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 A Photographer's Epistle: Capturing Hope and Developing Elegance

In my words, I write to you creatives. 

I am Amina, a Nigerian. I became the breadwinner when the effects of ageing forced my mother, who sacrificed a lot to ensure I got quality primary and secondary education, to retire. 

After secondary school, I helped Mum out with her menial jobs, and while working, she told me stories from her childhood. Because of my passion for photography, my favourite was how people embraced photography post-independence, believing it connects people, the past, present, and future and preserves memories. 

I nurtured my passion by watching relevant YouTube videos and volunteering at a studio to hone my skills. 

Nobody told me that sometimes, it's hard to make lemonade out of the lemons life throws at you. I believed photography would connect me with my desired future, but when I clocked 25, I contemplated quitting. 

I soaked in my tears, staring at my camera. Each tear carried the weight of my experiences—the rejections by different agencies, and my invisibility on some freelancing platforms left me with no choice but to resort to events and sometimes a few client referrals for photo frames, though I felt undervalued. 

That was how I got my gigs, as they call it. I call it hustle—attending events to take a shot of some attendees, rushing to a nearby studio to print, and returning to the venue to give them their pictures and be paid. Not seeing them means you lose money because who will pay for that printed copy?  

While comforting myself, I stumbled on an art contest (also open to photographers) online. It offered mentorship sessions with the convenor (a renowned artist), exposure, and winning prizes. I felt little strength—enough to remain passionate throughout the competition—flowing into me. 

I took part in the competition and won. The lessons I learnt from the mentorship session birthed my rise in the industry. Lessons include the need to keep learning, growing, and networking. I also learnt how to build my identity and reputation, get clients, value myself, and more.