For Aliyu Hussaini, 26, an offer by a ‘neighbourhood uncle’ to work as an apprentice ignited a passion in him for photography. And over the years, through dedication and hard work, his efforts culminated in the opening of his own photo studio.
Hussaini, a level two student of geography at Kaduna State University (KASU), is the CEO of Sweet Rose Photography, a studio located in Kinkinau, a suburb in Kaduna metropolis.
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“I had no passion for photography, he saw me sitting with friends and asked me to follow him; he took me to a studio to learn photography. That was how the interest started developing,” he said.
Working as a teenager was not an easy task as he had to overcome distractions like playing football, an activity he took to after finishing his secondary education.
As he redirected his focus to the new profession, his interest saw him work for two years as an apprentice and six as a paid photographer.
Even then, he had to combine work with studies as he tried to obtain a national diploma.
“When I was working, I was also going to school as I got admission to study for a diploma. Upon completion of the course, I got another admission in KASU during which I got money to open my studio. I got gadgets and also rented a shop,” Hussaini recalled.
But with the capital, he said he was in a dilemma in charting a way forward so as not to lose his newfound glories.
“I tried weighing how I can grow the business without it taking a toll on my studies, so I decided to defer a session because pursuing the two at the same time may lead to losing both.”
With that decision taken and 11 months into starting the business, he said the business grew as he has employed four persons.
“I opened the shop just 23 days before the COVID-19 lockdown. I felt bad when the lockdown was imposed in Kaduna because I was starting a new chapter in my life. However, despite the lockdown, I was able to operate.
“Those who knew I opened the studio would call me to take their pictures for birthdays or other occasions, especially females. So, I was still doing some work during the lockdown.”
He explained that after the lockdown, the business was booming even more as he charged N500 for a soft copy transfer and N500 for a hard copy and N800 for both. He said he made an average of N200,000 monthly.
Despite the proliferation of cell phones with high-end cameras which affected the patronage of photo studios, Hussaini said customers still patronized him as they prefer soft (electronic) copies which are posted on their social media accounts. This is as against hard copies which usually ended up tucked in bags or other places for preservation.
He also spoke about challenges: “Money was my greatest challenge when I wanted to start-up because photography needed money to buy good cameras and other gadgets as a professional photographer,” he stated.
With the business clocking one year, Hussaini has returned to school because he has trusted workers who can hold the fort in his stead to enable him to focus on his educational pursuit.
He urged parents to encourage their wards to learn handiwork and not rely on education alone “because for me at the age of 26 I have a diploma, I am studying to get my BSc and I have my shop.
“If I have the opportunity, I will apply for a job and if I get it that is another source of income for me.”
