I interviewed Akua Boatenmaa Adjei , a female photographer at her Universal Top Range Studio a few weeks ago , the interview focused on how she got into photography , what inspires her and other issues . Read on to find out more .
Q: Who is Akua Boatenmaa Adjei?
A: “I am just a normal bubbly amiable girl; go-getter and a survivor.”
Q: What inspired your liking for photography?
A: “I think I took an interest in taking pictures when I had my first camera phone… it was in 2005.”
Q: You’ve been doing photography for some years now, who or what inspires you?
A: “Photography is something that you just don’t finish learning. There are people who believed in me, they are the ones who inspired me. And you know at GIJ, we just learned photography one semester and its all just theory; you don’t even get to touch the camera; you don’t even see how a camera looks like… so then it takes people to believe in you that beyond that you can go on to start something practical. There are few friends who actually believed in me and recommended me to others. I learn from professionals, I look at some other people’s works and compare them; I try to beat them or use their skills to make mine perfect.”
Q: Is there any photographer you would like to work with in the near future?
A: “Yes…when I started off I didn’t know any photographer but later I got to know a couple like Emmanuel Bobie (BobPixel); he’s a personal friend and adviser. Sometimes if I need to take some photos and I cant get my head around it, I will just call him and say oh what do you think I should do with this? Then he tells me do this and do that; then it comes out looking so good so he is one. And then there’s Ben Bond of OAB Photography; he’s a very good friend of mine. Nii Odzenma of Nfonigraphy; yeah he’s very good he assists me sometimes … there are certain pictures that he took of me yeah like this picture (pointing to a picture on the wall), he took it … he was in my studio at the time. And he is always there for me when I call him. He is one of the guys that if I need help; maybe I have a big wedding and I need support from somebody else I just call him to come and help me out and he is always there for me so yeah I have a lot of people and now we are all friends.”
Q: Is there any field of photography you specialized in?
A: “I call myself the all rounder; you know as photographers we have interests but you don’t have a particular field that you say okay this is what I want to do.”
Q: Do you think photography as a career, is respected in Ghana?
A: “It depends on how you package it. It’s about how you package yourself; I’m not just a street photographer; I didn’t just become a photographer; I have a certificate; I’m a trained journalist and currently taking up a course in public relations in school. You know when you are doing something and you love it so much even if you don’t get the money you get the satisfaction, the fulfilment. We have people sitting in banks; they don’t feel happy but they get the money.”
Q: How supportive is your family?
A: “My mom is that one person, who truly supports me. When I started this thing it wasn’t really paying but she supported me. My boyfriend has also been supportive; he believes in my dream.”
Q: What do you hope to achieve in say five years; what are you future plans? A: “I had always wanted to own an advertising agency. Five years from now I see a cluster of stores and then maybe a big place where there are you know sections of set ups where people can make even videos or make movies . It will be like a plazar where every room and the set up inside you can take photos.”
Q: What is that one thing you want to be remembered for as Akua Boatenmaa Adjei?
A: “I’m building an image for myself in a field where men are dominated so I’m ready to go as far as I can, to be on top of my game.”
Q: Your last words?
A: “If you are passionate about something work towards it; pray about it and then you will get there and don’t give up. Don’t even think about what people will say. When I became a photographer they looked at me very weirdly but I wear my heels and pick my camera and shoot and the outcome is always good.”
Q: Who is Akua Boatenmaa Adjei?
A: “I am just a normal bubbly amiable girl; go-getter and a survivor.”
Q: What inspired your liking for photography?
A: “I think I took an interest in taking pictures when I had my first camera phone… it was in 2005.”
Q: You’ve been doing photography for some years now, who or what inspires you?
A: “Photography is something that you just don’t finish learning. There are people who believed in me, they are the ones who inspired me. And you know at GIJ, we just learned photography one semester and its all just theory; you don’t even get to touch the camera; you don’t even see how a camera looks like… so then it takes people to believe in you that beyond that you can go on to start something practical. There are few friends who actually believed in me and recommended me to others. I learn from professionals, I look at some other people’s works and compare them; I try to beat them or use their skills to make mine perfect.”
Q: Is there any photographer you would like to work with in the near future?
A: “Yes…when I started off I didn’t know any photographer but later I got to know a couple like Emmanuel Bobie (BobPixel); he’s a personal friend and adviser. Sometimes if I need to take some photos and I cant get my head around it, I will just call him and say oh what do you think I should do with this? Then he tells me do this and do that; then it comes out looking so good so he is one. And then there’s Ben Bond of OAB Photography; he’s a very good friend of mine. Nii Odzenma of Nfonigraphy; yeah he’s very good he assists me sometimes … there are certain pictures that he took of me yeah like this picture (pointing to a picture on the wall), he took it … he was in my studio at the time. And he is always there for me when I call him. He is one of the guys that if I need help; maybe I have a big wedding and I need support from somebody else I just call him to come and help me out and he is always there for me so yeah I have a lot of people and now we are all friends.”
Q: Is there any field of photography you specialized in?
A: “I call myself the all rounder; you know as photographers we have interests but you don’t have a particular field that you say okay this is what I want to do.”
Q: Do you think photography as a career, is respected in Ghana?
A: “It depends on how you package it. It’s about how you package yourself; I’m not just a street photographer; I didn’t just become a photographer; I have a certificate; I’m a trained journalist and currently taking up a course in public relations in school. You know when you are doing something and you love it so much even if you don’t get the money you get the satisfaction, the fulfilment. We have people sitting in banks; they don’t feel happy but they get the money.”
Q: How supportive is your family?
A: “My mom is that one person, who truly supports me. When I started this thing it wasn’t really paying but she supported me. My boyfriend has also been supportive; he believes in my dream.”
Q: What do you hope to achieve in say five years; what are you future plans? A: “I had always wanted to own an advertising agency. Five years from now I see a cluster of stores and then maybe a big place where there are you know sections of set ups where people can make even videos or make movies . It will be like a plazar where every room and the set up inside you can take photos.”
Q: What is that one thing you want to be remembered for as Akua Boatenmaa Adjei?
A: “I’m building an image for myself in a field where men are dominated so I’m ready to go as far as I can, to be on top of my game.”
Q: Your last words?
A: “If you are passionate about something work towards it; pray about it and then you will get there and don’t give up. Don’t even think about what people will say. When I became a photographer they looked at me very weirdly but I wear my heels and pick my camera and shoot and the outcome is always good.”
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