Interview with Ayo Odumade

Hi Ayo! Tell us about yourself in two sentences - who are you?

I’m a 31 year old Financial Analyst who knows he’s in the wrong job! The reason for this is my passion for photography which, for the last 4 years has been a gift and a curse.

QWhat's the weirdest situation you've found yourself in while taking a photograph?

AIt was a few months before the London Olympics and unbeknownst to a friend and I, security had been heightened around the Westminster area. We were taking a few long exposure shots of the London Eye at around 1am in the morning. Everything was going well until we started to pack up and make our way home. We were stopped by a heavily armed (but friendly) officer who wanted to know what the purpose of our pictures was. Apparently the threat level of terrorism had been increased and officers were monitoring people carrying backpacks and suspicious equipment. Looking back I can see why we may have been seen a little suspect, both 6’2, wearing dark clothing, carrying tripods & camera bags... We were kept for about 45mins while background checks were done on us and ultimately it all ended well.

QWhat do you shoot on? What's your favourite set up?

AI currently shoot with the Canon 5D Mark III and have two (in my opinion) quality lenses. The Sigma 50mm f1.4 DG HSM Art & Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8 L Mark II USM. I mainly use the prime for portraits and social events. My favourite set-up is using the 16-35 for Landscape shots either during the day but mainly at night. I love capturing London buildings at night with all the lights and movement you get from the sky while using a slow shutter speed.

QWhat's your number one tip for an aspiring photographer?

ADon’t take constructive criticism personally as hard as it will be. It’s very easy to lose confidence if you don’t get the response/feedback you were hoping for. The challenge is to know what you want and stay true to yourself. Photography is a very competitive career path just like many others. Therefore you’ll need a tough chin because it will get knocked from time to time.