MOGUL WOMAN
It is no news that photography has moved from what it used to be 10 years ago, especially in this part of the world. Meet Bunmi Adebimpe, the head photographer and creative director of VP CUBE PHOTOFACTORY which is known for its unique niche “baby photography”. In this interview, Bunmi tells Urban Woman about what her business entails and what standing out means to them.
UW: Let’s meet you.
Bunmi: My name is Bunmi Adebimpe popularly known as Queen B within my circle of friends and professional colleagues. I am the Head Photographer and Creative Director of VP CUBE PHOTOFACTORY. A wife and mother, I studied Agricultural Economics in my undergrad, and business and management in graduate school. I have professional certification in Project Management, Entrepreneurship and of course Photography.
UW: Did you leave human resource consulting to start photography?
Bunmi: Actually, I didn’t leave human resource consulting, I am still very much involved in HR. I consult for various companies and currently, I handle the corporate strategy department of Superheads International Limited which is into recruitment and outsourcing services, so I am still very much involved in human resource.
UW: How long have you been into photography?
Bunmi: My passion for photography started years ago. I was a photography freak whilst in school as an undergraduate. I was also like the unofficial photographer for my friends and colleagues even when I got into graduate school at Aston Business School (UK). But as a business, I have only been into this professionally a little over two years. I must say it has been an amazing two years.
UW: You are known for baby photography, what was the inspiration behind this?
Bunmi: Children are unique beings and of course we women are very special too as we go through a lot and still have our heads up high like nothing happened (laughs). So, as a mother, passing through the pregnancy stage which is the (maternity segment for us), and thereafter the unique experience of giving birth, the joy these kids bring into our lives whilst nurturing and grooming them into responsible adults is heavenly. At VP Cube Photography, we have our very special services including our best seller (laughs) “My First Moments”. For “My First Moments”, we partner with hospitals, to capture the newborns within the first 72 hours of delivery. Other services include documenting the maternity stage (called “The Journey”) in pictures, the first one year
UW: So in essence you are saying there is no competition in your niche (child photography)?
Bunmi: No, there are other people involved in child photography but the truth is we are different because we put in so much creativity, uniqueness, innovation and much more genuine new experiences. We are the first contemporary photography outfit in Nigeria to partner with hospitals with the aim of capturing the amazing first moments of new born babies. We are relentless in our pursuit of excellence.
UW: Would you consider photography lucrative?
Bunmi: It is lucrative because there is huge opportunity for growth. There are other niches, like wedding, portrait and fashion photography, which are really profitable. Also, there are many other types of photography that some people don’t even know about like nature, food and documentary photography etc. So yes photography is really lucrative and we have not still fully tapped its essence in this country; even though we were not here 10 years ago, but I am positive there is still a lot we can do.
UW: Shooting with babies must be an overwhelming task. Tell us about it.
Bunmi: I wouldn’t say it is really overwhelming; rather would say it is challenging but it is always very exciting. My team and I are always very excited anytime we are preparing for shoots because it is always captivating and we get to learn from these kids every day. Sometimes, we may have hyperactive babies, or the ones that sleeps all through their sessions, but the good thing is we always know how to make it work and fun no matter what happens. Every shoot has been a hit back to back (laughs).
UW: Tell us about your team members.
Bunmi: I have a pretty strong team and we ensure we all work together for the vision of the company. We have a social media team for all our social media pages- Instagram: @vpcube_photofactory and @myfirstmoments Facebook: www.faceboook.com/vpcube Twitter: @vpcubestudios, the Website Manager for our official websitewww.vantagepoint.com.ng Admin Officer and Accountant. We also have a Studio manager, photo-editor and photography assistant and we take Interns too.
UW: So you are into human resource, you are a photographer. How do you balance all?
Bunmi: It is all about happiness and fulfilment in whatever you do. It is not about giving equal time to A and B; for me, I try to make use of the best time I have while ensuring I have time for spirituality, family and friends and my businesses. It is more about being fulfilled for me. I am happy when my clients call or text me to thank me for creating and preserving the beautiful memories of their loved ones, and the numerous positive feedbacks are really fulfilling apart from making a living from photography.
UW: What are your plans for this year?
Bunmi: Creating more priceless memories in the most captivating way, getting more innovative products and services, building a stronger team, having more collaborations and much more. Please stay tuned! I am also planning to launch a women empowerment platform to inspire and motivate young people.