I Don't Think I'm Photogenic: My Photo Session Story

A lot of people are beautiful, but yet, they keep saying that the beautiful ones are not yet born.

Don't know how true this assertion is, but we grew up hearing it.

Now, so many people are photogenic, which means, they look stunningly beautiful and cute in moments stilled with a camera, and some are not.

A good number of people just like me, feel we don't look cute in photographs, or maybe we don't just like seeing ourselves in photos, and other varying views and this has affected us a lot.

A few days back, I was going through some profiles on Instagram, and I stumbled on a post by Hon. Charles Udoh, and I had a quick moment of reflection, and to some extent inspired this post. It wasn't the photo in the post, but the person that took the photograph.

Kelechi is a household name when it comes to photography in Nigeria, and he has constantly created magic with the lens, and the things I saw on his page got me thinking, and I asked myself, are these people this fine in real life.

And here is my story!

In more than 2 decades that I have existed on planet earth by God's grace, I have only been to a 'Photo Studio' twice, and I have attached the photos from the two sessions.

It's funny right, but I'm not kidding.

Unlike a large pool of people, I have a very varying view when it comes to taking pictures, the more reason you have me repeating a good number of pictures here, and if you should take my phone, you won't see much of my pictures. Yeah!

I don't prepare to take pictures, I take them by chance.

The very first time I visited a studio to take pictures was more than a year ago, when preparations for the 2019 edition of the #UyoFoodFestival, #UsenNdia2019 was intense, and we were asked to do some studio photos for branding sake, and that was excellently delivered by Ani Johnson, one of the very best hands when it comes to photography in Nigeria, and my happiness was that it was done by a pro.

All thanks to the Usen Ndia team.

Now, the second time was more emotional than the former, and this time, it was a private headshot session with Bomstik Media, and it was the day I knew how talented some photographers were.

So, Uwong Etteh De Headmaster had advertised that he was doing headshots, and I loved the stuff he created, and we have been talking before now, and boom, he gave me an invite for a free headshot session, and I was amazed.

Upon reaching his office, I met a fine lady and we got talking, but the problem is that I can't even remember her name, talk more of remembering her face if I should see her on the road.

That was by the way, sha!

The smiles you're seeing in the second frame wasn't forced, he never asked me to smile ☺, but I was laughing all through the session, and even as I was typing this, and I won't tell you the things he said to me, but I will leave you to guess what will make a guy laugh 😂 so hard.

For the broken teeth in the second frame, that will be a story for another day. 😁

Omo, the second shoot was just so short compared to the first one, but it was worth it.

This aspect of my life has been so terrible, and I wonder what I would have done if God didn't bless me with photographers like Roland Eteobong Harry, Prince Bassey, Ikenna Kalu, and a host of others, who will spot me at events and will just give me fine shots, though some of them, I will need the police 🚨 report getting my pictures, but them dey try.

In conclusion,

I will leave you to be the judge. Do I look handsome in real life than in photos, or look cute in photographs than in real life?

#GrowWithEdikan ❤️🦅