Bio/Contact
I am a Nigerian-British freelance photographer based out of sunny Los Angeles, California. My dad documented our family’s adventures before and throughout my life. The request for my camera on my 18thbirthday jumpstarted my passion to want to document memories from my own perspective and create my own narratives. My mum encouraged my passion and put me through photography related workshops in the summer.
Upon getting to University of Manchester, I found a photography community that allowed me to express interest in other avenues including working with fashion students, local models, and event planners. I captured images for fashion student portfolios, as well as exhibiting my work at the university’s gallery. I joined the university’s official paper as a press photographer. Back home in London, I would photograph runway shows for fashion labels during London Fashion Week, as well as event photography in popular clubs.
I currently live in Los Angeles, shuttling to and from to London and Lagos, working with local designers and boutiques to capture images for e-commerce and look books, curating portraits with narratives around lifestyle and editorial fashion photography. Alongside, I have been exploring other styles of photo essay including still life and behind-the-scenes photography. I have collaborated with performing artists during local and out of town performance’s, behind the scenes of video shoots and press conferences, as well as content creation for their social media. I also photographed onsite at major entertainment and sporting events, including the Oscars/Emmys/Golden Globes/Grammys to red carpet movie premieres.
I aim to capture meaningful gestures, creating a nuances depiction of Black people and POC. A self-taught portrait photographer shuffling between digital, to capture rich details in people and Los Angeles architecture, and medium format to preserve the emotion and showcase subtle expressions. Since picking up my camera, I have always been inclined to take snapshots in a diaristic manner of those around me in detailed environments and interiors. With cinematic lightning and warm tones, viewers are invited to be a part of the memory or just simply view.
During the pandemic, I craved to shoot people but with the pandemic I had to figure out other things that fancied my interest which was mid-century architecture. With Southern California being the location for most of the Case Study homes I drove to different eye-catching buildings specifically those by architect John Lautner, who designed homes with unconventional, sloping angles and interior. This research allowed me to dig deeper into the history of architecture which has an influence on my choice of locations and nostalgic scenes.
For commissions, collaborations, and requests, please email debra@debraorols.com