In an industry where the spotlight often falls on the photographer behind the camera, Inside The Frame Expo was born to shift the conversation. For its founder, Mr Shola Ajisegbede, photography has never been just about pressing the shutter. It is an ecosystem of creators, manufacturers, educators, brands, storytellers and innovators, each playing a vital role in shaping the industry.
From picking up a Kodak film camera at just eleven years old to launching a photography brand in 2011, his journey has been defined by curiosity, problem-solving and a commitment to building opportunities beyond the lens. That vision eventually led to Inside The Frame Expo, a platform designed to connect the many moving parts of creative production and challenge people to see possibilities they may have overlooked. More than a conference, ITF is an invitation to ask bigger questions: What opportunities exist beyond your current skill? How do you build a sustainable creative business? What happens when collaboration becomes the foundation for growth?
In this conversation with Business of Photography, we explore the story behind ITF Expo, the future of Africa’s creative ecosystem, the lessons that come with building a platform for others, and why the next generation of creatives must learn to build their own frame instead of chasing someone else’s.
- BEFORE ITF AND EVERYTHING YOU’RE DOING TODAY, HOW DID YOUR JOURNEY INTO PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY BEGIN? WAS THERE A PARTICULAR MOMENT OR EXPERIENCE THAT MADE YOU REALISE THIS WAS SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO PURSUE SERIOUSLY
My photography journey started very early. I was about 11 years old when I first picked up a Kodak film camera, and even then, I was fascinated by the idea that you could freeze a moment and preserve it forever. Growing up around photography also gave me an understanding of the business and production side of the industry.
Photography wasn’t just about taking pictures for me; I became curious about everything that happened before and after the shutter was pressed.
I officially launched my photography brand in 2011, and over the years, photography became much bigger than a profession. It became a platform through which I could create, teach, build businesses, solve problems and connect with people. Looking back, I don’t think there was one single moment when I decided, “This is what I want to do.” It was more of a gradual realisation. Every time I solved a problem, created something I was proud of, or saw the impact my work had on another person, I became more convinced that this was where I belonged.
- WHAT GAP OR CHALLENGE DID YOU SEE THAT INSPIRED THE ITF CONFERENCE, AND HOW IS THIS PLATFORM ADDRESSING IT?
The biggest gap I saw was that we often talk about photography as though the photographer is the entire industry. But behind every photograph is an ecosystem: equipment, printing, framing, albums, production, styling, technology, marketing, education, business, logistics, and so much more.
People are making a living from these different parts of the ecosystem, but we don’t always bring everyone into the same conversation. That was one of the reasons I created Inside the Frame.
I wanted to create a platform that looks beyond the photograph itself and explores the untold side of photography and creative production. The idea was to bring creatives, brands, manufacturers, service providers, educators and other stakeholders into one space where they can learn from one another, discover opportunities and have conversations that can move the industry forward. Inside The Frame Expo is essentially about expanding the frame.
BEYOND BRINGING CREATIVES TOGETHER, WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO LEAVE THIS CONFERENCE WITH? WHAT SHOULD THEY BE THINKING ABOUT OR DOING DIFFERENTLY AFTER BEING PART OF INSIDE THE FRAME EXPO?
I want people to leave Inside The Frame Expo with questions. Not confusion, but good questions. Questions like: “What am I not seeing in my own industry?” “What other opportunities exist around what I already know how to do?” “How can I turn this skill into a sustainable business?” “Who else should I be collaborating with?”
I also want people to realise that there is more to being a creative than simply being talented. Talent can get you noticed, but systems, business knowledge, relationships, adaptability and continuous learning are what help you build something sustainable. If someone attends Inside The Frame Expo and goes home and changes the way they price their work, builds a new product, explores a new revenue stream, approaches a brand for collaboration, invests in their education or even starts a business around a problem they identified at the conference, then Inside The Frame Expo has done its job.
- CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ARE BECOMING INCREASINGLY INTERCONNECTED ACROSS BORDERS. WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO YOU BELIEVE NIGERIAN CREATIVES ARE YET TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ON THE GLOBAL STAGE FULLY?.
I think Nigerian creatives have enormous potential, but sometimes we still think of the global market as somewhere we have to be invited into.
We don’t. The internet has changed that. A photographer, designer, filmmaker, animator or creative entrepreneur in Lagos can build an
audience in London, New York, Dubai, Johannesburg or anywhere else in the world without physically relocating. But we need to become more intentional about positioning. We need to package our expertise, document our processes, build intellectual property, create products, teach, collaborate internationally and understand that our knowledge itself can be exported.
