I
a asked him how he got
involved with photography
and it was interesting to
learn that he was first
introduced to cameras as a
filmmaker. Due to the fact
that many of the same principles apply
to both filmmaking and photography,
it’s usual to find filmmakers who
started out as photographers, but
unusual to see the process in reverse.
Kongs’ reason for going this route was
pretty common sense. He needed to
learn more about lighting, composition
and lenses but in a more cost-efficient
and less time-consuming way than
filmmaking allowed… so he signed up
for a photography course. In 2015, he
embarked on a three month program at
the University of the Nations campus
in Kona, Hawaii. It was following this
program that he chose to focus more
on photography, though he manages to
juggle it with filmmaking.
Kongs is based in Jos, Plateau state
and runs Gowell Studios, a film
and photography outfit. Shooting
documentaries is his strong suit; his
preferences are for landscapes and
portrait photography with a cultural
slant. Inspired by the coffee table book
he received as part of his winnings,
he is embarking on a mission to
document the tribes of Plateau. Already
invested in the development of the
next generation and his immediate
community, he’s teaching 10 young
natives of Jos photography. He
also teaches Computer studies at a
secondary school in Jos.
Reflecting on his emergence as the
winner of the NaijaGEMs contest,
Kongs says he has been blessed with
new recognition, to the extent of being
stopped by strangers to congratulate
him. The win has also boosted his levels
of self-confidence and he is inspired to
keep shooting landscapes, a venture
that is not as commercially viable as
some other genres of photography in
these climes. He added “Every now
and then, the contest reminds me of
how a single picture gave me such
international recognition.”
Perhaps more tangibly, he has gotten
a few recommendations and been
engaged in some consultations as
a direct result of his win; not to
mention the grand prize of a Canon
EOS 5D Mark 4 - the flagship camera
of Canon’s DSLR lineup. With it, he’s
already executed projects for clients
which have taken him as far as Lagos.
Kongs said “I couldn’t have done it
better with any other cameras… the
images that come out of it are so pretty.
I have never used a machine as good
as this camera.” With it, he’s also shot a
short film titled Falsehood, which has
been entered into the My Rode Reel
film competition. We’re here crossing
our fingers alongside and in support of
the young creative.
Regardless of the outcome of that
competition, Mr Shamaki has already
been established as a winner and
without any doubt, there’s going to be a
lot more winning in his future.
Rimamkongende’s father and other family members celebrate with him after he received his prizes
CROSSROADS | November 2018 Special Edition
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