Meet Abodunrin Akinfenwa | Photographer & Creative Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Abodunrin Akinfenwa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Abodunrin, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
In all honesty, I realized at a very young age that I did not like being told what to do. Although I needed guidance at the time, the idea being my own boss always appealed to me.

I had worked a few job from when I was 16 till about 20. Catering assistant, customer service, bus boy, waiter, paper route and so on. As I got older, I realised that the level of success & lifestyle I was looking to provide for myself & family would have been incredibly difficult to achieve in a standard salaried job. Not impossible, just more effort than was willing to put into something that I am not passionate about.

So I decided to start my own photography business. The scale-up potential is limitless and my passion & profits keep me going strong.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a still life photographer. I specialize in portrait, fashion & product photography. I believe what sets me apart from others in my field is my “eye”; my perspective with which I create concepts and take portraits. I love emphasizing on the chaotic beauty in the human form. Weird poses & stylish fits are definitely my vibes.

Nothing worth having is easy to get so this has been a very rocky road all around. My biggest challenge is having constant faith in the course I am walking on. Keeping my eyes on the prize & being surrounded by the right people has helped me overcome a lot of these in time.

I would say the biggest lesson I have learned is to find ways to keep my work dynamic & interesting. This helps to maintain motivation & excitement in my everyday work. Also, I have learned to roll with all punches. Ls are part of the process. What’s important is making sure every L stands for “Lesson” and not “Loss”. These are a big part of the foundation of the brand I am building.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The city of Atlanta is filled with all kinds of thrills & fun, it’ll be impossible to do them all in one week. But to name a few spots, Establishment in Midtown Atlanta is a must go for anyone who can appreciate a good vibe, drinks & music. An A1 bar if I have ever seen one.

I would also recommend Battle & Brew for all my fellow gamers out there. All the games you can want to play, all the new-gen and some old-gen consoles, PCs, board games etc. All that, with table service of drink & food is every had to beat.

So many restaurants to pick from but to just to name my favourites: Negril ATL (Caribbean), Nan Thai Fine Dining (Thai), Master Piece (Chinese) & The 5 Spot Café (All day breakfast)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I credit my current success to a lot of mentors that have taught me bits about life & business along the way. Edmund Flemmey, a friend and fellow photographer who expanded my knowledge of the craft. Nyamekye Cann, another photographer who took me under his wing and taught me about the business side of the industry. Mark Manson, the author of the book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” that changed my perspective of business & self development.

All that being said, the biggest credit & recognition go to my wife, siblings & parents. They ALWAYS told me I could do it. Always emphasised how all my hard work will pay off in ways I couldn’t fathom. Suck by me when I had nothing but doubts about what I was doing. I wouldn’t be here without that support system they created, and that’s a fact!

Website: www.bodshoots.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtbod/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abodunrin-akinfenwa-438b2648/