100% visibility: Interview Session With Jesse Omoghene

Ncrier: Good morning Jesse Images. It’s a pleasure to have us interview you

Ans: You are welcome. It’s a pleasure having you too.

Ncrier: Could you please un-mask yourself. Who are you?

Ans: I was raised by a single mum who instilled Discipline into me and my younger ones. That helped me to get focused early in life. I had my secondary school at Alimosho Grammar School in Lagos. As a child I discovered I just love to draw consistently, I thank God for my mum been a creative person too, she encouraged me all the way by getting me the necessary materials needed. This passion grew with me, at some point as a child; I had an interview with Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) on a program they called speak out. That even triggered the desire and passion to continue in art. I also represented my school Alimosho Grammar School, in several art competitions including Lions club art competition. After my secondary school, I knew obviously that anything outside art as a career would be a mistake; my mum have always encouraged us to pursue anything we have interest and passion for. While I awaited admission into university, I went on apprenticeship under an artist where I learnt several things and basically where my confidence grew. Finally I gained admission into Yaba College of Technology to study Art in 2005. Our first drawing class assignment got me the spot light, as my drawing was one of the best three chosen. Then the lecturer assigned other students to these three people to always show them through anytime we had his class. I visited the HND class regularly to see them paint and I asked loads of questions which contributed to the fearless approach I use in painting. I so loved and enjoy it as an artist, it was fun, and all I had in mind was how I can become a better artist. Photography began to beckon on me as I do say to myself –way back then when I see a painting, I see some painting look like a picture and some pictures I see a painting. It became a food for thought. My mum got me an entry level toy professional camera at that time after she took me to a photographer (an uncle) who gave her a bill she wasn’t expecting, then she bought me the camera to practice on my own, knowing that I will get better with time. I kept practicing also with tips and words of encouragement from a renowned Nigerian documentary photographer Abraham Onoriode Oghobase. While practicing, I took some pictures with touch lights and different devices with light that got even me asking if it’s a painting or a photograph, the only thing that made me believe it’s a picture, is because I took the shot (laughing). In 2007, Nokia organized a photography competition tagged ‘Nokia expression’ and introduced it to some polytechnics and universities in Nigeria; my school inclusive. i had no intension of participating as I thought my pictures were not in line with the theme. I was persuaded by my colleagues to submit the pictures I had with me on the day entries close. We were so much that registered, been one of the last set of people to submit my entry, I saw the serial number of entries, we were in hundreds. I was contacted two weeks after that day that I have been selected as one of the nine people selected to represent my school. This was where I met with the ‘God sent man’, one of the judges Kelechi Amadi-Obi who told me in person that he liked my entry. Funny enough I didn’t know who he was when I met him till after the whole meeting when my neighbors exclaimed and told me who he is/was. Luckily for me, it was around my Industrial Attachment (I.T) period, I dashed down to Kelechi’s studio and he gave a task to be delivered the next day, which I did and he liked it and accepted me, I was a novice to the professional terms in photography and I knew nothing about editing, but in two months during my I.T., I began to teach the person teaching me editing, as I wasn’t close to the boss himself, Kelechi got to see the stuffs I did and he moved me to his side to watch him work, we connected so well as he is also an artist. That’s how my photography began to gain shape and direction.

Ncrier: Akerele is a prominent name in Lagos-Nigeria, how on earth did you come about the name

Ans: (laughing)……Well, my mums maiden name is Akerele , she has contributed immensely in my life, so to honour her, I added her name to mine. However I am from Delta State

Ncrier: H ow old are you?

Ans; You mean my age .hum, X+1=? …….Laughing

Ncrier: now that you are living your dream as the creative director of Jesse images. How did the whole thing start?

Ans: It’s not so easy starting up and getting established. But I do believe every great thing started small. Money wasn’t my focus when it all started, I was doing it all for fun, so I find myself doing lots of free stuffs for people all to learn on their job and see how I can satisfy them both in art and photography and move on to the next one. At some point I compared what I was giving people for free or close to free to what the professionals gave and I saw my work fitting into that class also. Peoples’ response, reaction, demand and comments about my work, made me realize it’s time to begin something and that’s how Jesse Images started.

Ncrier: sometime last year on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/neicr) we posted a comment of you not leaving the circumference of the studio (from Photography studio-to Art studio-to Music studio) how true is that and how have you being able to strike a balance to keep focus.

Ans: Well that’s true been multi-talented if not handled with care by the carrier, can lead to frustration. I had always sung normally, it is the second talent I developed. I use to make all manner of sound with my voice, I could imitate cartoon characters and animal sounds so this made people call me all sort of names in secondary school, names such as cartoon, Mickey Mouse, akuko (cock). When I discovered my voice needed some fine tuning to sing like a professional, I began to pattern my singing with the likes of Boys 2 Men. Even in the midst of all this, my zeal to drawing wasn’t affected; I was just having maximum fun. During my first year in school in 2005, I had sleepless nights as I was asking myself what exactly do I want to do. I sing, I did comedy at that time too and I draw, can I really earn a living with art? I asked myself, should I have gone for music?.....it was a huge dilemma for me. One faithful day in church, the answer came. I looked at everything I know how to do and asked myself what’s that one thing that I can do that will carry everything I know how to do along? And photography came forth. I channeled all this various creative ability into my photography, then I came across TY.Bello (A Photographer and Musician) and I said to myself that I can still do my photography and music …yeeepiiiiii. I have also been to Orange academy for a course on advertising and branding, this also triggered the creativity in me, which is also channeled into photography. I sometimes help clients modify their ideas and concept or even generate ideas for them. I still paint when I am less busy and compose my songs also practice on the guitar, I intend having an exhibition with all of this (Paintings and photography). This days, I have been coming across people who discovered their singing through mine and people who loved listening to me sing and were looking up to me for more materials but they get disappointed when they discover I don’t do music. I was having a shoot with a music producer and his group some time in Nov.2012 and he heard me sing and said he would have said I missed my calling but my photography is “MAD”…in his words”. This is one of numerous comments, so I intend doing music just for the fun of it.

