Petite Matthew Ibadin is not your everyday photographer. He works only for the rich and the famous – and like he told us when confronted, all the other photographers should also create their own niche and carve out their own markets. Occupying a whole duplex that is littered with multi-million naira hi-tech gadgets in highbrow Lekki Phase One, Lagos, YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine’s AZUH ARINZE got him to recount how it all began at UNILAG, his breakthrough and where he’s headed next. Come with us…
What makes a good photographer?
A good photographer is a photographer who knows the basics when it comes to using a camera, who knows what aperture is all about – aperture priority; who knows what speed and being able to manipulate your camera and to give it character means. That’s what makes a good photographer. Because you don’t give what you don’t know or have. Anybody can take photographs all over the world, but that does not make you a photographer. You need to be trained and know the technical know-how.
What do you like most about being a photographer?
Oh! What gives me joy is holding cameras. Whenever I hold a camera to shoot, when I’m about to click my shutter speed, that’s what gives me joy. And most importantly, after I’ve snapped my photograph and I give it to my client, they say thank you. That is the other joy I derive. After you’ve paid, you love my work and you say oh Mattson, thank you and you pay me with smiles. That is why I’m still in this business, if not I would have quit.
How about the things you don’t like about the business?
Yeah! What I don’t like about the job is that we have not been able to define the industry; photography, where it belongs. Actually, what I don’t like now is that we don’t have an association for negotiation. Whenever I travel out of the country, they ask me what is your association called, I say we don’t have any in Nigeria. It is very, very ridiculous. I was in Cologne, Germany, they have what we call Photokina. All photographers from all over the world converge on Cologue in Germany for a photography fair. But we don’t have any here. They wanted to come to Africa, they said Nigeria, do you have an association Mattson, I said no. You see, it kills my morale. It doesn’t make me to have a sense of belonging. But nevertheless, I believe that by the special grace of God, we are going to have an association. Moreover, what I also don’t like is that you shoot a billboard, as a photographer, they pay you N200,000, N300,000, N500,000 at most; a printer, they pay him N50 million! You own the intellectual property of that job. The usage of that job is not being paid for. That’s another thing that makes me sad. But I believe we will get there soon. Another is when you bring out your camera to take anybody’s photograph, they might beat you up and that’s because there is no enlightenment. I believe the time has come for the Minister of Communications to make a pronouncement about photography; that the photographer has the right to take photographs in public places. I believe Nigerians need to be educated by the Minister of Information and Communications. I think that is actually where we are getting it wrong in Nigeria. But I know we will get there.
Which is the best shot you have taken and why?
The best shot I’ve taken is called The Innocent. I was going to the beach one day and I saw a little boy having his bath. He folded his clothes on the floor and grabbed the water. You could see the water all over him. I called it The Innocent because I believe that every human being on earth passed through that process. He picked the water, but instead of pouring it on his head, because of the ferocity he used to pick the water, the water passed through his head; but you can still see the flow of the water. The nature;lovely and entertaining.
Which is the worst shot that you have taken?
The worst shot I have taken is…(Thinks). I will not say I’ve taken a worst job per say. But I will say disappointments I have given to my clients. Let me use that word. You know digital sometimes, when you finish working, when you come home, before you know it, you want to open your memory card, the thing will corrupt. Or during the time of analogue, after taking photographs, you give it to a lab and they will burn it. The film gets burnt, you know what I mean. Those are the worst moments that I have had. At times too, to deliver to my customers, it could become hectic. But I think we have passed through those hurdles.
What is the best way to make money from photography? You’ve become so big and even operate from a highbrow area (Lekki) now.
I believe that first of all, you have to believe in yourself. The reason being that many people don’t even believe that they are photographers. They don’t even believe that they are photographers. They just say I’m just doing it. But first of all, it is for you to believe in what you do. Secondly is for you to have your target market. If you want to be in Surulere, be there and do it well. If you want to be in VI, do it well. If you want to be in Banana Island, be there and do it well. Who are your targets? What is your target market? My target market is the high profile people who believe in quality photography. My targets are those who I book an appointment with and meet in London. For example, if you are in London during this season, I book an appointment with you so I can take your pictures in London. If you go to Italy or anywhere you are in the world, I come there to take your family portraits. That is my target market. Some people who call themselves photographers don’t have what it takes to be photographers. As a photographer, it’s not all jobs you see that you collect. You must have a benchmark when it comes to your prices. If your price is N150,000, maintain your price, pursue those that believe in what you do. Everybody cannot be your customer. It’s like when you are buying pure water, everybody cannot afford Ragolis water. Everybody cannot buy champagne, even when they go to clubs. I guess that is what counts. There has to be a target market.
How did you come in contact with photography?
I came in contact with photography about 17 years ago. I registered my business 147years ago. Let me just say that I went into photography fully at the University of Lagos, 2006 precisely. I was the person that started motion pictures in UNILAG, taking students going to school, going for classes. They will take shots on their way to classes and when they come out, they will collect their pictures. I was very popular in UNILAG and I enjoyed the work. 2007, I now entered University of Lagos. That was how I read Political Science. I never knew I was a role model then until the school authority gave me an office inside Jaja Shopping Complex. Secondly, the school authority, through the late VC, Prof. Jelili Omotola, introduced what they called Work-Study Programme because of me. They found out that I was working, I was making money and I was going to school. There was widespread cultism in UNILAG in those days. So, the school now introduced a programme called Work-Study Programme. People were working in the hostels, people were working in their departments, and they were being paid some money. I don’t know whether they still do it today in UNILAG. And with that they were able to reduce the number of people who needed to do something to survive in the school. Those days too, whenever UNILAG was on strike, I will go to YABATECH (Yaba College of Technology) and be taking pictures. When YABATECH is also on strike, I will go to LASPOTEC (Lagos State Polytechnic) at Isolo. If all schools in Nigeria are on strike, I will go to Ghana. It’s either I go to Cape Coast University, or I go to Legon or I go to Kumasi University and I will be taking pictures in all those campuses. That’s how I was surviving then. So, I’ve been a hustler right from time.
When did you now make photography your major source of income?
I started 17 years ago, when I started motion pictures in UNILAG. From there it became my profession. Now I’ve gone all over the world doing it. I’ve taken pictures all over the world. I do a lot of exhibitions abroad. And like I said, I go to Photokina. We do Photokina every two, two years. All photographers converge on Cologue, in Germany every two, two years. All photographers all over the world converge there.
Let’s even dissect you. Tell us about you.
Yeah, my real name is Matthew Ibadin. It was from Matthew I derived Mattson. Matthew Ibadin is from Edo State, Ishan, Uromi precisely. I schooled in the University of Lagos and I’ve done series of training all over the world…
What’s your dream for Mattson Creations?
My dream is to have a photography institute in Nigeria that will take care of the whole African sub-region and also to have a national portrait gallery like the one in London, in Abuja. Let the tourists go there to actually see what we have as a nation. I want to showcase Nigeria. My dream is to use photography as a weapon in the area of attracting foreign investors, to promote our culture and tourism and to rebrand this country. Rebranding is not only about words of mouth, it’s also about photography. If you go to some houses in Paris, they say 1348…you know what I mean. It’s about visual communication, sight and seeing. So, I want to promote Nigeria. I don’t have any other country. This is my country. So, that is my dream for photography in this country.
NB: First published October 2014