“A man who works with his hands is a laborer.
A man who works with his hands and his head is a Craftsman.
A man who works with his hands and his head and heart is an Artist.”
Louis Nizer
British-born US Lawyer and Author
I grew up in a village – of sorts.
In the 70′s and 80′s the University of Ife was the ideal environment for me. I was never in short supply of intellectual and creative stimuli.
From my finger paints and crayons as a toddler, I moved on to color pencils. With time, those gave way to felt tipped color pens and markers. In my teens, I was totally swept off my feet by my watercolors.
Even though my chosen course of studies at the University was Computer Science and Economics, my Iwata HP-C airbrush was my favorite plaything all through – and boy, did I play!
With time, the airbrush and super silent compressor gave way to Photoshop 3.5 and CorelDraw 3.0 on the PC, and from that time till now, the computer has remained an indispensable comrade-in-arms in my quest for perfection of expression.
Studying Professional Photography with the New York Institute of Photography helped me to “make sense” of my visual and creative abilities, and provided me a solid launch pad for my adventure in this industry.
Nowadays, my preferred tool of creative expression is the camera – both still and motion.
Without a doubt, I am in my element when, with camera in hand, I am making images to thrill myself and clients.
Creating images that capture the heart, mind and emotion is what I do best.
In time, I have learnt that the more questions I ask and the more attentively I listen, the better I am able to produce work that meets and exceed the expectation of my clients. This, I have found is the basis for continued success in life generally, and in business in particular.
Whether it’s a Business executive portrait or a family portrait, or it’s a wedding or Architectural masterpiece I am commissioned to photograph, or maybe its even a personal project, the relentless pursuit of THE image is what keeps me going.
Without a doubt, I was born for this!
Today, just like many decades ago, I am still beside myself in wonder and sheer ecstasy each time I birth an image and others can share with me in the joy of creation.
I am eternally grateful to God for this awesome privilege.
Yes. I am Theophilus Emmanuel.
And yes…
I am an Artist.