‘I strongly do believe every image has a narrative and for this I daily question my thought process before any shoot, be it personal or commercial’ – Olubela Atilola

These days we can all agree that pictorial assimilation makes for good learning than reading trailer loads of text. We now live in a visual world where images either moving or still pictures drives conversations. New technological innovations are also tilted towards conversation via images. With the way things are, the roles to be played by film directors and photographers in driving various narratives are paramount; stories that cut through the happenings in the society must be interpreted without losing the essence. One of those photographers living to continue to tell impressive story about the everyday cultural changes and influences is Olubela Atilola, popularly known in the photography arena as T’BRIGGS.

“I tag myself an image-maker, this lends me the latitude for conceptualization before final execution. I strongly do believe every image has a narrative and for this I daily question my thought process before any shoot, be it personal or commercial. My influences are Annie Leibovitz, Platoon and Clay Cook. On the home front, photographers like August Udoh and Hakeem Salaam are folks that inspires me. I also draw inspiration from book readings, film screening and contemporary art exhibitions. I love everything white, conscious world music and intellectual conversation fuelled by good spirit. Teeth out!

My journey as a photographer started during my undergraduate days. Although
right from my elementary I had this crazy knack for art, but I read
sciences all through. At a certain point I became frustrated about the
education system and volatile environment, really was on the edge of
dropping out. That’s was in my “official” year three – men it was a blessed
system of protracted strike actions and the rest- during my industrial
attachment I drove along old Bodija and found this studio Pixels digital
studios went in and met this damsel, told her I wanted to see the
management and I was willing to work for free although I had no prior
experience. Long story short I worked for almost eight months without pay.

My first pay was ten thousand naira then. All along I was self taught, the
photographers then weren’t willing to teach due to office politics, but
during my free time I married the café browsing, copying and pasting every
info on note before printing cheap so I could peruse later.
Fast forward, after NYSC happy I took the womanly advise of a friend then
not to quit school. Then I moved to Lagos subscribed to the Centre for
Contemporary Art’s library at Yaba, attended the TF-ESS photography
master-class by Red media then. Later I became an alumni at The Nlele
Institut-African Centre for photography, Lagos. I was all about art
photography (conceptual and documentary form of photography) then, was a
part documentary dissonance//cultural heritage exhibition by
Geothe-Institut Lagos and had a few publications.

Life happened and was away from the photography scene now it feels good to
be back. Now am on a new vibes of fusing the art and commercial in a clean
blend. In the future personally would be working on projects and
collaborative ideas that lead to exhibitions and publications. Would love
to shoot a few films and probably write a book before I leave mother earth.