Take Your Best Shot: 4 Nigerian Photographers Immortalizing Artists As They Tour The Us
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Loading... - Denis Alanza
- 09 Jun 2022
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In an increasingly digital world, the importance of music photography and videography cannot be overstated. In fact, some would argue that not enough is even said about the creative minds behind the artistic visuals we so readily enjoy! As a musical artist, getting the attention of your listeners is crucial. The music itself will probably go a long way in doing that, but you also want to make a good visual impression. High quality imagery not only ensures that your music and performances live on in the minds of the audience, but also shows that you’re taking the whole experience of your listeners into consideration.
For the listeners, well, interviews can sometimes be a little misleading (or the artists don’t really share too much about themselves). Expert photography/videography gives us a glimpse of the stars in their more open, human, and natural states. While you can get a general impression of who an artist or band is through their music, great photography can paint more than a thousand words and make a musical performance come to life again and again! Nowadays, no artist worth their salt goes on tour without ensuring that everything goes according to plan — and is properly documented all the way.
Here are 4 Nigerian photographers and creatives based in the United States who are chronicling the epic moments of Nigerian stars while they tour and make history:
@NelsonEgh
Previous Clients: Wizkid, Fireboy DML, Olamide
Starting off the list with a bang, we have photographer, videographer, and creative Director, Nelson Egharevba. The passionate young Nigerian started out as a student at the Canadian University Dubai where he studied Network Engineering while simultaneously dabbling in videography. Describing himself as mostly self-taught, Nelson soon began shooting short films, creating impressive visuals for a number of brand projects, and working on a handful of music videos, attracting considerable attention to his creative potential and obvious talent.
By 2019, Nelson had already worked with the likes of Ice Prince Zamani, and Davido and even directed and edited the accompanying visuals for BlaqJerzee’s hit collaboration with Wizkid titled Arizona which was released in 2020. These days, the Atlanta-based creative works hard to capture both the vibrant and intimate moments of many popular Nigerian stars like Burna Boy, Olamide, and Wizkid while on tour in the United States. His impressive catalog also includes Ladipoe’s recent tour in March as well as capturing the behind-the-scenes moments during Fireboy DML’s very first US tour earlier this year. Always ready to learn, experiment, and take his craft up a notch, Nelson’s growth over the years has been a real pleasure to watch.
@DrDrummerD
Previous Clients: Wizkid, DJ Tunez, Davido, DJ Buka, Ashanti, Wale
Born Oliver Akinfeleye, DrDrummerD is a New York-based Photographer and creative. One of the first words that come to mind when you see Drummer’s work is “clean” and a quick glance through his portfolio proves that his ability to tell visual stories and capture crisp, powerful shots is worth commending. Working on everything from album covers to fashion editorials to music tours, DrummerD’s work has opened up numerous doors for him, giving him the opportunity to work closely with international stars like Nigerian-American rapper, Wale, and popular R&B singer, Ashanti, amongst others. In January of 2017, he worked with DJ Tunez, the first major Nigerian artist he photographed live and has since gone on a number of world tours and shows for some of the biggest Nigerian Musicians of our time including Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, and Tems during the AfroCarnival last year.
Priding himself on his ability to “capture the ‘unseen’ angle”, DrDrummerD has a knack for capturing candid shots and the unique movement patterns of each star as well as the mood of the audience, preferring to use low light quality and stage lighting which gives viewers a more realistic feel of the show. Committed to bringing his dreams and visions to life, DrDrummerD is playing his part in capturing Nigeria’s current and upcoming talent. Read More…
