I give form to feelings – Rodney Omeokachie

Rodney ‘Avo’ Omeokachie started out as a mildly successful, self-taught photographer and then evolved to a creative strategist who’s currently earning his stripes. He founded a creative agency late last year as an extension of his photography business which has grown into his new-found role and responsibility. Rodney ‘Avo’ Omeokachie started out as a mildly […]

Rodney ‘Avo’ Omeokachie started out as a mildly successful, self-taught photographer and then evolved to a creative strategist who’s currently earning his stripes. He founded a creative agency late last year as an extension of his photography business which has grown into his new-found role and responsibility.

Rodney ‘Avo’ Omeokachie started out as a mildly successful, self-taught photographer and then evolved to a creative strategist who’s currently earning his stripes. He founded a creative agency late last year as an extension of his photography business which has grown into his new-found role and responsibility.

a writer, a graphic designer, and hosted a web talk show with my friends. I was into everything all at once and was good at them all. I consider myself one of the lucky few who had options. And yes, I would have enjoyed them all. But then towards the end of my time in university, I had to decide what I was going to focus on and master. Photography was the easy choice.

Is there one image you are not willing to let go off? If there is please tell us about it and why you are holding on to it?

There’s no such thing. In our line of work, it is in our best interest to share our work, whatever it is, as often as we can. Whether it’s amazing or mediocre, PG or r-rated. Holding onto an image serves no purpose at all. I might as well have never created it. The idea is to create and then put it out there as soon as possible – whether online, in a magazine, or an exhibition. We create for an audience – what is art if it isn’t experienced by others, judged by peers and critiqued. In fact, if there was such an image in my collection, that’s the one that definitely, needs to get out there.

Is there any image that has posed a big challenge for you to bring to bear as you envisioned it in your mind?

So many! There are always situations where there’s a gap between my skill and my vision. I would have these ambitious projects but I would put them off because I’m just not good enough to execute, or the situation just isn’t right. But we attempt them anyway because that’s how you learn, that’s how you bridge the gap. That’s how you amass experience which is crucial in any craft. I try stuff, if I fail, I learn and move on.

Is there anything or person that influenced your choice of photography?

Sometimes, it isn’t a person or a thing that influences one’s choices, circumstances do. This was my case. At the time I was arriving at my crossroads, I was living in South Africa but I knew I was going to have to return to Nigeria, and I would be living with my family. This influenced my decision in that, music or anything else, would be a challenge to practice when you’ve got parents like mine. Photography was already a hard sell. Music would be impossible. Also, things like studio sessions, equipment and the rest, are recurrent costs that I couldn’t bear. Photography was the best choice because it had a low barrier for entry and it was less hard on the pocket of an amateur. These factors influenced my choice.

What is it about photography that you would not get in any other art form?

For starters, photography has more instant gratification. Especially digital photography. Once you capture an image, you can already see what it looks like. Secondly, I love the editing process. It is probably the most fun aspect of photography, for me. In fact, it’s safe to say that I would not have chosen photography if not for that. I love the hours of sitting at my computer, music in ear, trying to turn a good image into a great one. It’s one of the things you’ll notice in my photography, a lot of extra work has gone into each image to make it visually arresting, emotionally provoking. When I get compliments about my work, it’s really my editing skills they’re referring to. They just don’t know it.

You seem to focus more on portraits than on objects. Why is that?

Beauty is a theme that I gravitate towards. There’s no genre of photography with more ranges of beauty than the human face. I love it. I love connecting with people via the camera. I love drawing out expressions and emotions from them that they wouldn’t have on a normal day. I try to capture beauty that is not just skin deep but life deep; something that goes beyond looks and an outfit. It’s all the same to me shooting a powerful public figure or a child on a swing. They all surrender themselves to my personality and my direction, and it always shows.

What informs your choice of lighting – natural or artificial?

Different situations require different types of light. I’m not so picky about that, personally. Most types of light offer an opportunity for something, it’s just a matter of figuring that out. A challenge for all photographers is -how do you use the light that is available to create something worthwhile? And this is where most photographers fall short. Light is the beginning and end of photography. If one doesn’t have a solid grasp of the fundamentals of lighting, their photography usually falls short.

You also tend to photograph fashionable subjects. Do you have more than a passing interest in fashion photography?

This goes back to beauty, again. But no, it’s only a passing interest. Fashion photography is not something I actively look for. I wouldn’t go out of my way but I wouldn’t shy away from it either.