Listening to – Fireboy DML – Coming back for you
Bright Charles who is also known by his instagram handle @_dstoryteller is a Nigerian photographer from Rivers State and grew up in Port Harcourt the states’ capital.
His work as a photographer explores the emotions and experiences that are common to the everyday mind, he also explores different perspectives from his subjects as an insight to their respective stories as far as they’d let him. Brights’ work explores people and how they navigate through their experiences.
APH – What motivates you to create?
Bright Charles – The ability to be a witness to all the beauty that lies in the world through photography is what motivates me to create. I was created, I believe to be able to give back in my own way; I have to create, that way I didn’t just pass through this world, but I’ve been able to leave pieces of me here that will live long after I am gone.
APH – Are there any photographers or artists that you can boldly say has greatly influenced your work?
Bright Charles – Yes, there has been. There are a lot lol. But top of the list have to be Lexon Art, James Banor and Platon then bringing it back home TY Bello is a big influence on my perspective as an artist
APH – Those are pretty big names. What niche of photography would you say you belong to ?
Bright Charles – Do I have a niche? I don’t know, maybe I do. But I have a wide range of genres of photography I have explored but if I am to settle I would say my niche would be documentary and visual storytelling.
APH – What kind of gear do you use to create your images?
Bright Charles – Currently, I use a Sony Alpha 7 and a 50mm 1.8 lens
APH – What was the first gear you used during the genesis of your photography journey?
Bright Charles – I started out with a Canon 500D, sadly that camera was stolen lol.
APH – oh wow sorry about that. Do you think gear matters in the world of photography?
Bright Charles – On a basic level, no gear has never mattered. I know we are tired of hearing “it starts from your mind” but it is the truth. The reality is yes, gear can be limiting, but shouldn’t stop you from creating what you can with what you have. (if you have money buy good gear sha)
APH – Hahahahah. Out of all the images you’ve created do you have favorites?
Bright Charles – No, I don’t to be honest. All my work is a spectrum of emotions I was feeling at the time I made them, so they are all favorites.
APH – What skills did you have to develop during your creative journey?
Bright Charles – One skill I had to develop was my communication skill. That’s the core of how I create all I have.
APH – What’s the biggest obstacle you’ve faced as a photographer?
Bright Charles – Well, my biggest so far has been trying to communicate that I am different and that I will not follow the conventional path to photography.
APH – Yeah that can be hard sometimes, especially when everyone is used to the conventional way of photography. What techniques do you use to capture emotion in your photos?
Bright Charles – To capture emotions, I try to see myself in the emotion i am trying to put in my stories.
Have I felt it? Do I relate to it? Can I talk about it? That way i can have a glimpse to what my viewers may feel when they see my photographs
APH – How do you work with clients to make sure their vision is represented in the photos?
Bright Charles – Well, this is tricky, because not everyone is trying to tell a story most times. But, for those who do, i try to find out why exactly they want that photograph to be taken and ask them how they want to feel anytime they remember the moment they are seated or in front of my lens
APH – How do you handle difficult lighting situations?
Bright Charles – I try to make sure I do not run into bad lighting situations to be honest because it can be challenging. So if I am faced with bad lights, I try to work with angles.
APH – What do you do to stay current with photo technology and trends?
Bright Charles – I think demand is in line with current styles, so I look at which style lets me stay true to the core of my ethic as a photographer, if it is not, I wouldn’t follow. Trends come and go and I want to remain timeless.
APH – How do you ensure that you a delivering the highest-quality photos to your clients?
Bright Charles – I give my best really.
APH – Is there something you really want to achieve in the world of photography?
Bright Charles – I have often thought about what i want to achieve in the world of photography and to be honest there’s only so much i can do, i can say i want to in my own way make photography more accepted in mainstream art, but all that would be personal achievements. I think I am more concerned about what I would do with photography, and that would be for people to see my work and my stories and find hope and meaning and maybe take something from how I have navigated my life as a photographer/individual and be better at what they do.
APH – Do you have any advice to anyone starting out as a photographer?
Bright Charles – Honest advice would be know your why, don’t let yourself be boxed and always acknowledge the One that created you and gave you the gift of creating.
The 54th 