[Music] so today’s world photography day I am a
so today’s world photography day I am a
so today’s world photography day I am a photographer and primarily I love to
photographer and primarily I love to
photographer and primarily I love to make beautiful images I love to make
make beautiful images I love to make
make beautiful images I love to make images of beauty but the more I advanced
images of beauty but the more I advanced
images of beauty but the more I advanced in my work and I started to show work
in my work and I started to show work
in my work and I started to show work especially internationally the initial
especially internationally the initial
especially internationally the initial work that was shown of my work was more
work that was shown of my work was more
work that was shown of my work was more documentary work and that was work that
documentary work and that was work that
documentary work and that was work that showed the reality of my life I am
showed the reality of my life I am
showed the reality of my life I am started to make work portrait work from
started to make work portrait work from
started to make work portrait work from the very beginning of my career and then
the very beginning of my career and then
the very beginning of my career and then I decided that I was going to use my
I decided that I was going to use my
I decided that I was going to use my gift to convey whatever message you was
gift to convey whatever message you was
gift to convey whatever message you was I was passionate about photographers
I was passionate about photographers
I was passionate about photographers like to say this a picture is worth more
like to say this a picture is worth more
like to say this a picture is worth more than a thousand words but unfortunately
than a thousand words but unfortunately
than a thousand words but unfortunately in the world that we are in right now
in the world that we are in right now
in the world that we are in right now people don’t have time to listen to
people don’t have time to listen to
people don’t have time to listen to thousand words people are always in a
thousand words people are always in a
thousand words people are always in a hurry and it’s very very hard to get
hurry and it’s very very hard to get
hurry and it’s very very hard to get people’s attention another thing is it’s
people’s attention another thing is it’s
people’s attention another thing is it’s very hard to hold people’s attention in
very hard to hold people’s attention in
very hard to hold people’s attention in the past if you showed people a shocking
the past if you showed people a shocking
the past if you showed people a shocking image of something really really
image of something really really
image of something really really gruesome you could get them talking
gruesome you could get them talking
gruesome you could get them talking about it for two weeks but not anymore
about it for two weeks but not anymore
about it for two weeks but not anymore we’re all on social media we’re
we’re all on social media we’re
we’re all on social media we’re constantly seeing things by the minute
constantly seeing things by the minute
constantly seeing things by the minute that shocked us so how do we get our
that shocked us so how do we get our
that shocked us so how do we get our work into people’s hearts I decided that
work into people’s hearts I decided that
work into people’s hearts I decided that if I were gonna make work that was gonna
if I were gonna make work that was gonna
if I were gonna make work that was gonna have people’s attention I figured out to
have people’s attention I figured out to
have people’s attention I figured out to be better with what I was good at and
be better with what I was good at and
be better with what I was good at and that was creating beauty so I just
that was creating beauty so I just
that was creating beauty so I just decided that I was going to use my
decided that I was going to use my
decided that I was going to use my beauty as my main medium for creating
beauty as my main medium for creating
beauty as my main medium for creating portraits so in my work that I’ve done
portraits so in my work that I’ve done
portraits so in my work that I’ve done my personal work recently has been on
my personal work recently has been on
my personal work recently has been on orphanages on people who are displaced
orphanages on people who are displaced
orphanages on people who are displaced and also on strangers maybe because my
and also on strangers maybe because my
and also on strangers maybe because my greatest fear in life has been losing my
greatest fear in life has been losing my
greatest fear in life has been losing my mom or being caught up in a place that I
mom or being caught up in a place that I
mom or being caught up in a place that I don’t know
don’t know
don’t know no one or and being a stranger and being
no one or and being a stranger and being
no one or and being a stranger and being lost but I find that when I go into this
lost but I find that when I go into this
lost but I find that when I go into this really dangerous spaces as orphanages or
really dangerous spaces as orphanages or
really dangerous spaces as orphanages or IDP camps or places that are not so
IDP camps or places that are not so
IDP camps or places that are not so beautiful I find a way to use my own
beautiful I find a way to use my own
beautiful I find a way to use my own work to find beauty in that environment
work to find beauty in that environment
work to find beauty in that environment so usually what I do is I make portraits
so usually what I do is I make portraits
so usually what I do is I make portraits in those environments I’ll give you for
in those environments I’ll give you for
in those environments I’ll give you for example when I did my very first
example when I did my very first
example when I did my very first exhibition on my work with orphanages
exhibition on my work with orphanages
exhibition on my work with orphanages initially I started making photos of the
initially I started making photos of the
initially I started making photos of the orphanages as with what I saw the
orphanages as with what I saw the
orphanages as with what I saw the reality of the orphanages and the
reality of the orphanages and the
reality of the orphanages and the challenges that they had but what I
challenges that they had but what I
challenges that they had but what I found was that when people saw these
found was that when people saw these
found was that when people saw these images they were too real so people
