative and emotional break. I had invested a lot prior to the lockdown and was about taking my work to the next level but it couldn’t happen. It was a loss I had to manage and the break gave me time to strategize and come up with the best possible ways to meet up with the changes that the current times have caused.
- As a Creative who has experienced both the Nigerian and American market, what would you say are the differences?
First off, Nigeria is a developing nation while America is a world power. There’s bound to be a difference due to that fact alone. The way resources are utilized to meet the needs of citizens differ in both environments.
In America, Art in general is perceived differently not just in photography. By common survey, people focus on nature, listen to a different genre of music, and appreciate art in all its forms, unlike Nigeria where so many forms of art are either underappreciated or ignored. Taste in art and photography play a major role in both industries.
Over here, it’s a choice and in the first couple of years, people aren’t dependent on photography to pay the bills but that isn’t the case over in Nigeria, people are dependent on the craft to sort out immediate problems and as such, get exploited. A lot of clients come in the guise of helpers and use passionate artists to achieve results but never pay and since in turn these artists/photographers are in need of sustenance from the craft, it becomes discouraging and the zeal to grow dies over time.
Currently, I don’t have any direct suggestions or solutions, but it’s obvious these problems are very much individual as they are systematic. If the Government provides an adequate financial and economic support system, people’s tastes for the arts will return which will directly and significantly boost the industry.
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Leonard Okpor is a Nigerian Portrait Photographer currently based in New York, with an affinity towards artistic and simple portraits. You can visit his website here or follow him on Instagram here.
