Here are some of my favourite shots from Ostana, Cuneo, a trip I’ve written about extensively already. These shots feature informal and formal activities around the Premio Ostana Prize which lasted almost all week. In it are my wife, sponsor, Valentina Musmeci, Lọlá Shónẹ́yìn, colleagues, visitors and fellow prizewinners.
A few caveats, which may or may not be necessary:
1. This is not all of Lagos. This is a result of an indulgent ride from Ikoyi to Lekki are of the state (some would say the better side of the state).
2. This isn’t the only face of Lagos during rainfall. It’s not even close. But the success of the public-private partnership that gave us the Lekki-Epe Expressway ensures that as long as the passenger stays on this highway, he/she would never witness the ugliness that is the innards of the city gutters during rainfall.
3. This aims to be as much about the blogger’s photographic experiments as with the fascination with the city itself, although, as he has often admitted to himself, the city holds much more in treasure for the curious traveler than one can immediately tell from a cursory look.
Enjoy.
The shots aren’t the best, but they are what I could get: shots of Lagos with no other cars. A few streets of Lagos anyway. You don’t see that often.
Berger, Magodo, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and Lekki.
Unless Sony Ericsson makes me an offer I can’t refuse, this is the last time I’ll put a name of their brand on a blog title :). This caveat is necessary in case anyone begins to wonder whether I’ve already been paid to present the camera of one of their better phones in a good light. From how it has worked with me so far, it seems that I don’t need to do that after all. The product speaks for itself.
However, if I do get an offer to try out any of their even better, newer, Xperia versions, it would be nice to compare what I have to what new functionalities they offer. If Google is listening too, I wouldn’t mind trying a Nexus either.
In any case, this post is about a few photos taken around Lagos, Nigeria. Enjoy.
Once upon a time, a camera – a Canon handheld camera. Two cameras, actually, of the same brand, both purchased in the US. That is where the story begins and stops, except for a few other details: each originating in a Radio Shack shop, for about $250, and both ending up lost, along with a treasure trove of photographs that would never again be retrieved. One originated in Providence, Rhode Island, and disappeared at Six Flags, Missouri. The other at Radio Shack, Glen Carbon, and disappeared in a taxi in Lagos Nigeria.
And so one day, a bright idea: why not kill two birds with one stone? The camera on one of the latest Sony Xperia smartphones is reputed to be one of the best in the market. And since in need of a new phone anyway, an investment in a smart phone – the first for this traveler reputed for unexplainable reticence with regards to new technological fads – seemed, all of a sudden, like a good idea. The traveller gains access to the latest perks in mobile technology as well as a handheld camera all embedded in the same device.
It seems now to have worked so far, except for the occasional wait for the camera function to activate when summoned in the middle of another phone function. With thousands of new app functionalities to improve the camera experience, there seems to be something to keep me occupied for a few months to come. And then, a few days ago, I stumbled on Instagram, and the journey is complete. Here’s a platform for showcasing the trial and errors of one’s photographic experiences and experiments with colour and filter.
Enjoy these very few ones around Lagos, through the eyes of an Xperia lens.