Something To Do
From a certain angle, the lay of the earth rises into blocks of buildings, then scrapes the interminable sky. It is not clear whether the two males ahead, with their backs to the camera, are poised in motion or in stasis. The opacity of their presence is due, in part, to the low contrast of the photograph. This picture seems closer to dimness than luminosity, as if to indicate a steady withdrawal of light.
— Emmanuel Iduma
“Photography is an incredibly engaging activity that gives me joy.”
The photograph was shot at Bowen University, Iwo, on a Nokia 3.1. Edited using Snapseed.
This is a black and white copy of the photo that changed my life.
I don't remember much about the day I took it, but I recall dragging my feet to an Introduction to Sociology lecture I would ordinarily have skipped.
I was two semesters into my second university and as unmotivated as my last day at my previous school. I hated leaving my room and did so infrequently. It's easy to draw a black swan conclusion as to why I went out that evening, but I prefer to think of it as a mystery because it was on my way that this photo found me. I was never the sort of person to use my phone camera. But all that changed after I took this photo—and decided again and again that I would "just take a photo."
Exactly four years later, today (9th of October), I'm writing this and wondering if I'd have lived this long or well if I never took this photo. Perhaps not.
It might seem like an exaggeration to say photography saved my life, but perhaps it would be more believable if I didn't say "unmotivated" when I meant to say clinically depressed & mildly suicidal.
I like to believe not knowing what to do with your life isn't an urgent problem, but not doing anything is. Now, I can picture a life where I don’t earn a living from photography, but I cannot imagine my life without my photos. Photography is something to do—an incredibly worthwhile activity.
— Tam Olobio
About Tam Olobio
Tam Olobio is a Nigerian project manager & photographer currently based in the UK. He writes
, a newsletter featuring his photography, essays, and musings. More of his work can be found on Instagram and his portfolio.LAST WEEK
— “Mind's Turbulence,” by Adedolapo Boluwatife
What I particularly love about this image is the gentle quality of the lighting and the overall atmosphere it imparts, and how it establishes a unique mood for the photograph. The way the light is cast, splitting the face, creates a distinct contrast that adds depth and texture to the image.
“Ojemba,” by Tony Agbapuonwu, in KINDRED
In Igbo, the word “Ojemba” carries with it a sense of wonder and it loosely translates to “traveler” in English. In the context of my selected family photograph, Ojemba embodies the notion of renaissance and the transcendence of time into eternity. This is a photograph of my maternal grandparents, Captain Jeremiah a.k.a Ojemba and Mataefi Comfort Chude taken years before the tumultuous Biafran war—a time when their love was unburdened by the storm of conflict.
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This is the 87th edition of this publication, which also read on web (best for viewing images), and via the Substack iOS/Android apps.
Every Wednesday I feature one photograph and the photographer who took it: you’d read a short caption from me, and a statement from the photographer. Every Friday, I publish a series of commentaries in response to photographs previously featured on the newsletter. The ongoing series is KINDRED. My hope is to engage with early to mid-career African photographers, and to create a platform in which photographers lead the cataloguing and criticism of their work.
Photographers can now submit their work for consideration.
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