Ncrier: I followed you last year on NTN project fame, season 5; you didn’t make it to the top18 list. What happened?

Ans: Well, I caused it myself with my choice of song. By the way, it’s a thing of chance and time. That’s if I have the time to try again, was just taking advantage of the opportunity.

Ncrier: No doubt, you are a multi-talented man. How were you able to spot and develop it?

Ans: speaking about spotting it, I really was curious to know what talent I have but God helped me to discover my talent. Constantly doing what I enjoy doing grew into a talent I believe.

Ncrier: What is the relationship between you and kelechi Amadi-Obi (creative director of Kelechi Amadi-Obi Studio)

Ans: Kelechi Amadi-Obi who I call Mr Kay. Is my boss, my friend, I respect him a whole lot, he took me as a friend, a colleague, even like his son, I will always mention him anywhere, anytime and any day to the world at large .

Ncrier:No dispute, in Nigeria, Africa and beyond Kelechi Amadi-Obi is a force to be reckon with in photography industry. As the creative director of Jesse images, what is your penetration strategy or blue ocean strategy against the sharks in your industry?

Ans: It’s good to look up to established and well-grounded names such as K.A.O, and other established names. Apart from the fact that we offer creative photography services, One thing is to lookout for are the connectors, also marketing, but I think referrals work wonders , if we please one client, they go all out to spread the good news of working with you, and it keeps going and going, it’s like a chain you know.

Ncrier: Can you give us a run-down of your company profile

JESSE IMAGES is one of the leading photography firm based in Lagos, offering professional world class photography to various corporate bodies in Nigeria and across Africa through classic images. We give our client corporate identity and recognition in highly competitive market, by communicating their uniqueness and quality through photographic and breath-taking images.

OUR DRIVE

To better yesterday’s best: setting the pace, breaking the record.

OUR VALUES

Innovation

Creativity

Excellence

Promptness

Client-centered

Ncrier: what is your business focus?

Our services include:

§ INDUSTRIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

§ ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

§ PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY

§ FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY

§ FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

§ ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHY

§ WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY

§ CORPORATE PHOTOGRAHY

§ LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY

§ PORTRAITS/FAMILY PORTRAITS

Ncrier: you won the Nigeria photography award 2012.Category: Still Life. How did you feel when you were announced as the winner of that category?

Ans: I was excited, really excited! My colleagues and students were so convinced on my behalf that I was collecting that category. I was so happy. A senior colleague in the industry discovered it was the only category I put in for, and I won it, he rated that 100 percent. But all Glory be to my God of Double portion.

Ncrier: I have seen kelechi Amadi-Obi before, he’s cool calm and collected, and so are you. Can you relate to us what you both share in common apart from the aforementioned trait and your differences

Ans: We do share certain things in common one of which is our background as artists, good sense of humor as well. One difference is he does not sing….(laughing).

Ncrier: every body’s work/brainchild has an identity with which they are tag and known. Is it true that people mistaken your work for kelechi’s work.

Ans: It is said that every picture you see, the photographer saw it first. We are both artists obviously; he also had an influence in me. But when I think of an idea, he isn’t there, neither am I there when he does. I said to myself, if there were no K.A.O today I would be the first of his kind because when I started photography I had in mind the type of photography that would amaze people, I like my photographs to have that WOW! Factor. That had and will always be my drive. I say this with all humility.

Ncrier: what is your cutting edge

Ans: Aiming at been different. It’s the extra that makes ordinary extra-ordinary.

Ncrier: Last year you organized a photography workshop tagged: Shoot me now. What is the brain behind the training?

Ans: I started out with photography with my toy professional camera using all sort of existing light such as torch lights, bulb light, sunlight, window light e.t.c. To practice and it became child’s play to me when I got into studio photography. If I had waited till I got into the studio, I won’t have the confidence I have in and outside the studio. Images I made out of using window lights, torch lights e.t.c were the images presented to an oil company in port-Harcourt whose intension was to fly in a photographer from the UK. The white guys were amazed at the image, that was how we got that job. Imagine if I had nothing that would have passed me by. My point therefore is the moment you have a camera you have started, don’t wait till you get your lights or till you get a studio. Whatever you have to shoot is saying “Shoot me now”.

Ncrier: did the training achieve its objective?

Ans: yes it did.

Ncrier: when is this year (2013) photography workshop: Shoot me now coming up

Ans: most likely august

Ncrier: Apparently, your focus is on photography. What about art and music

Ans: They are not very active I assure you, am going into the studio to begin my recording soonest.

Ncrier: Who is your role model?

Ans: My spiritual father Bishop David O. Oyedepo and Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Taylor James when it comes to photography

Ncrier: what is your source of inspiration

Ans: Anything inspires me, my environment, what I see, read, hear….anything, I keep an open mind.

Ncrier: Can you share some of your images with us

Ans: yes