Nana Kofi Acquah – Pro Photographer

Posted on January 19, 2010 under , , , ,

NKAprofileNana Kofi Acquah is a global citizen who traces his roots to Elmina, Ghana. Growing up by the Elmina Castle and hearing all the haunting stories on slavery, he grew up believing, he might not be able to change the past but he can do something about the present.

Nana currently works full time as a photographer www.nkaphoto.com.  He is also a member of the Dutch Shadow Parliament, De Derde Kamer www.dederdekamer.org and the West African Regional Coordinator for the Voices of Africa Foundation, where he trains underprivileged youth to become camera phone journalists.

Nana mainly works in Documentary and Advertising Photography and is available for work across Africa and beyond.

He lives in Accra with the love of his life, Gloria and their children Paakow and Adoma.

MyWeku: Nana you seem to have that cool social vibe that gives value to people. Is your interest in people what led you into photography?

NKA: My interest in storytelling and art led me to photography but you’re right, I spend 99% of my photography, shooting people. I love to hear and document our peculiarities and sameness.

MyWeku: Some photographs can trigger attraction and some may inspire devotion. What do Nana Kofi Acquah’s photographs trigger or inspire?

NKA: Definitely trigger action. My background is in journalism and advertising. In both worlds, you try to get people to respond or react to what you tell them. I’m used to that. My photographs are often very coded.

MyWeku: Is photography a subjective form? Do you have a hand in shaping the context and projecting your own meaning to the photographs you take?

NKA: My answer to this question is both a yes and a no because I do two types of photography: Documentary Photography and Advertising Photography. In the former, I don’t manipulate the story. I photograph what I see or is thrown at me. I try very much to be objective but of course, at the end of the day, that is still my view and in that sense, subjective. In advertising photography, I’m working to a brief. It’s what the client wants. Nothing is true.

MyWeku: Some of your best photographs are monochromatic (black and white). How do you decide when to use either black and white or colour photography and what are your favourite themes to photograph?

NKA: Even though I have received a lot of praise for my work in colour, I know deep down, that I’m a black and white photographer. I love to keep my messages simple and direct. Sometimes colour gets in the way of story telling. I believe good photography must, like all good communication, be kept stupidly simple.

If there is anything called “slice of life”, I think that is my favourite theme. In some ways I am a keen observer who doesn’t want to miss anything. It doesn’t need to be dramatic, ecstatic or tragic to pique my interest. It must only be present and true. I am not afraid to photograph the mundane because I know posterity might appreciate it. In that sense, I think like a historian.

MyWeku: Tell us about your work with Voices of Africa in relation to the use of mobile technology?

NKA: Voices of Africa was an experiment that has proven very successful. A couple of Dutch guys had this idea of putting mobile phones in the hands of smart but poor young Africans, offer them journalism training and see what stories they can share with the world from their communities. I currently am in charge of recruiting and training people in West Africa.  Some people have heavily criticized the quality of reports some of young reporters file but nobody has been able to deny the fact that they constantly show the world aspects of Africa they never even knew about.

MyWeku: Can you tell us about a story that has had the greatest impact on you as a photo journalist?

NKA: That will be the “Year of the Planet” story I did in Angola. The exhibition just ended in Lisbon and is moving to Angola soon, and will hopefully, tour some other countries in Africa. After spending one month photographing children dying from Malaria, I couldn’t help resenting the attitude of Angola’s rich.  They spend thousands of US dollars on meals in a night and yet just a few kilometres away in Caxito, children were dying from Malaria and Diarrhoea.

MyWeku: The world of photography has moved from the pinhole camera to digital. There are bound to be more changes both in technology and the role photography plays in the world, especially in photo journalism. How do you see photography in general developing in Africa?

NKA: Photography in Africa is morphing at the speed of light. I must say quickly however, that most of the young African photographers I meet are more interested in the very commercial types of photography. May be for most of them, they get this nice camera, they notice they can make some nice pictures and quickly turn it into a business. Those who are genuinely interested in photography move on from there, and focus on honing their skills. The sad thing is, the majority still stay there- commercial and bland.

For photojournalists, the good news is, it is possible to wire fresh news to your agency as it is happening. That had never been possible before in Africa.

MyWeku: Myweku recently interviewed two Ghanaian entrepreneurs who have set up a photo sharing website called Mokocharlie.com What are your views on photo sharing sites and photo blogging?

NKA: Photo-sharing sites and photo blogging is the future. Most critics focus on just the copyright and image theft issues but really, what better way is there for photographers to share and grow? I started shooting for Getty images because of flickr. I am happy there is a Ghanaian based one. It makes it easier to access and buy images from Ghana. I hope more pro photographers will start contributing to Mokocharlie.com

MyWeku: What advice would you give to aspiring photo journalists or the mere amateur?

NKA: My advice will be: 1. “Learn from the Masters”.  2. “Find your own voice.”

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See: More of NKA’s Photographs