A Cultural Journey with Adefolarin Adegboye

Adefolarin is a photographer from Ondo State, Nigeria who began his career in 2020, transitioning from portrait to documentary photography, and now focuses on photojournalism. His work primarily showcases Nigerian cultural diversity and environmental stories, often captured spontaneously. He values minimal editing, preferring to present his photos as they are. He emphasizes the importance of community over competition and advises aspiring photographers to be obsessed with their craft. His goals are to continue exploring and capturing the beauty of Nigeria without a specific limit.

So how did You get Started in Photography?

Photography was an escape for me. I started out sometime in 2020 but, I mean, it became like a career prospect in 2023, thereabouts. And how did I find myself a photographer? It's just that it's funny, because it was a friend that gave me his camera, and I just took some pictures, and I kind of just felt like, oh, yeah, photography is it for me, you know? And that was how I started, basically.

What's your Style so Far? How could You Describe it? You said You went from Portraits. I've Seen some of Your Work. I'm Seeing more Landscapes of People. So as it did, it Develop Over Time.

So when I left portrait, I went into documentary photography, which now eventually evolved into photojournalism. So currently I'm more into photojournalism, you know, and though it does not still depend on the fact that the documentary photographer.

What is your Personal Favorite when it comes to Photojournalism?

You would find me in cultural. So I kind of grew up; I grew up away from culture, right? So when I was growing up, my parents didn't want me to go anywhere near culture because they had this belief that they wanted our kids to be far away so that they don’t possess them or anything. So when I started photography, I just found culture fascinating. You know, the way of life of people in different settings, different backgrounds, drew my attention. So mostly you see me doing culture right. Then after culture, I do a lot of environmental stories. I do a story on climate sustainability, then the societal impact on humans.

So is that what You want People to see, the Cultural Diversity in Nigeria?

Yes, I think I took it personally about myself to, you know, show the cultural aspect of Nigeria, because I feel like, to some extent, there is this narrative, the same narrative my parents had, that it kept me out of culture, right? A scenario you will see an average Nigerian, right? Nigeria, who Nigerian, I mean, an average Nigerian that will have, you know, so I kind of use my photography to show the beautiful aspects of culture, the vibrant aspect of culture, you know, across Nigeria,

Do you Usually Plan it, or do You take it in the Moment?

I take it in the moment. I take it in the moment. I mean, there are times that I don't even know what is happening. I just got a call from a colleague. I just pull up, so it's just taking the moment. It's not planned.

And how do You Approach it? How do You want People to See it?

I want people to see the beauty, the beautiful part of culture. Through my photography, that's what I depict the most.

Throughout Your Travels, which Place Inspired You the Most?

Well, so sometime early this year, right? I think I'm just outside what's coming to my mind. Sometime early this year, I had an experience in Benin Republic. I went for the—it was like a cultural setting, right? It was a, it was a, it was like a sacred forest. And I saw, I saw the cross of of Jesus Christ, and they were pouring like they were appealing, like appeasing; it was like a statue. So they were appeasing the statue in a sacred forest. So it kind of made me start wondering that, okay, like it was like a school for thought that, okay, what, where exactly is like, what is the intersection between culture and religion? Because I did not understand what was going on at that particular moment. You know, I still have not understood what that particular moment symbolizes, right? But it was just Yeah, an inspiration to research more, to do more, to look more into what I'm doing. Yeah, that's our question.

What is Your Favorite Piece so Far?

Number one is the picture of the cross that I said I took in Benin Rlike,epublic. I mean, most recently, it's because if you asked me a question about it, I couldn't answer. It's just a piece to ponder on. So it's something I still, I mean, find very fascinating in all of the pictures I've taken over time.

Then there was this particular picture I took at a festival in Oyo town, you know, it was a picture of a woman and her child. Just saw a picture of a woman and a child. You know, through the window, I just maybe turned down on how people in, even in the advent of technology and everything they still respect or pay homage to their king.

In the Photography Industry and all, what has Been Your Biggest Challenge in Nigeria?

Challenge in Nigeria. I think getting to actually see people that appreciate what you do, right? If you tell someone that is not creative, you try to explain to someone creative, right? They just see you like you're wasting your time. I mean, most of the people, there are people that will understand, right? But people don't actually get to appreciate the fact that, oh, you as an individual, you're going around taking beautiful pictures of spaces.

You know? I think that's the best I can explain, yeah, but I feel like people don't as much, so I work in a foreign agency. I forgot to mention that as a front of a photojournalist, right? So my editors in those agencies, they appreciate my picture more than, should I say, a superior line of work here in Nigeria.

Have You been Involved in Collaborations, Exhibitions, Commissions?

Yes, I've exhibited in quite a number of exhibitions. There was a time, sometimes in South Africa, yeah, in Nigeria, so there was a local exhibition I did in school, yeah, quite a number of exhibitions. Then collaborations. I think it's very important. I mentioned a community that I'm part of, so they have been very helpful, you know, in trips and, you know, navigating across Nigeria, to be specific, yeah, I think even when it comes to collaboration, yes, I'm part of communities, community story hunters.

Who has Inspired You? Or so far like Whose Work has Inspired You?

Quite a number of them. Akintunde Akinleye. Very good guy. He's also a Nigerian documentary photographer. He's part of the people that you know have put me on so far. Yeah. I mean, you see a reflection of me.

What do You think can Improve in the Photography Scene here in Nigeria? What do You think? What are Your Sright?uggestions?

I think we need to start seeing this as less of a competition and more of a community. So I think there's that thing whereby we see each other as competition, and I have a belief that the sky is wide enough for everybody to fly. There is this feeling that you don't want to put your fellow colleagues on.

Because you feel like he's going to, you know, that just a lot of things you will see and hear, like, I mean, why not both of us win and see each other at the top? So I think that's something we really need to work on here in Nigeria, as as a community of photographers. And yeah, I think, I think that's the major thing that's coming to mind right now.

For Someone who is Starting out, what Advice can You Give Him or Her?

Be obsessed. That's, that's what I have to tell you, be obsessed, because obsession beats talent anytime. You need to go the extra mile. And it's true, because the best people, athletes, anyone who is at the top, they're always trying to get on top of things consistently.

What are Your Goals?

I don't have a limit. I have this mindset you get. So I'm more of a very spontaneous guy. I mean, you don't know my next plans. In fact, at times I don't know my next plans. But I feel like when I get to that point, I won't be so I won't be satisfied. So to put a point to my goal, I would say, I don't have a goal. I just want to keep going.