THE RUNNERS-UP
OLUMO ROCK is a massive outcropping of granite rocks in primitive formation. The history of
Olumo Rock dates back to the 19th century Oyo Empire when Abeokuta was inhabited by the
Egba people who found refuge at Olumo Rock during inter-tribal wars. The rock functioned as
a tower of strength for the Egba people during war-time, as well as a practical vantage point to
monitor the enemy’s advances. Olumo Rock symbolizes unity and freedom not just for the Egbas
but for all the residents of Abeokuta in Ogun State.
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ARAGBADA
- @dudutoonznigeria
special to him. He said “this has helped
to strengthen my confidence and made
me realize that I need to push more on
my photography process and not stay
within my comfort zone.”
won second place in the NaijaGEMs
contest with the photo above. He
travelled through eight Nigerian states
shooting photos before he settled on
submitting the photo taken from atop
Olumo rock which he loves mostly for
the strong cultural heritage it portrays. Venturing out of his comfort zone is
how Mr Aragbada got involved with
photography. He was inspired by
the story of foremost Nigerian
photographer, Kelechi Amadi-Obi,
who is a lawyer turned painter
turned photographer.
Interestingly enough, Matthias doesn’t
do a lot of landscape photography.
Through his production company
- Dudutoonz - beauty portraits and
corporate head shots are his most
covered areas of photography, though
he’s always had a strong urge to
explore other areas. Which is why he
accepted the challenge immediately
he saw the contest announcement.
Considering this was his first attempt at
a photography competition, emerging
in the Top Three makes this doubly With his new shiny Canon
EOS 80D, Mr Aragbada is
embarking on a project he calls
Dust to Roses. He will go into
the streets of Lagos and find
three people in abject poverty
who are willing to share their
stories with the world, then
assist them in doing so through
photography. Through this, he
aims to show his audience that you
can find beauty anywhere, even in the
most unexpected places.
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CROSSROADS | November 2018 Special Edition