Emmanuel Oyeleke: a creative journey in fashion photography

Pushing creative boundaries is a huge part of fashion photography, and extremely important as we move towards a democratised industry, one where emerging creators as well as established photographers are empowered to tell their unique stories through the lens. Here, Nigeria-based Canon Ambassador Emmanuel Oyeleke delves into his inspiring journey as a fashion photographer in Lagos.

Emmanuel's path into photography is as unique as his images. He used to play Scrabble professionally, travelling the world for tournaments. It was during these adventures that he discovered a profound love for photography, capturing memories and moments from his trips.

Describing himself as a "serial entrepreneur", Emmanuel is all about channelling energy into his passions, and this has been instrumental in transforming his interest into a thriving career.

One of Emmanuel's guiding principles is never repeating the same image. "I don't like routine," he confesses. "I get bored easily, so even if I'm taking a picture I took before, my lighting might be different. Clients want consistency, of course, but I avoid being formulaic. I find different paths to get to my destination. It's something that's kept me going. It's kept me curious.

"When you think 'I've got it figured out, this is just the way I do it,' then you fall into the trap of complacency, and at some point, your images start getting repetitive. In a culture like Nigeria, people want fresh ideas and something different every time. Also, once you do a thing, a lot of younger photographers will emulate it, so if you're not able to find new ways of doing things, then your work starts looking like the work of a hundred other photographers. Being able to do things differently every time keeps things fresh for me and also my clients."

Whether it's a personal project or a client commission, there is always a personal vision at work, Emmanuel says – and sometimes, even if it wasn't what clients expected, the result resonates with them and they end up loving it.

Like Nina Zimolong and Ian Hippolyte, featured in a previous article in this series, Emmanuel believes that storytelling is always present in fashion photography.

"Even if you don't see it, there's always an element of storytelling," he says, "even if it's in the subtlest things – the gaze of the model, or the composition, or what I choose to include or exclude from my frame. There's something I'm trying to say with my work."

Emmanuel recognises the same creative impulse in the fashion industry itself, and consequently stresses the importance of platforms for fresh voices to be heard. "The likes of Lagos Fashion Week are built for established brands, but you see some of them including platforms for emerging designers too. There are also many others now springing up." He emphasises the value of events like Street Souk, a Lagos streetwear convention, which brings together different creatives to celebrate fashion and showcase their work. "These platforms are very important for emerging designers, plus other aspects of the industry – the emerging makeup artists, hair stylists, photographers, content creators. Everybody just needs a platform to be able to showcase what they can give."

Emmanuel believes that the importance of social media cannot be overemphasised – for photographers, and for these other creatives in the fashion industry and beyond.

Social media has democratised exposure, he notes, allowing all kinds of artists to ultimately "self-publish" their work and reach global audiences without relying on traditional gatekeepers – a term Ian also used to describe barriers to entry in this field – such as publishers, galleries, and producers. "Social media has been really empowering, especially to emerging photographers, designers, makeup artists and so on who didn't have the voice or reach or network before.

"Maybe you've never left the shores of Nigeria, but your work has travelled all over the world. I think that's really important."

For emerging fashion photographers, and equally the up-and-coming industry talent to which their work can give unprecedented exposure, Emmanuel offers this practical advice:

• "Make sure you're visible. Sharing contributes to the visibility of African talent – photography, videography, cinematography, fashion. There's a saying: closed mouths don't get fed. I mean, as an artist, you don't just want to create work and then it sits there and nobody sees it. I think it's more important than ever to share."
• Tell your story. "People buy into stories, not just images or videos. Tell your story, because nobody can tell your story the way you will tell your story."
• Embrace transparency. "How often do you hear people say 'Oh, my work speaks for itself'? But there's a lot of noise, a lot of distraction even on social media. So at this point you really have to share as much as possible, as often as possible – and I would say share not just the good parts but also the challenges, share the behind-the-scenes, and maybe people will see the value in what you're doing."

Emmanuel’s journey is a testament to the power of passion, originality, and creativity, revealing how an entrepreneurial spirit and social media can shape the careers of today's visual storytellers. If there’s one thing to learn, it’s that with the right tools and mindset, big dreams can become reality.

Read more:

• Breaking into fashion photography
• Fashion photography kit list

Written by Mabinty Taylor-Kamara and Sarah Kay Bland