Nice to meet you
I'm John Olalekan Durojaye - known as John Lekan, John Lekan Durojaye, and behind the lens as Cameraboss. A visionary storyteller with over twelve years behind the camera, working between London, Leicester and Lagos.
How it began
After dedicating years to the theoretical study of communication and information technology, I couldn't escape an unquenchable desire that persisted no matter how hard I tried. When I stumbled upon photography, it was like discovering a whole new version of myself - one I never knew existed, and instantly fell in love with.
The second time in my life I felt such overwhelming emotion was when my girlfriend - now my wife - said YES to spending the rest of her life with me.
“If I had not discovered myself, I would have been lost. On the field, I can only make little relevance.”
I am greatly influenced by my relationship with God, family, love, fashion, beauty, and the great masters of photography.
The artist behind Aworan
Aworan the Yoruba word for image is a curated collection representing my artistic journey across twelve years of practice. It encompasses both composed and real-life art, telling the story of my travels around the world and showcasing the diverse beauty found in humanity and the remarkable creations we have made as a species.
I am a student of media, as much as I am a student of life and photography. My works are a reflection of that, in the form of images - images as timeless as nature itself. Pictures and prints that transfer you into the tranquillity of nature when you look at them.
A camera alone does not make a picture. To make a picture you need a camera, a photographer and - above all - a subject. It is the subject that determines the interest of the photograph.
My artistic philosophy centres on story, emotion and atmosphere using the lens not merely to record, but to interpret. Rooted in the visual language of the African diaspora, my images explore cultural identity, resilience and cross-continental creative exchange, with a mission to change how the world sees Africa through visual storytelling.
Over twelve years of professional practice, my work has spanned portrait, fashion, wedding, documentary and editorial photography, alongside digital art that merges photographic imagery with conceptual composition. I shoot Canon mirrorless and Hasselblad medium format, and colour-manage every piece for archival print.
Points about me
How many frames to remember someone?
Most people only really need one. So I divide every story into sections and try to create one image for each - a single frame that defines the moment.
Whatever it takes
My wife fondly calls me “The Energy God” - I'll climb chairs and tables or dash to a balcony to capture the perfect shot. Every moment deserves to be beautifully preserved.
All rules are meant to be broken
The golden rule in the arts, as far as I am concerned, is that all rules are meant to be broken. And I am on my way to breaking them all.
Teaching, writing and building the next generation
Alongside exhibiting and commercial work, I've built an education practice that reaches more than 85,000 people - because a creative sector is sustained by the people you bring with you, not just the work you make.
Teaching
Workshops & Masterclasses
Photography craft, the business of photography and creative entrepreneurship - taught through workshops and masterclasses, alongside free mentoring for emerging photographers.
Three Published Ebooks
From Lagos to London, The Business of Photography (a 30-day blueprint) and a guide to Facebook advertising for creative businesses.
The 30-Day Consistency Challenge
A structured training programme for photographers with a full curriculum and dedicated community - built to turn sporadic effort into a sustainable practice.
Membership
Portrait Contemporaries
Member of Portrait Contemporaries at the National Portrait Gallery, London. First-class graduate of Oduduwa University, Nigeria.
In the line of James Barnor
I place my work in the West Africa to London lineage of James Barnor (Hon. FRPS, Order of the Volta), the Ghanaian-British photographer who first carried that journey on film. My relationship with the James Barnor Foundation keeps that thread live.
Founder and Creative Director
I founded and lead Cameraboss Multimedia Ltd, a dual-market UK and Nigeria practice, alongside Cameraboss Creator, the platform through which I teach. Peer and mentor: Mark Fearnley, London fine art photographer, educator and author.
“John Olalekan Durojaye is a leader in the field of photography and visual art… Sustaining that range at a consistent standard across two continents is itself a mark of artistic leadership.” Dr Olushola Adeborode Kolawole, Festival Director, Bradford African Festival of Arts; Senior Lecturer, University of Bradford
Two sides of one lens
johnlekan.net is home to my personal and fine-art work. My commercial practice - weddings, lifestyle and editorial photography across the UK and Nigeria - lives at Camera Boss.
Visit CameraBoss.co.uk ↗