By Adefoyeke Ajao

“There’s a huge difference between making photographs and taking photographs. A photograph is a moral decision taken in 1/8th of a second, so each time you click your camera, you’re making a decision.” Jumoke Sanwo’s words resonated around the room as the 25 participants at Art635’s Days of Dorcas Photography Workshop discovered that photography was more of an exercise in perception and decisiveness than the casual click of a camera.

Sanwo, speaking alongside other renowned photographers (including TY Bello, Bénédicte Kurzen, Yetunde Ayeni-Babaeko, and Uche Okpa-Iroha), led the participants at the Days of Dorcas Photography Workshop to see photography through a different lens by sharing anecdotes and experiences.

Over the course of the 6-day workshop, everything Gloria Ukata, a beauty and portrait photographer, though she knew was turned on its head: “My experience so far has been very drilling; drilling in the sense that it has changed my mind totally on several things concerning photography. Coming here, I felt I already knew what I was about, but being here has changed that for me totally. It’s like I am beginning to find myself all over again”.

The Days of Dorcas workshop, which was designed to inspire female photographers amidst a dearth of accessible opportunities and mentorship, also introduced the artists to their peers and fostered a collaboration culture. This much was revealed by Grace Ekpu, the competition prize winner who says that she has “a lot to prove because basically it’s a male-dominated industry and I have to work harder than my contemporaries. The Days of Dorcas Photography competition has been a very fantastic experience for me because there’s [sic] a lot of things I’ve learnt and just being around other female photographers is just an exciting experience in all.”

Echoing Ekpu’s sentiments, Amarachi Joel, a documentary photographer, said, “The Days of Dorcas workshop has been a fantastic experience for me. I’ve had to learn new stuff like in learning how to tell a story. I had to make up my mind about the aspect of photography I wanted to go into. I also networked; I met a lot of cool female photographers and I hope that the relationships I built in this “Days of Dorcas Workshop” would last for a lifetime.”

For Aghunfi Faith, an events photographer, she was grateful to GTBank because affordable
opportunities such as the Days of Dorcas workshop were few and far between: “I know how
much workshops cost where I am coming from, and to get it on this platform, meeting new
people [including] people I’ve only heard of from a distance is an opportunity I am grateful for.”

Like Aghunfi, Favour Ogundimu was thankful for the workshop’s free and competitive platform. The conceptual photographer who clinched the competition’s second prize said, “I really want to appreciate GTBank for providing this fantastic opportunity because a lot of times we pay a lot of money to do this kind of thing and we got this for free. It’s been wonderful.”

The workshop was a valuable experience and a call to introspection for others like Atinuke Mariam Ibrahim. Ibrahim, despite initially not knowing what to expect from the workshop “really learnt a lot”. She added, “before I came here, I was not too sure what kind of photographer I was, but they [facilitators] helped me find my voice during the Days of Dorcas workshop and I’ve been able to find the exact type of photography I want to specialise in. Workshops like this would help people so much more and it would bring out the best in photographers that have not found the best in themselves”.

At the Days of Dorcas Workshop, Shogbesan Adenike experienced a creative epiphany, “My life has changed since I got here. I started out thinking I was a lifestyle photographer I knew what I was doing but now I feel like I’ve been broken down, shattered and my mind has been kind of reformed. So I am thankful to GTBank and all the facilitators. They have changed my life and I am really grateful.

Below are the 25 shortlisted participants of the Days of Dorcas photography workshop:

Mofeoluwa Bamuyiwa

Anita Okonweze

Gloria Ukata

Sonayon Thomas

Grace Ekpu

Sogbesan Adenike

Foluke Sowunmi

Favour Ogundimu

Olayemi Olarinde

Emem Akinyemiju

Aguhnfi Faith Balanku

Annabelle Ayangbade

Ebunoluwa Akinbo

Atinuke Ibrahim

Nengi Nelson-Ogbari

Shola Oke

Oreoluwa Ibitayo

Amarachi Joel

For the participants, Days of Dorcas was a professional rebirth and a catalyst for improving on their work. It was a thrilling and worthwhile experience that bolstered their confidence as photographers.