Follow your passion and process it in time —Olawoyin

Olawoyin Olasunkanmi is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Smile Photography, Sango Ibadan, Oyo State. In this interview with OLAIDE SOKOYA, he speaks on the challenges he faces in carrying out his projects.

WHAT area of specialisation are you?

I am a documentary photographer, I do some other photography work as well, like events and other things related to photography, but I specialise in documentary photography. I am a specialist.

What does it takes to be a documentary photographer?

When we talk about documentary photography as the name implies, documentary is about telling a story in a visual analysis that there won’t be any room for argument or controversy because there is picture evidence. We can have documentary on any subject of interest or personality, which gives full details, in-depth details on the subject matter. As a documentary photographer, your duty is to give full details of a particular event. It is only the documentary photographer that could document yesterday for the purpose of the future.

You have a project you are about to execute, Hidden Tears and Ilu Aro, what do you intend to teach the audience?

I’m a native of Osogbo, Osun State, and there is this thing peculiar to Osogbo, whenever they are about to give eulogies of Osogbo, they will say Osogbo, Oroki, Asala, Ilu Aro.  There is this controversy between Osogbo and Abeokuta. Abeokuta used to claim that Aro that is dye, originates from them, I took it up.

According to research, it was revealed the source of Aro is from Osogbo Oroki, it was someone that migrated from Osogbo oroki to Abeokuta, that started the business there and in the course of   that trained some people. That is why people turned to Abeokuta, that they are the source of Ilu Aro.  This my project, ilu aro  is showcasing the pictorial evidence of history, in order to give an answer to future question about this controversy between Osogbo and Abeokuta.

Again, most towns do have their ancient craft work; most of us have neglected our ancient craftwork, we have embraced modern culture, and modern education has blindfolded us. According to the research we have done, our ancient craft work is capable of creating different jobs for people. But, because many people prefer white collar jobs, they have neglected our ancient crafts work.

Like in Osogbo Oroki, we have Aro, tie and dye, Kampala, Agbede, and many others, but you find many Osogbo indigenes suffering. Why can’t they just go back to their source, and thereby embrace their ancient craftwork. So, that is what Ilu Aro intends to capture.

And the hidden tears, the second project, I was inspired when I was interviewing people to know what they are passing through. I discovered in life that everybody has one or more challenges, he or she is battling with, everyone has his own cross, no matter what you have or who you are. Everybody has his hidden tears. What kills people most is their hidden tears, there are things they can’t share with others.

Since you started the projects, what are the challenges you are facing?

It is difficult for people to open up to you, there are some people you find in terrible situation that you have to pity them. We spend a lot to get in-depth story about life issue, we do this without adding or subtracting anything whatsoever, just like a portion in the Bible, that states, we should not add or remove from the word of prophecy. Once you add or subtract from your story it is no more documentary.

For people to open up at times we have to give the support, we try to become their friends, establish relationship between them. Some do take about six, eight months, even a year because people hide information, and it is that hidden information that we desire.

What is the relationship between you and the personal photographer to the president?

Mr Bayo Omoboriowo, I call him a brother, a mentor, and I call him a role model because I must confess I admire the grace of God upon his life and I key into that grace. We met in 2014 during the burial of Dr (Mrs) H.I.D Awolowo, I was one of the official photographers that documented the burial.

What is your advice to Nigeria youths?

Discover yourself and follow your passion and when you follow your passion process it on time. Top is not the platform to prepare, it is the platform to deliver, while you are at lower level, it is an opportunity for you to prepare, you must source for information.