images they were too real so people
images they were too real so people turned away they blocked it they became
turned away they blocked it they became
turned away they blocked it they became numb but then I started to make images
numb but then I started to make images
numb but then I started to make images that I know how to make beautiful images
that I know how to make beautiful images
that I know how to make beautiful images I remember that one day I was on an
I remember that one day I was on an
I remember that one day I was on an orphanage and a police woman brought in
orphanage and a police woman brought in
orphanage and a police woman brought in a baby straight from the side of the
a baby straight from the side of the
a baby straight from the side of the road and I asked her the head of the
road and I asked her the head of the
road and I asked her the head of the orphanage if I could come back to make
orphanage if I could come back to make
orphanage if I could come back to make portraits of this baby so what I did was
portraits of this baby so what I did was
portraits of this baby so what I did was I just flopped some flowers from their
I just flopped some flowers from their
I just flopped some flowers from their garden and I made photos of a baby a
garden and I made photos of a baby a
garden and I made photos of a baby a sieve a bolonia woman that asked me to
sieve a bolonia woman that asked me to
sieve a bolonia woman that asked me to photograph their own baby and then I
photograph their own baby and then I
photograph their own baby and then I continued to make images like this at
continued to make images like this at
continued to make images like this at different orphanages and then I had an
different orphanages and then I had an
different orphanages and then I had an exhibition initially when I invited
exhibition initially when I invited
exhibition initially when I invited people to come see the images they were
people to come see the images they were
people to come see the images they were like I don’t you see I don’t see
like I don’t you see I don’t see
like I don’t you see I don’t see abandoned babies but then when they came
abandoned babies but then when they came
abandoned babies but then when they came they saw very simple images with babies
they saw very simple images with babies
they saw very simple images with babies with flowers or baby with the children
with flowers or baby with the children
with flowers or baby with the children and then I had somebody walk up to one
and then I had somebody walk up to one
and then I had somebody walk up to one of bitches and say that child looks like
of bitches and say that child looks like
of bitches and say that child looks like my tool this is exactly what my child
my tool this is exactly what my child
my tool this is exactly what my child looked like when they were that age and
looked like when they were that age and
looked like when they were that age and immediately I was able to make a
immediately I was able to make a
immediately I was able to make a connection
connection
connection same thing with when I went to the IDP
same thing with when I went to the IDP
same thing with when I went to the IDP camps had the option of making images
camps had the option of making images
camps had the option of making images there sure exactly what the challenges
there sure exactly what the challenges
there sure exactly what the challenges were and do not get me wrong I’m not
were and do not get me wrong I’m not
were and do not get me wrong I’m not saying that there is no place for this
saying that there is no place for this
saying that there is no place for this type of images that show us reality but
type of images that show us reality but
type of images that show us reality but sometimes we are so immersed in reality
sometimes we are so immersed in reality
sometimes we are so immersed in reality that we need an alternate perspective so
that we need an alternate perspective so
that we need an alternate perspective so I just started to make beautiful images
I just started to make beautiful images
I just started to make beautiful images of people at orphanages and I started to
of people at orphanages and I started to
of people at orphanages and I started to tell their individual stories for
tell their individual stories for
tell their individual stories for instance I met a woman who told me I was
instance I met a woman who told me I was
instance I met a woman who told me I was in the bathroom book
in the bathroom book
in the bathroom book I’d been nowhere near town and then my
I’d been nowhere near town and then my
I’d been nowhere near town and then my husband I just left for work and then
husband I just left for work and then
husband I just left for work and then the gunshots started that was the last
the gunshots started that was the last
the gunshots started that was the last time I saw him and I made a portrait of
time I saw him and I made a portrait of
time I saw him and I made a portrait of her holding her phone
her holding her phone
her holding her phone apparently she believes a husband may
apparently she believes a husband may
apparently she believes a husband may still be held alive and she may call one
still be held alive and she may call one
still be held alive and she may call one day and call her number now what is the
day and call her number now what is the
day and call her number now what is the good of all of this
good of all of this
good of all of this am I really able to get people to do
am I really able to get people to do
am I really able to get people to do good looking at beautiful images am i
good looking at beautiful images am i
good looking at beautiful images am i hiding them from the reality am i hiding
hiding them from the reality am i hiding
hiding them from the reality am i hiding them from the real trouble I don’t think
them from the real trouble I don’t think
them from the real trouble I don’t think so I can give an example or many
so I can give an example or many
so I can give an example or many examples for instance through those
examples for instance through those
examples for instance through those images I’ve taken off of orphans I’ve
images I’ve taken off of orphans I’ve
images I’ve taken off of orphans I’ve had people that I know are dog babies
had people that I know are dog babies
had people that I know are dog babies I’ve had people pay attention remember
I’ve had people pay attention remember
I’ve had people pay attention remember when I told the story of the bread sell
when I told the story of the bread sell