There is also a huge opportunity in telling African stories from an African perspective. The world is increasingly interested in Africa, but we shouldn’t only participate as subjects of those stories. We should own the narrative, build the platforms and create the businesses around it. I believe the next phase for Nigerian creatives isn’t just exporting creative services. It’s exporting creative products, ideas, systems and intellectual property.
- AS THE CONFERENCE GROWS, WHAT WOULD SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR INSIDE THE FRAME EXPO BEYOND ATTENDANCE AND NUMBERS? WHAT KIND OF LONG TERM IMPACT DO YOU HOPE THE CONFERENCE CREATES FOR CREATIVES AND THE INDUSTRY?
Attendance is important, but it isn’t the scoreboard I’m most interested in. For me, the real measure of success is what happens after people leave the room.
I want to see businesses created, collaborations formed, products developed, careers accelerated, and opportunities opened because people met at Inside The Frame Expo. I want a young photographer to meet a manufacturer and discover a product they didn’t know existed. I want a creative entrepreneur to meet a brand and land a partnership. I want someone to discover a new career path within the creative ecosystem.
Long term, I’d like Inside The Frame Expo to become a reference point for the creative production industry in Africa; a platform that documents conversations, connects people, creates opportunities and contributes to the growth of the ecosystem year after year. If, years from now, people can point to a company, collaboration, career or innovation and say, “This started because of a conversation at Inside The Frame Expo,” then I’ll consider it
successful.
ON A MORE PERSONAL NOTE, WHAT HAS BUILDING ITFEXPO TAUGHT YOU ABOUT YOURSELF, LEADERSHIP, AND THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT COMES WITH CREATING A PLATFORM THAT COMES WITH CREATING A PLATFORM FOR OTHER CREATIVES?
Inside The Frame Expo taught me that having an idea is probably the easiest part. The difficult part is convincing people to believe in that idea before they can see the result. Building this first edition challenged me in ways I didn’t anticipate. It taught me patience, delegation, resilience and, perhaps most importantly, that leadership isn’t about having all the answers.
It’s about creating an environment where other people can contribute their answers. I also became much more conscious of the responsibility that comes with putting your name behind a platform. When people spend their time, money and trust to attend something you’ve created, you owe them an experience that respects that investment. There were definitely moments when I questioned whether we were doing too much or whether the idea was too ambitious. But those moments also reminded me why I started. Inside The Frame Expo taught me that sometimes leadership is simply being willing to go first.
- LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NEXT EDITION, WHAT SHOULD WE BE WATCHING OUT FOR? ARE THE NEW IDEAS, COLLABORATIONS, EXPERIENCES, OR CONVERSATIONS YOU CAN GIVE US A GLIMPSE OF?
The first edition was really about proving that the idea could exist. The next edition has to be about taking it further. There are already conversations around expanding the experience, bringing in more players from across the creative production ecosystem, creating stronger opportunities for brands and
creatives to collaborate, and making the educational component even more valuable. I also want Inside The Frame Expo to become more than something you attend for a few days. There are opportunities to build things around it throughout the year: conversations, learning, collaborations, business opportunities and resources. So I don’t want to give everything away just yet. But if the first edition was us opening the door, the next one is about making the room much bigger.
FINALLY, FOR THE YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHERS AND CREATIVES WHO ARE JUST STARTING AND TRYING TO FIND THEIR PLACE IN THE INDUSTRY, WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WISH SOMEONE HAD GIVEN YOU WHEN YOU WERE STARTING YOUR OWN JOURNEY?.
Don’t be in such a hurry to look successful. Focus on becoming good. When I started, I didn’t have access to everything I wanted. I didn’t have all the equipment, the connections or the resources. But I kept learning, experimenting, making mistakes and finding ways to improve. Your first camera doesn’t have to be your dream camera. Your first client doesn’t have to be your dream client. Your first business doesn’t have to look like the final version. Start with what you have and take it seriously. And don’t underestimate relationships. Be a person people want to work with. Your skill might get you through the door, but your character, consistency and professionalism will determine whether people invite you back.
Most importantly, don’t spend your entire career trying to copy somebody else’s success. Learn from people, absolutely. But eventually, you have to find your own voice. There is room in this industry for you. You have to be willing to build your own frame.
