English
Arteh Odjidja is a photographer born and bred in London – he describes it as one of the most thrilling and diverse cities in the world. His creative career began in graphic design, which sparked a transition into his current role as a creative photographer and art director. Arteh is a creative with many outlets, but photography being his first love – he chooses to experiment with menswear fashion photography and portraiture. The continually evolving concept of the modern man provides lots of inspiration for his conceptual output. He recently photographed Asian Wealth Magazine’s second anniversary party held at Porsche in Mayfair, London and talks about the experience below.
Q: How would you describe your photography?
A: My photography ranges from fashion to reportage to art, so I would describe my photography as expressive.
Q: What genre are your photos?
A: If you look at my portfolio, my work ranges from art, to fashion, to reportage and occasionally still life. I’m not trying to be jack of all trades but I do express myself differently working in different genres.
Q: How long have you been a professional photographer? Did you have a previous career?
A: I have been shooting professionally for five years now. I actually studied graphic design at university and did that for a while, before getting serious about photography. Graphic design was great but my work made me quite solitary, working on a computer all day and that’s not me at all. I now try to combine the disciplines where I can.
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the background about the recent Asian Wealth Magazine event?
A: The event took place at the Porsche showroom in Mayfair London, on the 19th of June. It was held by Asian Wealth Magazine & Porsche to celebrate the magazine’s two year anniversary. The event was also supported by a selection of other brands. The invited guests were a great selection of people from the business, arts, entertainment and media world. The Porsche showroom offered an elegant venue and for the night featuring one of its limited edition models from its stunning Martini racing collection as the centerpiece for the space.
Q: What was Leica’s involvement in the event?
A: Leica’s involvement and brand presence was strong at the event. The team had a demonstration area with a selection of eye catching camera models to attract the guests over to learn more about Leica. I did my part by buzzing around capturing all the action on the Leica.
Q: What was Leica’s involvement in the event?
A: Leica’s involvement and brand presence was strong at the event. The team had a demonstration area with a selection of eye catching camera models to attract the guests over to learn more about Leica. I did my part by buzzing around capturing all the action on the Leica.
Q: What camera and lens(es) did you use to shoot the images from the Asian Wealth Magazine event?
A: I used the Leica M to shoot this event teamed with the a 35mm f/1.4 Summilux M lens and 21 f/3.4 Super Elmar lens.
Q: What made this equipment suitable for this event? What qualities or characteristics especially stand out to you?
A: The Leica M was perfect for an event like this, it’s compact body and lenses are easy to handle and operate in a dense crowd while also managing to be discreet and unobtrusive, great for capturing the moment. The 35mm f/1.4 stayed on the camera most of the time, but the 21mm f/3.4 was great for capturing a wide pan of the space and the people.
Q: How did you get involved in shooting the event?
A: I have been part of many events with Leica in the past, I was asked to capture this event in the special way I like to do it with a focus on capturing great moments.
Q: What were your impressions from the event?
A: I thought the event was a great success, impressive turnout and a great atmosphere to the evening with invited guests being treated to live performances, flowing wine and canapés, as well as a live fashion show. I had a great time and I was working.
Q: What approach do you take with your photography or what does photography mean to you?
A: My photography mainly is a way of exploring myself, and what makes me curious. As I get older I realize that every question I answer only leads me to another one. So I keep shooting or planning projects to see if I can explore these subjects in my work.
Q: Do you have upcoming projects or events that you’d like to share with our readers?
A: My last and ongoing project is called Art Of Monochrome. I created a live event last year with Leica UK to explore the timelessness and unique impact of monochrome imagery whiles also exploring the beauty and artistic heritage in African culture. I worked with the London College of Fashion, new designers and creatives to collaborate on this and it was amazing. I hope to do another one again soon.
Thank you for your time, Arteh!
– Leica Internet Team
Connect with Arteh on his website, Twitter and Facebook.
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