Kola Oshalusi is an artistic photographer based in Lagos with a keen eye for detail and capturing moments. Currently the Creative Director of Insigna Media, a leading photography and content creation company that aims to increase value and create Africa’s largest content creation company, Oshalusi is also the organizer of the Business of Photography Conference, BOP, West Africa’s largest photography conference. Committed to the progression of human capital and offering educational and knowledge-sharing opportunities for artists, their work, spanning events, portraiture, fashion, lifestyles and advertising photography. , has been widely published on 3 continents. In an interview with MARY NNAH, Oshalusi shows that the 2024 edition of the BOP conference, which will be held on March 20 at the Muson Center, Onikan, Lagos, will boost the country’s economy through search. for timeless concepts and photographs that constantly evoke minds and emotions
The upcoming Business of Photography Conference (BOP) is a topic we discussed. Could you tell me what animated the conference, how long it has been around and how the occasion differs from this year?
The BOP Networks assignment (Business of Photography) was born out of a preference for developing monetary capacity in the artistic area with a penchant for visually artistic works that come with still and motion photography. The convention is just one essential part of it, but it also includes an online resource page for artists to inform themselves and identify new tips, trends and opportunities in the art industry, as well as conversations that help isolate, identify, speak and propose responses to demanding situations in the artistic business throughout the country. This is its sixth consecutive year and this is the fifth edition. The year of COVID created an empty year at the convention, but we still continued to lead the conversation. This year is exclusive for the theme: Cultural Exchange – The Art of Business. We will focus on the opportunities and demanding situations that have lately prevailed globally, with emphasis on Nigeria and Africa, and discuss how we can refocus our attention to identify the inexhaustible wealth that we have left untapped, that is, our culture and way of life. life (our comfortable strength). ) which can be a revenue-generating global export
What is the effect of the annual convention on the country’s economic growth, especially in the photography sector?
Oh, in a leap forward, the industry (“still and moving” photography) before the convention was worth some $78 billion globally with a projected annual expansion of about 6. 1 percent, expecting an expansion of technological progress in Europe and America. Nigeria soared by around $1. 3 billion, making it the second largest in Africa in terms of investment and revenue, however, the acceleration of Covid year’s technological advancements in blockchain, NFTs, the metaverse, synthetic intelligence, and social media led the industry to nearly double its price, with a global price soaring around $150 billion, based on an unforeseen surge in markets in Asia, South America and, most importantly, Africa. It has lately been priced at more than $2 trillion in Nigeria, depending on the exchange rate metrics being measured. use to calculate. So, yes, the scenario has improved, we have more photographers, many more people in the price chain, many more task opportunities, and many more companies have been created.
I’m interested in your experience as a photographer. How did you get started?
It’s a very long story, but I would say that I have been actively working in this industry for almost two decades, my forte is occasion photography, but I also paint in photography disciplines, I have worked for several local and global brands on 3 continents and I have been lucky enough to have painted and still paints on some of the biggest projects in the country and the continent. And yes, I’ve been lucky enough to have amazing clients and super productive team members.
Before you were a photographer, what did you do?
I studied science, so I’m a scientist, I worked for a while in medical sciences, as well as computer science and knowledge sciences. I have a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
Did you need to be a photographer growing up? If not, what other task would you have had?
Not at all, I wanted to be a pilot when I was little, I guess I just wanted to see the world, but now I see the world through my lenses and my imagination.
Who were your mentors or role models growing up?How have they influenced who you are today?
Many of them are smart, either inside or outside of my industry, and yes, they have shaped me and continue to shape me, some ended up being my mentors and I am learning a lot under their tutelage. Consultant my dreams and attitude to life and my art.
What sets you apart as a photographer and what kind of influence have you had on the industry so far?
My willingness to bring concepts to life, my attention to detail and my preference for trying anything new. I love teaching, sharing and transmitting wisdom, in addition to collaborating, all our projects are the result of collective efforts. The Conference itself was a success only because it focused on industrialization, wisdom, and growth. In this way, we can say that we have directly reached more than 30,000 creatives in the last 6 years.
His company, Insigna Media, aims to become the largest content creation company in Africa. What steps have you taken to achieve this goal?
We have greatly strengthened the human and service functions in the artistic area in recent years and have carried out many empowerment projects, focused on education and wisdom and at the same time built structures around our company to ensure sustainability and productivity. and cost-effectiveness. We’ve also made sure to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to generation evolution and adoption to improve our workflow and meet today’s business demands. But our greatest asset is our other colleagues and they are the ones who lead everything we do. do. As much as we want to build the world’s largest content creation and control company, we haven’t forgotten the importance of other people in building. That’s why we say “To pass fast, you pass alone, but to pass far, you want other people”, because we understand that past fortune is a journey, not a destination.
Could you rate your most memorable moment as a photographer?
I’m lucky enough to have many of them over the years, but I think the one I’ve had the most to do is coordinating the photography for the first edition of the One African Music Festival, having to recruit and manage a team of photographers on some other continent for an event of this type. This is the first time an African will headline a sold-out concert at New York’s 19,000-capacity Barclays Center.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a photographer and content creator?
I can’t be the greatest, all the demanding primary situations have become opportunities to be bigger and stepping stones to bigger opportunities.
How do you mentor other young people who want to take up photography and what methods have you found to be effective?
Share my adventure with them and let them know that they are infinite in what they can achieve and become, the stories motivate and also help other people find their role. Beyond the profession, there are stories that can motivate. I also let them know that there is nothing to fail or make mistakes, the challenge is not to be informed in each and every shift.
What are the photography services in Nigeria?
It has the potential to employ millions of our people and it also has the potential to define how we are perceived globally. This can serve as both a tool and a medium. So I would say the customers are unlimited.
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We have focused on education and wisdom as we build structures around our business to ensure sustainability, productivity, and profitability. We’ve also made sure to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to the evolution of generation and the adoption of our workflow to meet today’s business demands. .
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