Damilola Elliott is an Architect by training but his passion for photography developed in 1997 while doing a school project in the university. The passion fully blossomed in 2006 when he settled for photography as a profession. The Creative Director and Lead Photographer of Damell Photography disclosed why he left Architecture to go into the ‘flashy’ world of photography.
In a chat with LEADERSHIP Friday, he said,”I started Photography unofficially in 1997 while on a school project, but officially in 2006.I had always had creative and artistic traits in me, so when it was time to fill my JAMB form I knew what I would study had to be in that direction. I did not want Fine Arts, and Photography was not on the list of available courses.
“My next option was Architecture. While in school, we were given a project on street Photography. That project was the launchpad of my love for Photography. As the years went by, it became clear that Photography was going to be my “Profession”. At this point in time, it was not fashionable to be called “Mama Photographer”, especially when “Mama Architect” was a sweeter option; so I had to navigate the very daunting terrain of convincing my mother that it was what I really wanted to do.
“The transition was initially very tough, as I did not really understand the business side of things. I also had to learn a lot on my own before I got to follow a few mentors. Their guidance(knowingly and unknowingly), made the next phase very easy to scale through.”
He added that the services he currently offers range from portrait photography, weddings/events photography, architecture/real estate photography and Industrial photography.
Speaking further on the challenges he faced personally and generally in Nigeria,he said,”In the early years of getting into this career path, purchasing photography equipment in Nigeria was extremely difficult. We did not have local dealers, so everything had to be ordered from abroad.
“This was also in the era of next to zero internet service. To make any foreign purchase, we had to get to the bank and carry out bank transfers with sorting codes and all the extra stress that comes with that,it was not the most encouraging of situations.Today, some challenges still include acceptance of the career choice, you have some people who see photography as what you just get into when you can’t get a “proper” job. They refer to it as “a quick fix kind of work”. The good thing is, this mindset is not the norm, and it is quickly being eroded.”Elliott Stated.
Elliot stated further that photography is a very lucrative venture especially if you create a body of work that appeals to a large audience,and added that it usually translates to more business opportunities and higher income,which enables the practitioner to empower others within the production chain.
On the skillset needed to go into photography,he said,”the first thing I would say is to have a creative and open mind. Next is to have a very good eye for details…training your eyes to see what others don’t see.”
Speaking on the high profile events and personalities he has worked it he said, “One of our most prominent events has been to document The Experience Lagos…arguably the world’s largest Gospel music concert. We have been doing this since its inception in 2006.
“Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to create photographs for government dignitaries, A-listers in the entertainment and corporate industries amongst others.We’ve also had the privilege of documenting both social and corporate events outside Nigeria.”
Over the years Elliott has been able to expand from Apart from just one type of Photography(weddings), to adding on multiple genres. “This ensures we’re constantly catering to a larger variety of needs,and keeps us fully engaged”.He said.
When asked about how he has been able to combine career, business and family, Elliott said,”I’m fortunate to have a family that understands the intricacies of my work.So they make the work-family balance an easy one to navigate.”
Looking ahead to what he intends to achive in the next couple of years and where he sees photography as an industry in Nigeria going in the near future,he said, “I have no plans to retire any time soon, so, I see myself continuing to globally document life’s special moments for a very long time to come.
“As for the Photography industry in Nigeria, there’s no doubt that it’s blooming.I see amazing Nigerian creatives and their work getting the international recognition that they deserve.”
While giving some words of advice to upcoming and aspiring photographers,Elliot admonished that they must understand the intricacies involved because the profession is a capital intensive one,he also urged them to engage mentors and keep improving themselves, because “creativity has no end.”
The highly sought after photographer while disclosing on how he coped during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the l lockdown, that followed leading to a complete halt of outdoor and indoor events said, “There’s no doubt, the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown took its toll on several aspects of everyday life and business.
“To be honest, the initial stages were quite hard, we did not know how long the lockdown would last or what to even expect with this new virus. However, like the saying goes, “necessity is the mother of invention.
“We had to look inwards to find solutions to the business standstill. So, the moment the total lockdown was lifted to partial lockdown, and restricted events started to happen, we saw a need that required a solution. The restricted events required that there would be a drastic reduction in the number of physical guests at any given point in time in an enclosed space.
“This meant that, for a funeral service for example, the church that would seat about 500 hundred people was cut down to about 100 people. With this development, many friends and loved ones of the deceased could not be physically present at the funeral.
“In a bid to ensure they do not miss out completely, we created the Hybrid events service. This way, we (Damell Photography) positioned ourselves to record and transmit the services live, using technology and social media. This enabled more people to view the ceremonies on their mobile devices and televisions in real time, without having to be physically present at the Elliott added.
