Meet Azigbo Dafe Samuel from Okpe local government of Delta State. He is 23 years old, was born on the 1st of December in Jos, Plateau State. He had his primary and secondary education at St Paul's Anglican school and St Paul's Academy respectively from 2001 to 2015. He studied Fine Arts at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria specializing in painting from 2015 to 2019.
Dafe has always been attracted to photographs, paintings and drawings. As a kid of about 8 to 10 years of age he would go to terminus market picking up empty DVD packs and peeling posters off the wall. He'd try to recreate them making multiple drawings some of which he still has till date.
He loves Color, Texture, composition, light and the meaningful combination of these key elements into one picture is what he loves to behold, for every photograph, there is always a story.
When asked how he started photography he said "I started Photography in my 200 level with my mobile phone, Late 2016. It was really difficult to get people to key into my work at the time due to lack of proper equipments so I went about taking landscape photographs and portraits of close friends. I actually got turned down by literally all models I reached out to but then I felt that was just phase so I continued with my Android photography. I used a Tecno W4 back then. It got stolen shortly after I got it so it took a while but then I was able to bounce back with my infinix hot 5. I still have the phone till date and have refused to sell it. I've developed some kind of deep connection to it as it gave me some of my earliest works.
Two years later however, a missionary in Chicago saw my images and gifted me a DSLR camera kick starting my professional journey. It still was very difficult to get models and makeup artist to collaborate with me so I continued with landscapes and portraits of course mates, friends and relatives."
In respect to those he looks up to, he said "Since the beginning I've looked up to a thorn of creatives. I don't restrict my inspiration to just photographers. I follow the works of painters, poets animators and actors. Mr Kureng Dapel has been a Titanic source of inspiration and encouragement. His photographs speak to me greatly and over the years his mentorship has been amazing and life changing."
When asked how the journey has been so far he said "It's been an amazing Journey so far. Truly beautiful and ecstatic journey. The idea behind everything is actually "Story Telling" so for me it's been a journey on improving my stories. I want every picture to tell a story such that when the viewer stares, they can relate to it or question themselves. So yeah, I like to think as time goes, the stories my images carry become better, more organized, interesting, enchanting and revealing. And then the technique, the manner of rendition goes up with it."
In regards to the kind of support he has had in his journey, he said "Oh yeah! There's not been much of financial support for my work but I feel it shouldn't be an obstacle. I have had immense love and support from my mom and Sister, in their own way, they help out. When it comes to gear, so much is lacking but then the beauty in Photography is in creativity not equipments. Photography has taught me the power of improvisation, my work is constantly evolving in an experimental and explorative light. I've seen a couple of folks every now and then with very little equipments basking in self pity and pain and I feel bad about this. Truth is, it doesn't get any easier. You just have to get tougher. You can't have it all but with the right mindset and the little you have, there's a great deal you can do. You can achieve just about anything."
His work is versatile, he does many types of photography like Beauty and Fashion, landscape, events, product shoot but Cardinal amongst them is Fine art photography. "Conceptual work". This is where his voice is and he chooses it above all others because it has helped him best in expression and self discovery. The ingredient that defines his work and differentiates it from the rest is the story behind it. He chooses to draw inspiration from a constantly evolving society, a society where there is so much to see and so much to say.
Presently he is working on a photo project with a couple of creatives like himself. It is meant to celebrate the Plateau. It's beauty, the resilience and Spirit of its people and also to address certain vices that have crawled up over the years.
In a couple of years from now, By the grace of the Almighty, he sees his work going Global. Taking our stories and the whole world will bear witness. He wants his work to inspire and motivate other creatives in the right direction. He also wants to make his Brand Azigbo Waves Photography, A world renowned figure in the creative space which will embody original, realistic conscious art and beautiful stories.
Lastly in his advice to those who want to venture into photography, he says "Just go for it. You don't need to have a camera immediately or the best Android device. Go out there and create. Prioritize adding value to yourself constantly. The beauty of life is in consistent improvement rather than perfection. The internet is a powerful tool which can either make or break you. It should be a learning field for you. Constantly read, and watch tutorials on your area of interest. Don't stop at all because leaning never ends. Don't hold yourself back from trying.
To succeed at something you need to be willing to accept failure. That is what gives birth to growth so don't hold yourself back. Just go for it. Give it a shot! Your best shot! Everytime. Be original. It's ok to be inspired by fellow creatives but keep working so that in time you can find your voice and what works best for you. You must be willing to take advice and correction. As a creative keep a humble head. Put your work out there and study feedback. Consistency breeds mastery so keep working! Don't stop. Look for new ways of inspiring yourself. Love and believe in what you do or else others can't. See the uniqueness in your work. And then above all Involve God. At every process and everything stage.
It was really great hearing this creative and talented man speak about his passion. It is really interesting, inspiring and Insighful, we hope you had an awesome time exploring the journey of Azigbo Dafe, your comments and feedback will be deeply appreciated.
You can follow his social media to know more and see his creative works.
Facebook: Azigbo waves
Instagram: Azigbo_waves
Twitter: Azigbo_waves
Evidence Blog, 2021.
