Listening to Peruzzi – Things I need
APH – First of all I’m a huge fan of yours Ebuka, tell us, where are you from? Where did you grow up?
Ebuka Mordi – “Hello and thanks for having me. I’m from Delta State, Nigeria. But I was raised in Kaduna State”.
APH – Like I said earlier I’ve been a huge fan of yours right from when you took pictures at Landmark university; hope that doesn’t make me sound like a stalker? but anyways tell us, how did your interest in photography start? When did it start?
Ebuka Mordi – “No, it does not make you a stalker in the least; in fact, I am grateful that you have followed my journey since the beginning. Nevertheless, I would have enjoyed hearing your remarks and sensing your presence. My passion for the fleeting moments we experience as we take in the stunning surroundings and gifts of nature around us is what first sparked my interest in photography. This began while I was in my late teens, and by 2013 or 2014, it had fully matured into photography”.
APH – Did you teach yourself about photography or did you learn under someone? How was the experience if you learnt by yourself and vice versa?
Ebuka Mordi – “I am a self-taught photographer who obtained the majority of my training through YouTube’s Mangostreet Lab and other excellent photographers’ videos. In order to differentiate myself, I used YouTube as a broad learning platform where I learned in-depth photo manipulation and editing skills. With my friends, who didn’t mind being a part of my career’s experimental era, I also practiced a lot”.
APH – You have been in the photography world for how many years now?
Ebuka Mordi – “I seldom ever mention the enormous impact my cousin’s DSLR had on piquing my interest in photography. When we attended family events in the years 2012 to 2014, I begged him to play around with his DSLR. After these events, I returned with a fire and ambition to create, save money for my own equipment, and learn how to edit better. I’d like to think that’s when I started taking photos. Over 8 years’ worth of experience”.
APH – I can remember back then you normally say “Gear doesn’t matter” as a photographer, with the years you’ve spent as a photographer do you still think “Gears doesn’t matter”?
Ebuka Mordi – “Gear is still irrelevant. But when it comes to developing your career, gear is important since it acts as a growth indicator, which is important if you have a goal-oriented personality. Utilizing a low gear when you have the ability to upgrade only to garner sympathy or attention for your efforts is a shallow move that might be interpreted as the behavior of a person who is not goal-oriented. Although there are those who purposefully forgo the process of progress in order to maintain motivation by employing low-cost equipment and serve as an example to those who cannot now achieve such growth, they do it from a sincere place, and I do not dismiss that. Due to the need to hunt for or think outside the box while generating photographs that would draw attention away from what gear was used, there are some ideas and concepts I picked up when utilizing gear that limited my capacity to develop ideas I had”.
APH – I won’t lie, I love how creative your pictures are, but I also want you to describe your style of photography, tell us a bit about your style of photography.
Ebuka Mordi – “Is vibes a good answer to this? Because, to be completely honest, I don’t restrict my creations to a specific photographic genre. I want to get to the point where I can once again pursue my passion for nature and travel photography, but in order to do that, I must meet the need for portrait client-based photography in Nigeria because it is quite difficult to get paid for travel photography within this country. I became interested in being a fashion and portrait photographer as a result of satiating this social need. Then, while still focusing on the topic, I sought to include my love for the environment into these images by emphasizing the background environments”.
APH – What inspires you? Do you need to be in a particular mood to channel out your artistic side?
Ebuka Mordi – “In addition to gaming to help me clear my head before editing, I actively work to get myself out on the field to practice. I’ve come to the realization that while many individuals wait for inspiration by saying they’ll attempt to discover it while staying put, for me, inspiration occurs when I’m out in public with a camera and a model in front of me”.
APH – You do a lot of photo manipulation, how do you do it? What software do you use to create your photo manipulation?
Ebuka Mordi – “I do this using Photoshop and Lightroom, however I tend to utilize Photoshop for my manipulations”.
APH – I’ve noticed in your pictures when you edit the faces of your models, you leave the pimples and so on. Is there a reason why you do that?
Ebuka Mordi – “I’ve struggled a lot with issues relating to my self-confidence as a result of acne in the past and the scars it left behind, so I can understand what it’s like for others to try to get rid of acne. It drains a person physically, intellectually, and emotionally, yet this battle is hardly ever discussed. I want to create a space where those who struggle with these issues may gaze at my images and feel at ease because they know that no matter what they are going through, being a flawless being will always be who they are”.
APH – Out of all the pictures you’ve taken, do you have at least 5 favorite pictures?
Ebuka Mordi – I adore them all, but my drone self-portrait series is my favorite because of the message it conveys.
APH – Which lens is your favorite? Why?
Ebuka Mordi – The wide angle Tamron lens I used with my Nikon d60 years ago. why? It’s a wide angle lens! They are the best.
APH – What gear do you use presently?
Ebuka Mordi – “I use the canon eos R and a DJI mavic air 2”
APH – When you go out to shoot, do you take any essential items other than a camera and lens?
Ebuka Mordi – “I bring my speaker because it will help the model set the tone for the shoot”.
APH – Whose work has influenced you most? By that I mean photographers, artists or other creative etc
Ebuka Mordi – “Mangostreet lab”
APH – Where is your studio located or where are you based?
Ebuka Mordi – “Abuja, Nigeria”
APH – Do you ever get insecure or not satisfied with a particular shoot?
Ebuka Mordi – “Yes! Definitely”.
APH – Is there something you wish you knew back then when you first started out as a photographer?
Ebuka Mordi – “I’d like to think that everything worked out for the best in getting me here, and I have no regrets”.
APH – So far has it been easy being a photographer in your country?
Ebuka Mordi – “The growth was not, but that is why we are here—to ease the road for aspiring photographers by establishing our worth and a reputation in the field of photography as a nation of gifted people who have much to offer to their local community and the rest of the globe”.
APH – Do you have any advice to anyone starting out as a photographer?
Ebuka Mordi – “On a daily basis, practice shooting, editing, and finding inspiration”.
The 54th 