ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Bayelsa State Governor on Tourism, Mr Piriye Kiyaramo, has advised professional photographers to focus their attention on nature photography.
He noted that nature is an incredibly vast and abundant subject to photograph, with its ever-changing landscapes and cycles of birth, death and rebirth.
Kiyaramo maintained that the tourism industry is driven by biodiversity, stressing that tourist destinations such as tropical forests, beaches, national parks and urban areas depend on their natural beauty to attract visitors and enchant them during their stay in such destinations.
He gave the advice in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, at a photography training seminar for young people, organised by Snapshot, an indigenous photography advocacy and training organisation.
The seminar is part of the activities lined up for the 2022 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Bayelsa State Council which will be wrapped up on Sunday (next week).
Kiyaramo reiterated that the natural world offers endless possibilities for wildlife and landscape photography.
According to the governor’s aide, nature photography has to do with a wide range of outdoor photography devoted to displaying natural elements, such as landscapes, wildlife, plants and close-ups of natural scenes and textures.
He noted that “nature photography tends to put a stronger emphasis on the aesthetic value of the photo than other photography genres like photojournalism and documentary photography”.
He said photography, being part of art tourism has a huge market in Bayelsa State, given the beautiful landscapes, seascapes, lakes, the long coastlines, fine beaches, terrestrial and marine wildlife and the rich cultural heritage of the Ijaws which is usually expressed through their colourful local festivals across all communities in the state.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Samuel Numonengi, enjoined participants at the photography seminar to take advantage of the training to update their knowledge in the practice of photography, while commending the organisers of the training.
Mr. Timipre Willis Amah, an award winning Fine Art and Documentary photographer, painter, printmaker and lecturer with the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, made his presentatation on Fine Art and Documentary photography.
He said: “In view of the significant role photography plays as a media communication tool and visual creativity, the younger generation needs to be encouraged to leverage on photographic arts for work and for the betterment of society.”
Amah explained that “Snapshot is an indigenous photography advocacy and training organisation, dedicated to engaging young people through photography to enhance the use and creativity of this powerful and prevalent tool”.
In his presentation, the Niger Delta Correspondent of Reuters News Agency and Chairman of Correspondents’ Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa State Council, Mr. Tife Owolabi, who was part of the organisers, explained that the event was meant to train young photographers to tell stories through pictures.
He added that not everyone with a camera or smartphone could tell stories via the tools in their hands.
Owolabi said: “As a photojournalist, you are not different from a regular reporter, only that you are using visuals/pictures to tell the story which involves techniques by using the 5Ws and H. And as a people, we must also learn how to tell our own stories, and preserve history for posterity”.
On his part, Mr. Bodise Wilson, a veteran photojournalist, who had worked with the Vanguard Newspaper and Ovation Magazine in London, said photography remains a big business and encouraged participants to carry themselves highly with humility and self-esteem.