I'm John Olalekan Durojaye — John Lekan. A visionary storyteller with over nine years behind the camera, working between London and Lagos.
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.
Aworan — the Yoruba word for image — is a curated collection representing my artistic journey over the past seven years. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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