I learnt photography during COVID-19 lockdown to end my sister's frustrations with his photographer, but I've not looked back since then

I am Adekunle Oyelade but my brand name is Kunle Kapture, which has to do with photography. 

Although I am a native of Osogbo in Osun State, I was born in Ibadan on 14 January 1994. So, I am twenty-eight years old.

My parents died while I was little.

To the best of my knowledge, my dad died before I was two years old. I have never asked what caused their death. 

Perhaps if I was an adult when they died, it would have been more tramautic. I was too young to understand what death meant.

I have five older sisters, including a set of twins. Three of my sisters live abroad.

Growing up was tough but my sisters were supportive. I grew up in Lagos and I was always moving, or being moved, from one place to another and I do not even remember the names of many of the places. 

But, for my secondary school education, I attended Future Leaders High School, Alagbado, on the outskirts of Lagos.

I was kicked out many times  because of difficulty with paying school fees.

Let us just say that I was almost always out of school for that reason. 

I eventually dropped out and could not complete my schooling.

To sit for the West African School Certificate Examination, in 2011, I had to join a tutorial centre, and I was serious with it. 

I was a commercial student and I was good in economics.

I passed well enough to gain admission in 2013 to Redeemer's University at Ede in Osun State, owned by the Redeemed Christians Church of God (RCCG), where I read banking and finance, although my original choice was economics.

I was a diligent student in school and I had hope that I would end up working in the bank.

There was no specific reason for choosing the institution. My twin sisters and I thought that it was a nice university and that was it. 

I was staying with the Kehinde of the twins while the Taiwo is abroad.

I ended up in 2017  with a second class upper division degree.

I also became an RCCG member as it was mandatory for every student to attend the church. Before then, I was a member of the Celestial Church because it was the church my sister whom I lived with attended. 

I did my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Heartland College in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State. 

I taught mathematics to students from Junior Secondary School (JSS) One  to Senior Secondary School (SSS) Three. 

I gave it my best and it was good enough for the school to want to retain me. But I turned it down. 

Anyhow, I got a job as an internal auditor with Teknokleen, a cleaning company based in Lekki, Lagos State.

I worked there for six months only. 

I left to start rice farming in the Argungu, Kebbi State.

Somewhere in Lagos, I had encountered a man called Zainu who sold the idea of farming rice to me. Kebbi State land is fertile for rice, you know.

Why not?

You see, I am an optimist who has a strong belief that everything will be all right. I always believe that whatever I do will work out for good. I cannot explain it but I just believe and God has always been faithful. I also believe that if I am not sure that things will definitely work out, there is no point trying it. That is why I try to do a lot of stuff.

I am always having the positivity that everything will be good, eventually. 

I followed Zainu to his village in Kebbi State. 

He was pretty much the one who negotiated with his folk for the plot of land we used for the farming. It cost just about fifteen thousand Naira because it was in a forest. They had so many vast lands which were not in use. That explains why it was that cheap.

I had a friend at the University of Kebbi State whom I stayed with for a while. I have another friend here in Lagos who contributed to the financing. She was always sending me money to keep pushing the business.

But, I was not okay with the lifestyle. 

So, I had to call it quits after about four months and returned to Lagos. When it was time to harvest, Zainu called me to come but, a month or so after I got back, I got a job in a microfinance bank. 

But for the lifestyle which I did not get used to, I did not have much problem with the rice farming. 

I left the microfinance bank after about a month as I got tired of reporting to a boss. 

Then came COVID-19 and the lockdown.

And, that was another turning point.

I was idle at home.

My sister takes a lot of pictures and she was telling me of her frustrations with the photographer she used. When she told me how much she was being charged, I felt it was too much.

I told her that I would spend my free time to learn everything about photography and help out.

I thought that even if I would not go into it fully I would have learnt a new skill and help my sister.

So, I reached out to some photographers and told them I wanted to learn.

One responded and told me to come over.

I met him and he hired me to be working for him while learning.

He told me he wanted to open a new studio in the Surulere area of Lagos and wanted me to manage it and I agreed.

I agreed because I am well-exposed to business.

Few months after the lockdown was lifted, he opened the studio and I started managing it while also mastering photography and videography. That was towards the end of 2020.

By January 2021, I decided to move on.

But I did not really like to do field work. With my love for computers, I decided to also do a lot more of photo editing. I sold the idea to a couple of photographers; that I would be editing their pictures for them for a fee. As one of them bought the idea and that also became my speciality. 

I made some reasonable money from this which I invested in buying my photography equipment, which are quite expensive.  My camera cost me about six hundred thousand Naira. One of my lenses cost about three hundred thousand Naira. One of my background lights cost about two hundred and fifty thousand Naira. It took me a while to put the money together, anyhow. I also got invited to cover events.

I decided to upscale and I learnt how to edit videos as well but I have not started doing much of that. 

I am about learning more skills such as motion graphics. I am also thinking of learning how to shoot movies.

I have been diligent in doing everything and I believe that helps a lot.

What I can say is that God has been faithful: I have been able to pay my house rent and live as comfortable as possible.

I can be reached via +234 810 884 2459.