Listening to Kanye West – Runaway
Akwenuke Onome Mercy is the brains behind Omavisuals. She is from Delta state Nigeria, but grew up in Ughelli.
APH – What would you say is the type of photography or what niche of photography are you into?
Oma visuals – I specialize in portrait, fashion, product and events photography and I’m currently in my third year of professionally practicing photography.
APH – Four years in this photography game, looking back when you started is there something you wish you knew about that would have improved your progress from the beginning?
Oma Visuals – There are many things I wish I knew when I started photography. I wish I knew more about lighting. That’s one thing for sure, cause lighting is a major aspect of photography. It’s one of the determinants of your final image.
APH – What gear or equipment do you use to capture your images?
Oma Visuals – I use different equipments depending on what I intend to capture. However there are some equipments that I often use which is the camera; Canon 6d, a light stand and a convenient light source (this could be a Godox Ad600, or a V850 speedlite).
APH – Wow no wonder your images are always top notch. But you didn’t always start out taking pictures with all those gear, what gear did you start with during the genesis of your photography journey?
Oma Visuals – My first gear was a mobile phone. An infinix hot 6.
APH – Now thats what i call growth. Do you think gear matters in photography?
Oma Visuals – Yes, I think type of gear matters because what the Canon R5 would give you, the Nikon d3400 won’t.
APH – How do you adjust your camera settings to capture the perfect shot?
Oma Visuals – It all depends on what I’m shooting and I what I intend to achieve. If I’m shooting portraits in a studio, most times I shoot at a closed aperture, that is f6, f7 etc just so I can get the details on my client’s skin.
APH – After setting and adjusting the settings of your camera, what techniques do you use to capture the emotion of your model in your photos?
Oma Visuals – I believe poses matter when capturing emotions. So when I try to capture emotions in pictures, I focus more on poses and I try to get my clients relax by playing soothing music or any music of their choice during the photoshoot.
I also try to make them comfortable by establishing a connection with them before the shoot and during the shoot. This way, it would be easier to capture them and portray emotions.
APH – Out of all the photos you’ve captured, do you have favorites?
Oma Visuals – Yes, I have some favorites and I would love to share them with you.
APH – This pictures are beautiful. Is there any photographer or creative that has influenced you and your work?
Oma Visuals – Uhmm, there are a lot. First is Khannah Black. He was my first tutor and I’m forever grateful to him for his impact on my photography journey. I discovered him on Facebook. I was so in love with his pictures and I wanted to create images like his. I reached out and by God’s grace, he became my tutor. I’m also inspired by Amazingklef’s clean studio portraits. Electronweddings’ pictures has also influenced my photography.
APH – Where is your studio located or where are you based?
Oma Visuals – I’m based in Benin.
APH – Do you ever get insecure or get dissatisfied after a particular shoot?
Oma Visuals – Yes, I feel dissatisfied after a shoot some times. This happens if the energy on set was not good or if the shoot was rushed.
APH – How do you work with clients to make sure their vision is represented in the photos?
Oma Visuals – When a client reaches out to me, I allow them to pour out their ideas. Using their ideas, I create a moodboard and send it to them for their approval. Once approved, we work hand in had to bring the vision to life.
APH – How do you handle difficult lighting situations?
Oma Visuals – Ahh, that one(lol). Well, I work with the available lights I have and try to make the best out of it. During post- processing, I enhance it and make it presentable.
APH – What do you do to stay current with photo technology and trends?
Oma Visuals – I browse through Instagram when I can to stay current with photo trends.
APH – How do you ensure that you are delivering the highest-quality photos to your clients?
Oma Visuals – High quality photos is a very compulsory thing for any photographer and is one thing I’m very serious about. Getting a high quality image begins from set arrangements to clicking the cameras and down to final editing. I always try to get exactly what I need straight from camera so that I won’t have to over tweak during post processing in order to retain the quality. After editing, I also save the images in a way that when my clients post on the internet, the quality is still retained.
APH – Is there something you really want to achieve in the world photography?
Oma Visuals – Yes. I want to be widely known and I want my images to inspire a lot of people.
APH – So far has it been easy being a photographer in your country ?
Oma Visuals – Not really. Photography gears are produced and shipped from outside the country. They are also sold in dollars. When converted to naira, it’s actually a lot and we all know the situation of naira to dollars. So when buying these gears, the cost is quite high.
APH – Do you have any advice to any one starting out as a photographer
Oma Visuals – Consistency. I think this applies to other fields too. To get good at anything and to see results, consistency is needed. Let’s say, you are trying to fill up a bowl with water, if you pour a little, walk away, come back, pour a little, walk away, come back, pour a little, it would take a long time before the bowl would get filled up. But, if you continue to pour the water into the bowl consistently, it would get filled up in no time.
Secondly, don’t ever compare yourself to any other photographer. You cannot be starting out and be comparing yourself to someone who has been into the field longer than you. You would only be hurting your self esteem and confidence. Instead, work on yourself and try to grow your skills.
The 54th 