when I told the story of the bread sell and I shot her beautifully people
and I shot her beautifully people
and I shot her beautifully people started a conversation and said talking
started a conversation and said talking
started a conversation and said talking about her and they began to relate
about her and they began to relate
about her and they began to relate better to people in similar situations
better to people in similar situations
better to people in similar situations also I remember when I had an
also I remember when I had an
also I remember when I had an opportunity to meet Beyonce and I
opportunity to meet Beyonce and I
opportunity to meet Beyonce and I remember a small gathering was made for
remember a small gathering was made for
remember a small gathering was made for her where she met some of the orphans
her where she met some of the orphans
her where she met some of the orphans she didn’t really get to spend time and
she didn’t really get to spend time and
she didn’t really get to spend time and find out what their challenges were but
find out what their challenges were but
find out what their challenges were but I remember one of my images was given to
I remember one of my images was given to
I remember one of my images was given to her and she was a ticket away as a gift
her and she was a ticket away as a gift
her and she was a ticket away as a gift and I know that about three months after
and I know that about three months after
and I know that about three months after that next time she was invited to a gala
that next time she was invited to a gala
that next time she was invited to a gala she auctioned the photo that was given
she auctioned the photo that was given
she auctioned the photo that was given her consult if it was sold for a lot of
her consult if it was sold for a lot of
her consult if it was sold for a lot of money and she sent the money back to the
money and she sent the money back to the
money and she sent the money back to the children Beauty does have a place the
children Beauty does have a place the
children Beauty does have a place the world is very very very dark and we must
world is very very very dark and we must
world is very very very dark and we must not be afraid to have a different
not be afraid to have a different
not be afraid to have a different perspective my work has always been
perspective my work has always been
perspective my work has always been about connecting with people you know
about connecting with people you know
about connecting with people you know and the reason why I find this important
and the reason why I find this important
and the reason why I find this important is photography is not just a way for me
is photography is not just a way for me
is photography is not just a way for me to convey my own personal opinions it’s
to convey my own personal opinions it’s
to convey my own personal opinions it’s my own way to form them as well it’s how
my own way to form them as well it’s how
my own way to form them as well it’s how I connect with the world and how I get
I connect with the world and how I get
I connect with the world and how I get to meet people and understand them so I
to meet people and understand them so I
to meet people and understand them so I use it as my own way to explore and
use it as my own way to explore and
use it as my own way to explore and discover other people and get to know
discover other people and get to know
discover other people and get to know them better and then it puts me in a
them better and then it puts me in a
them better and then it puts me in a place of power where I can now have a
place of power where I can now have a
place of power where I can now have a person
person
person and a point of view and then convey
and a point of view and then convey
and a point of view and then convey whatever it is I found other people I
whatever it is I found other people I
whatever it is I found other people I remember I had made images of Emmanuel
remember I had made images of Emmanuel
remember I had made images of Emmanuel a total stranger that I’d met in Java as
a total stranger that I’d met in Java as
a total stranger that I’d met in Java as well and I was able to connect with his
well and I was able to connect with his
well and I was able to connect with his story
story
story Emmanuel used to live in a remand home
Emmanuel used to live in a remand home
Emmanuel used to live in a remand home and by the beautiful fortress I made of
and by the beautiful fortress I made of
and by the beautiful fortress I made of Emmanuel I was able to talk about you
Emmanuel I was able to talk about you
Emmanuel I was able to talk about you know how it is that most children who
know how it is that most children who
know how it is that most children who grow up in orphanages in Nigeria have to
grow up in orphanages in Nigeria have to
grow up in orphanages in Nigeria have to leave once they turn a certain age and
leave once they turn a certain age and
leave once they turn a certain age and there’s nowhere for them to go
there’s nowhere for them to go
there’s nowhere for them to go many of them are asked to go back home
many of them are asked to go back home
many of them are asked to go back home and they have no home to go back to and
and they have no home to go back to and
and they have no home to go back to and many are shipped off to remind homes
many are shipped off to remind homes
many are shipped off to remind homes where they are forced to live with
where they are forced to live with
where they are forced to live with people who in a Correctional Facility
people who in a Correctional Facility
people who in a Correctional Facility when they don’t necessarily have to be
when they don’t necessarily have to be
when they don’t necessarily have to be there so here it is what is my point
there so here it is what is my point
there so here it is what is my point whatever it is that you do and whatever
whatever it is that you do and whatever
whatever it is that you do and whatever it is that you know how to do well will
it is that you know how to do well will
it is that you know how to do well will always always be your best tool in
always always be your best tool in
always always be your best tool in conveying the things that you really
conveying the things that you really
conveying the things that you really care about thank you very much
care about thank you very much
care about thank you very much [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
”
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